BROTHERS

Chapter 3

Bill and I were eventually uncuffed and led to a large facility. At this point, Bill's arm was intertwined with mine, and we remained that way out of fear of separation. When the doors to the facility opened, we recognized two familiar faces. "Georg, Gustav!" Bill and I yelled as we ran towards them. They dashed towards us, the four of us embracing each other. Tears streamed from our eyes as we felt a sense of security in knowing we were finally together.

"Are you all okay?" I asked out of concern. "Yes, you two?" Georg followed up. "Yes, we are fine..."

"That's good. But could you please explain what is going on?" Gustav intervened. "Why is there a giant plane in here?" he asked, pointing at the large white plane. Bill and I looked at each other, concerned. "We... I believe we are leaving Germany and heading to America," Bill replied. "What? But how? Why?" Georg asked. "We aren't sure, but a man...he claims to know our dad and he was talking about some excuse my mom had made...it has to be connected to our dad."

"Do you believe your father is alive?" Gustav asked. "I'm not sure... If he was still alive, why wouldn't he come for us? Instead, send in his... friend?"

"Hmm, it does not make sense," Georg said, his finger on his lip, trying to think of any possible explanation for what was happening to us. "Well one thing is for sure, they won't hurt us. They need us, and that's why they came to get us. Who in America would come to Germany just to harm us?" Georg asked. The question was rhetorical; it did not require an answer.

"Enough talking, get on the plane," a man approached us holding a gun. We all looked at each other and complied, entering the plane one by one. The man had led us into a room on the plane that contained a bed and a couch. Georg and Gustav sat on the couch, while Bill and I sat on the bed across from them. "Get comfortable; we will be flying for over eleven hours." The man said, dumping in a bag and locking the door.

Gustav reached for the bag. "There's sandwiches and food in here," he says, picking up the bag and setting it to the side. "What are we going to do for eleven hours?" Bill asks me. "I am not sure... perhaps sleep?" I suggested. "Yeah, that works..." "Here, I will take the couch, and you three can share the bed; it is large enough," I said, standing up.

"Tom, are you sure?" Gustav inquired, showing concern for me. "Yeah, I sleep better on couches," I responded, dismissing his concern for me. "Thank you," Georg said, patting my shoulder. I smiled and sat down, attempting to sleep.

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I do not know how many hours have passed...I could not sleep. My heart was beating out of my chest, I could feel the impending danger ahead. There is this thing with fear. Fear can follow us, control us, and consume all of our thoughts, overwhelming us with its darkness and sucking us into a deep void that will eventually lead to our demise. But I knew that if I wanted to survive... whatever was going to happen, I had to be strong. Especially for the sake of the others.

I glanced over and saw Bill, Gustav, and Georg sleeping. Even when they were sleeping, I could tell they were scared, as they all held each other. As I watched them, Gustav's earlier question sent me down a rabbit hole of thoughts.

Could your father be alive?

Initially, I thought no. Naturally, my father could not have been alive. If our mother lied, there had to be a reasonable explanation for it. Whatever the circumstances, Bill and I knew we could rely on our mother. After all, she chose to stay with us. She was there for us and cared about us even when she was unable to care for herself. The question remained open. The only way we could find out the truth was through her, but how could we contact her when we were already on a plane, flying across the world?

I was so deep in thought that I did not notice Bill standing in front of me, "Tom? Tom?" Bill shook my shoulder. It was like a spark that compelled me to react and turn to Bill. "Y-yeah..." I said, slightly shaken from the experience. "Is everything alright?" He asked, taking a seat next to me. "Yeah, I was just thinking," I replied, shaking my head. Bill looked at me with concern in his eyes, but he did not ask or press me on it.

"Okay..." he replied, his worried expression still visible. I got up and smiled. "I am fine," I said, wrapping him in my arms. But the moment his face buried into my shoulder, the smile faded. Nothing was fine with me; if anything, I felt like screaming and shouting. However, I had to be strategic.

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I had been taking small, short naps for a few hours. I could not sleep properly because anxiety and anticipation were creeping up on me. Gustav was fidgeting with his fingers, and Georg was lying on a flat surface, head down, arms on his knees in a crouched position. We could see through the window that it had become dark again, with tiny little lights illuminating the ground below.

"Those weren't there before," Bill said, rubbing his eyes in disbelief. Georg and Gustav hurriedly approached the window. I stood up and moved opposite them, allowing them to look. For some reason, my gaze remained fixed on the door. I knew we were here, or at least close. A clicking sound came from behind the door, and Georg, Gustav, and Bill's eyes shifted to it.

The unidentified man entered.

"Gentleman, welcome to Chicago."