The Great Divide (Hetalia x Reader)

My Friend Disappeared In the Forest!

The Great Divide
Chapter Four
My Friend Disappeared In the Forest!

Despite the temperature outside being above 90, the AC was broken so the bedroom window had no choice but to remain open.

The girl in the room gave out a long sigh as she stretched her arms over her head. The heat was unbearable, "but temporary" she would remind herself so as to avoid complaining to her parents. Tossing her phone aside, she got up and headed down for another cup of ice to keep pressed against her temples.

On her way down the steps, she heard voices coming from the living room. Peaking over from the kitchen as she pulled out a glass, she noticed her parents both sprawled out on the couch with the fan on overhead. In front of them and blocking the tv, her annoying little brother, Henry.

In her most modest opinion, he was without a shadow of a doubt, by far the worst member of the Night family! To that, there would be no debating.

"It's just the park, it's down the road, come on." Henry groaned, making his voice whinier so as to break the will of his parents.

"No, and that's final." His mother asserted.

"But come on!" He groaned out, "Artemis gets to go whenever she wants!"

"It's because you're ten and stupid." Artemis explained as she poured some ice into her cup.

"Shut up orphan!" Henry hissed.

"You'd know all about being an orphan, wouldn't you?" She laughed, much to her parent's annoyance.

"Artemis, take your brother to the park." Her mother spoke up, causing her smile to fade into anger.

"What? Why? He's old enough to go to the park! It's just down the road!" She argued.

"Just take him, the fresh air will serve you some good." Her dad said, not bothering to hide his smile.

Artemis scoffed, rolling her eyes as she looked over at her brother, smug as ever.

"Whatever. Let me change then." She huffed out as she stormed up the stairs.

Her brother, still grinning moved out from in front of the tv and grabbed his basketball from the backyard before heading to the front door where he jumped in place as he eagerly awaited his new babysitter's arrival so he could go play with his friends.

Upstairs, Artemis grabbed at her phone to at least play games while she babysat him. She was halfway out the door when she turned it on only to notice it was just hitting twenty percent. Sighing out again, she looked around for something else she could do. Noticing one of her sketchbooks, she opted for that and grabbed a bag instead, tossing it in before she ran down and caught up with her brother.

"I thought you were gonna get dressed?" He asked, dribbling the ball as they walked down the sidewalk.

"I just changed into my-"

"Cos you still look ugly." He said, hiding his mocking laughter behind his hand as he watched her reaction turn to frustration as she pondered an insult to throw back.

Walking down two blocks of houses, they finally saw the park in the distance. The tall and wooden, "Welcome to Chamberlay Park" sign was now mossy and overgrown with vines – a sight much different from the past year.

In fact, the parking lot and a lot of the playground also carried a similar appearance as the sign, though, due to weathering from the children who played here, it wasn't nearly to the same extend as the sign. Even so, it was a very strange sight.

Artemis watched as her brother ran over to his four friends who were already running from the playground and over towards the basketball hoop. Seeing she was freed from him, she walked over to the decaying wooden bench that stood between the playground and the park.