Collin didn’t really think as to where he was going. All he knew was that the office was getting too crowded for him, almost suffocating him with feelings of anger and hopelessness. He had to escape, even if it confused or worried his partners. It was better this way for everyone.

He barely noticed the people around him as he passed them. When he had to go through a crowd of people, he murmured an apology but didn’t even slow down. Around him he could hear people remark about being rude for a demon, but he didn’t care. He was not in the mood to humor people’s ideals of how demons should be submissive to them. He was too tired of being submissive and taking the insults.

More people seem to be out here each year, he thought as he passed through yet another crowd. The edges of society kept expanding, slowly consuming the Outer Lands that he considered his home. And along with society came their old fashion views on demons. He didn't like it, he didn't want society and countries coming into the lands that were suppose to be free of all that. Because once society came in, it was only a matter of time before the laws that would cripple him came.

That was a thought he didn't even want to think about.

He continued walking, absorbed in his own thoughts. This morning wasn't the first time he had heard remarks made about him for what he was. He had heard a good amount of them in the twenty one years of his life. But, this was the Outer Lands. The frontier, the place where society had no grip, where demons had a chance at a good life. Yet this woman clung to the ideas of the old society, where demons were nothing but lowly muscle and the lowest of people. So why was she out here? Was it a sign that not even the Outer Lands were safe anymore from the discrimination that society brought?

This thought troubled him a lot, so much that he didn't even noticed the person he walked straight into until he fell to the ground, and the person gave a small yelp as they did the same.

"oh! Excuse me I'm sorry!" he said quickly as he looked over to see who he hit. Whoever they were, they were small, probably no taller than five foot two when they stood up as well as very thin. They were looking down as well, Collin couldn't see who they were. But from the pale white hair covering their face and head, he assumed they were old. Oh man, i was so busy sulking I knocked over an old person, he thought, now I've done it. "Um are you okay?"

The person looked up in one fast motion, revealing their face. He was surprised to see that this person was not old at all. In fact, it was a boy who couldn't be older than fifteen from his face, possibly younger. Instantly the boy's bright blue eyes widen at Collin in surprise.

"Brother? Is that you big brother?" before he could respond the boy jumped onto Collin, and started examining him very closely. "You seem different." he tilted his head with a confused look on his face. "I wonder."

Yeah, okay, this kid is weird, Collin thought to himself. Who was he? "Uh no, I'm not your brother. Sorry."

"You sure? You smell like him." the boy poked Collin's nose with his index finger curiously. "You also have a nose like his, with two nostrils." with his other hand, he held up two fingers to indicate that he did mean two.

Maybe this kid was on drugs, Collin hoped.

"Sorry kid, I'm positive I'm not your brother. I've never seen you before in my life." he started to push the kid off of him and found that the boy was extremely light. He also now wore an expression of confusion, disappointment, and frustration.

"Darn. I was so sure you were." he sat back, and looked to be thinking hard. "I was really hoping to find him. There was something I wanted to tell him."

Collin felt a surge of sympathy for the boy. No matter how strange he was, he looked so young to be wandering the streets looking for his brother. "Well what does he look like? Maybe i can help you look."

It took a moment for the kid to answer. He got an expression that he was thinking hard, and then it was replaced with a glazed look in his eye. "Ah, I don't remember." He bit his lip and then said "oh! He had two of these things." he pointed his own ear.

"Well, that narrows it down." Collin remarked, going back on his theory that this kid could be drugs. How could he forget what his own brother looked like, and mistake him for a demon? Besides the white hair that could just be a dye job, he looked very much human. His brother was probably the same. "Well do you remember his name?"

The boy shook his head quickly.

"What about what you wanted to tell him?"

The boy gave him a blank stare. Collin took that for a no. He sighed, this boy had to be insane.

"Kid, are you sure you have a brother?"

The boy nodded just as quickly as he shook his head, and with even more enthusiasm. "Yes. He told me to wait in a spot for him until he came back. But then he didn't come back so I went looking for him."

"How long did you wait for him?" He couldn't blame the brother for not coming back.

"Three days." the boy hesitated. "Or was it two? Four? One hour? Six?" his eyes glazed over and got the blank look on his face again. "uh, I don't remember."

Collin was starting to sense a pattern here. "So you are looking for your brother, who you don't remember what he looks like, whats his name, what you want to say to him, or how long ago you last saw him?" This boy was hurting his head.

"Yes. Its quite hard." The boy bite his lip, and gave Collin a confused look. "Are you him?"

"No, I'm not." Yep. Insane.

"Oh. Darn."

Collin sighed. He wish he could walk away from this, he had other things he could be doing. "Okay, whats your name then? Maybe I can ask around for you. I know a lot of people who might know where he's at."

His eyes lit up again and he smiled, making him look even younger. "That's very nice of you. I'm F-" suddenly he stopped and looked horrified. He suddenly jumped up. "Sorry I can't tell you!"

Well this was certainly a twist, Collin was expecting if anything, he wouldn't remember. Not for him to get upset about giving out his name to a man he thought was his brother. "What? Why can't you?"

"Because brother said I can't! No talking to strangers or giving out my name!" The boy started to flail with his arms when he realized he had been talking to a stranger. "oh no. This is bad. If you aren't brother, then you are a stranger!" He quickly bowed at Collin, said "I gotta go."

Then he took off running. He was a very quick runner, for by the time Collin fully reacted he was completely out of sight. Collin thought about going after the boy, but he wasn't sure what way he went. Besides, the kid was a full fledge headache on legs.

He almost pitied the brother, who ever he was.

Word Count: 1286
Total Word Count: 5270/50000