Hey you guys...

Thanks for the reviews!

Not much to tell, so here's the next chapter.
It took me a while before I was at least satisfied enough to upload it here. In all fairness, I'm still not fully satisfied but I'm also sick of editing for hours and still not feeling satisfied, ya know? :')
So here we are.
Chapter 28.
I can only hope you guys like it.

Feel free to leave a review once you're done, always very much appreciated.
Ride free my friends, until next time.

Later!

As the bright light slowly turned into the image of what Charley later learned was a cave, the first sounds broke through the veil as well.
Surprisingly enough, it was music.
For some reason, she hadn't expected that.
It was a song she didn't recognize, but the melodies were remarkably friendly to the ears.
Her vision, or actually Vinnie's, sharpened, and Charley quickly took in as many details as she could before he moved on with whatever he was about to do in this memory.
The room they were finding themselves in was, indeed, inside a cave that was carved out of the characteristic red stone that she now knew defined Mars.
Furniture was scattered throughout the room, some also made out of stone, and others made out of a whitish wood she hadn't seen before, which wasn't really surprising, of course.

However, before she could take a real good look at how Martian Mice housed themselves, Vinnie's gaze landed on an odd-looking radio standing on the wooden dresser.
Two white-furred hands reached out, and Charley would have gasped if she could when she saw how small those hands were.
Like, child-size small.
Also, the black woolen fingerless gloves he usually wore nowadays were nowhere to be seen, and neither was the small scar on his right index finger she knew was there in the present.
She, or in reality Vinnie, peered at the little furry fingers turning the two dials attached to the radio, and the beautiful song went lost in the sound of static.
With his tongue now between his teeth, Vinnie pricked his ears while his fingers kept playing with the strange-looking buttons.
Soon, the sound of guitars was faintly audible through the static, and Charley once again amazed herself how well-developed the hearing of a Martian Mouse was.

After a little while, the sound became clearer, and soon, the for those who were home in the world of metal familiar tones of Metallica's Masters of Puppets blasted out of the speaker, almost blowing up the poor radio.
"Ahw yeah", Vinnie grinned, and after turning up the volume even more, he stepped back.
Before Charley could even realize what was happening, or notice how different his voice sounded, or fully realize that she was on Mars listening to Metallica, she was suddenly hanging upside down as Vinnie, apparently, made a backflip before using his tail as a guitar while he banged his head on the rhythm of the music.
Which was intense, to say the least.
Kind of like riding a roller coaster, which she hated.
At least she couldn't get sick during a Mind Walk.
Definitely a silver lining.

Lucky for her, after bouncing through the room a little while longer, he eventually halted before something that came close to a mirror, though it wasn't as clear as the ones she knew.
Strangely enough, her heart seemed to skip a beat when she looked into the mirror, which shouldn't even be possible during a Mind Walk and yet it happened.
If she had to guess, it probably had something to do with the person looking back at her.
A little boy with snow-white fur, tiny buck teeth, and bright red eyes twinkling in the dim light of the cave.
He couldn't be older than five years, his wee body wrapped in black dungarees and a red t-shirt and scuffed sneakers at his feet.
His tail was shorter than it was now, it barely touched the ground, which was the opposite of his flappy ears as they were a little too big for the size of his head.
Oh my gosh.
This was by far the cutest thing she had ever seen.
She would have cried if the situation let her, but it didn't.
Something she was somewhat grateful for.
She had shed enough tears for at least the rest of the year.
Amen to that.

But still.
Despite being completely numb to her own emotions, seeing young Vinnie did something to her.
Even though she couldn't really feel it, she just knew it was there.
Sympathy.
Sadness, even, maybe.
He just looked so innocent.
So… scar-free, literally.
If only he knew what his life would become.
How hard it was going to be.
How he was going to be forced to grow up too soon and too fast, all because of this useless concept called war.
It was probably a good thing that he didn't know.
But she did.
And that's what made seeing him looking back via the mirror so heartbreaking.
If only she could hold him.
To keep him hidden from the cruelty of the outside world.
To keep him safe.
Carefree.
But she couldn't.

Leaning a little closer to the mirror, Vinnie's eyes roamed over his face.
Apparently, he liked what he saw, for soon thereafter, his lips curled into a smile.
A smile she knew by heart.
A smile so mischievous, it could only mean trouble.
A smile that would make many women fall in love with him in the future, and that included her.
Shit.
Even as a child, he was already so… Vinnie.
This was crazy.
Even beyond that.

