Written in these walls are the stories that I can't explain
I leave my heart open but it stays right here empty for days
Laying in bed, Cecilia was staring up at the ceiling with her hands behind her head. She had her legs propped up on her bed, one crossed over the other. She was just listening to music with her headphones when she saw her door open. Pulling down the headphones, she sat up on her bed, a curious look on her face. She was a bit shocked when her mother popped her head from behind the door. "Everything's okay?" The 13 year old wasn't used to her mother looking for her, let along going into her room to see if she was in there.
Nora shook her head, "Of course Cecilia. Your father and I are going to the doctors, I ordered a pizza for you. We're eating out after. See you later." Cecilia didn't say anything but waved her okay at her mother, they had an understanding. She doesn't have to talk too much to her daughter as long as Cecilia stays quiet and behaves. Cecilia doesn't really have much of anything to do in such a small apartment anyways. When Nora closed the door, she placed her headphones on the bed and quietly got off of her bed and went to the door. Pressing her ear to the door, she tried her best to hear the conversation.
"Nora, are you sure you want to do this? Last time... You were so against the idea." Nate was sitting on the couch, a magazine was in his hands: Hot Rodder. He looked up from the magazine, a raised eyebrow on his face. He wasn't sure what Nora was up to, he had an idea but he wasn't really trying to figure out his wife at the moment.
"I know I was against the idea of taking a fertility shot but I'm not getting pregnant." She sighed softly, placing her left hand on her hip, she was still plenty young. But 32 is a strange age to have another child. She was standing on the other side of the couch, watching Nate read. She noticed that Nate wasn't really paying much attention to what Nora was saying, she rolled her eyes and walked over to her husband. Snatching the magazine, she moved his arms and sat on his lap, a whimper on her lips. "We've been trying for a year, and still nothing! I don't want to be too old before having a child... Before we get another child Nate." She quickly corrected herself, knowing full well that Nate was too busy in his magazine to notice her mistake.
Nate smiled softly and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss. Nora was laughing a bit, placing her hands over his mouth."Alright, alright fine. We can ask the doctor if the shot is still one of the options we have. And if everything goes according to plan, we should have another baby in the oven in two months. Just in time for your birthday!" He grinned softly as Nora ran her fingers through his short hair, trying to fix the bed head on her husband's head. He was only a year older than her but he wanted to give her everything she wanted, she was the world to him.
"And when we find out that I'm pregnant, we're getting that house in Sanctuary, right? With the white picket fence?" Nora sounded almost like she was begging her husband to buy the house, she even gave him a pout face. "It has three bedrooms and comes with a huge backyard. We can even go to the lake during the summer time! Just like we just to when we were younger..." She purred softly, placing a slim finger on his chest, a grin on her face.
Cecilia backed away from the door, a strange feeling in her chest, she didn't know what it was. She stumbled back to her bed, her music still blaring from the headphones as she picked it up. She knew that they had every right to want to have another kid, but shouldn't they at least ask her first? See what she thought about the whole idea of having a kid brother, or sister. She fell backward onto the comforter, wondering if they were going to treat the child the same way she is treated. It's only fair to treat the children the same, right?
Her mind was going in circles, a feeling of... abandonment from her parents, of course, she was used to that from her mother. But from her dad? The person who stopped what he was doing, some work for the military, to go check up on her while she was doing her own work. School work, but still, that little gesture meant the world to the little girl. Closing her eyes, Cecilia started to wonder how life would be after her mother gets pregnant again? Would they still live in this small apartment, would she have to take care of her younger brother or sister while she is working? But if that was the case, she'll try her best to feel the child feel welcomed, despite herself not even wanting else to share her dad with.
And so, after hearing the news, the buttons of life seemed to have been stuck on fast forward for the young girl. She saw the small apartment grow into a huge house, the city that they lived in before changed to the Sanctuary place they were talking about. She had a much bigger room than before but it was in the back of the house, the baby's room is closest to the front of the house with their parents' room right next door to it. She saw her mother's stomach grow bigger till it looked like she was about to pop, she was ready to give birth to a baby brother, his name was Shaun. Her dad finished his military contract and was now a civilian, her mother took time off from being a lawyer. They even bought a mister handy to help out with the baby, the baby that was already taking over her dad's every waking moment...
