Hal jerked awake, this time to the world of reality. The sheet around him was moist, and his skin was clammy. He let out a shuddering breath and peeked under the covers to find a small form cocooned against his body, absorbing his heat, quite unbothered by the amount of perspiration he produced. His little sister’s breathing was calm and even, unlike his own, her small body moving up and down with each breath.

He let out a trembling sigh. The air felt suffocating to him and was about to pull the covers down when a new weight appeared on his legs and the covers were yanked down for him. Almost immediately, his little brother’s big brown eyes, just like their mother’s, blocked his view. His face was right next to Hal’s, his warm breath on his face. Danny’s eyes glinted in the moonlight that trickled in through the open window of his room in the small once-a-storage room.

“Is Lisa there?” He whispered, and without waiting for an answer, he shoved his head inside the covers. “Do you have space for me too?” He pleaded when he pulled back.

The bed wasn’t big enough to hold all three of them. Sure, Danny was tiny, but then so was the bed.

“What time is it?” Hal mumbled, stretching one arm above his head, while with the other he rubbed his chest, thankful his racing heart was slowing down. His eyes were heavy. But Danny’s were wide and afraid.

Danny paused before answering. “Three in the morning. Can I?”

“Why not go to Lou?”

“He’s on the sofa. And he’s big.”

Hal let out a soft sigh. He knew exactly why he was here. His brother was suffering like him. “What was it this time?”

He didn’t reply at first. He got comfortable in the little space beside Hal’s legs and put his own feet in the space between Hal and Lisa.

“I dreamt I was invisible.” Danny’s voice was low, barely a whisper. 

“And?”

“And…and I can’t turn back.” There was fear in his voice. Not just fear, also sadness. “And no one can see me anymore. And everyone f-forgot… forgot about me. Mum, Lisa, Lou.” He paused. “Even you.”

Hal felt a small pang of pain for his brother. But he was glad he had someone to talk to about those dreams. Hal would never talk about his dreams to his family, and he doubted his grandparents even knew the truth about him. They must, maybe, because they would sometimes go on about how they never got to see him at his earlier ages.

Hal wrapped his arms around Danny’s small legs and gave them a little squeeze. “If anything, Danny, I will never forget you.” He promised. “And besides. You can’t turn invisible. Only camouflage. There’s a difference, like Lou said. Right?”

His assurance was met with silence.

“Danny?”

There was a small and uncertain “hmm” from his brother. He sighed and pulled his legs away from Hal’s grasp, tossing about in his position.

“Try to sleep,” Hal said, “you have school in a few hours.”

He let out another sigh, a huge one. “What did you see, Hal?”

Hal stiffened under the blanket. “Nothing.”

“You’re all cold. Was it from the base?” His bother pressed. “Did you…see Dad?”

“No Danny,” Hal said firmly. “Go to sleep or you’ll be all tired during school.”

“Or was it the boy?”

He didn’t reply.

“Fine,” Danny said submissively, sleep heavy in his voice. He shifted in his position. Hal thought his brother finally fell asleep. His breaths were getting even.

“Do you remember him, Hal…?” he heard Danny mumble from the other side of the bed, which faded into a small sigh. He was sure he was asleep now.

“Everyday,” Hal whispered, even though he knew he can’t hear him.

               He stared into the ceiling, memories swirling around his mind, causing a turmoil as they resurfaced into his consciousness from the depths he had tried to banish them to, like the swirling clouds over an angry sea on a stormy evening. Memories he never wanted. Memories he was ready to give up.

“Look, he’s threatenin’ me, Mack!” The man cackled, his yellowish teeth bared. “Oh, you think you’re a big boy? You can’t even hold that knife properly!”

Hal pressed his back to the brick wall of the alley. “Stay away from me, I will hurt you.”

The man roared with laughter, moving towards Hal, his ghostly and thin face looming over him. “Get him, Mack. Boss’ll be mighty pleased.”

They took him to an abandoned warehouse surrounded by trees on all sides, the only seemingly bright thing in his situation. They pushed him inside where there was a young boy of around twelve years of age and an older woman, maybe in her twenties. The woman looked at Hal with distaste, while the boy’s eyes were sympathetic.

“What is this?” An unknown voice boomed, and from a corner of the warehouse, a big man lumbered forward. “Why is there a—” He let out a satisfied sigh, his beady eyes watching Hal with interest. 

The ugly man—Jim—grinned. “See? He’s tiny.” He nodded to himself. “Yeah. Will fit right through that hole in the Base.”

