The World Without Colour

Chapter 7

"Mum...?", Ethan was the first to speak. Mrs. Casey just remained staring at the screen, a furious expression on her face.

"What?"

"We be alright?"

"Of course," but it was obvious they would not, "Go upstairs now, both of you. We be needing to talk..."

But Rae did not go to sleep. Ethan may have believed their mother, but Rae knew this situation was far from alright. She crept up the stairs, and allowed Ethan to walk past her. Then, in the complete darkness, sat down on the tallest step.

She couldn't see her parents, and all she could hear at first were incoherent mutters, but eventually, the sound faded away. On the top of her toes, she went down to investigate. From the light of the moon, she could see silent tears pouring down her mothers face and the shadow of her fathers figure. This was the first time she had seen them so weak. Rae felt like she should cover her eyes, hum, anything, because she should not be seeing this.

"What type of democracy this be?", Mrs. Casey was whispering, "We not be aware of this before— we not be having a choice."

"I know honey."

"I not be sending them, I won't. We be working overtime, I be working into the night, but they not be taking my babies away from me.", her tears were started to be replaced by a furious expression. And expression even a monster would hide away from.

"Of course we not be sending them away.", Mr. Casey agreed, not fazed by her anger, "We never be doing that to them."

"Ethan be only 12, and Rae— she be getting enough problems of her own, with school and all."

"No."

Mr. and Mrs. Casey looked up. Rae had stepped into the kitchen with an expression that matched her mothers.

"Rae?", Mrs. Casey straightened up, "I thought we be asking you to go to sleep?"

"Mom, dad, I be going."

"No you not be!", Anne Casey almost screamed, but caught herself, "I be pretty sure you heard what we be talking about. We be getting on fine without their camps."

"I not be talking about the camps. I be working, be getting a job around the community."

"You be needing to focus on school right now Rae", Mr. Casey said, but he seemed to be okay with it. "Now, sleep, for real."

Rae left her family downstairs, where no one spoke for quite a while after. After all, there wasn't much to say. It's not like they had a choice anyways. In this cruel world, almost no one had a choice.
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A.N: Sorry this was such a short chapter. Thank you so much for reading! Thank you to anyone who voted/commented on previous chapters, it really means a lot. :)

Sorry it took so long to get this out. I was just grieving after my pet spider died. His name was Simon.

He was about the size of a period on a book. I would know, because he first flew onto a book I was reading. So I knew I had to keep him.

He lived in a cup. He really liked the cup. I put twigs and leaves, but sometimes he'd get lost... because he was so small. But his lifespan was small too. Last week, my two year old cousin ripped him up and killed him. 

You may leave your goodbyes for Simon here. Thank you 🙏