After her brother was born, both of her parents were on maternity leave, they were spending as much time as possible with the child. They didn't want Shaun to feel sad or left alone, they wanted him to feel happy, feel all the love in the world that parents can show to a child. As this was going on, they started to neglect their oldest, child. Their unwanted child. When she had homework that is required by a parent to look over, she forges one of their signatures. After all, they wouldn't bother with seeing if she was failing or passing her classes, but of course, she was passing. She had no problem keeping up with school, if she was busy, she wouldn't have time to think about her parents neglecting her for her younger brother...
It was a month or so before Shaun's first birthday, Cecilia was combing her hair into a ponytail on the back of her head when Codsworth came into her room. "Miss Cecilia, are you going somewhere?" The young teenager didn't say anything to the , she didn't want him to worry. It was programmed to care about the family but it bothered her that a robot was trying to make her feel happier than her own parents. "If you are leaving, at least let me do your hair. I know how you like my braids." Codsworth exclaimed with a robotic laugh before floating behind the girl, taking the brush gently from her hands. "How do you want your hair today? A braid from the nape of your neck or starting from the top?" Cecilia couldn't help but sigh at the stubbornness of the robot that was trying to act like a mother to her. "Cecilia, I won't say anything to your parents if they don't ask. But at least let me do your hair."
"From the top then Codsworth... And use the red ribbon I got last week.." Codsworth happily agreed to use the ribbon that was laying on the top of her cabinet, which was to the left of them. Cecilia watched herself in the mirror and started to closed her eyes, that color bothered her. It reminded her too much of her mother, and her brother that was still sleeping in the room near the front of the house. "Thanks, Codsworth..." The teenager mumbled to the robot when he finished with her hair, giving her a pat on her head.
"Oh, and I washed the toy that your mother told me to throw out last week." Cecilia was about to grab her jacket when she stopped and turned around, a confused but scared look in her eyes. "Yes, your Lizzy. She told me you don't need it anymore. However, your father told me to look after you. And if you require this toy to be happy, then I'll disobey the madam for the young master. Here ya go!" Codsworth tossed the green lizard over to Cecilia who caught it mid-air as the robot was heading over to the kitchen to start cooking.
She was about to toss the stuffed animal on the bed when she got a strange feeling and she suddenly gripped it close to her chest. She didn't want to leave it alone, so grabbing her backpack, she shoved it, nicely, into the bag before opening the window to her room. She didn't want to go out the front door, they might stop her. She knew that was a lie, they wouldn't care if she left, they were too busy with her younger brother to even bother with her anymore. She hated that. It could be the end of the world and they would still be too worried about Shaun more than they would about her. Speaking of the end of the world, a vault was being built up the hill and curiosity was getting the best of her. A curiosity that might just save her life...
After Cila managed to jump out the window without making too much noise, she just casually walked over to the sidewalk with her bag on one shoulder. Pushing open the white picket fence gate, she took a deep breath of the fresh air with the scent of fall heavily in the air. The sounds of life were all around her. Flowing water from the lake on the other side of the town, with a small creek behind her and neighbors chattering on the other side of the hedge that surrounded the back of the town, strangely enough. While she was heading over to the top of the hill, a strange looking guy with yellow clothes smiled at her. She didn't trust him. Stopping after he passed her, she just watched him walk over to the front of a house to ring the doorbell. Was he going in order? That was a bit weird.
Just as she thought that, a vertibird passed overhead towards the vault on the hill. She that wasn't normal out in the sticks like this, maybe for Concord it's okay. But over here? Were they looking for her dad? That thought caused a shiver to run down her spine, they were going to take away her dad again. She couldn't let that happen, she didn't want that to happen. So, putting on the other strap to her backpack, she started to run towards the vertibird, that was currently on top of the hill. She was too busy to pay any attention to anything else, so when she turned the corner so ran face first into someone from the army.
Before she had a chance to fall down on her rear, the army man grabbed her elbow with a reaction time that would put a cat to shame. "Woah there, little one. Why the rush?" The army man laughed softly, letting the girl go with his hands up in surrender when she was looking pissed off. "Sorry, just helping out sweetie. I didn't want a kid falling down and getting hurt around me."
Little one? Kid? She was 15 years old for french toast's sake! "Stop calling me little and kid! I'm in high school, for your information!" She crossed her arms over her chest to show that she was mad, she wasn't used to talking to people, but she'll try her best right there. She watched the army man's ocean blue eyes turn a light blue for a moment, a look of surprise on his face before he started to laugh quite loudly at her annoyance. "What? Stop laughing!"
