Until I Return

"Once mother leaves, we make a run for it."
"But I don't want to" I said through my tears.
"We will have to, and whatever you do, don't look back okay?" He whispered. I could see his unshed tears which he quickly blinked through, "No matter what." He kissed my forehead quickly before my mother hugged my tightly.
"Make sure you make it out alive," she whispered in my ears.
That was the last I ever saw of her, even when I ran past her body, I did as I was told, and not looked back. My brother held my wrist tightly as he led my through the gunfire. My strong, beautiful twin brother, who I loved dearly, took many gunshots that day. Miraculously, I was unharmed. I treated his wounds as quickly and efficiently as I could once we had crossed the Forest of Death. We had reached the Stream of Purification, where I crawled as smoothly as possible. When I managed to reach it without being seen I filled my canteen to the very top, as well as my brother's as quickly as possible, like I had been trained to do. I had hid my brother under a bush near a whole under a tree. Even though corpses surrounded the bank, by those who had failed to reach the water, I was not afraid. I blurred my mind and thought of nothing except removing the bullets from my brother and pouring him the water which healed all wounds.
I was not thinking of the world I had left, of my mother who had released me to protect us, or of my father who had taught me to be brave, I was thinking of saving my brother, who laid there in pain on the brink of death. I was always good at turning my heart to stone, and focusing on the task at hand.
"You aren't leaving me," I said calmly, "You will be by my side until we both take our last breaths, but not here."

Read as Percy and Juno escape the terrors of their homeland behind. Seeking refuge from the war between two powerful Empires, where no side is winning, and no side is right.