I remember it well for I will never forget. That park was just eight minutes away from home if I walked quickly or five if I ran. Follow the footpath by the river right around almost to the end, cross a field and down a hill then it was through the trees for a moment or two.

No one ever came down there, no one, not ever; there was only ever you and me down there. I know it should be you and I, not you and me but we were just children and I am right back to being a child just thinking about it. It was our place, our special place, our little paradise. That raised log of ours, it seemed so much bigger back then, it would easily fit both of us, now it hardly is big enough for me to park my behind upon.

We would sit there for hours, just you and me, yeah just you and me. The sound of the stream alone flowing just a few feet in front of me always takes me back. I could just close my eyes and I would be there all those years ago with you. Sometimes we crossed that stream. It wasn't that deep or all that wide. This was our place, our own little part of the world. It belonged to you and me. It was somewhere only we knew, somewhere only we know.

The world was a safer place back then or so we thought or so what everyone else thought. We didn't know any better. Kids like us could just head off and come back hours later without incident or problem and without a search party being needed to come find us. That morning when no one knew where you were, I did, I knew. I felt it. I felt you. Something was very wrong. I could tell. You hadn't been home; I knew you would be there. You would be alright if only I could get there quick enough.

I ran faster than I ever did that day, faster than I ever ran before. I think I must have beaten my record that day. I must have got to the park in four minutes. I followed that footpath right the way round almost to its end. I crossed the field and went down that hill then passed and through the trees for a moment or two.

You were there but you were not on the log, you were not on the far side of the stream. You lay face down in the stream. I paused but only for a moment then moved to you as fast as I could then sat and lifted you onto my lap. The grown-ups back then said that we most likely had been watched for quite some time but that had to be impossible. Our paradise was somewhere only we knew.

I don't remember very much after that moment when I found you. I was told I was soaked and didn’t want to let you go, then after that I didn't talk for days. The monster that took you was caught. I told police and other grown-ups everything I knew; it wasn't much but it must have been enough. That monster got what he deserved or so I was told.

It is not the same on the log by that stream now. Sure, how could it be? It doesn't sound the same; the sound of the water is not what it once was. A monster came into our world and took you from me. It may not be the same, it will never be the same but to me, it will always be the place where only we knew... Somewhere only we know.