The river was calm that day. The sunlight danced across the water's surface like tiny stars, and the forest on either side seemed to hum with life. Birds chirped. Insects buzzed. Everything was normal—until something strange drifted downstream.
At first, it looked like just another bundle of logs or debris. But as it came closer, the shape became clearer. A boy.
"Riya!" a young girl's voice called. She was kneeling by the water, trying to catch minnows in a glass jar. "Come look!"
Riya, the older sister, was already hurrying over. Her eyes widened the moment she saw what her little sister was pointing at. There, caught between rocks, was a boy no older than twelve, his body battered, his clothes torn, his blonde hair plastered to his forehead. He clutched something tightly against his chest—a small, ragged teddy bear.
"Oh my God… he's alive!" Riya gasped.
They didn't waste time. Together, the sisters pulled the unconscious boy from the river. His skin was pale, his breaths shallow, and for a second Riya worried he might slip away at any moment.
"W-we have to get him home!" her sister cried.
Riya nodded, lifting one of his arms over her shoulder. He was heavier than he looked, but somehow, they managed to carry him to their small wooden house by the edge of the forest.
---
When the boy opened his eyes, the world felt blurry, like he was waking from a nightmare that hadn't ended yet. He found himself lying on a straw bed, wrapped in a blanket. His whole body ached, and when he tried to sit up, sharp pain shot through his ribs.
"Oh no, don't move too much," Riya said gently from the side of the room. She had been sitting in a chair, watching him with cautious concern.
The boy's eyes widened. His heart raced. He wasn't home. He wasn't anywhere familiar. The last thing he remembered was the endless days on the deserted island—cold nights, hunger, loneliness. And then… the sea swallowing him whole.
He jolted, trying to get up, but stumbled back down. "Wh—where am I? Who are you?! Don't touch me!" His voice cracked, frightened and weak.
"You're safe now," Riya assured him, raising her hands in peace. "We found you by the river. You were unconscious. We just… brought you here so you wouldn't die."
The boy looked around wildly, his chest heaving. "Safe? I don't even know you! What if you're trying to—trying to sell me or—or eat me or something?!"
Riya blinked. "…Eat you? Seriously?"
From the corner of the room, her little sister giggled. "You're funny."
The boy groaned, grabbing his teddy bear tighter, pressing it like a shield. He whispered under his breath, "Not funny. I'm doomed."
"Hey, hey," Riya said, moving closer. "Listen. You don't have to be scared. We saved you. If we wanted to hurt you, we wouldn't have bothered dragging you out of the river, right?"
He hesitated, glancing at them. His breathing slowed. His body was still trembling, but her words made sense. Slowly, he sank back into the blanket. "…Fine. But… tell me the truth. Where am I? And… who am I?"
The room fell quiet.
Riya tilted her head, confused. "You don't know… who you are?"
The boy looked away. His memories were shattered fragments. The island. The storm. The river. But before that—it was like a wall of fog. He could barely recall anything beyond survival and pain.
"…I don't remember," he admitted softly.
The sisters exchanged worried glances.
"Well," Riya finally said, trying to lighten the mood, "we can't exactly tell you who you are. But we can at least make sure you don't die while you figure it out."
He frowned. "That's… comforting."
---
Later that night, the boy was sitting at the table, still wrapped in his blanket. The sisters gave him warm soup, though he stared at it suspiciously before taking the first sip. When he realized it wasn't poisoned, he devoured it like a wolf.
"You were starving, huh?" Riya said, watching him gulp.
"Starving? Lady, I was living like a raccoon on that island. Do you have any idea how many bugs I had to eat?!" he burst out, making the younger sister laugh so hard she nearly spilled her drink.
His sudden humor surprised even himself. For the first time in what felt like forever, he didn't feel like crying.
After the meal, he stared at them awkwardly before blurting out, "So… are you, like… my parents now?"
Both sisters froze.
"Uh—what?" Riya blinked.
"Well, you saved me, gave me food, a bed. That's kinda parent-y. So… if you're my parents… I guess I should call you Mom?" he teased with a crooked grin.
The younger sister snorted, clutching her stomach. Riya gave him a look but couldn't hide her own smile.
"We are not your parents," she said firmly.
"Aww, come on, just let me pretend. I've always wanted cool forest parents."
Riya sighed. "…Fine. But if you insist, then… Riya, go ahead. You name him."
"W-wait, me?" Riya stammered.
The boy raised an eyebrow. "You're seriously giving me a name?"
Riya bit her lip. Her eyes drifted to the stuffed bear he clutched so tightly, ragged and soaked but still loved. "…How about Teddy?"
The boy blinked. "Teddy?"
"Yeah… because of that bear you won't let go of."
He looked down at it, then back at her. "…Teddy. Huh. That's a very… uh… cute name."
"You don't like it?"
"No, no, I do!" he quickly said, scratching his head. "It's just… you know… I was hoping for something more dramatic, like 'Blade' or 'The Shadow of Doom.' But Teddy's fine. Totally fine."
The sisters laughed again, and despite himself, the boy—Teddy—smiled too.
For the first time in forever, he felt like maybe he wasn't so lost after all.