Now - Tyler
I can hear mom's voice screaming from outside and I quickly run to the window to see what's going on. I can't really see a lot from my room, but there is a police car with flashing blue and red lights in front of our house and a bunch of people.
"I wonder what's going on," I ask myself. Shrugging, I turn to my bed and jump onto it, pulling my DS out from underneath my pillow. I hide it there because sometimes mom forgets to take it away at bedtime, so I sneak some extra play time before falling asleep.
Don't tell mom.
I open the device and begin playing Super Mario Maker. It's my favourite game ever! JackSepticEye plays it all the time! He's so funny.
I'm just about to start the next level when my bedroom door opens and an old lady steps inside. She's ugly and looks mean, but mom always said I have to be nice to women.
"Hello," I say politely, placing my DS down on my bed. "Who are you?"
"My name is Elena." She says with a smile. "I am here to see you."
"Oh. I'm Tyler." I tell her. "I'm just playing on my DS." I point to the device.
"That sounds like fun, Tyler, but guess what."
"What?" I say curiously.
"How would you like to ride in a police car?" She asks.
"Really?! That be so cool! All my friends would be so jealous at school." I say excitedly as I hop off of my bed. "But wait, mom says I shouldn't go anywhere with strangers."
"Your mom is right, Tyler, but I'm not a stranger. I'm your friend. And the Police Officers are outside with your Mom and Dad waiting for us to come out so they can take us for a little car ride." She says. "So it's perfectly fine."
"Okay," I say slowly. "But, I should still ask my mom."
She nods her head. "Your mom is outside. Come, let's get your coat and shoes on and we will go out and say goodbye."
I nod my head and quickly follow her out of my room and downstairs. I put on my shoes and coat and we go outside.
Two Police Officers are outside the door and give me a smile when they see me, but my attention quickly lands on mom. She's screaming and crying with dad holding onto her tightly from behind her. When mom's eyes land on me, she quickly stops screaming but her tears never stop. I look at the lady who has a huge frown on her face. I don't like her. She doesn't look very nice.
I go to step towards my mom, but the police officer stops me. Instead, the lady walks up to mom and dad and whispers something to them. My mom keeps shaking her head and crying and all I want to do is go to her and give her a hug. I hate seeing mom cry.
"Why is mom crying?" I ask the police officer to my right. Police officers are supposed to be nice, that's what Mr Carson, my teacher, says.
"She's just having a bad day." He replies, giving me another quick smile.
I look back at my mom and she is hugging my dad tightly now. He's rubbing her back and talking into her ear. I can see her nodding her head.
The mean lady nods her head and walks towards me again. "You can go see your mom and dad now." She says with a smile and I run as fast as I can to my mom.
I throw my arms around her from behind and give her my best hug. "What's wrong mom?" I ask, looking up at her.
She turns around in her hold and kneels down so she is my height, which is funny because moms aren't supposed to be this small. She wipes her face quickly and gives me a smile that I know isn't real.
"You know I love you, right?" She says and I nod my head. "I love you to the moon and back, Tyler."
"And I love you to the stars and back, mom," I say and she gives me a kiss on the forehead.
"I will always love you, even when I'm not with you." She says.
"I know, but you will always be with me," I reply.
A strange noise comes from her mouth and she brings her hand there, holding it closed for a minute. "I want to be." She says quietly after a while.
I furrow my brows at her. "Are you hurt, mom?" I ask. "I can get you a band-aid. Or an ice pack."
She laughs a little and shakes her head. "The kind of hurt that I have can't be fixed with a band-aid or ice pack, Ty." She says softly. "I love you so much."
She wraps me in a tight hug - tighter than any hug she's ever given me before. I try to match it, but she's stronger than me. But I think I do a good job. After a while, she pulls away and stands back up. Dad steps forward and looks down at me.
He's crying too. I've never seen him cry.
"Tyler, these people are going to take you for a while." He says. His voice isn't the same voice as it usually is. It's choppy and sounds like he has a frog in his throat. Mom makes another strange noise and I look at her. "I need you to be a good boy for them. Can you do that for us?"
I look back to dad and nod. "Yeah, but aren't you guys coming too?" I ask.
"No," He says, shaking his head. "Unfortunately we can't come this time."
"Why not?"
"Because..." He pauses, biting his lip. Mom says never do that, it can make your lip bleed. I should tell dad that. "Because we can't. It's for kids only."
"Oh," I say, looking down at the ground. "I don't want to go."
"I wish you didn't have to."
"I want to stay with mom." I say and quickly add, "And you." I don't want to hurt dad's feelings.