Movement behind him made little Vinnie look over his shoulder, and soon, his eyes locked with another pair of red ones.
But they didn't sparkle like his just did.
If anything, they looked sad, or maybe even frightened as the adult female mouse turned off the radio.
"Ah, mom, come on! I was jamming to that!", Vinnie protested as he turned around, his short tail lashing through the air, and Charley almost smiled by hearing his squeaky little voice.
The woman who was his mother did smile, though it had to be said it was a sad one.
"Your father can come home any second now, and you know how much he hates loud music, sweetie."

There was a certain tone audible in her voice, one that came close to fear with a hint of regret, but Vinnie, as the innocent child he was, didn't pick it up, and he folded his little arms while stomping his feet.
"But I like listening to Metallica. It makes me feel badass", he pouted, glancing at his mother from under his lashes.
She was beautiful, Charley realized as she looked at her as well.
Especially her hair, which was as white as her fur but mixed with strands blacker than the night.
It was long, too.
Almost reaching the base of her tail, and it had all these little braids with jewelry Charley now saw as the female mouse, dressed in a black jeans and red shirt, approached her stubborn child.

When she reached him, she crouched in front of him and rested her hands on his small shoulders.
"You're already a badass, little one."
Gently, she turned him around and they both now looked into the mirror, Vinnie still pouting and his mother still having that somewhat sad smile on her beautiful face.
"You don't need Earthly music to be what you are by nature."
Vinnie's face lit up, and he raised his arms to flex his in reality non-existent muscles with a hint of that arrogant grin around his lips.
"I can't wait till I'm older. I'm gonna be the baddest mamma jammer of the entire universe!"
His mother's smile became more fond, even more so, Charley could've sworn her red eyes became a little watery as she squeezed her son's shoulders.
"I'm sure you will be exactly that."

The scene faded, much to Charley's vague feeling of disappointment.
She could have watched mother and son looking at each other in the mirror for hours.
The love between them was heartwarming, to say the least, and even palpable in this relatively short memory.
But it was just like she said.
She had no control whatsoever.
And thus, she just waited patiently until the next memory would present itself, which happened sooner than she expected.
There wasn't even darkness between them.
The image of the cave just flowed over into the next one, which was also inside the cave, but in another room.
Judging by the toys lying scattered across the floor, and the night light in the shape of a little motorcycle on the nightstand, they were now finding themselves in Vinnie's bedroom.

It seemed quiet and peaceful at first, cozy even, but soon, Charley noticed how Vinnie's little hands were holding the furry blanket, the one he had pulled up to his chin, with so much strength that she could almost see his knuckles going white under his fur.
Also, his body felt strange.
Kind of like it was frozen.
And there it was.
The moment she had dreaded the most since she agreed to do this Mind Walk.
The moment when his emotions joined in.
To say that they hit her like a train was, if anything, an understatement, but that was nothing new.
The fact that she immediately knew what exactly he was feeling, however, was.
During their previous Mind Walk, it had taken her some time to figure him out, to get used to feeling emotions that weren't hers.

But not this time.
This time, it was as plain as day.
With his heart racing in his chest, his muscles as tight as a drum, his breathing shallow and irregular…
Fear.
The poor thing was scared to death, and she wondered why that was.
But the moment she did, voices emerged from the shadows.
Loud voices, yelling at each other…
No wait.
Only one was yelling.
The other was soft and almost sounding… pleading.
Submissive, even.
Oh.

Still lying solidly frozen in his little bed, Vinnie stared at the ceiling, trying so hard to focus on happy thoughts, but it was hard with his father's voice being so loud that it almost made his eardrums rattle.
"Are you stupid or something? I told you a thousand times already that I don't want you to talk to the neighbor! I don't trust that guy as far as I can throw him."

The loud voice was soon followed by a softer one.
"He came to talk to me, Vince, it was no big deal…"

"Stop lying, you stupid bitch! What did you talk about, huh? Or did you skip that part and just spread your legs instead?"

"I would never…"

"I said, stop lying, Duma!"

