^{Image Source}

Once upon a time, in a town where the cloud was always blue, there lived an old man named Lucas. He had outlived his wife and his three children, thus he was left to live on his own in a tiny shack by the river. Despite of him being alone, he remained happy and kind. That was one of the many reasons why his neighbors were all fond of him.

One of the many close friends that he had was a little boy named Ben. Ben and his family lived not very far from the old man's house, and everyday, he made sure to drop by so they could talk for hours on end. Ben loved hearing his stories about his childhood, and Lucas never ceased to amaze him with his adventures.

One day, Ben was asked by his mother to go to the neighboring town to give his Aunt some herbal medicine. The little boy obeyed promptly, and soon he was on his way. His Aunt's house was not too far, but his short legs made the journey twice as long, so it took him a whole day to reach his destination.

It was getting dark, and Ben had to go home. He bid his aunt goodbye, even when the latter insisted that he should stay for the night. He took the easiest path that was available, despite the rumors of danger. It was said that a cruel witch lived there, and that she would take something before she would let anyone pass.

But Ben never believed those tales, not until halfway through his journey when he came across a small house that impossibly stood in the middle of a river. The little boy knew at once that it was the witch's house. So he quickened his steps until he was almost running, just so he could get out of the forest as soon as possible.

But the witch was just as quick, for she didn't have visitors that often. She chased the little boy in the familiar woods until the latter tripped on a rock and fell unto the ground. The witch giggled as the boy lost his conciousness.

No one ever knew what happened that night, but when morning came, Ben woke up in his own bed. He was fine, except for some bruises and the wound he got from tripping on the rock.

When he went outside, his mother ran to embrace him, and Ben felt safe once more. But little did he knew that the worst news was about to come.

His mother ushered him to the kitchen and gave him something to eat. And as soon as he finished his meal, his mother began to cry.

"The witch didn't harm you, did she?"

Ben was taken aback by her mother's question. He had almost forgotten about the witch when he woke up by the river. He thought that it was all a dream.

"N-no. But how did you know?," Ben asked, a little confused.

His mother cried louder, as she told him what happened. When he didn't come home that night, everyone got so worried, and they all decided to go and look for him. When they reached the dreaded forest where the witch lived, they found Ben lying on the damp ground as the witch laughed above him.

The witch saw them and quickly tried to hide the boy, but Lucas stopped her.

"Lucas? My friend Lucas?," Ben asked with a heavy lump on his chest.

His mother nodded, and Ben understood why she was crying. He didn't need to hear everything. He ran outside amd headed to his friend's house only to find it empty.

"Lucas? Lucas! Noooo!," the little boy realized the sacrifice that his old friend has done for him. He felt that he didn't deserve it, but he knew that there was nothing he could do but to try his best to cherish the gift of life that was given to him.

He went home with a broken heart, for he will never see his friend again. But in his young heart, the memory of their friendship will always live. Since then, he made it a point to make each day special by helping others, as what his friend always did when he was alive. Ben knew he was lucky, and a friend like Lucas is hard to find.