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A Brother's Bond

He stepped forward into the bright sun. Looking up, he shielded his eyes with his hand. He looked rough. Prison could do that to a person. Daniel Stanley had been young. Eighteen. He didn't feel young anymore. He felt that years had been stripped from him unfairly. Only five passed, but it seemed like more. He was supposed to have spent ten years in there. Luckily, he had gotten out early.

He started toward his parents' neighborhood. The Stanleys were not poor by any means. Daniel had never been in wantunless he counted the first six years of his life. He wasn't truly a Stanley but was adopted. His birth mother had neglected him, and the Stanleys felt it was their Christian duty, maybe even obligation, to take him in. Daniel never really felt as loved as a real son, especially after the birth of Ian. Still, they had always provided for him. Although they never showed much affection, he had grown to love them. Then it all happened.

Almost every day he had written to his family. While he didn't receive a letter or a visit from them, he had kept trying. Now, he could only imagine the most horrible scenarios: a tornado had wiped away his loved ones, a fire had consumed his home, there had been deaths that he did not know of. Surely, they would have contacted him.

Daniel approached the old streets he used to play in with his childhood friend Benjamin. He missed Ben. They had always been friends, but he'd never see him again. He couldn't help but remember. It seemed like an hour ago that it happened, yet it was years ago.

No, Ian, you can't go. You're too young.

But I want to go.

He remembered fishing with Ben at their campsite. It was so cold. Daniel had his new hunting knife. Ben got up to find a flashlight in the tent.

I'll be right back.

What's taking so long, Ben?

It's so dark I can't see.

I'm coming, Ben.

Daniel got up to help Ben. He tripped over a root in the blackness and fell

As Daniel turned the corner of the sidewalk, he could see his parents' house. It was a big beautiful house. Thank God it was still there, yet something didn't seem right. He strolled up the old familiar walkway to the front door and knocked. His greeting wasn't as expected. His mother opened the door with a sour look. "Why are you here?" she asked.

"Mom, aren't you glad to see me?" He was smiling. "I'm out early for good beha-"

"I don't understand howafter what you did," she exclaimed. Daniel was taken aback at her severity. He never thought that his mother would

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