[b][u]The boy[/u][/b]

The smell of roast beef wafted into his nostrils as he listened to the sounds of a happy family. "Happy birthday son!" He heard them say, quickly followed by some furious tearing and a happy exclamation. "Thanks Dad!" A boy said, "This is what I always wanted!"

He couldn't help but feel pangs of jealousy. "Let's eat before it gets too cold!" A mother said, and the sounds of clinking plates and cutlery soon followed. He turned away from the window and walked elsewhere, there was no way he could listen for much longer without breaking down. The cat in his arms made a confused [i]mewl?[/i] as they walked. The boy sat with his back to a wall when they had travelled far from the happy family.

He buried his face in his white cat's fur, as always it was a comforting presence. He stayed like that for a few seconds, before sighing and throwing his head back. He silently reached into his weathered coat, and pulled an old photograph from a pocket. The picture wasn't exactly old, but it looked to be a little worse for wear. The edges were slightly blackened and it looked to have been folded a few times, but he would never let go of it.

In the picture, he saw himself holding his cat in some kind of garden, while a woman he didn't recognize stood behind him, hand on his shoulders. He could only assume she was his mother, or someone close to him, that was all he knew for certain. He had been travelling for a while now, looking for clues, asking people if they recognized anything in the photo. Alas, no luck.

All he had was his clothes, his cat and the Doll. Without money or anything of value, he relied on the doll to find food, shelter, and help him survive. The boy knew nothing of the world, he would have died many times over without her.

His cat snuggled deeper into his arms, and he in turn hugged the cat closer to his body.

[b]"Masami, please come back soon."[/b] He whispered to himself.