There were 3 best friends that played around the woods often, always willing to embark on an escapade, regardless of how daring it seemed.
Toby, Carlton and Willy always seemed drawn to the woods, as if it were a beacon and although their parents had warned them severally, they always resisted their complaints.
Toby's mum was a baker, a popular one working in the king's palace as she uses that medium to fend for the family as well as cater for the town and other personal needs.
Carlton's dad was a Cobbler and made the neatest and popular designs in town, as anyone with a pair of his shoes would definitely be respected.
Willy, on the other hand, had no parents as he lived with his aunt, whom always traveled from time to time, as she's a tourist, hence, leaving Willy under the care of Toby and Carlton's family.
The three families shared a unique bond strengthened by the friendship of the children.
Soon, came a period when famine set in and the town started getting frustrated.
Toby, Carlton and Willy were on a strict watch after the King specifically sent a member of his guard to watch the kids, day and night, because of their previous escapades and stunts and also out of respect for Toby's mum.
The kids were Ingenious, brilliant, as they'd always ditch the guard in charge and run off to their usual spot in the woods. Their town was picturesque, evoking from a suburban region, and autumn brought some beautiful flowers named dahlias.
They were in fact, the major reason Willy's aunt came over as she used Willy as an excuse to collect some for souvenirs as she traveled.
There was something intriguing about the town. Unlike the use of fireworks to celebrate festivals, fireworks were used to send signals or warning of danger as the king instilled that law to prevent undue panic.
On one night, Willy was in his feelings as usual, and the following conversation ensued:
Willy: It's the last day of autumn and still no sign of my aunt.
Maybe she's finally married and started her own family leaving me behind.
Carlton : It is true that she comes here mainly for the dahlias.
Toby: Not helping, Carlton.
Willy: it's alright. I guess plan two is a go now.
Carlton and Toby: Plan two?
Willy: You guys are so forgetful. I said and we agreed that if my aunt should leave me, we'd make a whole lot of friends and I think now's the perfect time.
Toby: It's not that easy. Besides, there's a curfew due to the king's men traveling to see if they could find some food.
Willy: It doesn't matter.
We'll just have to execute our plan well.
End of dialogue.
So, plan two was in motion.
Carlton took some mannequins from his father's workshop to serve as a decoy for them in bed. Toby added a sedative to his mum and the guard's food so they'd sleep endlessly. Willy planned how to get to the neighbouring town as they wanted to make new friends from the town just beyond the outskirts of the woods.
When they arrived, they noticed it was quite dark and fear grew on them. They didn't let it stop them from executing their plan, though. Toby, knowing the guards of the neighbourhood town were hungry, opened a bowl of freshly baked pie, and as the aroma spread, the guards decided to take a break to eat and relax.
Toby, Carlton and Willy tiptoed into the town, leaving the gate unlocked.
The plan was simple. Leave a card containing the address of their spot in the woods under the pillows of each kid. They hoped their invitation would be honored. They left the town and scampered their way out of the woods in a bid to avoid being seen.
It was morning and they heard a familiar sound - fireworks.
A signal coming right from the end of the woods. Could this be what they were thinking?!
They hurriedly made their way to the neighbouring town and saw an invitation on the gate implying that the kids have honored their invitation.
They were ecstatic, Willy in particular as he was finally getting what he wanted.
The kids from the neighbouring town arrived at the hideout spot and agreed to be friends; on one condition.
They were to be given food to take to their town as famine had also set in there. Toby and Carlton refused, and left hurriedly after hearing their parents' calls.
They were both grounded by their parents and Willy took the blame for what happened to them and decided to take the little food left in town and give it to the kids in the neighbouring village in a bid to become friends.
He continued stealing from Toby's mum who held whatever little was left in the town as she baked and distributed it everyday. Eventually, the town ran dry and the king's men were not back from their voyage. That meant only one thing - someone was stealing the supplies as it finished earlier than expected.
The king issued a search to be carried out by the rest of his guards to search every nook and cranny for anyone who might be hoarding food or supplies.
Unfortunately for the town, but fortunately for Willy, he had given them all out, so, there was no way he could be caught. He got away because no one was Watching.
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!
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