Glory and Gore ✘ Thomas Sangster + Robbie Kay

prologue

The two young boys would always run in the garden. It was childish, as their father had always scolded, but neither of them cared. The man would always yell at them, but they would laugh it off, knowing it was only because he cared about them. Their mother, though, had a much different approach in showing her love, in which she didn't hide it with a stern look and light scolding. She would show with loving looks towards her two sons, one only five years older than the other. Thomas, the eldest son, was ten while Robbie was five. Neither of them were loved any less.

The mucky day in April started out the same as any other day. The two boys laughed as they ran around, chasing each other through the garden. The Hemingway family was more financially stable than most families at the time. Both the mother and the father of the small family had a good paying job, both having involvement with the government. The kids were too young to understand fully what that meant.

"No running on the plants, darlings!" yelled the smiling mother. She loved her children with a joy that consumed her.

"We won't, mother!" They both yelled back to her. She giggled at them. It was a nice day, she noticed. The sun was out and she learned through the years that the sun was a wonderful thing.

She was still smiling when her husband came out of the house from the back door. He, too, was smiling. It was the sun, she thought. The sun made people happy.

"Hi." He breaths, still breath taken every time he saw her. Every feeling he had was love towards her and his two children. "The boys?"

"Around. Probably hiding to eventually scare you."

He smiled, considering that was probably what the mischievous boys were actually doing. But at the moment, he did not care. He kissed his wife with a passion that he felt everyday. A passion that people only wish for. His life was the most beautiful thing he could hope for.

The kiss was broken apart barely half way through. The worst thing that could ever break a kiss apart, and that was a sound of a gunshot. They both ducked even though it sounded distant. The parents looked off to where the sound came from, and they found it easily. It was hard to avoid about a dozen of men on horses charging towards their house.

"No." The man whispers.

"Richard." She says back. "What's happening?"

"The day has come. Where are the kids?"

She just noticed that they were not running around any more. If there was any chance that the men coming for them did not know of the children, then they could not scream the names of the two. She whispered both of their names.

"Shit." The woman whispered, not caring of the sin she just committed. "Tommy. Robbie, please answer me."

Before it seemed like all hope was gone, both children came out from the bushes, screaming a "Boo!" in attempt for fear. But the parents were already scared before the childish ply.

"Shh, darlings." She whispers. The grins slowly faded off both of the boys' faces while seeing the seriousness of both of their parents. "Do you remember the hidden room you two would always use for hide and seek?"

Both nodded, scared to why their father was now pacing and looking as if he wanted to vomit and faint in one and their mother had a panicked look on her face.

"Good. Good." She wanted to rush it, but it seemed as if the world was going in slow motion. The mother turned her attention over to her eldest son. "Tommy. I need you to take your brother in there and hide. I need you to stay in there until we come in there to get you, alright?"