Kratos

03

The two boys stood parallel to each other, observing the changes of seven years apart. Like a lock and key, each of them opened up to each other.

"Man, Cash, you really haven't changed at all", Val said, interrupting the silence. "Well, you're taller, probably taller than me now."

"I can say the same about you", Cassius said in return, "but I believe I've always been taller."

Both the boys smirked, laughing shortly after, and then hugged each other in a brotherly embrace.

"Where have you been all these years?" Val said as they let each other go.

"I've been everywhere. The dark side of the moon, the farthest galaxy, you name it, I've been there."

Val remembered the day Cassius left. It was right after his father took him away from his mother, Sandra. He remembered the tears Sandra wept and the sound of her cries echo across the hills. After Cash left, Sandra went after him and went missing. He wondered what happened to her?

They began talking about cities, world problems, and so on until both looked down at the moon reflecting on the water. It was full and bright.

"Listen, Mom's making some peach cobbler since it's my last day", Val said, remembering that she was waiting for him. "Wanna come with? You don't have to if you don't want to."

"And miss a chance at having Loren's famous cobbler? Fat chance! I'm in."

The pair smiled once more and then got up.

"Race you there", Cassius said, taking off as fast as his legs could take him.

"Oh, you little cheat", Val yelled behind him.

They both ran until the house was in sight. There, Val's mom waited on the porch, a smile on her face. Val started walking towards the house, but then stopped when he heard a plane engine behind him. He looked back, seeing a military plane fly fast. It didn't have the Galactic Federation symbol on it.

Val soon realized the danger, quickly running towards Rachel, yelling for her to run. Rachel stood. Fear welled in everyone's eyes.

The whistling grew louder and lower every second. Val kept running, Cassius close behind. Rachel was also running towards them, but tripped over her dress, falling into the dry grass. They were too far away from her. She looked up, the sound stopping for only a moment.

"I love y—."

His house, his family, his everything was gone, replaced with a fiery scene like the familiar sunrise he once thought was beautiful.