Liar (Aot x Oc)

1- Goodbye Shiganshina

Shiganshina District, year 845

I sigh as I get out of bed to repeat the same cycle I do every day, wake up, collect wood for winter, study, and sleep. Well, at least I enjoy the last.
My mom smiles at me when I get out of my room and hands me a piece of bread.

“Good morning, you're up so early, are you planning on going for wood again?”

“Yes”

“But we already have plenty, why don't you go out with your brother today?”

“He’s not even home right now. You should keep an eye on him and make sure that he brings you someone else for when I die” My quiet words are full of anger, of years of incomprehension, because she has never wanted to tell me anything, she has never wanted to give me an explanation. I only know that it is cruel, that the outside world is cruel, but isn't this one cruel too?

“Mia, you need to understand that…”

“...That it's better this way, that the world outside is cruel… I know. But what if it's not? Grandma came here 48 years ago, things can change!”

“We are not having this conversation again.”

“We could help them, Mom ¡But you’re scared! ¡You are a coward!” I yell as I get up and run into my room. I get everything and head out to collect wood once again, for I have nothing else to do with my time. I open the door and find my brother on the other side, he was just about to get in.

“Where are you going so early in the morning?” Is the first thing he says.

“Where are you coming from so early in the morning?” I reply and he smiles at me.

“I'm old enough to go wherever I want”

“Maybe you should invest that time in doing something useful, now that you still can” The smile on his face disappears to be replaced with a stern expression, he doesn't like to be reminded of it, of the short time he has left.

“You should invest yours in something useful, now that you still can” he says back to me. “Go out and make some friends, you need them” He closes the door behind him leaving me outside.

My relationship with my brother is strange, it's not that we don't get along, but we don't talk much either. It's mostly because of me, but I just can't help it: every time I see him I remember the sole purpose for which we were born, the reason why we are so many years apart in age, and the fact that after me there is no one else, there is no one when there should be, because "that's our duty" or so my mother says, that's why she lets my brother come and go whenever he wants, she hopes that one day he will come with a child to succeed me when I die.

He only has 2 years left, and even though he never mentions or talks about it, I know that he always has it in mind, he doesn't know how to lie.

I leave and head to the same tree I go to every single day, because for some reason it never runs out of sticks. I get there and I see the other two kids that come here frequently, although not as much as I do. Like usual the girl is gathering all the wood while the boy just goofs around, but unlike other days, today, instead of talking nonstop, he is sleeping in the meadow.

She looks at me and nods gently as a salute, I do the same and we both go back to our duties. I like this girl, she's quiet and doesn't want to befriend every person she encounters, contrary to what her laying friend does. He's tried to talk to me before, but I just turned him down as quickly as possible, without being rude, of course.

The only thing I can do when I collect wood is think, so that’s what I do: I think about the day today, the sun, the wood that's dry and therefore can already be used for burning, the tree and the shade it gives, the boy who is lying on the grass... I stop and look at him for a moment, he seems to be dreaming, it makes me want to lie down with him and sleep too. I go back to my task and in the middle of my thoughts my brother's words cross my mind "Go out and make some friends, you need them" For a moment I think about it, but I frown and shake my head as I try to eliminate that idea from my mind. I can't. As long as my mother is around I can't.