6 trillion years and overnight story-last chpt

"Oh."

Mathew sat up straight, his little legs swinging out to hang over the edge of the bed after a short pause of gasping for breath, and holding back tears that soon dried up as the nightmare faded from his memory. Facing upright and straight to the side where the framed portrait of the Fuhrer hung. Unlike Ludwig, his legs did not touch the ground, still.

And yet, after waking up from that nightmare, Mathew had been left in calm. Now that his heart was no longer racing, his breathing was back to normal, and with the same child's innocence from before that he conveniently forgot again about the part of his father dying and that horrible crash landing and now was focused on just one thing as he jumped off the bed and started to get dressed.

"That's where Kumakichi went."

He had to get him back. That bear had been from his father. From the Japanese friend his father used to have come over back before the war started. It was the bear his father had handed him and told him to, "keep safe, Mathew."

And it was back in the cockpit of the plane. Mathew knew it hadn't been moved yet.

He and Ludwig had hid after taking some of the cake from the pantry and heard Ludwig's father talking to his Mom about how it was still there and that it would be searched and used for the metal….that day! He had to go now to get it.

But, as he was sneaking out of the house he almost shrieked when something grabbed him. Only to let out a relived sigh when it just turned out to be Ludwig.

"What are you doing out of bed, Matt? Father will kill us if he knows."

Mathew held up a single finger, shushing him, and looking around to see if anyone had woken up from the noise his friend had just made. "I have to go for my bear," he whispered under his breath. "Back at the plane."

And with a same childlike innocence and trust. Ludwig nodded solemnly, and didn't question why they were going out in the middle of the night for a 'bear.' "Then it's an adventure. Well, I'm in. Let's go!"

Everything went swimmingly, until Mathew saw his father's rotting corpse. He couldn't hide from the knowledge anymore.

They'd gotten close and suddenly, seeing the skull starting to peek through and the decaying flesh on everything else. Mathew couldn't handle it, he couldn't lie to himself and say that his Dad must have survived and was just sleeping when he left him at the plane.

Mathew stopped, just feet from the start of the wreckage where the skid of dirt soared up like a wave where the body of the plane rested, dug into the earth. Sinking down to his knees, he cried.

Ludwig took one look at his strange little friend and went up on the hood of the plane, jagged metal everywhere and all despite knowing how mad Mother would be because well, the teddy bear was inside right? And besides why would he be scared of a fake body? He'd seen one just like it at the Haunted House carnival fair Father had brought him to last year, and he knew it wasn't an actual person or anything to be scared of because Father had told him not to be scared back then.

But then, as he is jumping back down from the plane, with the bear in his arms, his leg comes into contact with a bit of metal he hadn't seen when he was judging his jump, a long scratch oozing blood appearing on his leg. Ludwig doesn't notice. He has the bear!

And when he brings his foot down and notices the bit of pain coming from it, well it's not a lot of blood when he glances down and Mathew is happy! He looked up and stopped crying and said, "Thank you." So everything was alright, and both boys never even thought to consider after they got back into bed how they would get into trouble for sneaking out that night.

Or how angry Ludwig's father would be when he saw the blood on Ludwig's leg.

Or how that anger would turn on Mathew.

Or how his father would then hurt Mathew.

But that also galvanized Ludwig into action. Though he felt sick with fear, he knew what he had to do. He had to protect his friend. Because, as his mother had told him before, he wasn't a bully and he got to keep Mathew only if he made sure Mathew didn't get hurt.

And so, despite being told to sit down when he and Mathew had been dragged to the living room by his Father only just a few moments ago, when his Father took his walking stick and started hitting Mathew, blaming him for trying to hurt his boy….Ludwig swiftly stood up. "No father! I am the one responsible. Please, don't hurt Mathew."

His father glared at him, and his mother worriedly shook her head. But Ludwig didn't look at her.

"Then take responsibility for your actions." His father gruffly replied and shoved the gun he kept in a holster at his waist into Ludwig's grasp. "Go out in the backyard and do what you must. Shoot him. You've long since outgrown your little toy."

Mathew started to cry, silently, tears quietly making their way down his face with only small shuddering sobs from him, as he suddenly understood how serious this was.

Ludwig gulped. Tears starting to gather moisture to his eyes, blurring his vision, too.

"Yes, father." He said, and tightened his grip on the gun. Then turned it his father's way.

'Bang.'

His mother screamed. And Mathew rushed forward to try and catch the falling body scattering drops of red as Ludwig's father fell to the floor, dead.

Too soon? *awkward emoji* Felt like a bit of angst to end off the night and the holidays. And finally finish this story hot damn.

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North of the North