The wind grazed the soft leaves of the Autumn day. Whatever sunlight crept through the ominous grey clouds overhead, touched the ground but gave little warmth to the four people in the park. The green of the grass was still eye-catching, but next to the deep and moist brown of the trees around, it seemed just as cold as everything else.
Amongst the brown, grey and green a pair of swing’s creaked in the distance of a nearby clearing. Two swings…one bare and alone, the other filled with a young boy. His deep black hair was of medium length, but one could still see the curls starting to form into what would be his wavy hair. His cheeks could be seen from afar, thick and chubby as young boys should be. Despite the health in his face his chin was tucked deep into his neck, His deep brown eyes were locked onto his knees as though something had burdened his small shoulders. His knuckles were wrapped into the cold chain that propped him a foot above the ground, hypnotised by its steady back and forth.

Finally, a stream of sunlight crept onto his skin from the clouds. He looked up. His eyes were somewhat dull…no sign of the sparkle that would normally inhabit most children his age, Instead, a sense of sadness…a sense of loss.
His head moved down from the sky and his eyes locked onto a park bench not too far from where he was swinging.
The bench, much like the swings, were sad looking. Whatever rain had previously fallen, made the wood turn dark brown with dampness. But unlike the swings, it wasn’t half empty.

Two women were sitting cross-legged, facing each other. One had a dark coat on, a colourful scarf was visible from underneath it. She had pale white skin and dark brown hair. Her features were pointed with a certain fierceness. The curve of her lips opening and closing as her eyes dug deep into the woman next to her. Occasionally she’d glance over to the boy in the swing, casting a small smile before turning back to her conversation.
The red-coated woman beside her had black hair and brown skin, listening intensely to whatever she was saying. Her face was rounder and was covered by a pair of sleek black glasses. She fidgeted with the sleeve of her coat every so often, her level of discomfort was slightly obvious. The deep brown eyes hidden behind her glasses, would wander now and then, sometimes to the green grass beneath her black flats, and other times over to the swing where the young boy was.

Almost at once, as though the sun had sent a sign, her eyes met his. It seemed like a fleeting moment where the two of them had nothing to say. And although the distance between them made speech improbable…

She smiled softly, a worried look still on her face. She noticed his cheeks. They looked cold…like the breeze took whatever warmth was left and left nothing else. His hair fluttered slowly, tickling the edges of his ears. She could see how he searched her face, taking in every last blemish and change in tone. She could feel his tiny gaze on her nose and her hair…like he was judging every little speck of DNA. But she knew he wasn’t judging…she could tell he was just curious, that he just wanted to know.

She knew that his eyes were searching for something.

After a moment Her eyebrows slowly gave way and relaxed. The young boy loosened his grip on the chains of the swing and let his mouth lop to one side.
Her lips moved, this time with a full smile as she turned her attention back to the pale woman next to her.
The eyes of the boy on the swing didn’t stare at his knees again.