kindness is contagious... probably [open]

[Leland]

LELAND ISIAH HOLT fly away, high away, bye, bye. There were two categories of people. Leland's brother, and not-Leland's-brother. The children who'd drag their parents to the park, be allowed fifteen minutes on average to run around and shout at each other, then hop into their minivans were in the not-Leland's-brother category. But that suited Leland just fine. He'd occasionally jot a note down or two regarding them. He was the unseen park goer, the man with the tattered copy of the Da Vinci Code who you'd see, but who you'd pretend you hadn't. Sure, he was attractive, with the blond hair and golden eyes, but he would surely interrupt your day. A lonely figure like that wouldn't pass up company if eye contact was made. "Bluebell, no!" A child shouted. Leland's eyes lifted from the page, scanning the area for the source. He spotted it no more than twenty feet away. A young girl was crouched down near a pipe, trying to figure out how to get herself inside the pipe. Ah, the selflessness- and idiocy- of youth. Then again, kids were quite brilliant in one regard: they seemed to realize that no matter what trouble they got themselves into, mommy or daddy'd rush to their aid. So, where were the girl's parents? While adults and children alike had turned their attention to the pigtailed youth, none had made any movement to approach. Now that was perfect. That meant it was likely she lived nearby. Leland rose from the picnic table, his book left there. He figured that if someone wanted to take it, more power to them. He wasn't reading it anyway and it wasn't his to start with. "Who's Bluebell?" Leland prompted. He was balancing on the balls of his feet, his knees drawn to his chest with his hands bracing down on the tops of his knees to maintain balance. Not fazed by his sudden appearance the girl sniffled her reply. "She's my bunny," the seven year old wiped her nose with the back of her hand. A disgusting gesture that Leland trained his gaze away from. Out of sight, out of mind. created by denver of basilius