Hey guys :) This is a rewrite that I made with my friend. Warning: This story is going to be a bit dark.
It was a warm summer night. As usual, Matt's throat was parched, but he didn't really want to go downstairs to get a glass; abnormally loud shouting was floating throughout the house, and he wasn't sure what it was about. His six-year-old sister Katie laid soundlessly in bed, hopefully unaware what was going on. Despite the fact that he had covered his ears with pillows, he could still hear bits and pieces of the yelling, and it did nothing to help his headache. God, his throat hurt badly - but he suddenly froze when he heard his own name being said. He slowly lowered the pillows.
"Matt can take care of her, we need to do what the Galra wants, otherwise they will kill them. I don't like this more than you do, but I don't want them to die!" Sam Holt cried.
"For goodness sake, lower your voice, Sam!" Colleen whispered harshly as Matt slipped silently to his cracked open door to listen more intently. "Did you try to reason with them?" Colleen was asking.
Sam shook his head. "I tried, but they don't want the kids to be here."
"Then what do we do?" Colleen asked.
Sam looked at her. "We can't give them to anyone we know. They'd suspect something."
Colleen sat down in a chair and covered her face with her delicate hands. Matt watched her, standing on the first step, his face glowing from the kitchen light. His mother looked up again, her voice meek. "An orphanage?"
"They're all bad," Sam gruffly responded. He, too, took a seat.
"Then we run with them," Colleen determined through tears.
"Are you crazy? If we pull that stunt, we'll be in deep trouble," Sam said. "The Galra are powerful. They're everywhere."
"What are you saying we do, then?" Colleen sniffled, putting her elbows on the table and burying her face in her hands yet again. She waited for a reply, but Matt watched his dad's face fall. The man clearly didn't have an answer. And Matt didn't want to know it. He turned and hobbled back into his room, closing the door as quietly as he possibly could, and then slid to the floor, paler than the moon.
He was at a loss for words.
…
"Kids! Breakfast!"
Matt opened his bleary eyes and blinked them a few times, and then searched his wooden nightstand for his glasses. His mother's voice sounded all-too-chipper, but it was a welcoming sound and a welcoming smell. She knew he loved bacon.
He shuffled out of his room in his blue striped PJ's and looked down the stairs. The scene below was picturesque; his father sat at the table, with a mug of steaming coffee and a newspaper - his mother, scrambling eggs at the stove with her hair done up - his little sister, happily drinking orange juice by the counter - and their dog, Bae Bae, prancing around her as she giggled hysterically.
Last night's events came rushing back to him and he had to lean against the railing for support.
"Come on son, breakfast will get cold," Sam said with a chuckle, glancing up at Matt before he flipped the page.
"I'll eat all the bacon," Katie announced, gulping down the last of her juice.
"Um," Matt hesitated. He descended the stairs and then slid into the cherry-red stool next to his sister.
"Darn, less bacon from me," Katie said as Colleen placed a plate in front of each of them.
Katie dug into the food, picking out the crunchy pieces of bacon.
"Don't eat so fast," Colleen said with a laugh.
Matt took a mouthful just to please his parents. Something was going to happen. He could feel something weird in the air.
After a few minutes, Katie's face was half inside her plate snoring. Matt, on the other hand, merely felt an ache in his head. He looked up at his mother and father. His eyelids felt heavy, but neither of his parents said a word as they watched him close his amber brown eyes. The last thing he heard was Bae Bae's sharp concerned whine.
...
Matt woke up inside the car, his sister leaning on him, out cold. The leather seats felt cold against his skin.
"Mom? Dad?" What going on?" Matt slurred. His darn glasses were on the floor of the car and bounced when they hit a bump. The bump in question caused Matt's head to violently hit the seat, and he let out a groan.
He heard his father quietly curse. Their gazes met in the rearview mirror. Matt noticed his dad's eyes were puffy. "We're dropping you off."
"Where? Why?"
"I can't… explain it to you right now. Take this letter. You should hold onto it."
Matt took the letter slowly but held onto his sister. They rode in silence.
"We packed bags for you," Colleen finally said. "They have… snacks in them."
"Please stop," Matt choked out. "Please stop the car. I don't know what you're doing to us. I thought you loved us. I'm scared." They didn't stop the car. "Please," Matt was on the verge of screaming. He reached for the door handle, but his mother put a hand on his knee. "Honey, no," she shook her head. "Take this." She held out a thermos and offered him a weak smile.
For some reason, Matt obliged and gulped down the liquid in the thermos. He barely could through the sobs threatening to release from his throat.
That was his last memory of his parents.