Title: Son of winter

Chapter two: So I welcome you to darkness, welcome to my madness

Today was my birthday once again, and today father was home. Ukraine smiled, and gave me a gift before the family. She waltzed down our burgundy wood staircase wielding a small round box wrapped in a silver ribbon. I opened the box to show a scarf that my father wanted me to have. A scarf almost as white as the snow.

"It almost matches your hair."

My hair? Maybe my baby picture she means... I thought to myself. I thanked her raising my arms to hug her. I had grown and my hair was starting to gain a bit of color.

Natalia...er um... my young sister Bella walked up to me silently. She stared at me for a moment and stretched my face out pinching both my cheeks.

"Ouch, what was that for?"

"Happy Birthday brother Ivan." Belarus pranced out the of the house wearing her coat and boots.

My big sister tidied the house while my sister played in the snow, and I chopped fire wood. I stood to the side of the house with an axe between a stump. Upon my last log of wood sliced in half Natalia sat in the snow further over nearest the cabin doors.

"Hey brother, look at me I'm an angel." My sister waved her arms back and forth through the snow as a carried wood to the storage near the house.

"Da Bella, you're a snow angel." I nodded at my young sister playing in the snow.

"No, not my children!" A voice could be heard faintly outside our home. Papa Russia was standing outside the log cabin while me and Bella where playing outside.

My little sister played in the snow and I sat in the snow watching father from a distance.

I didn't know much about anything yet I was still young. I knew nothing of father's work. Although, something told me that this strange newcomer dressed in black might bring trouble.

When big sister would ask father what he did as a profession he never explained himself well. Ukraine would ask questions about the many uninvited quests who arrived at our home. Why were they there?...I wanted to ask him for a long time... Why was he always checking the time? I think about it now and there are a lot of things we've never talked about.

Soon all of those questions and more would be answered. We were old enough now to know.

"Sorry, it's nothing personal." Said the man in dressed in all black.

"Wont you give them more time?" My father asked his long time co-worker.

"What of the boy?" The masked man chuckled darkly.

"It looks like we have another visitor," I spoke with my sister and paused. I heard the word 'boy' shouted from across the land. I kept my attention turned towards my father never turning away.

I watched, as my father argued with the man. He then fell over being struck in the stomach. My fathers red coat was the only thing I could see. I ran towards him, and he bellowed.

"Nyet! Get back, get your sister's and get out of here!"

"We don't have time for this, bring the others!"The strange man pulled a two-way radio from his pocket and spoke into it.

Tons of masked soldiers trailed over the horizon and rushed the house. I did as my father said, and ran back to the house.

"Bella you and big sister go into the house and hide to buy us some time!" I said thinking quickly. We did have others we could call on, but it would take some time. Our neighbors lived at a distance.

"What are you going to do?"

"Just do as I say Belarus!" I grabbed my little sister by the shoulders and shouted. I never used a tone like that with her. She peered over my shoulder with a look of dread and up at me. I pleaded with her to listen seeing how serious I was she did as told. I turned away to protect her only to find the enemy all around.

"Brother, help me!" There were three of them around my sister. Thinking on my feet, I picked up a log sitting in the snow and lunged at one of the masked men knocking them down. Not noticing their fire arms, I swung and beat the two soldiers with the log. Bella now free clung to my coat and we ran into the house.

"Ukraine!" I opened the door to the sight of my sister in the arms of two soldiers. Tears ran down her face as they handcuffed her. The armed men held my older sister against her will, and captured us as well.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked our captives trying to trying to free myself from their grip.

One of the things we were always told were never to ask questions. If things happened they happened for a reason. At least that is what sense I could make of it. Ukraine's eyes widened at my unthinkable action. One of the last things, I could hear was the sound of my sister's crying out to me.

"This isn't anything personal, it's war." Said the masked man and he raised his rifle and knocked me unconscious.

If it was nothing personal, then why did it involve me and my family?

The masked man's words stayed with me as I turned away. I turned take a glimpse of those I adored. All sound blurred as did my vision then everything fell silent.

I opened my eyes to a dark cell, and a cold concrete ground. Above me for Miles there was nothing but an endless spiral of what looked like prison cells. It was too dark to see, and too cold to move. I knelt and crawled toward a wall and I could feel steel bars. I put my arm through an opening.

"Bella... Uni... Papa!" I screamed but all that could be heard was an echo. Laughter followed.

"Who's there?" My voice crept painfully out of me.

"They took you away from home too?" Spoke a raspy voice.

"Da," I spoke back only out of question.

"There isn't anyone you know here anymore." Said another disembodied voice spoke back.

Next Chapter :My War boots ...Nothing personal.