Missing
Matthew looked up at the stars silently, sitting alone on the top of he hill. He often wondered what it would be like if he'd just disappeared from the world. He'd practically done it already. No one recognized him, when they actually saw him. He was just as invisible as the air. Unnoticed. So why not, why couldn't he just disappear. He lay back in the grass, closing his eyes slowly as a bright flash shot across the sky. A shooting star. Just as the last thoughts ran through his mind, he fell asleep.
Please, please forgive me,
But I won't be home again.
Maybe someday you'll look up,
And, barely conscious, you'll say to no one:
"Isn't something missing?"
Matthew woke slowly, a confused frown crossing his face at the scene around him.
"What's going on?" He questioned, his voice barely above a whisper. He could swear he was somewhere he didn't remember being. Nor had he ever been before. Where was he? He looked around, wandering the wide streets of the strange city. That's when he recognized it to be one of Alfred's cities. How the heck did he end up there?
He shrugged it off. It didn't matter at the moment, while he was there he was supposed to be at the world meeting anyways. Letting out a sigh, he headed there.
At the world meeting, all the countries seemed to ignore him as usual. But something was different, about there manor. They seemed a little more distressed than normal.
"What's happening?" Matthew attempted to ask Feliciano, but found no acknowledgment. He sighed, figuring he'd pick up on it eventually. But that's when he noticed it. The large map on the other end of the room. Arthur stared at it in puzzlement.
"Isn't something missing?" He questioned.
Alfred glanced over his shoulder and looked at the map, "Yea, my place looks different." he spoke, though not giving much thought to what he'd said. Matthew's eyes widened at the map. There was no Canada. Where was his country? Where was he?
You won't cry for my absence, I know -
You forgot me long ago.
Am I that unimportant...?
Am I so insignificant...?
Isn't something missing?
Isn't someone missing me?
Matthew ran to his brother, though no one could see him. Not that it was much different. Only that he now didn't exist at all.
"Alfred!" he tried. Nothing. But he could see something in Alfred's expression. A difference from the usual cheery American. Something missing. Something giving him his energy, gone. His brother. He was missing his brother and he knew it. He stared down at the paper in front of him. Something he'd written on it the day before.
"Canada," he murmured, the word sounding familiar in his mind, but he couldn't place it.
"What was that?" Arthur questioned, turning from the map.
"What's Canada?" Alfred questioned.
"How the bloody hell should I know, you wrote it." Arthur fumed. Alfred scratched his head. That was just the problem, he couldn't remember why.
Even though I'm the sacrifice,
You won't try for me, not now.
Though I'd die to know you love me,
I'm all alone.
Isn't someone missing me?
The meeting ended and Matthew was more flustered than usual. He fallowed Alfred, knowing he was the only one to really notice something wrong. He needed his brother to figure it out. If only it would get his country back.
Alfred walked through his house. The air around him feeling strangely off. He couldn't stop thinking about those maps. Pulling out his world maps, he examined them slowly, but they were all the same. Exactly what was on the one at the meeting. He sighed.
"I'm going crazy," he convinced himself, walking away from the table.
"But I'm here!" Matthew tried to shout, but his voice was to soft and in audible.
And if I bleed, I'll bleed,
Knowing you don't care.
And if I sleep just to dream of you
I'll wake without you there,
Isn't something missing?
Isn't something...
Matthew looked around frantically, trying to find something that would get the attention of his brother. He than remembered the map he'd kept in his pocket. His national map. Pulling it out, he was revealed to find it was still as it should have been. Canada. He put it on the table in the stack of maps, hoping it would be seen by Alfred and grabbed the nearest idem, throwing it against the floor to make a noise.
Alfred froze, looking around at the loud thump. He frowned when he spotted the small picture frame that lay on the floor. The glass cracked down the middle. Matthew hadn't noticed what he grabbed, but only realized it when Alfred lifted it from the floor.
Alfred gazed at the picture for a moment. Who was this other person? It was him, and someone else. Someone he knew. Someone missing. Than he spotted the map, sitting on the table. CANADA printed across the large country. That was supposed to be just above his. Confused, he compared it to his own maps. They were different again. But there it was, Canada. The same word he'd printed on his papers.
He quickly called Arthur.
"What?" Arthur answered, obviously having seen the caller ID before answering.
"Hey, Iggy, Do you know what Canada is?" Alfred asked.
"You asked me that already!" Arthur shouted, annoyed on the other end.
"No, dude, I just found a map! It has Canada on it."
"It's not funny Alfred, leave me alone!" the phone dial beeped a few times before disconnecting. Alfred let out a sigh. If only he could place it.
Please, please forgive me,
But I won't be home again.
I know what you do to yourself,
I breathe deep and cry out,
"Isn't something missing?
Isn't someone missing me?"
~Alternate Ending~
Matthew woke the next morning, back where he'd started. Quickly he scurried from his spot and hurried to his brothers home. Knocking cautiously on Alfred's door, praying the boy would recognize him. Alfred opened the door, a huge grin crossing his features.
"Dude! Your just in time!" He greeted, dragging his brother inside and squeezing him in a tight bear hug, "I just had the weirdest dream!"
Matthew gave a small revealed smile, glad he was scene. "What was it?" He asked.
"Dude! Mattie! I had a dream you were missing! And I couldn't find you!" He exclaimed. Matthew gave a small smile. He knew exactly.