a forgotten land

1

I woke to a lovely sunny day, a rare sight in these cold isles, to a beautiful voice. 

'I walk through these meadow fields and watch the sunflowers stand, reaching to a forgotten land.' the voice sang, 'I wonder, of tomorrow, if I'll even live to see the pain, and empty broken hearts,'

I walked in a stupor, towards the sound, out my window, over the wall, and I crept past the tall trees, into the clearing. As I pushed the branches out of sight, I look at the singer, expecting to see a lovely girl. But instead, I see a boy my age. I guess, if he's singing, then he's not going to 'sissy' me, then there's no harm in singing with him. I join the song in the lower part: 'I ponder, why? Where thousands died and no hope left yet yellow flowers stand. But I believe the grass will green in the other side. An-' I falter as I realise the other boy has stopped. 'I - I -'

'That was pretsy darn good!' he exclaimed. 

'Uh- well, I mean, um, uh you too?' I mentally facepalm.

He laughs, 'You weren't meant to see this,'.

I feel my cheeks reddening. 'Oh, sorry. I'll just go?'

'No! Don't go. It'd be nice to have someone to share it with. As long's you don't tell the other boys.'

'No, I wouldn't do that, unless you did, me,'

'This is so funny. You're so "proper".' he laughs again. 'Shall we?'

'I pray that we may live some more. For I lo-' we mumble, 've you with all my heart and soul' we sing in harmony. 'You're my sun, and I, your flower, loving you blindly in all your days of woe.' we snigger.

'Great, now you're gonna think I'ma gay,' he says.

'Well, I mean, we didn't write the song. Wanna come to my treehouse?' I ask.

'Sure!' he says, his face lit up, 'I mean, if it's not too much trouble. Hey umm, I didn't catch your name.'

'Oh! Sorry, I'm Benjamin,'

'I'm Ray,'

'What an odd name.'

'Yeah, well, it's Raymond, but it seems too spiffy.'

'You even know what spiffy means?' I ask, 'Or is it even a word?'

'Well, it seems posh,'

...

After the best 2 hours of playing, my mother calls us in for dinner.

'Who's this young lad, Benny?' she asks.

'I'm Raymond. A pleasure to meet you, Mrs...?' he drifts off.

'Quick, Raymond, but you can call me Victoria.' she smiles.

...

After dinner, we head up to my room, to play with my toys. 

'Y'know, I think we're gon'be bestest friends.' he says. 'But just to be sure,' he hands me a necklace, dirty, but beautiful with a locket on the end. 'A token of our friendship, just like the stories!'.

'It's a girl thing.' I complain, but I slip it on under my top nevertheless.

'It was the only thing I found,' he retorts. 'So that we won't forget.'

...

Ray walks off to his house, humming the tune to "A Forgotten Land" on the way. I smile, knowing I'll see him tomorrow at school. 'Bye Ray,' I whisper. 'May we not forget.'.