A muffled sound indicated that his father had now grabbed his mother, if Vinnie had to guess, by the throat.
The soft gasping sounds that followed only confirmed that theory as he, sadly enough, knew the sounds by heart, and Vinnie rolled onto his side while burying his head under the blanket, thereby pressing his little hands on his ears.
"She'll be fine. She'll be fine. She'll be fine…"
Squeezing his eyes shut tight, he kept whispering these words to himself as he knew they were true.
No matter how ugly their fights got sometimes, she was always fine again the next day.
Smiling like nothing ever happened, wearing the scarf around her neck to hide the bruises visible under her white fur with pride.
"She'll be fine…"

With these words echoing through Charley's head, the scenery changed again.
This time, Vinnie was hiding in a closet, peeking through the wooden frame.
Watching how his father, an impressive-looking muscular male with fur as black as the night, hit his mother in her face with so much strength that she fell to the ground.
But instead of showing the full memory, Vinnie already went on to the next one.
And the next one.
Just like they always did in the movies when showing flashbacks of the past, expect this was real.
This had been Vinnie's life.
Watching helplessly how his father beat the living shit out of his mother, over and over again.
Whispering to himself that she would be fine.

But Charley, as an adult, could tell she wasn't fine.
Not even close.
Even though Vinnie only showed her glimpses of what was happening, she was still perfectly able to see how Duma spiraled further down with every strike Vince gave her.
She knew because the eyes never lied.
And with every flashback that came by, her eyes became emptier.
With every strike, a piece of her soul went up into smoke, until there would be nothing left.
Nothing but only one way out…
Oh my god.

The stream of flashbacks halted as abruptly as Charley realized where this was going.
Again, they were in the cave that was Vinnie's childhood home, but this time, it was dark.
Cold.
And quiet.
So, so quiet.
Vinnie tiptoed carefully through the hall to his mother's bedroom, wondering why she hadn't come out already.
She always woke him up in the morning after his father had left for work, telling him breakfast was ready.
But this time, he had woken up alone, without the smells of panny cakes or the warm light his mother always seemed to radiate.
The cave felt dead without all that.
Scary even.
She was the only one who was able to make him feel safe and happy at home.
He needed her.
She knew that.
Then why wasn't she here?

When he reached the round wooden door that led to his parent's bedroom, he halted and pricked his ears.
Again, silence was all that came in return, and his heart started to pound even louder.
Biting his lower lip, he reached out a trembling hand, and the door opened with loud creaking.
Although it was somehow very welcome to hear something other than this pressing silence, the sound of it made his skin crawl at the same time.
And so did the darkness that greeted him.
But even though all that was already quite scary, it was the scent coming out of the room that made him feel even more jittery.
It was a scent he didn't recognize, so it couldn't be his mom's.
That scent he knew by heart.
A scent that always comforted him.
This one… not so much.

His fur bristled, and he hesitantly took a step forward.
"M-Mom?", he asked shakily, but there was no response.
Now standing on the doorstep, Vinnie squinted his eyes in the hope of distinguishing the shadows in front of him from something that would help him figure out what was going on inside the room, but it was just too dark.
After a short hesitation, he raised his right hand.
It took him a little while, but then, his fingers made contact with the light switch.
He didn't flick it, though.
He was just too scared.
"Mom? Are you there?"

When, again, nothing came in return, he took a deep breath and turned on the light.
After blinking a few times to help his eyes get used to the sudden brightness, his gaze landed on the bed.
For a second there, he thought it was empty, but then he noticed that it wasn't, and a sigh of relief slipped past his lips.
She was still here.
She just overslept.
That could happen sometimes, right?
Even to adults.
His body relaxed, and with a smile from ear to ear, Vinnie leaped on the bed.
"Mom, wake up", he giggled, highly entertained now because his mother did something so out of the ordinary as oversleeping.
It really wasn't like her, which made it kind of funny.

His earlier fear already forgotten, he climbed on the bundle hidden under the black-furred blankets that were his mother to wake her.
He didn't realize it was too cold here.
He also didn't notice the strange scent becoming stronger now he was closer to her, nor did he feel the wetness under his knees and hands.
He was just so relieved that she was still here.
It was all that mattered right now.
"Mom, come on, I'm hungry."
When she didn't respond, he pulled the blanket off to reveal her face, still smiling.
Until he saw her eyes, that is.
Her wide-open eyes, staring at the ceiling instead of him, and his smile vanished like smoke in the wind.

