We had been hiding for two days, me and East. The Allies had absolutely ransacked the house in search of us, throwing furniture in every direction and calling out to us in any way they could think of, including seven languages and morse code. We didn't understand much of what was going on, but we knew that we were on our own and that if they ever found us, we wouldn't see each other again. We knew that they were the enemy, at the very least.
Only I knew what had happened to our father. East had been playing outside with Japan when the gunshot was fired, so she heard nothing. I was in the next room over, snooping through East's clothes to find a particular jacket that she'd stolen from me. As soon as I heard the bang, I ran into the study, not at all prepared for the blood-soaked scene that I was met with. That image is still burned into the back of my mind even now, after all of these years... I was dragged out of the room by Berlin fairly quickly, but the damage had been done. I never had the heart to tell East what had happened, but I didn't sleep a wink that night.
The two of us sought refuge in the attic, somewhere only accessible to those who knew exactly where to find the camouflaged trapdoor. We'd been living off of tinned food from the emergency stores up there, but we didn't really care how hungry we had become. It was as if the instinct to thwart the Allies was engrained into us, an idea that neither of us could explain, but one we upheld to the highest of standards as we revelled in the fact that we were as good as invisible to them.
On that second day however, it obviously occurred to them that a house with a pointed roof must have an attic or something of the like. Myself and East listened in horror as they tapped on every part of the ceiling below imaginable until we heard the triumphant cry of 'I've found it!'. And just like that, our game of hide and seek was over; the trapdoor was flung open, and we found ourselves face to face with the USA, who's smug face was sickening to the two children he was staring at.
"Are they up there?" a disturbingly familiar voice called from below. America confirmed this, clambering up and reaching out his hand to East, and then to me when she shied away.
"Hey, little guy!" America smiled at me, pulling a goofy face and sticking out his tongue, to which I replied with something along the lines of 'we're twelve, not two', which shut him right up, much to East's amusement I think.
"Ok..." he sighed, realising that this wasn't going to be as straightforward as he that initially thought. "Ummm, you know Soviet, right? Want him to get you?"
I exchanged glances with my sister over this, and she nodded to the States. She had always regarded the USSR as a second father, despite his imposing nature and coldness. I, on the other hand, wasn't particularly fond of him, instead choosing to steer clear of any adult other than Berlin for most of my childhood up until that point.
Nodding to us, the USA scrambled back down into the room below, allowing Soviet to climb up and retrieve us. East near enough ran to him despite her apprehension, and was lifted gently back down into the room that had been used as a makeshift meeting area in the years prior. He didn't make too much effort to get me down, already fully aware that I wasn't at all fond of him. Instead, he shouted something in Russian to his comrades, disappearing through the hole and being replaced by a new face.
This woman smiled at me in an almost motherly way, simply sitting on the trapdoor's edge and introducing herself. Not that she needed to; I'd seen enough history novels and wartime photos to know exactly who she was, though I had to admit that the United Kingdom appeared far less terrifying in person. She was rather pleasant, actually. Relenting, I finally took her hand, and was carried down the hole, just as my sister had been seven and a half minutes prior.
All breathing a sigh of relief, the four adult nations (France was assisting too, she just wasn't particularly useful) began to talk amongst themselves, leaving East and I to listen in horror as our worst nightmare was confirmed: we were to be separated. Of course, we both knew this was coming, but both of us had pushed it far away into the backs of our minds, somehow believing that we could escape it. After a few minutes, the nations turned to us.
"We will take you two home now," France smiled softly, seemingly unsure of how to act around the children of her ex-captor.
"This is home!" East snapped, once again shrinking away and grabbing my arm for comfort.
"We're sorry, but you can't stay here," Britain sighed, "You're going to be staying with us for a while, ok?"
"Why?!" East sobbed, "Father will come back for us!"
In a moment of horror, the Allied powers realised that she had no idea what had happened, and I myself gazed at the floor in a grim fashion. Their expressions visibly softened towards us, as Soviet motioned for East to come outside with him. Still in tears, she followed him, and my heart shattered as I realised that I'd probably never see her again, let alone be able to comfort her over the tragedy that the USSR was about to inform her of.
Behind me, I was all too aware of France whispering to America, "Does he know?"
America simply shrugged, clearly not in the mood to approach such a delicate matter.
"Yes, I do," I snarled, silencing all three Allies, "I saw it happen. So did Berlin." France was utterly taken aback by this, and the USA lurched forward, an ugly frown on his face, possibly in response to my tone. Thankfully for me, Britain pulled him back, muttering something about me having been through enough and seating herself on the floor, about half a metre from me. I stared at her for a moment, before sitting beside her, though very much keeping her at arm's length.
"Sooooo..." America sighed finally, having regained his self-control, "We should get back to UN and decide who keeps the little guy."
The two nodded in agreement, and I simply sighed, anticipating a very long day and following them outside.
YOU ARE READING
I, Deutschland
Fanfiction(ART IS NOT MINE!) After my biological father died, I was left all alone... My sister was taken from me and I was left with the most difficult decision I had ever faced: through all of my tears, I had to choose a Westerner to take me in, and I was i...