"I'm sorry, li- miss. I just didn't think you'd get so upset over someone calling you a kid. Anyways, just be careful next time you're running. Most soldiers would just let you fall down and get hurt." The man just smiled at the young teenager who just carefully walked around him by scooting sideways till she finally got around him. Waving goodbye at her, the man just shook his head before heading town the street that she came down.
She blinked in confusion on what she was running about before when she remembered that the army was here. She was to start running again when she started to hear panicked screams and sirens going off. What was going on? She didn't think much of it, maybe the vault was was broken or something. She was about to start running up the hill once she passed the bridge but she noticed that other people had the same idea, apparently. What was going on? She was about to turn back home when someone grabbed her shoulder and pulled her around. Being forced to turn around, she realized that the man was actually a boy since she actually looked at him this time. A boy who was no older than 20. "Find your parents." Before she had a chance to ask him anything, he ran towards the others, who were in Power Armour. She's never seen one so close before.
Wait, did he say find her parents? Why? She was about to run over to the person when her dad came running over. "Cecilia! I finally found you, we need to go, sweetie." Nate was trying his best to keep calm so his daughter wouldn't get scared. Nora was still getting Shaun from the house, he left earlier to find his oldest child.
"Dad? Dad! What's wrong?!" She didn't understand why Nate was pushing her towards the top of the hill, towards the vault. "Don't go up there, the army is here!" She was starting to fight him when she noticed the look on his face. He was scared. She'd never seen him scared before, she was starting to get worried. "D-dad, what's happening?" She didn't understand why he was so scared until she realized something terrifying... They were building a vault because of Nuke threats. She was getting scared now, she didn't want to blow up, she didn't want to die.
"Cecilia, come on sweetie!" She couldn't believe it, the world could be ending and her mother FINALLY says something nice to her. Guess the world really is going to blow up... She was looking all around her, everything seemed to have slowed down, she was seeing people run towards the top of the hill, people falling down, children crying as they try to reach for the toy that they dropped during the rush. She closed her eyes.
Opening her eyes, she was scared. She didn't want to go inside, something about that place scared the living crap out of her. She'll curse now, she'll fucking curse now. "No, I don't want to go in there! I don't fucking like it!" She yelled at her father who was consoling baby Shaun who was whining softly. Her mother looked understanding at her daughter's outburst, she was wearing the god awful blue vault suit. Same as her father. Same as herself. The doctor next to her, looked worried as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I... I don't want to be in some container... Please..."
"It's going to be okay Cil. I promise I will get out the same time as you will. It'll only be a few seconds." Cecilia looked at her father then at the tube, then back at her father. "I promise. You'll only be stuck in there less than 30 seconds." The young girl lifted up her finger and held out her pinky. A pinky promise. They haven't done this since she was a young child. Her father just smiled and gave her his large pinky. "I pinky promise my little girl."
"Remember, you promised you'll be getting out the same time as me, daddy..." The last thing that she saw was her father smiling at, not at her, but her mom and Shaun. She took a deep breath as she stepped into the tube-like thing the same time as her parents. She was watching her father who was in front of her, her mother in the tube next to her. When the hatch closed down on them, her feet started to feel cold. She didn't know what was happening but she was feeling strange.
Coming back awake, the young girl was looking all around her, she was still in the tube next to her mom. She was breathing heavily, the air in the tube was freezing cold but maybe that was part of the thing. Little by little, she was able to start seeing again. She then noticed that the window was iced over. Was that normal? She was in the middle of figuring it out when she heard a voice, "This is the one", and another one following right after, "Open it." He sounded gruff.. Scary almost. Next to her, she heard the sounds of a hatch opening. Where they finally going to let them out of there?
She couldn't hear what they were saying but hearing bits and pieces of it, "It's going to be alright now.", "Give us the child." Were they going to take Shaun away from her mother? She isn't going to let that happen, if was her, she'd happily let them take Cecilia away... Her mother kept on saying no, the gruff voice was telling her mother to let Shaun go. "I'll only tell you once." Her mother was still struggling with keeping Shaun. A loud bang was heard, and her mother was saying anything anymore. "Come on, let's get out of here." Shaun was crying very loudly now as she saw a person in a white suit carry him off. A muffled voice, the same gruff voice as before.
She saw the man again, a little bit more clearly now but everything was starting to turn cold once more. She didn't want to black out again, she wanted to get out. She took a deep breath and exhaled, her body starting to turn heavy as it did last time. "I... I.. I want to... get out..." Her eyes closed once more. When this young girl would open her eyes the next time, her world will be forever changed.