A/N This story has some dark parts such as animal and child abuse and mention of suicide.
"Kya wake up." Kai whispered shaking his twin sister wake."Mommy says it's time to go."
Kya sat up and rubbed her eyes. She grabbed her Olaf plush and followed Kai downstairs where the rest of their family were waiting.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Auntie asked.
"Nothing can be done so I don't really have a choice." Grace told her. They hugged and everyone loaded up in the car and headed to the airport. Kai, Kya, their two older siblings, and mother left for the Philippines soon after arriving at the airport.
They arrived after a long flight tired and hot. They hopped on a jeepnee and made their way to their new house. They stopped on a main street and Grace lead them down a side street to a white two story house with a red iron gate in front. Kai and Kya were confused as to why they were staying in Manila instead of going to the country like they usually did when they visited their family. Their confusion was short lived when their father appeared at the gate and let them in.
"How do you like our new house?" Ian asked as his family walked through the open gate.
"Does it have ac?" Alex asked wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"Of course." Ian assured him as he lead them inside.
Inside the house was cool with white tile floors and turquoise walls. A set of stairs was visible as you entered through the front door. The living room was on the right with a kitchen further in and the bedrooms were upstairs.
After giving a tour of the house Ian took his family to Jolibee for dinner and then everyone returned home to rest.
Kya wasn't sure how long she slept and was a little annoyed when Maui woke her up barking at something. She searched the dark and saw a Japanese man with no legs at the foot of her bed just staring at her. She was shocked and scared. She hugged Maui trying to keep him quiet so he wouldn't wake her parents up. It was no use for the room was soon flooded with light and the leggless Japanese man was replaced by her angry father and concerned mother.
Kya's shock wore off when her father angrily grabbed Maui by his collar and brought him outside. Kya ran to the window that overlooked the yard and watched with relief as her father tied Maui up and came back inside.
"I saw a moo moo." Kya told her mother as she turned away from the window.
"You just had a bad dream." Grace told her tucking her back under her blanket and turning off the light.
"I saw it too." Athena whispered once their mother had gone back to her room.
"Can I sleep in your bed?" Kya asked.
"Yeah. Come on." Athena answered pulling her blanket aside. Kya didn't want to get out of her bed, but didn't want to sleep alone so she rushed to her sister's bed and jumped under the covers.
The next morning everyone made their way outside the city to go back to their old house. It was late in the afternoon when they arrived. They stayed long enough for the younger kids to fall asleep before Ian gathered his four kids and took them back to the city leaving his wife with her family. Ian was greatful that his younger kids stayed asleep throug out the long trip back otherwise there would be a lot of screaming and crying, especially by his youngest daughter. The older kids knew why they were leaving their mother and didn't make a big deal about it. They knew no good would come of it.
Kai and Kya were confused at not seeing their mother at breakfast. Ian simply told them that she had decided to stay with her parents. This only confused the five year old twins more as they would usually be allowed to stay with their grandparents. There was no time for further explanation as Ian loaded everyone into his trike and they drove through the city.
They stopped at a garbage filled edge of a waterway and Ian instructed Alex and Athena to get out.
"Find as much plastic as you can." He ordered and drove off to their next destination.
Ian stopped the trike at a small bar and grabbed Kya leading her inside.
"Sing good and make lots of money." He told her.
Kya looked around at the men in the bar who were smoking and drinking. She didn't know what to do at first. She stood where her father had left her and waited until a short old woman came over and ushered her onto the small stage and handed her a microphone. The men began yelling out songs for her to sing. Kya began to sing and the men threw pesos up onto the stage.
"What are we doing?" Kai asked as Ian parked the trike at the back of the bar and got out.
"We're going to make some money." Ian answered leading Kai to a sectioned off erea where he saw a group of men sittting around yelling. He thought he heard chickens.
"Pick a winner." Ian instructed as the fight between two chickens ended and money was exchanged.
Kai didn't really like seeing the chickens hurt each other but he felt like he had no choice when he saw his father's expectant face. He quickly pointed to a random rooster and small knife was fastened to its foot. The fight began and the rooster Kai picked won.