Suddenly, he felt something sticky on his hands, and he lowered his gaze.
Much to his utter shock, the usual snow-white fur on his fingers was now colored deep red.
His breathing accelerated, and his eyes darted from his hands to the blanket that was still covering his mother.
The blanket that was, apparently, soaked with blood.
In fact, the whole bed was, and Vinnie's breath got stuck in his throat as his gaze landed back on his mother's face.
She hadn't moved.
She was still staring at the ceiling with those awfully empty eyes of hers.
"Mommy?", he asked, his voice as small as he was, and he rested his bloody hands on her cheeks.
Her cold cheeks, to be exact.
Her cold and lifeless cheeks.
She felt so different…

It was then that the scene faded.
Darkness fell over the memory, heavy and infinite, and all Charley heard was a breaking child's voice echoing through the nothingness, filled with fear and anguish.

"Mom…?"

The darkness became more vast, and Charley just lingered in the endless night, deeply shocked, or at least, she would be if she was able to feel it.
She knew she was going to be when the Mind Walk was over.
This was…
…very close to home, actually.
Oh god, Vinnie…
I'm so sorry…

Flickering lights announced the next memory, and soon, Charley was back to being just a spectator hidden behind the curtains of Vinnie's mind.
Sitting on the couch with his back as straight as an arrow, Vinnie stared at the red-stone wall opposite of him with his hands resting on his knees.
He didn't blink.
He didn't move.
He hardly even breathed.
He was simply too scared to do so.
Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw her empty eyes looking back.
Whenever he moved, he felt her blood sticking to his fur and clothes.
Whenever he took a deep breath, he only smelled the scent of death.
And thus, he just sat there.
Solid like a statue.

"Vincent?"

A familiar voice penetrated through the cloud of trauma that was fogging his brain, thereby activating his muscles one by one, and slowly, Vinnie turned his head in the direction of the sound.
His red eyes locked with brown ones, and a shuddering breath slipped past his lips.
"Daddy…"
His father was here.
If only he could say he felt safe now that he was here, but he couldn't.
His father was a complicated man, and so was their relationship, or at least, that's what his mother always told him whenever he asked why his father was always so angry with her.

It didn't really make sense to him.
The only thing he did understand was that his father had never hurt him like he hurt his mother but also that he didn't love him like his mother did.
It was these inconsistencies that made him keep his distance, or at least a little cautious when it came to bonding with his father.
Just to be safe.
But now he couldn't.
He didn't even want to.
He just felt so lonely and confused, and all he wanted was for someone to hold him and tell him that everything was going to be okay.
Even if that person was his father…

Vince crouched in front of him with a frown on his face that was supposed to be one out of worry but was more like one made out of confusion and irritation.
"Why are you sitting here in the dark? Where's your…"
While he was talking, his gaze wandered over Vinnie's wee body, and the rest of his words died in his mouth as his frown grew even deeper.
Almost in slow motion, he reached out his right hand and touched Vinnie's shirt.
"Is that…"
After rubbing his fingers, he held them under his nose, and his eyes slightly widened before they narrowed once again.
"...blood?"
His jaw tightened, and he glanced up, looking his only son straight in the eye.
"Where is your mother, Vincent?"

Vinnie's bottom lip started to shake.
"She… She wouldn't wake up… I tried so hard to wake her, but she didn't…"
In desperate need for some comfort, he reached out his little hands to his father, but Vince merely slapped them away as he jumped to his feet.
"Duma!"
While shouting his wife's name, the black-furred mouse ran towards the bedroom, and without thinking, Vinnie followed him.
Not because he actually wanted to go back to that scary room filled with darkness and eerie quietness, but merely because he didn't want to be alone again.
Not after waiting the entire day for his father to come home in this darkness that didn't seem to end.
When his father reached the bed, he stopped dead in his tracks, and so did Vinnie behind him in the doorway.
"Oh gods, Duma… What have you done?", Vince breathed, shaking his head as he took in the bloody scene.

Even with his six years old, Vinnie was able to sense his father's sorrow and distress, and his lower lip started to tremble once more as a certain pain came over him, chasing away the last remains of shock.
It was a feeling he had never felt before, and it was one he most certainly didn't understand.
In fact, nothing about this made sense.
And it all was just too much.
His child's brain simply wasn't capable of processing all this.
The trauma, the shock, the pain, the anguish of his dad…
In response, it just shut down, and as Vinnie stood there, staring at his father's tense back with his red eyes wide open and lower lip still shaking, something clicked inside his head.
Soon thereafter, a certain calm came over him, washing away the pain, the confusion, the shock…
Everything.
His vision sharpened, his body relaxed, and Vinnie let out his breath.
After blinking a few times, a somewhat soothing smile appeared on his face, and he stepped forward before taking his father's hand in a comforting grip.
"She'll be fine, daddy. She always is."

