Game Over

Prologue

“Come on, wake up.” I whispered, sitting her up. “We’re going to Mom and Dad’s work.”

“Okay.” She said as I closed the door so she could get dressed.

“Meet us out at the car, okay?”

“Okay.”

We all climbed into Nathan’s red Mustang and we headed towards the institute. Okay, so technically he wasn’t allowed to drive because he was only fourteen, but we didn’t care. The drive wasn’t far, only about ten minutes. He said Grand Theft Auto taught him all he needed to know. So we climbed in and he started the car. Eight minutes later, we drove into the parking structure, and we saw the black Mercedes.

We climbed out and stared into the massive seventy-five thousand square foot facility. We haven’t been here in maybe… five years? And lab rooms switch around like crazy.

“See, told you I can drive.” Nathan said as we looked through some windows.

“Oh yeah, good job. Hitting lamp posts aren’t bonus points.” I replied.

“Can we just go?” Serah asked, and we nodded.

I took Serah’s hand and I followed Nathan inside. Everywhere there were doors, elevators, people walking around with their work uniforms and such, and we knew finding them would be next to impossible. But they were here, we just had to look.

Nathan took the lead as we followed him around the first and second floor, looking at room names. Our last name was Brooks. That’s what we were looking for.

On the third floor, we got stopped by a guard. Someone must’ve called security on us, even though we didn’t do anything wrong.

“You’re not authorized here.” The guard said, pulling out a shock gun, and Serah and I ducked behind Nathan. “State your purpose.”

“We’re looking for our parents.” Nathan replied calmly. “We’re the Brooks kids.”

The guard lowered his weapon slowly, and shook his head. “The Brooks wish to not be disturbed.”

“They didn’t come home last night!” Nathan shouted, getting some people to turn their heads. “They always come home. Where are they?” He demanded.

I didn’t know that one simple word could change the rest of my life forever.

“Dead.”

~~~~~~~~~~

We came home crying, and almost died from Nathan driving. After a complete search of their lab, they weren’t there. It was locked from the inside, and there were no other doors, no windows. They just weren’t there. They said they did it. But did what? Now they were just gone.

The news spread like wildfire. Their death hit nationally and internationally everywhere, saying the greatest technological scientists in our day were gone. I didn’t want to believe them. How could I? We never found them. They just disappeared.

Nonetheless, their funeral was a week later. People came from everywhere, even the mayor came, some even from out of state. We watched military soldiers go to their memorial and salute to them. Crowds formed, and we were forced to the back. Total strangers to my parents were in front of us. No, we should’ve been in the front.

Eventually our parents’ co-workers brought us to the front with them. Most people didn’t believe they had kids, and thought they were only married. But no, we exist!

We were the last to leave, and we stayed there all day and night. I didn’t want it to be true. That they were really gone.

Because now, all I had left were my siblings. Both our parents were only children, and all our grandparents were dead. What’s worse, I had a feeling we were going to be split up and put into orphanages.