"Why do the chickens fight?" Kai asked as his father was handed a waud of cash.
"To make us money."Ian answered handing Kai some money."Go over there and buy some candy."
Kai looked over to where his father was pointing and saw a small wooden stall selling candy and toys. He walked over and bought some candy and rejoined his father to watch the rooster fights.
Meanwhile Alex and Athena picked through the trash. Every once in awhile they would find a plastic bottle.
"What are we supposed to do with these dirty bottles anyway?" Athena asked sitting down and taking a break.
"You sell them." A shirtless diry boy replied."I can show you where to take them."
"Ok." Alex said putting the sack he was putting the bottles in over his shoulder.
"Can I put my bottles in your bag?" The boy asked."I don't have anything to carry mine in. I'll get them out when we get to the place."
"Ok." Alex said setting the bag down and letting the boy dump his arm load in. Before anyone knew what happened the boy snatched the bag off the ground and began running through the twisting crowded streets. Alex ran after him, but couldn't catch up. He came back defeated and slumped down next to his sister.
"What do we do now?" Athena asked."The sun is going down and I don't see anymore bottles."
"Dad has lots of ways of getting money. I'm sure he made enough today and won't even notice we didn't get any bottles."Alex assured her."Besides we did get some. It's not our fault they got stolen."
They noticed their dad pulling up right as the sun went down.
"How many bottles did you get?" Ian asked.
"I boy stole our bagful." Alex explained earning him a slap to the face.
"Both of you can walk home." Ian told them.
Alex and Athena were exhausted from working in the heat all day and trudged behind their father's trike which wasn't easy given how fast their father drove.
They finally made it home and collapsed into bed not even caring that they didn't get dinner that night.
Kya sat on the couch after dinner as Kai watched tv and her father passed out drunk on the other couch. She pulled out her tablet and called Lil hoping she was around to talk to.
"Why did you guys leaving without saying goodbye?" Lil asked instead of a normal greeting.
"I didn't know we were going to leave." Kya told her letting out a cough. The smoke had taken a tole on her.
"Well how is living with your dad again?" Kimi asked as she appeared on the screen next to Lil.
"It's ok I guess." Kya replied."He made me sing for money."
"I thought you like singing?" Lil asked seeing the somewhat sad look on her friend's face.
"I do, but not in a stinky room with loud people telling me what to sing." Kya explained as the connection cut out a little and the screen turned black.
"Stupid wifi connection." Kya grumbled tossing the tablet aside and heading upstairs to go to bed. She had forgotten all about the moo moo.
Kya was woken up once again by Maui barking. Kya went to the window to see if she could see what he was barking at. He normally didn't bark like he had been since they moved into the house. She couldn't see anything and wondered what made the dog bark. She saw a light come on and her father stumble out of the house and kick the dog to get him to be quiet. Seeing this made Kya hate her father and wish her mother hadn't left them. She was about to go back to sleep when she turned and saw the legless man once more. She screamed and dove under the covers. Her safe haven was soon ripped away as the blanket was flung aside and she was grabbed roughly by the arm and drug downstairs. She thought it was the moo moo until she heard her father's voice yelling in her ear. She couldn't comprehend what he had said but it didn't matter as she was thrown to the ground outside in the dark. She was afraid now that she was alone in the dark outside. To make matters worse it began to rain. Lightning iluminated the yard and Kya was able to see Maui in the corner of the yard. She crawled to him and hugged him for comfort.
The days turned into weeks and each day was more or less the same. The kids were put to work and punished if they didn't do a good enough job.
Kya went outside one morning after breakfast to give Maui what food she had saved only to find his collar and chain empty. She didn't have time to think about as her father appeared in the doorway.
"We're leaving to see your mom." Ian told her.
Kya forgot about Maui missing and felt happy for the first time since moving back. She sat with her siblings iin the side trike and they made their way out of the city.
They arrived at their destination. Kya was eager to see her mother. She was not prepared for what she saw. Upon entering her grandparents house Kya found her mother laying on a bed. She was skinny like a starving person. Kya wondered if her grandparents punished her mother like her father punished them sometimes.