The big man smiled, a slow grin that spread all over his face. “Yes. He’ll do.”

The boy watched him silently. Jim shoved Hal to the ground next to the wall. “You stay there and get nice an’ comfy, eh? You’ll come hunt with us tomorrow.”

“Hunt?”

“Yeah.” Jim shrugged. “Or steal. Same thing.” He gave Hal what he supposed was a smile before he left out through the door they came in, but to Hal it looked like an ape that pulled a painful muscle in his face. Well, a starving ape, anyway.

Hal looked at the boy, who gave him a hesitant smile. Hal ignored him and sank to his knees. Four days he’d been running. All the time away from the scientists only to be caught by this sorry camp of thieves. All his food and water had run out that morning so, maybe being forced into the little company might have been an act of God.

A can of beans dropped onto his lap. He looked up and saw the boy next to him. He crouched on his haunches. “Eat up.” His accent was thick, but Hal couldn’t place it. Hal didn’t budge. 

He nudged Hal’s bag. “Mind if I take a look?”

He instinctively hugged it tighter to his body. “Yeah.”

“Better me than them,” the boy whispered, taking a furtive look around. “I know where you are from.”

“I’m a bit Indian and the rest British, if that’s what you mean. I still belong in the US.”

The boy’s lips formed a lopsided grin. He looked around again. There was no one but Hal, the boy, and that woman who was pointedly ignoring them. Then to Hal’s utter surprise, the boy leaned forward, uncomfortably close to him, and snapped his finger in front of Hal’s face. Hal gasped as a small flame lit up on his finger. Its reflection danced around in the boy’s light brown eyes. The boy quickly distinguished it. 

“H-how—”

“Your clothes are a big giveaway to those who know.” The boy shrugged. “Lucky for us, they don’t.” He held out his hand for Hal. “I’m Artem. Call me Art.” He grinned. “From Ukraine.”

Hal quickly grabbed it, pulling him closer. “The Base is gone. It’s not there anymore.”

Art raised a cautious eyebrow, almost touching Hal’s. Hal ignored their closeness. “A-are you sure?” Art said. When Hal nodded slowly he said, “Is that why you’re running?” When Hal nodded again, he frowned. “Why not stay with whoever survived?” 

Hal lowered his eyes, tears that refused to come for four days suddenly stinging his eyes, surprising himself. “It was my Daddy who brought it down. They’ll kill me.”

Art’s eyebrow crept further up. “Your Daddy. Who’s you Daddy?”

Hal hesitated before answering. “Horan. Horan Aldane.”
Art let out a long breath, disbelief and amazement filling his sand-brown eyes. “You’re the… the boy…” His face suddenly broke into a small grin. “You can help us get out. Just the two of us.”

               Hal blinked at the horrible memory. They got out, alright, but Hal had to pay a price. One of the men, Mack, ran a knife across Hal’s arm, which left a ghastly reminder on his left bicep.

He sighed, subconsciously rubbing his fingers over the scar, remembering the pain. He wondered what became of the boy. He said he would try and find the rest of his family from whom he was taken away from. Hal wondered whether he will ever meet him again.

Lisa wriggled against Hal’s body in her sleep, mumbling. Hal let out another sigh. He gently lifted the covers from his body and, slowly, eased himself away from Lisa and sat up on the bed, his feet on the cold floor. He should probably get back to sleep—usually if he didn’t get at least seven hours of sleep, the day would be horrible. 

But those stupid memories.

He got up and walked over to his desk, his feet sticky in the tiles, opened the drawer and reached inside, his hand wrapping around a partly finished ragged wooden contraption, and a small knife. He pulled them out, frowning at the half-finished flute which he carved for the sake of joining a club at the school counselor’s advice and keeping his mind off things, not for actually playing it. He didn’t play. He didn’t have an inch of musical talent in his bones despite his father being a beautiful singer and having a knack for the violin. He painfully remembered his father singing soft and calming, lullabies for him, often written by himself, sometimes, written with Hal.

               He awoke once again to someone shaking him. His eyes fluttered open and found himself looking onto the face of Grandma, his maternal grandmother, Mary.

Grandma smiled, her already wrinkled skin wrinkling more than Hal thinks possible, her brown eyes sparkling, her dimples digging into her cheeks. Just like Mom “Good morning, Hals.”

Hal let out a groan as he stretched and stopped when he realized he was leaning on the windowsill, sitting on the ledge beside it. “Oh.”