"I know, son, but you have to." He says quietly. Dad is never quiet. He's always loud, especially when he's drinking.
I shake my head crazily. "No. I don't want to go! I want to stay with you!"
The mean, old lady steps forward. "Remember, we are going to ride in a cop car?" She says.
"I don't care! I want to stay with mom and dad! I don't want to go with you!" I shout. I know mom says I shouldn't yell at adults, but this lady isn't listening.
"You have to, son." She says.
"I'm not your son," I yell. "Mom, tell her I'm not her son."
That strange noise comes from mom again and she falls into dad's arms. I feel the strange lady's hand on my shoulder and I push her off of me. "Don't touch me! Mom says don't let strangers touch me!"
The lady nods her head and the two cops come towards us. The fat one grabs my arm. "What are you doing?" I ask. "That hurts! Mom, help me! Don't let them take me!"
"Don't hurt him!" Dad yells. "Don't hurt my son!"
"We need to get him into the car, Mr Travers. The police will be as gentle as they can." The mean lady says.
"Mom! Dad! Don't let them take me!" I yell. I start to cry. I know big boys aren't supposed to cry, but I don't want to leave with these people - even if the cops are supposed to be good. "Mom! Please! I'll be a good boy! I will go to bed when I'm told! I will have my baths without arguing and I will wash behind my ears!
"I-I will even clean my room! Mom, I'll clean my room! Don't make me go! I'll be a good boy!" I scream as I try to fight off the cops.
"You are a good boy, Tyler. Don't you dare think otherwise." Mom calls out to me. Her voice sounds strange. "This isn't your fault. I promise you."
"Dad, I won't yell at you ever again! I'm sorry I was so mean! Don't make me go! Dad, please!" I cry out.
"Ty, you don't need to be sorry." He says, wiping his eyes roughly. "Just go with the cops, son. I love you."
The fat cop opens the back door to the police car and steps aside so I can get in, but I don't want to. I don't want to go in the car. I want to go to mom and dad.
I try to stand still, but the other cop picks me up and places me inside. The lady walks around the car and gets in the other door beside me. They tell me to put my seatbelt on, but I don't listen. They close the door and walk to their doors.
I look out the window and see mom on the ground with dad beside her. She's crying and screaming like crazy and dad's arms are around her. I think dad is crying too, but I can't see from here.
"Mom! Dad!" I yell through the window and they look up at me.
"I love you so much, Tyler!" Mom cries out. She reaches her hand up towards me and I touch the window, trying to touch my mom.
"I love you too, mom. Please don't make me go."
"Can't you see?" Dad yells at the cop. "Can't you see how much you are hurting the boy? He doesn't want to go with you! He belongs with his mom!"
"It is out of our control, sir." The fat cop says. "There is nothing I can do."
"Mrs Sanders. Obviously, you can see how much the boy loves her. Obviously, you can see how much you are hurting the boy by taking him away. How can you do that in good conscience?" Dad continues, now looking at the woman in the backseat with me. "That boy is loved. How can you take him away from that?"
"Because, Mr Travers, it takes more than love to take care of a child." She says. "Let's leave."
The fat cop gets into mom's side of the car and the other cop gets into dad's side. He turns the car on and puts the stick thing down, and the car begins to move.
"No!" Mom screams and I look through the back window at her as the mean lady tries to get my seatbelt on me. "That's my boy! That's my boy! You can't take my son away from me!"
Dad isn't holding mom back anymore as she runs towards the cop car that isn't stopping. She's running after me and the cop car is moving faster and faster.
"Stop the car! Mom wants to come too!" I yell at the cop.
"She can't come, Tyler." The mean lady says.
"Yes, she can! She's my mom!" I scream. "I hate you! I hate you! Cops aren't good! They are mean! And you are a mean lady! You are a witch!"
I look back through the back window and mom is getting smaller and smaller. I place my hand on the cold glass, trying to catch her, but I can't.
The last picture I have of my mom before the car turns the corner is her falling to her knees in the middle of the road, looking up to the sky with her hands in her hair as she screams - only her screams are quiet and I can't hear them anymore.
~~~~~
Author's Note:
And that's it, folks!
I am legit sobbing at the end of that. I have never felt so much emotion for a character that I have written about in any of my stories. I hope that you can feel what I felt while writing this.
This story is done. It's over. I know it doesn't have a good ending, but it's a realistic one. I knew from the beginning of this story that the ending was going to be this, but I just didn't think I would feel this torn up about it.
Let me know what your thoughts are about this story. I am really proud of it, but obviously, you guys are the real judges!
I just want to thank you for taking the time to read this!
Much love!