He wasn't even lying.
After all, no matter how bad things got, she was always fine the next day.
Smiling like nothing ever happened.
Surely today, or actually tomorrow would be no different.
Vince, however, didn't seem comforted, at all.
The moment his son spoke these in his eyes disturbing words, a shock went through his body, and he yanked himself free.
"Get out."
Taken back by his father's response, Vinnie scrambled back, but when he reached the door, he hesitated.
Seeing his father standing there, looking so lost, made him feel reluctant to actually leave.
There had to be a way to let him know she was going to be okay…

Vince slowly turned around and looked at his son eyes blazing.
"I said… Get. Out."
His voice was as cold as ice, cutting through Vinnie's soul like a sharp knife.
"But daddy…"
"GET OUT!", Vince roared with a voice raw of emotion, his tail lashing through the air and his hands clenched into fists.
And so Vinnie did.
He ran to his room, and that's where the memory ended.

It didn't take long for the next memory to present itself, but there was at least enough time for Charley to realize she was still there as well.
As always, the longer the Mind Walk went on, the more she vanished into the background.
Something she was somehow grateful for, yet at the same time, it was kind of scary.
To just fade away and become someone else.
Strange, indeed…

A flash of light, and they were back in Vinnie's room again.
Vinnie was sitting at the little desk in the corner, holding a strange-looking pen between his little furry fingers and staring at a device from which Charley assumed was some sort of tablet.
It took him a little while, but eventually, he put the pen to the screen.
The moment he started to write, his squeaky little voice echoed through his head, reading aloud in English what he was writing in Martian.

"Dear Mom,
I went back to school today. I didn't want to, I wanted to stay home and wait for you to come back but Daddy told me I couldn't because he needed to go back to work again. Everyone was staring at me and no one wanted to play with me during lunch time. I tried to play tag with Rover and his friends, but he pushed me away and then I fell. My knee was bleeding, but it didn't hurt that bad. I still wanted to cry but I didn't. Daddy told me I should never cry again because it makes me look weak. I don't want to look weak. When I came home, Daddy was very angry with me because my pants were ripped on the knee. I told him I hadn't cried, but he hit me and told me to go to my room. I can only come out when I have fixed my pants. I hope I can because I'm very hungry, but Daddy said I don't get anything to eat until I have fixed my pants. So that's what I'm going to do now. Bye, Mommy. I miss you. I hope you'll be back soon so we can eat panny cakes together again."

There was a soft click, and the image changed to the next memory like a slideshow.
Again, Vinnie was in his room, writing a letter to his mother but his hands seemed a fraction bigger than before.
Also, his voice sounded different.
A little lower, or at least a little less squeaky, telling Charley he was growing up.

"Dear Mom,
Today is my name day. I'm already eight years old! I wish you were here to do the ritual and buy me presents because Daddy didn't do any of that. I think he forgot about my name day again but please don't tell him I said that because he will get angry again. He always hurts me when he gets angry and he gets angry a lot since you left. Even more than before. They sang me a song at school, but Rover and his friends didn't. All they did was pull faces at me behind the teacher's back. I think they hate me. I think I hate them too. They are always so mean to me. When are you coming back, mommy? Daddy keeps saying you're with the Goddess of the Two Moons now and that you never come back but I don't believe him. I told him you would never leave me because I am your sunshine. He got angry again and now my right eye is black. I hope the Goddess sends you home soon. I miss you. Bye!"

Another click was heard, and so was another letter.

"Dear mom,
I got into trouble at school today. Rover and his friends tried to push my head into the pan with melted cheese in the cafeteria again, but I got really angry this time and punched Rover in the face just like Daddy always did to you and now to me. His nose was bleeding and my hand hurt really bad, but I didn't cry. Rover did. My teacher was really angry and called Daddy to pick me up. Daddy was also very angry and now my nose is bleeding, just like Rover. But I didn't cry. I'm very hungry but Daddy said I need to stay in my room for the rest of the week. Mommy, can you ask the Goddess to send you home? And if she doesn't want to, maybe she can let you come over for a sleepover only. That would be so much fun! Bye, Mommy. I love you and I miss you."

