Tricked (t.m.r.)

2.5 - Metal Ball

The Sun had sent a torrent of fire from hell to dominate the earth once it grew tired of human antics. Primrose wasn't the least bit surprised that it happened, but she was rather stunned that it had happened sooner than she had anticipated. Not that she was a scientist, she was merely a child who was looking forward to her sixth birthday when everything began to crumble into pieces. She knew there was no compensation, no redemption and no comeback for the human race this time, and seemed that she had accepted her fate to perish at a young age.

Leo scowled at her in disapproval before pulling the curtains shut to blind her from the catastrophe of the outside world. It has been almost a week since they have last seen their father, who was the only parental figure in their lives. Only Leo had memories of their mother, whom he thought was rather fortunate to have gone to a better place after she had given birth to Liam. The three siblings were often left on their own, sometimes accompanied by their grandmother who was well enough to travel. The boy hated his predicament, but there was nothing he could do aside from submitting to his fate. He knew he was too young to be a parent, let alone playing the roles of a father and a mother to his younger siblings.  

"Bubba, is daddy ever gonna come home?" Primrose sighed as she rested her head on the table, her tiny fingers gliding gently over the kitchen knife that was left there. 

Leo didn't bother to tell her to be careful, or to keep the knife at a safer place. He tried countless of times to hide the knife and somehow Primrose always managed to find its new hiding place. After his relentless observation on how she handles herself with a knife, Leo eventually let her be, for she had been very careful on how to play with it and kept it out of Liam's sight at all times. Besides, there wasn't a proper adult around to punish them.

"I don't know, Pip." Leo paused to listen to the screams that came from the world outside. "I might need to leave the house today."

Primrose immediately snapped her head up straight and stared at the older boy in surprise, "Why are you leaving? You don't have work like daddy."

"Food." Leo pointed at the last packet of biscuits on the table. They tried their best to eat as little as possible, but growing children need food, and food wasn't going to magically appear by itself once it runs out.

"But there are so many crazy people out there." Primrose looked at her brother in worry. "They'll eat you."

"Aren't you hungry, Pip?" Leo asked her.

"Yes, but I don't want any of us to leave the house alone." Primrose poked at the packet of biscuits absent-mindedly, a hand clutching her stomach. "It'll be so horrible to die alone."

"Why not all of us leave?" Leo had an idea, peeking out from behind the curtain again. "We can find a new home, maybe a new mommy and daddy."

Primrose considered the idea, it did sound rather tempting. "What about granny?" 

"She likes living wherever she's living." Leo became bitter at the thought of the old lady. He had nothing against her, he just didn't like his aunts who would try their best to stop their mother to come over to their home. The simplest solution to avoid getting hurt further is to become spiteful towards the old woman. "Otherwise she would have been living with us all this while."

Tears began to swell around Primrose's eyes but she tried to put on a brave front. "Granny doesn't love us?"

Leo patted her head, "She does, just less."

Primrose buried her face into his chest and started sobbing. Leo stayed silent the entire time, a hand stroking her head in comfort while his mind started to go through the inventory that was available to them, and what they would need for their journey.