Escape
Pt. 1
Oblyviian shook his sister's shoulder lightly. His tiny frame hovered over her small bed in the room the two siblings shared. The pain in his face stabbed him with every movement he made, yet he did his best to ignore it. He needed to use more effort to wake her; she always was a heavy sleeper afterall. Yelping quietly at the pain, the two bags that were slung on his shoulder dropped to the floor. He violently shook her shoulder, harder than he had the first few attempts. "Luce, come on. You gotta wake up."
Luciienne groaned as she rolled over to face her brother. She sleepily rubbed her eyes as her brother became clearer, more in focus. She reached up to his face to touch where blood had begun to dry. "Lyv…? What?"
His tone was harsh. Urgent. Desperate. Yet still soft in volume. "Wake up, Luce. We gotta go."
He couldn't take the chance of waking their parents who were in the next room. The child feared them far too much to take the risk. And he certainly couldn't waste the time explaining the cut on his face to her. That could wait for later. At least by then, they'd be far away.
She knew he meant business. She didn't continue to question him further. Her older brother was only harsh with her when it was necessary. She learned from an early age that it was for her safety, sometimes both of their safety, for her to listen when he was like this. It only took one time of not listening to him for her to learn. After that incident, she knew immediately that she had to listen to him from then on.
Luciienne sat up and stretched her back. Her curly brown hair stood up in all directions from her sleep. Her voice was raspy in her sleepy state. "Go where?"
"I don't know yet. We just have to leave. Now." The plan was still forming in his young mind. It was the honest truth - he did not yet know what he they were going to do. It had only been within the past hour that he had decided to leave. He knew it was a matter of life and death - not just for one of them, but for them both. He saw the chance to leave and he had to take it. He had to get them moving. That step of the plan was clear. Once they were on the move, he would find the next step. And then the next. Every step, he would figure it out until he was certain, without a doubt, they were safe.
"Get dressed and then we'll go. Do you need help?" Lyv handed her the change of clothes that he had placed on her bed while packing. He was already dressed, unlike her in her pajamas. He hadn't gotten in his that night. Not when he saw the chance to leave this personal hell.
"No. I can do it myself." She stated proudly as she slipped the old shirt, a hand-me-down of Oblyviian's, over her head. The little girl had just turned four within the past few days. She was extremely proud of any form of independence. "I'm not a baby."
Ignoring the pain, Oblyviian picked up the two bags and placed one on each shoulder, then grabbing her hand to lead her towards their bedroom door. "Let's get going, okay? We'll figure out where we're headed, but we just have to keep moving for now."
"Wait!" She pulled away from him, dragging him backwards slightly.
"We don't have time for-" He began lecturing her frustratedly, but she cut him off.
"My friend has to come with us!" She pointed towards the bed. The stuffed animal that Oblyviian stole for her laid next to her pillow. With pleading eyes, she began to beg."Please, Lyv. I can't leave him behind…"
"Okay." Lyv let her hand go as she ran the few steps to the bed. He knew it wasn't worth fighting his younger sister on this. She needed that little piece of comfort and he would do anything for her. Anything.
Luciienne clutched the animal to her chest after taking it from her bed. She ran back to her brother, who held out his hand for her.
"But he has to go in the bag, okay? In case we need to run." Lyv set the bag full of his clothes down momentarily. He knew both bags were too full to fit anything else, so he pulled out a pair of his pants and threw them on the ground. He didn't need an extra pair of pants anyway. Holding out his hand for the stuffed animal, he looked at his little sister and nodded.
"Okay." She mumbled sadly as she gave it one more hug before giving it over to her brother. As soon as he took it, he placed it in the bag gently. "Thanks, Lyv."
Oblyviian straightened himself upright and put the bag back on his shoulder. He held his hand out again, which met his sister's instantly. "Let's go."