Kai and Kya joined their mother on the bed and soon food was brought to them. Kya looked at the meat finding it strange. She gave her portion to Alex. He looked like he needed it more then she did after all he did more hard work then her.
Everyone ate and talked well into the night. Kya fell asleep in her mother's arms. She awoke to an empty bed and looked around for her mother. She walked outside hoping to see her mother only to find all her adult relatives crying, even her father looked sad as he drank his beer. Kya noticed a few empty bottles already around him. Her siblings also had a glassy look in their eyes. They looked sleepy.
Ian noticed Kya standing in the doorway of the house and shoved the beer bottle in her mouth making her drink. Kya spit the fowl tasting liquid out onto the ground.
She coughed a few times and asked."Where's mommy?"
Her lola began sobbing as her lolo came over and took her into his arms."She died late last night. She's with the angels now."
Kya knew what that meant and began sobbing into her lolo's shirt. She would never see her mother again and now she was stuck with her drunk father.
The funeral was held a few days later. Kya was greatful for the rain. It made everything cool and dark like her mood. The family sat in the church as the service began. When it was over the family went back to their grandparents house.
"It's time to go." Ian said as the rain cleared.
"I want to stay here." Kya insisted holding onto her lolo's hnad for dear life.
"I said let's go." Ian snapped grabbing Kya by her arm and lifting her over his shoulder as she began crying and screaming.
Kya cried herself to sleep on the way back. She didn't want to go back with her father. She was tired of singing until her throat hurt and she had a cough that didn't want to go away.
"Where's Maui?" Kai asked as they got out of the trike.
"You don't need to worry about him. He won't be waking us up at night anymore." Ian assured him.
"You killed him." Kya said quietly lifting her head off Athena's shoulder."I saw you kick him."
Ian grabbed Kya from Athena and sat her on her feet."Don't tell lies or the moo moo will get you."
"You're the one that lies and I hope the moo moo gets you." Kya yelled before running inside and up to her room.
Athena ran after her, Ian hot on her heels. Alex and Kai stayed outside afraid of what they were about to hear.
Athena threw herself in front of Kya as Ian entered the room. She knew Kya was right. She had to help prepare the dog to take before her mother died. Like Kya, Athena had skipped dinner that night. she was used to it by now.
Outside Kai and Alex heard screaming and things being thrown. They turned away from the chaotic house when thy heard footsteps approaching behind them.
"Tito!" Kai exclaimed running to his uncle and giving him a hug.
"Hey munchkin." Ernesto greeted.
"My dad is drunk and went after Kya and Athena." Alex pointed to the now quiet house.
Ernesto approached the house warning the boys to stay back. He entered the house to find his younger brother stumbling down the stairs with blood on his hands. Ernesto shoved him on the couch and ran to check on his neices.
He followed the blood trail and found the girls unconsious, bleeding, and bruised. He carried them outside and took his brother's trike to get the girls medical attention.
Kai and Alex wiated nervously outside the house for their uncle's return. He arrived well after dark and marched into the house. The boys stayed outside but could hear argueing. Some time later Ernesto came out.
"You're coming home with me." He told them."We'll leave as soon as your sister's get better."
No sooner had he said those words when a single gun shot was heard.
"Let's go." Ernesto urged them into the trike and they drove to a hotel.
One month later
"I'm glad you guys are back." Lil said when Kai and Kya entered the park.
They began to tell their friends their story shedding a few tears at certian parts.
"Our mommy didn't want to leave us with our daddy, but they never got divorced so we had to stay with him." Kai explained.
"Our mommy didn't want us to see her sick. That's why she stayed with our grandparents." Kya added as that's what her aunt had told her.
"Can we play something now?" Tommy asked.
"Yeah. Your story made me a little sad." Chuckie commeted.
Kai helped Kya to her feet as she was still recovering from her injuries and the kids played until Kai and Kya were called by their aunt.
"We gotta go guys. We're getting a new puppy." Kya told them happily.