Purple Eyes [DreamNotFound] COMPLETED

(3) Torn apart

"Nick!" He screamed, but the soldiers pulled him away, faster and faster, until everything was just a blur of colors and a high-pitched scream hurt his ears-

Clay opened his eyes.
He needed a few seconds to realise where he was.

This was his room, it was in the middle of the night and he wasn't getting pulled away to join the military.

Then he remembered what woke him up:
A defeaning knock at the front door, followed by a deep voice: "In the name of the King, open up!"

He layed there, shocked. Where these soldiers? Pretiosi soldiers?

He heard his parent's voice from near the door, his older brother Cliff standing up and climbing down the ladder. The door opened with a creaking noise.

Soon he felt a slight cold breeze on his face. Heavy footsteps were heard on the wooden floor.

"We are here because of your connection to a terrorist who has been executed a few hours ago. We got informed that you recieve money from him regularly. I ask you to hand me all of the money voluntarily or we will browse the whole hut for it and believe me, after that it won't be a hut anymore."

Clay's heart was beating faster and faster.
How did they find out about the money so fast? Would his parents really give them all the money? What would they do?
He listened into the silence.

There was no chance to escape the commands of Pretiosi soldiers. His father must have thought the same because he could hear him getting something and probably handing it to the soldiers.
"This is all." He said in a tight voice.

There was a pause again.
Then another soldier was speaking.
"How many children do you have?"

"Four." His father replied.

"Get them here."

Clay heard someone climb up the latter and in the darkness he could barely see Cliff's head sticking out of the hatch in the floor.

"Clay? Are you awake? Come down please."

Clay started to feel nauseous from his fast beating heart. What would they do with him? He wasn't 17 yet- what do they want? Would they take the whole family with them? Where would they take them?

He climbed down the ladder and joined his family members who were standing in a semicircle, facing the door and the 3 soldiers standing there.

Their orange eyes glowed in the dark.

If Nick was here he could tell me which power Pretiosi with orange eyes have
Clay thought, anxious about what would happen next.

He was standing next to his older sister, who was putting an arm around his younger sister. On his other side there was Cliff, standing at a slight angle in front of him, as if he was trying to protect him.

One of the soldiers smiled, even though the smile didn't reach is orange glowing eyes.

"So I guess you two" he pointed at his older sister and Cliff "are older than 17?"
Cliff nodded.

"Those are the ones we are supposed to take. Or do you have a job?" He smirks.
Cliff shook his head.
"Come with us."

His mother broke into sobs.
"No please, you can't- they're just kids-"

"Shut up, woman." The soldier's deep voice didn't have any emotion.

"It's fine, mom, you can't do anything, we'll be fine." Cliff hugged her.
"We'll come back, don't worry."

Nobody else dared to contradict the soldier. Clay was not interested in feeling his power, which would probably hurt.

Cliff came over to Clay and hugged him. "I'm proud of you little brother. You got this. You need to stay strong for mom and dad and Chris. Please take care of Chris, okay? And take care of yourself. Don't get in touch with the wrong people."

One of the soldiers grumbled with an impatient expression in his voice.
Cliff stepped back, just as his sister did from hugging Chris.

"Bye" they both said at the same time.

"We love you guys. We'll see each other again one day, for sure" his older sister added.

Devastated, Clay watched his older siblings being escorted out of the hut.
He suddenly felt like a horrible empty hole was created in his stomach.
His mother broke down on the couch, sobbing uncontrollably.

No one could believe what just happened. Within less than 24 hours, their life turned around completely, from 4 happy siblings to 2 remaining.

And soon Clay would be 17 too. Then he would be taken to the front. He would be leaving his younger sister Chris. He would be leaving his parents. And he would be leaving Nick.

Nick had a job, at least. So he wouldn't have to join the army. He had the chance to live.

Clay stood up from the chair he was sitting on and reached for the door.
"I'll be back."
He said, his father looked up a bit and just nodded.

It was dark outside. A slight cold breeze broke through the thick summer night air.

Clay could only see the outlines of the Vilis huts. He passed hut after hut, before he finally arrived at the one of Nick and his family. It was one of the smallest and most broken huts. He walked to the back of the hut, looking for the window to Nick's room. It was open.

He slightly knocked at the window frame and softly called his best friend's name.
He heard shuffling from the inside, then Nick's sleepy face appeared at the window.

"Dude what's wrong? What are you doing here in the middle of the night?"
Clay opened his mouth to answer, but suddenly his mind felt all empty.

Then all the memories came back, his older brother hugging him, both of his older siblings being taken away, knowing exactly they had nearly no chance to come back alive, his fear of leaving Chris and his parents in two weeks-

Tears started to form in his eyes and he let out a trembling sob.

Nick climbed out of the window and pulled him into a tight hug.

"It's okay. You'll be okay. What happened?"

After a few minutes Clay has calmed down and started to tell Nick about what happened only an hour ago.

When he had finished, his best friend pulled him into another hug.
"I don't want to go to the war front" he sobbed into Nick's shoulder.
"Shh it's okay"
Nick seemed kind of helpless.
"I'm sure there is a way. We will find a way."

--------------------------------------

New chapter for today. I really enjoy writing this story, especially because the true story action starts to happen soon.
Hope you enjoyed it and have a nice day/night :)
~Ju