Grandma stood up, holding out a hand to him. “School. Don’t want to be late, do we?”

Hal accepted her hand and got to his feet, swaying slightly, and noticed the twins were gone and the bed was already made. 

“Your mother’s preparing breakfast,” Grandma said, heading towards the door, “freshen up and get down fast. I’m guessing you need enough time to go over to Catalina’s. Might want to hurry up because you slept in more than usual.”

Hal smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, I was up at three.”

Grandma paused at the door, her wrinkled forehead crinkling more. “Want to talk about it?”

Hal shook his head despite being happy about the concern for him. “’Sokay,” he shrugged, “thanks.”

Grandma gave him a tight smile, her brown eyes not satisfied with Hal's reply, before closing the door behind her.

Hal stood there uncertainly for a couple of seconds before collapsing to the neatly made bed, sighing. He’d rather sleep in than go to school. His body felt heavy and his head ached just the slightest bit, but enough to make him uncomfortable.

               After a quick shower from which she was reluctant to leave he headed downstairs, from where the smell of bacon wafted and the sound of laughter could be heard from at least four different people. Just before he entered the corridor to the kitchen ,he paused by the widow that looked at the street to their entrance, noticing movement. The familiar figure of Catalina was running up their front steps, her backpack slung over both shoulders, ready in her uniform. Hal smiled to himself, and continued down the corridor, allowing Catalina to find him herself.

He heard their front thrown being thrown open as he was about to enter the kitchen and he paused. Catalina raced to enter the kitchen with him. Mum, Grandma and Lou looked up, beaming at them. The place was alive with the sounds of running tap and clanking pans and utensils, and the smell of well-cooked egg.

“Hiya, Hal!” Catalina managed between huffs.

“Hiya, Cat,” Hal echoed.

“Good morning, you two,” Granma said, putting four plates on the table. “Breakfast’s ready. Sit.”

“Good morning everyone.” Catalina settled into a seat at the table. Hal got in beside Lou, shifting in his seat to get comfortable. Hal smiled at Mum. “Morning. What’s cooking?”

“Bacon, toast. Milk,” Mum said frowning. “We need to hit the grocery sometime.” 

A strand of hair came off from her loose bun, draping gracefully onto her shoulder. She was dressed in a plain sunflower dress, all ready for her practice for the gender-swapped production of Pride and Prejudice that would take place in a week’s time at the park. At least it paid better than the job she took on Sundays as a waitress. She was playing Miss Charlie Bingly.

Lisa marched in soon after, a flurry of hair and blinking shoes. Lou’s eyes lit up. “Hello, little sister.”

“Mum,” Lisa scowled, ignoring Lou, “I can’t find my tutu.”

“I think I saw Ellora sporting it last night,” Grandma mused, sliding an omelet into Hal’s plate as Mom slid a toast into Lou’s.

Lisa’s face changed into one of outrage as she stormed back out to where they kept the telephone yelling, “Ellora! Stop touching my stuff!”

Grandma turned brightly to Lou. “So. How’s that project going? Due today isn’t it?”

Lou simply sighed in reply, blowing a tuft of dark hair away from his forehead in the process.

Grandma slapped him on his back. “Ah, don’t worry. You’re a smart kid.”

Hal frowned. “He knows. He just wants someone to tell him every now and then.” Lou made a face at Hal, who scoffed. “Still prettier than the original.”

Hal grabbed his back pack and headed downstairs and rushed to the front door once he was done with breakfast to wait for Catalina. Mum’s face peeked from the kitchen. “Don’t forget Charly’s picking you up!”

Hal halted in his tracks, frowning, his hand on the door handle. “No, thank you.”

Mum smiled softly as she wiped her hands on a blue towel, the weariness so pronounced in her thin frame. “Give him a chance—"

“You’ve said that before. I haven’t listened.” Hal shrugged, opening the door.

“You have got to stop pushing him away.”

“He’s your boyfriend, Mum,” Hal rolled his eyes, stepping out, “not mine. I’ll do what I want. Pushing him away from my life or even down a cliff.” He grinned at his mother. “I see no difference.”

Mum shook her head slightly, raising her eyebrows unimpressed as chuckles erupted from behind her.

“Bye, Mum.” He slammed the door shut. He reached down to tie his shoelaces before starting his walk to the bus stop, not waiting for Catalina anymore. Their neighborhood was small, but was one of the nicer parts of the town. One of the most expensive schools of the region, Evemore, was in their neighborhood, which attracted a lot of rich families to the area.