Click.

"Dear Mom,
Rover pushed me off my training bike today during our driving lesson. One of the training wheels drove over my tail and it hurt really bad so I cried. I didn't want to, Daddy keeps telling me that crying is for the weak, but I just couldn't stop it. Rover laughed at me, and that made me so angry that I took my bike and drove over his foot. He screamed very loudly and now my ears hurt…"

Click.

"Dear Mom,
I went to the med bay today. Daddy hit me so hard that I fell asleep, and when I woke up, I was lying in a bed in the med bay. I only asked when you were coming back. I think four years is enough time for the Goddess to have you. Now I want you back. I need you…"

Click.

"Dear Mom,
I'm suspended from school. Rover tackled me during outdoor gym class, and I got so angry again that I pushed him off a small cliff. They say he broke his leg and so Dad broke mine. I need to stay in my room until it's healed again…"

Click.

"Dear Mom,
I learned about the Goddess today at school. The teacher said only good people are allowed to join her after their death. Does that mean you're dead, too…?"

Click.

"Dear Mom,
It's been six years. I'm starting to believe that you're not coming back. That you're really dead, just like Dad keeps telling me…"

Click.

"Dear Mom,
Dad said you killed yourself. Is that true…?"

Click.

"Dear Mom,
I remember everything. I remember your empty eyes. I remember your blood sticking to my fingers. I remember the scent… that scent. There really is nothing like it. I'm not sure how I was able to forget…"

Click.

"Dear Mom,
I hate you. I fucking hate you. I hate you for leaving me, but I hate you even more for leaving me alone with Dad. He's a monster. I hate him just as much as I hate my life and myself but I mostly just hate you…"

Click.

"Dear Mom,
I'm sorry I said I hated you. I shouldn't have said that but I just feel so angry all the time…"

Click.

"Dear Mom,
I'm kicked out of school. They say I get into those fights on purpose and that I'm a lost cause. Maybe they're right. I feel lost. Like I have no direction. No purpose. No place to belong. If only you were here to guide me. But you're not. You left me. I don't think I can ever forgive you for that…"

Click.

"Dear Mom,
I stole Dad's bike today. He nearly killed me when he found out but it was worth it. Because when I was driving through the desert at full speed, I didn't think about you for a second. It was almost as if the hole in my heart you left behind wasn't even there. I never felt more alive…"

Click.

"Dear Mom,
The news keeps talking about those Plutarkians. About how they are a real threat to Mars, but Dad says there is nothing to worry about. I suppose he should know, right? Since he's working for the government…"

Click.

"Dear Mom,
I found your medallion today when I was looking through some old stuff in my room. I never knew it was a Memory Chain. I didn't watch it. I just couldn't. I'm afraid I'll hate you even more for leaving me than I already do..."

Click.

"Dear Mom,
Dad put me into the med bay again. I had to stay there for a week and he didn't visit me once. When I came home, I didn't ask why. All I asked was why he hates me so much. He said it's because I'm reminding him of you, that I'm just as uncontrollable as you were. That I just need to walk in line.
Fuck that. He's evil. How could you ever pick him as your life partner? And why, for fuck sake why did you leave me with him...?"

Click.

"Dear Mom,
Things are getting tense here. They say on the news that Mars is standing on the verge of war, but Dad still says they're exaggerating. I don't know who to believe. All I know is that I'm scared. I'm turning sixteen tomorrow. If there is a war coming, they will force me to join the Army…"

There was another click, but instead of looking at the now very familiar sight of Vinnie's desk in his room, the setting was now suddenly different.
The silence was replaced by loud talking, and the desk was replaced by a filthy-looking bar.
After taking a sip of his drink, which looked a lot like beer without the foam collar, Vinnie took a quick look around him to make sure nobody was paying attention to him.
When he saw that the few people present in the tavern hidden under the monastery were only busy talking with each other, he reached into the duffel bag on the bar stool next to him.
As he laid his tablet on the bar with a certain cautiousness, he glanced at the bartender from under his lashes.
Luckily, the older mouse with dark-brown fur and his long hair tied in a low ponytail wasn't paying attention to him at all as he was talking to a tan-furred mouse sitting at the corner of the bar.
Relieved, Vinnie took his pen between his fingers, and after taking a deep breath, he put it on the screen once more.

