𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞 (Sleepy Bois Inc) /Discontinued/

-1-

Phil
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The late autumn leaves drifted down from the high-stretching treetops and landed near my feet. I sighed with great content as I tightened the straps on a gadget I had made long ago. It was a pair of metal mechanical wings, fuelled by an old jetpack engine attached to the back.

"PHILLLL!!!" A high pitched screen erupted from the trees. I rolled my eyes, setting the wings aside. Sighing, I greeted the shouty boy who approached me.

"Hey, Tommy..." I smiled and raised my eyebrows sarcastically, but he didn't take the hint.

"PHIL! I just took a walk through the woods and saw so many women and I wasn't awkward at all and they all talked to me and I talked to them and there was no awkwardness-" He rambled, his voice getting louder and faster by the second.

I chuckled and shook my head, "I'm sure it was awesome, now go fetch Wilbur and tell him to actually catch something today," I waved him off jokingly, wanting to be free from the boy. He really was like a son to me in that sense. The entirety of the rugged band of misfits I had grown to love over the years was as close as a family to me.

I watched as the bubbly boy ran down a path into the forest that would eventually lead him to the stream, a place Wilbur loved to sit all day and sing to himself as he watched the changing hues of fish dart down the water. It was an especially pretty place at dusk, with the sun setting in the West and sending crimson fire-like light over the flickering water. It was truly a sight to see.

Once Tommy had completely disappeared down the trail, I saw another familiar face pop out of a bush meters away.

"Hey, Techno," I grinned. The young male seemed to constantly be out in 'his clearing', a place he retreated every day to train himself better with his swords and bows. It wasn't too uncommon that he would bring back the occasional rabbit or other small creatures alike. Wilbur would get a little upset when Techno would bring back brown rabbits, saying they reminded him of a certain pet he wished would've stayed with him longer... Nobody else had any idea what Wilbur meant by that.

"Hey, Phil," The brunette sighed, emerging from the bushes and brushing himself off, "It's amazing at how much energy that little gremlin has," Techno said, placing his sword gently on an old workbench that had been in the same space for ages. I watched as he brushed the medium length hair from his eyes and walked over to his tent.

Birds chirped from above, looking up at the sky, it dawned on me that it wouldn't be too late to go on a quick fly around the area. Techno wasn't too amused when I told him I wanted to go fly, so I just always said it was for, 'safety purposes,' and that I was, 'surveying the area,'. I muttered a quick goodbye to the exasperated man as I situated the wings over my shoulder and started the trek I would take down the trail. The same trail Tommy walked down not too long ago.

A soft wind began to arise, nipping at my nose nonetheless. It was a perfect day for seeing the sky. There was this convenient hill at the edge of the stream that I would run up and use as a launchpad, it was easier to get in the air that way.

I heard giggling as my feet drew me closer to the creek, pushing through a few low-hanging branches, I saw the two hunched bodies of Wilbur and Tommy. They both wore huge grins on their faces as they joked about a better time, before all of the unforgiving Winters and the merciless attacks on us from the infamous, 'Dream Team'. The Dream Team was made up of three powerful men, all of whom were properly trained and fed at all times. It had become almost like a tradition for them to come to ransack our modest camp and steal any valuables. It never hurt our pride though, it only made us strive to be stronger.

I waved a friendly hello at the two boys, as soon as they saw me with my wings they made the mental note to not bother me. I tightened the straps around my shoulders and waist, wanting to make sure everything was secure- It was nerve-wracking at how easy it'd be for me to fall while up so high. We didn't need that to happen, all of us relied on one another to provide for the group.

I stretched a bit before facing the hill and sprinting full force at it. The momentum carried my body as I quickly reached back with my right hand to flip a switch in the back of the wings. This turned the jetpack on, and I was sent floating through the air in no time.

The bird's eye view and the breeze through my hair were always exciting, and at this time of day when the weather was best, you could see the whole forest. There was our camp near the river, an open field where the Dream Team liked to lurk- As it was easiest to prepare for attacks on all sides and hunt for food- And there were two more residents of the forest a good distance away who were obsessed with baking. On days when we four were especially hungry, the sweet smell of bread floated along with the breeze and filled our nostrils. Wilbur and Techno were set on the idea we should be independent, and never take any free handouts from anyone- So we never had the pleasure of tasting any of that delectable bread.

The air smelt like bread then, while I was drifting through low-floating clouds. It reminded me how infrequently we ate, it was enough to survive, but not enough to stuff ourselves every day.

Up in the sky, I felt so free and light, all my problems could go away. My green and white hat almost fell off my head as I did a complete loop in the sky, and the setting sun alerted me it was probably a good time to go back to camp.

Hopefully, Wilbur had caught something in the stream today.