The Price Of Real Family

Chapter 1 - The Beginning

It's finally the day. I lay on the floor and stare up and the ceiling thinking through tonight's plan once more.

I turn my face, feeling the rubbing of my cheek of the rough floorboards, to look at Steeven. He is still asleep besides me, with his small sweater keeping him warm.

It's early in the morning I just can't sleep, I'm too excited. I tear my eyes from the peaceful sleeping form of my older brother. I stare back up at the ceiling trying to think through what we will do when our parents are gone.

I must have eventually drifted off because I'm woken by a excited, but sad looking, Steeven. I flinch slightly at the touch but sit up not making a sound.

Steeven is sitting up with a black hoodie, black sweatpants, and his black and white shoes. His brown hair is spiked upwards messily, he must have just run his fingers through it when he woke up. He has green eyes with his button nose, with a few freckles. Around his mouth is scars from where our mother sewed his mouth shut, she only kept it wide enough for him to eat. Luckily 2 years ago I had cut the stitches and taken them out.

He is sitting besides me on his knees with a slight frown on his face, I can tell he's thinking.

"Are you packed?" He asks me. I nod slightly, my hair falling into my face.

I stand up with him standing up besides me. I walk over to my hidden bag, listening for the steps from our parents, but hearing none. I uncovered my bag and open it revealing everything I would need to survive on the streets. I grab my hair brush and comb through my hair, once I finished I quickly stuffed it back into the bag and hid my bag.

I am wearing a pair of unintentionally ripped skinny jeans, a black hoodie, and my black and white pair of worn shoes. I have blue eyes, a button nose with freckles, like my brother, and have cupid bow lips.

I sit down on the rough floor like I do every morning. Steeven sits down behind me, sitting on his knees, and braids my hair. I hand him a hair tie as he nears finishing.

He ends the braids with the hair tie and mom and dad walk in. Luckily our stuff was hidden and our money bank was in my hidden bag so I tried to remain as calm as I could.

Mom grabs my arm and drags me towards the kitchen, knowing Steeven will follow because she has me.

She roughly pushes me down onto the ground and I just fall limply, dad pushing Steeven down beside me.

Mom drops a plastic plate down in front of us with a quarter of what they have for breakfast. We quickly and evenly spread it out between the two of us and eat before they could take it away from us.

Once we finish eating dad grabs my wrist, twists it and drags me to the room my brother and I share. Steeven rushes to stand up and follow after us.

Dad throws me into the room and yells at Steeven to move quicker, slamming the door behind Steeven and locking us in our room.

Steeven rushes to me once we couldn't hear the steps of father anymore. I sit up and hold onto my wrist but feel good, partially because of excitement.

"It will all be over soon" Steeven says. I nod smiling at him.

"Soon" I say, every small bit of doubt I have receding from my brain.

~~~~~~~~~~~

It's almost 11. We told the hitmen we would meet them at 12.

I grab my bag and put on my galaxy surgical mask and put my hood up so that you can't see my face in the shadows.

I watch Steeven grab his wrench mask and throw up his hood.

I look at him. "Remember I do the talking. You're there for backup." We decided on this because I am better with grammar, English, and he's much stronger. "Don't, for any reason, break their cover. Don't risk it." I say. I look at the clock and we decided to leave.

I open our small window and climb out, careful not to make any noise. Once we get to the park I straighten my posture, making myself look like an adult. Steeven stands behind me also straighten his posture. We stand and wait until two men walk up. One with a blue hoodie and one with a red hoodie.

The one in the blue hoodie has a Jason mask on and the one in the red hoodie has what looks like horns.

I look between the two men. "Are you the hired?" I ask quietly, barely to be heard.

The blue hooded one nods, something seems off about us to him, but he can't tell what.

This is one of the times my height worked out in my favor. I'm 5' 6" and my brother 5' 9". We were lucky our family is so tall. Unfortunately we're both thin from starvation.

"We still down for our original price?" I ask making my voice just a touch deeper to help prove I'm an adult. 

They both nod and I hand over the cash. It had taken up 3 years to save up the cash.

They both nod and I lead the way to the house, Steeven stepping up slightly behind me. I can tell he slouched slightly but, but I stay with my straight up posture.

I can smell the stench of alcohol as we near the house and I quickly climb in through the window. I rip off my mask, but keep the hood up. The men didn't see me, Steeven realized what was about to happen and made the men stop before entering the house.

The lock to our door rattled and I hide my mask in my hoodie. That's when, after struggling with the lock for a few seconds, dad kicked down the door.

Instantly the smell of alcohol hit my nose like a wall and I realized he was extremely drunk. He grabbed my arm and dragged me through the house and waved me off at my mother before dragging me back to my room.

He threw me against the wall and I hit my head but stay silent.

I realize the men and Steeven are in the closet watching.

"You worthless piece of shit!" He yelled at me, throwing bottles at me as if I was a target.

I dodged what I could but with my aching head it made every movement slower.

"I don't know why we even kept you. All you are is a worthless piece of hybrid scum that is used for target practice." He says happily, slurring his words slightly.

Two large pieces of glass lodge themselves into my leg and my arm. There is shattered glass around me and chunks upon chunks in my body.

"Now think about why you're even alive when we should have killed you years ago." He said, smiling and then he left the room. I stand up, shaking off what glass was just on my body, and put my ear to the door. I hear my dad stumble away and nod towards the closet.

The men and Steeven walk out of the closet. The men look horrified and Steeven checks me over. He realizes the many cuts on my body and promises to make dad's death even longer and painful.

I put my mask back on to hide my face and nod for this to finally end. I grab our bags and leave the house as I wait for the hitmen to finish and then light the house on fire.

Once they do they come out. I turn to Steeven. "Where are we supposed to go now?" I ask him. He shrugs at me.

"The streets. It's the only place we have left." He mumbles. The two men look at each other before looking at us.

"We can take you in." They say. I look at Steeven and he nods.

"Thanks." He says in a mechanical voice.

I lose the fake posture and voice and they gasp as they realize we're a lot younger than they initially thought.

I'm 12 and Steeven is 14.

I pull my hoodie back and pull off my mask, that also reveals my fox ears and I pull my tail out of my pants, bringing it through the small hole in my pants.

"Then you should know I'm 12 and a fox hybrid. My brother is 14 and a wolf hyrbid." I tell them.

They look at each other and nod. The answer didn't change. I smile slightly and follow the men, limping on my leg, and leaning on Steeven. This is going to be a new beginning.