To be a Hero

Introduction

It was raining, the day it all happened. I briefly remember that it was raining. I was cuddled up by the hearth drawing with my homemade charcoal. I drew our family, all four of us. With my Mother holding Katherine and my father holding my hand. I gave that picture to my mother. She loved my drawings, she would pin them up on the thin boards that were our walls, she smiled when I handed her my drawing, but I saw tears in her eyes. She slid the piece of parchment into her pocket and sat on the floor next to me, scooping me up in her arms. She held me there until our father got home, bringing what he had been able to get from the forest, a squirrel, two mushrooms, and a small creature which I still do not not know the name of. My mother sent me to go gather eggs and milk from our animals, and I complied. I heard my mother and father talking in hushed voices, arguing about something. I was gathering eggs from our hen house when my pet, Nala, padded up to me. She began to mewl for an egg, and, after glancing around to make sure no one saw, I tossed her one. 

         Nala is my Totoro, a Totoro is kind of like a dragon-cat hybrid, but is about the size of a normal cat. It has wings like a dragon, spikes down its back, and it radiates heat. 

    I don't know how long it was until we heard the knock, but I remember that dinner was cooking over the fire, and Katherine had not yet woken from her nap. I was again sitting by the fire, for it was a cold day, wet and cold. There were three loud knocks on the door, which woke Katherine, and set her off crying. My father went to open the door, which was a sheet hanging from the top of  the doorway. There were three official-looking men standing there, they stepped in the door and addressed my mother, saying, "You may give your final goodbyes. You have five minutes." They stepped back. My mother turned to me, tears spilling down her cheeks. She scooped me up and whispered in my ear, "I have to go, they're taking me away. I don't want to go. Please believe me. I love you." I don't know what happened after that, I couldn't prosses the fact that my mother was leaving. Forever. When I looked up my mother was gone and my father was pulling on his coat. He didn't say a word, he just left. I never saw him again. They were gone, both of them. and I was left, eight years old, huddling in a freezing cold house, with a screaming baby sister.