Mario's Choice

Reunited, but at What Cost?

It’s nighttime when the car stops in front of a youth facility. Upon getting out and approaching, a buzzer is heard, and Mario walks in without complaint.

“Get undressed, put whatever bags you have on the counter. Put everything in paper bags.” A warden, Mario supposes, orders him. “You can have it all back when you check out.”

She reaches for a shelf and puts a bottle down on the counter. “That’s for lice.”

“But I don’t have any—” Mario tries to protest.

“You don’t know that. Either do it, or I’ll be joining you.”

“Better than roach spray.” Mario mutters to himself as he scrubs himself down with the soap.

Finally, under what little warmth the shower provides, does he allow himself to feel the full impact of what just happened.

Molly’s foster license got suspended, and now he and Luigi are separated.

“Karma, karma, karma.”

“Rec time is at 7, breakfast at 8.” The warden tells him as he follows her in his facility uniform. “Cleanup at 9. Make sure you’re washed and brushed, and your bed is made. You’ll be assigned chores for kitchen, laundry, bathroom and showers.”

“You’re in here.” She points to a room, but Mario won’t go in.

“Please, just bring my brother here.”

“There’s not enough room for both of you here. Just go in.”

“I don’t care! We can share the bed! We do it all the time.”

“Stop giving me lip and just do what I say.” She snaps her fingers and another guard walks over and starts shoving Mario into the room.

“No, stop! What are you doing?” Mario screams, but it’s useless as he gets shoved further, and he has a flash of just a few hours ago.

“Marioooooo!”

The echo of Luigi screaming for him is enough to make him freeze, and the guards take advantage of this to get him the rest of the way inside.

Luigi, sadly, isn’t doing much better.  When he goes outside for rec, immediately, people start picking on him.

“Aw, poor widdle baby crying because his big brother’s not here.”

“All over the only single room in the hall.”

He tries to focus on the exercises, but already, he knows he’s in trouble.

Mario’s not here this time, and he’s all by himself.

He’s his own big brother now.

“Big brother’s not here to save you anymore, is he? Probably got sick of always looking out for you and dumped you here.”

Starting right now.

He doesn’t think, just turns around and throws a fist in the other kid’s face and doesn’t let up until the guards forcefully pull him off.

Mario doesn’t know where it comes from, but suddenly he just knows something’s not right with Luigi, and he needs to get them out of here now , before it gets worse.

He bursts out of his room, and even when the guards try to force him back in, he shouts, “Where is my little brother? I’m responsible for him! I have someone who can vouch for us!”