(COUNTRYHUMANS STORY)
- 1902 -
A child with piercing red eyes and sharp black pupils with the Republic of Deutschland on his face that meets the same shade of his 4 small black wings that seem like they hadn't grew much yet was running around, playing. A girl, running behind him,with the same flag on her face, has black eyes with the same sharp pupils that are white. Both are playing happily in this big and dark mansion, The Mansion of Richers. In this almost 400-year-old place, where most of the lives of the Germanic countries have been spent, even one had died.
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Albert was trying to find his diary. He was so stressed out and scared because there was a great chance that Bertram had took it. And Bertram taking his diary wasn't a good idea... Given the fact that he would beat Albert to the ground if he saw what he had written about him and his old family. Bertram wasn't even aware of him knowing his past, let alone writing it.
But Albert couldn't find it, he could feel his breathing was getting faster and faster by the second. He was on the verge of tears. He didn't even want to know what would Bertram do if he found out what he was writing and possibly planning to expose about...
Albert's frantic searching was abruptly cut when he heard someone shouting angrily. Ä°t was Bertram, calling him downstairs.
Albert flinched when Bertram shouted again. His hands were trembling.
"ALBERT! KOMM HIER!" (ALBERT COME HERE!)
Albert couldn't do anything but to obey. With trembling hands and a scared mind, he went down the stairs led to the living room. He saw Bertram by the couch, the familiar black notebook in his hands, gripping it tightly. He snarled and threw the notebook at Albert's feet. Albert winced in pain as the notebook hit his ankle, he backed away a bit which annoyed Bertram even more.
"Don't you back away, you little scum."
He narrowed his eyes, taking a step towards Albert. His black eyed with white pupils that resemble his own daughter, Marta, stared daggers at Albert's red eyes which are teary. Albert hardly stuttered the words out of his mouth.
"I-I'm so sorry... I-I swear I won't-"
But before he could react, Bertram grabbed him by the collar and pulled him closer to his face, he growled with such fierceness that could even scare the deadliest enemy away, running. Albert was trembling violently, sobbing which made Bertram angrier. He snarled the words in his face.
"What is it to you to write those things about me? Huh? Did you really think that I wouldn't find out? Did you really think that you would get away without any consequences?"
He gripped Albert's collar tighter, making Albert uncomfortable to breathe.
"I told you to forget about your pathetic family, you worthless excuse of a country. I told you to forget about your human side! You're a country! You've never had a human family! You're not a human, you're a country and you will work for the commander! You will work for the Zweites Reich! I won't let your stubborn attitude to ruin this country and I will make sure that you're the perfect obedient heir to keep this country going! Do you understand me?!"
Albert whimpered, crying which made Bertram more annoyed. He could feel his patience slipping away, he knew that Marta shouldn't hear about what he did or was going to do but Albert was making it harder for him to control himself.
He finally snapped and threw Albert to the floor. Albert screamed in pain, he couldn't get up. The last thing Albert could feel was intense pain on his face, and warmness of a liquid spreading from his face to his hand, and his upper body. Then everything was black.
It wasn't until he woke up but not able to see. He tried to touch his face and felt bandages. He was getting stressed. He tried to call out for someone and he heard a familiar and calming voice of his adoptive sister, Marta was heard.
"Bruder, please don't move much... You're weak..."
Her voice was full of worry and concern. She hugged him, which made Albert flinch due to the sudden interaction.
"What happened...?"
Albert asked, his voice still a bit strained and slurry due to the amount of time he slept.
"I don't know... I found you on the floor in the living room when I came back from the family KeyhĂĽsrev's house. You weren't answering and there was a lot of blood... I couldn't find Papa anywhere as well, where was he?"
Albert's expression was darkened at the word, Papa. But Marta didn't see it due to the bandages.
"I don't know... Maybe he's somewhere else..."
He mumbled, turning his head away. He had only one thought in his mind: "Where is the notebook?"
Marta sighed as she looked at the door, checking if Bertram was here before turning to Albert and speaking in a hushed voice.
"I found your notebook in the trash bin. Good riddance is that he didn't rip it to pieces..."
Albert's eyes widened as he turned to Marta. His tone of voice is full of happiness and relief.
"Really? Schwester please and please hide it somewhere! I beg you don't give it to him please!"
Marta smiled and hugged him again, speaking in a comforting tone.
"I promise, Bruder. I will make sure to hide it somewhere he can't find."
Albert smiled widely, which made him wince in pain.
"Ow ow ow... What.. what is this..."
Marta sighed.
"I noticed you had a huge X like wound on your face when I cleaned the blood off of you... It's probably that."
Albert gave put a shaky sigh. He was tired, really, really tired.
"Look, Bruder."
Marta spoke before turning him to face her.
"You will be okay. I will make sure that the scar is gone. I will clean it every day, i will treat it, but I promise, i will make sure that it's not there when you see your face, okay?"
Albert couldn't help but crack a slight smile at her reassurance. He knew that Marta always kept her promises, no matter how hard and how impossible-looking it was. He thought abut his past family once again, how much would be different if they were alive... Of curse it will be impossible for Albert to reunite with them. He even missed his own german shepherd, Korn. His mind couldn't get the image of his own dog getting thrown into the flames,injured by the Empire's officers, pointing the heavy arm at him, telling him to not move a muscle and just to watch.Â
Marta noticed her little brother's unmoving self, it reflected Albert's thoughts like a mirror, Marta could even read his mind and body language. She sighed and put a hand on his shoulder, slightly squeezing it in a reassuring way, but still having traces of concern and slight fear. Albert sighed shakily, not wanting to cry in front of someone.Â
"Bitte, mein kleiner Bruder... Lass los, halte deine Tränen nicht zurück, wenn du bei mir bist..." (Please, my little brother... Let go, don't hold back your tears when you're with me...)
Albert could feel his tears threatening to fall off, even one did. The tear left an unbearable pain in its wake, burning the scar and the wound, which made him sob out of pain. Marta felt guilty for the pain he was going through... If was I with him... If was I... Protecting him from Papa... She thought. Even though she was a cheerful girl with a bright future, she knew all the things... Horrible, horrible things Bertram, her father, the leader of the Second Reich, had done Albert, his family and the people that came across his way, guilty or not...
She had to stay silent not only for her own sake, but her little brother Albert's as well. She sighed and hugged Albert tightly, trying to find comfort in him. Albert as well noticed it and hugged her just as tight.