"Dear Mom,

I watched the memory you recorded for me this morning.
I finally had the balls to do so.
And now I write you this letter to tell you that you're wrong.
You say that I'm nothing like him.
But I am.

I did something horrible today.
The worst part is that I don't even feel sorry for it.
In fact, I don't feel anything.
I only feel something when I secretly ride Father's bike at night.
It's strange, how you can love something so dearly while it belongs to someone you hate with your entire heart and soul.
It felt wrong, somehow.
So I took it from him.
Just as I took something else from him.

Why you chose him to be your mate and the father of your child will ever go beyond me.
Maybe if you were here, you could've explained it to me, but you're not, are you?
You left.
You chose the easy way out.
I didn't.
I wanted to when I found out this morning about what he did.
But I didn't.
Instead, I chose to do the one thing we both never dared to, and that's standing up against him.

There are so many reasons why I wish you were still here, but the one that stands out is that I really wanted to see the look on your face when I tell you what I'm about to tell you.
To see you finally fully realize what you deep down already knew.
It was he who sold Mars to the Plutarkians.
It was he who brought the now ongoing war to our doorstep, and it will be forever him who is responsible for the death of thousands now and thousands to come.
He, and he alone, is to blame for Mars' demise.
He's a monster.
A monster and a killer.

And so am I.
Because I killed him.
The moment I found out, I took the gun I knew he was hiding in the garage and shot him through the head.
I didn't blink.
I didn't even ask why he did it.
I just shot him.
Plain and simple.

Let me be honest with you.
Killing him was the best thing I ever did.
It made me feel powerful and in control.
You say I'm nothing like him.
I now know I am.
And that's on you.
If you hadn't left me, I could have been like you.
Kind, caring, funny, loyal… and a coward.
So maybe I should thank you after all.
I don't know, like I don't know many other things.

I have no idea what comes next, if there even is a next.
Things are wildly out of control here, which is about the only thing that gives me joy right now.
Because Father always tried so hard to keep everything under control, and now, it just isn't.
All because of him.
I hope he realized that when I killed him.
I hope his soul never finds peace.
He doesn't deserve peace.
He doesn't deserve anything.
Only death.
And so I gave it to him.

Dear Mom, I wish I could say I forgive you, but I don't.
I never will.
But I do miss you.
And somewhere deep down, I still love you.
Until we meet again.

Blood of your blood,
Vinnie."

Letting out his breath, Vinnie gradually laid down the pen and stared at the letter in front of him.
It was odd, really.
Odd, that something as simple as a writing tablet was able to carry such a heavy message.
One that wasn't meant for anyone to read but merely to help him to say goodbye because he knew he had to.
He couldn't focus on the future while he was still glancing over his shoulder at the past, even if the future was rather uncertain at this point.
If only it wasn't so hard.
If only all these painful memories weren't etched into his brain…
"Quite the story you've got there."

Vinnie's heart skipped a few beats, and he looked up with a jerk, straight into the face of the brown-furred bartender.
His brownish eyes twinkled with both amusement and something that seemed to be determination, but why, that went beyond Vinnie.
In all fairness, he didn't even care right now.
All he cared about was that he felt caught, and he quickly snatched his tablet off the bar with flushed cheeks.
"No one ever taught you that it's rude to read someone else's letter without their permission?", he snapped at the older mouse, his red eyes spitting fire.
His fiery attitude didn't seem to scare the bartender, nor did it impress him.
If anything, it only seemed to amuse him even more as his smile grew even bigger, revealing his set of shiny white teeth.
"I didn't read your letter, punk. You did. Quite loud, actually."

Vinnie snorted in disbelief.
"Yeah, right. At least own the fact that you're a nosy old man. Playing dumb doesn't really suit you."
Again, his sharp tongue didn't seem to bother the bartender, although Vinnie could've sworn there was a glitter of annoyance visible in his eyes when he called him an old man.
He said nothing, though.
All he did was raise a brow and point at his antennas while casting the young mouse sitting at his bar a meaningful look.
Although far from amused, Vinnie let out a raw laugh.
"Oh, come on. You need to touch me to use those. You weren't even near me the whole time I was writing that letter."
The older mouse raised one shoulder so-called nonchalant but his entire appearance breathed cockiness instead.
"Not everyone has to. Some of us are skilled enough to pick up the signal without physical contact, especially when it's not shielded like yours."

