The Tomorrow War {Dan forester}

Part 4

"Mum! I'm home!" I shouted while walking in the door.  I closed the door behind me and kicked my shoes off. I threw my backpack on the floor and walked into the living room. I saw my little sister, Nancy, sitting on the ground playing with blocks. I looked at the couch and saw my Nana. "Where's Mum?" I asked.

"Hello Emily, your mother, well she fell today," she said sadly. I gasped and sat down. "Your mother said that her sense of balance just went away and she fell. Your sister ran over to the neighbor's house sobbing and they called an ambulance."

"This is terrible," I said. How could I leave Nancy when Mum is sick. She can't just be left alone.

"I need you to watch her all of next week, I have to go see your mother in the hospital, then I have to go get your uncle in Colorado," Nana explains.

"WHAT!?!" I scream in shock. 

She looks at me in confusion,"You have taken care of your sister before for longer periods of time, why is next week any different," she asks.

I gulped. I couldn't tell her I was drafted. They are already worried enough about Mum. "Well I have a school trip next week, with my science teacher Mr. Forester. He's taking us to Miami," I explain nervously. 

"Well there is no way you could go," said Nana. "There is no need to go to Miami with our situation and the worlds situation."

"But this trip is 50% of my grade! If I don't go then I will fail this class!" I whined.

"I will talk to your teacher about a makeup assignment but you are not going on this trip!" she yelled. I felt tears sting my eyes. I knew I couldn't miss my time in the future because they would find me. I stood up and stomped to my room to think of a plan. 

{-}

I brought my sister up to my room a little while back after Nana left. She wouldn't be back for a week and three days. It was enough to plan, go to the future war, then come back and clean up. I could drop my sister off at the neighbor's house and let her stay there. Kindle, my best friend, could watch her since her mum and dad are out of town for the next two weeks. She could walk Nancy to preschool on her way to school and pick her up on her way home. It was the perfect plan. Tomorrow i had to head to the training ground and that was when my plan would first start.

 It had grown dark outside so I decided it was time for dinner. I picked Nancy up and headed out of my room. As I walked down the hallway it occurred to me. I could die in the war. I could get all my limbs eaten off. What would happen if I died and Nana came back to an empty house. I couldn't just die and leave Nancy all alone. Mum was in no state to care for her and her cancer isn't getting better. I wanted to sit and cry and run away but I had to be the tough one since Mum wasn't there to do it for me. I had my childhood ripped away from me at age 10 when she was first diagnosed. I wasn't going to rip away Nancy's childhood as well because she needed to grow up because I wasn't there. I set Nancy down at the table and started preparing mac and Cheese for her. I went to make some for myself but decided I wasn't hungry enough to eat. I set the bowl down in front of her and watched her gobble up her favorite meal.

"Slow down Lightning McQueen," I said laughing.

"Vroom Vroom," she said giggling beyond content. She finished her food and I carried her upstairs. She brushed her teeth and I pulled he pajamas on her. I kissed her on the head after tucking her in. I turned off the lights and shut her door. I sighed and leaned against her door, lowering myself to the ground slowly. I cupped my face in my hands and cried. I didn't want to go to the War. I just wanted my family to be normal. I wanted to live my childhood without having to grow up so fast. 

I heard Nancy get out of bed. "Dammit," I whispered as I quickly stood up and wiped my eyes.

"Emiwy, whats wong," she said. I smiled at her speech impediment.

"Nothing Nancy, just tired," I said shooing her back to bed. She pulled my head towards her and kissed me gently on the forehead. "I love you so much Nancy please remember that," I asked her.

"I will always wove you," she said cutely. I kissed her and pushed her pace into her pillow, causing her to start to giggle again. 

"Goodnight you little goofball," I said shutting the door. I brushed my teeth and climbed into bed. I looked around my room. I saw my pink dresser my mom and dad made from scratch when I was seven. I looked at my desk my dad painted for me. I looked at a framed picture on my wall. It was my tenth birthday. The day before my dad died. He was driving home the night after and a drunk driver slammed into his back end, causing his car to plummet off the cliff next to the road. I remember crying for weeks after that and then about four weeks after that, my mother had been diagnosed with a type of brain cancer. The doctor said it was from all the stress and emotions of my father dying. I missed our normal happy family. We had no other relatives except my uncle. My aunt died from COVID back in 2020. Thankfully the pandemic is pretty much over but now all this future stuff is screwing up our world again. I rolled over and closed my eyes eventually crying myself to sleep.