Try as he might, Vinnie couldn't stop his curiosity from being piqued, and he narrowed his eyes at the brown mouse.
"You're lying."
"Nope. All you have to do is be close enough."
After gawking at him for a little while, Vinnie eventually decided that the guy was mental, plain and simple, and he grabbed his cup to take the last sip.
It was time to go.
Before the man guessed his age and would call the Army to pick him up for the mandatory military service, the very one he had managed to avoid so far with, ironically, some help from his father.
Whilst Vinnie searched his bag for money to pay for his drink, the brown mouse picked up a mug and started cleaning it, glancing at the young mouse across from him from time to time.
"I'm sorry 'bout your mom", he eventually said, his gaze fixed back on the mug in his hands.

Vinnie's jaw tightened.
There was no way he was going to have this conversation, let alone with a stranger who was obviously wrongfully wired upstairs, and he doubled his attempts to find the money he took from home.
The bartender watched him search his bag for a little while longer before he put the now-clean cup back on the shelf.
"You've got some place to go to?", he asked when he turned back around.
"I'll figure it out", Vinnie said shortly, and without looking at the older mouse, he threw some coins on the bar.
The brown mouse nodded with a blank face, taking the next mug in line to be cleaned.
"I'm sure you do. I mean, assuming the fish heads won't catch you first, I'm sure the Army will be happy to take you in when they find you wandering through the desert on a stolen bike and a letter in your bag where you confess to murdering your own father who also happens to be Mars' biggest traitor in history…"
He let out a chuckle, shaking his head with his gaze still lowered.
"Oh yeah, you're golden, punk."

Vinnie was just grabbing his bag, but he froze when he heard these words.
Although there was nothing more he wanted right now than to walk outside, the words of the old mouse triggered something inside of him.
If anything, it felt like a warning wrapped in alleged indifference and thus, instead of turning around and walking away, he looked at the brown bartender with a furrowed brow.
"The Army will only be grateful for me killing the biggest traitor on Mars. There's no way they'll have me stand trial for that."
"Of course they will. If they find out about what your father did, they most certainly want to see blood.
Blood of a traitor, to be exact", the brown mouse added meaningfully before focussing his attention back on the mug in his hands.
"You took that away from them by blowing his head off. But I guess your blood will do as well. It is the blood of a traitor, after all."
Said blood drained from Vinnie's face, and he slowly sat down again, deeply in shock.
Call him stupid, but he never thought about that.
That people would hate him for what his father did, but he knew the bartender was right.
Martians were proud by nature, and they would want someone to blame for bringing war upon their beloved planet.
And with his father dead, what best second choice would be his son…?

"Or…", the brown mouse said slowly while putting the cup down, and he rested his folded arms on the bar as he leaned a little closer to Vinnie.
"...you come with me. Your secret and therefore you will be safe with me and I have good use for boys like you."
Vinnie's frown grew even deeper.
"What do you mean, boys like me?"
Brown eyes scanned his face, and again, that complacent smile appeared.
"Boys filled with enough anger to drive an entire army and a slightly disturbing need for adrenaline to forget about their sorrow."
His twinkling eyes wandered back up and locked with Vinnie's.
"Besides… Don't you wanna make up for your dearest daddy's mistakes?"
He leaned even closer toward the young mouse, and his nose now almost touched Vinnie's.
"Don't you wanna fight?"

Clearing his throat as he was suddenly feeling very uncomfortable with the old mouse this deep in his personal space, Vinnie leaned back to create some distance.
"I don't know how to fight. All I know is how to run", he said bitterly, his tail twitching.
"Oh, no, kiddo. You're a fighter. I can tell. All you need is a mentor. And that's where I come in. I can teach you all about fighting and biking…"
Again, the bartender leaned closer, still having that smug smile etched onto his face.
"Just as I can help you lock up those painful memories you were thinking about after finishing up that letter of yours…"
That did take Vinnie's full attention.
"You can?"
The brown mouse nodded.
"Yup. Above all, I can give you something you never had before in your entire life."
"And what's that?", Vinnie breathed, noticing he was very close to giving in.
To just go with this stranger who was so excruciatingly arrogant yet intriguing at the same time and see where it would bring him.
"Purpose."

Vinnie narrowed his eyes once more, and this time, it was him who leaned over the bar, his personal space completely forgotten.
"Who are you?"
The brown mouse straightened his back.
"I, boy…"
His eyes locked with Vinnie's once more, and his smile became somewhat dark.
"…am the resistance."