My body turned inside out, waiting for the man who’d appear next.
I tried to fight off the cop, but it was no use. Once I caught sight of the black SUV through my window, I knew it was over.
I hated that car.
Except it wasn’t just one this time.
It was two.
Which only meant one thing.
We’d immediately be split up.
“NO!” I yelled with everything inside me. “You can’t do this again! Please!”
I instantly thrashed my body back and forth and all around. Faster and faster. I felt like I was about to snap in half.
“It’s okay. We’re here to help you,” the officer restraining me reasoned.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. My chest is caving in on me. The expression on Kraven’s face was one I’d never forget. My eyes slowly moved toward the door, seeing not one but two large men enter my bedroom, along with two caseworkers I’d never seen following close behind. I recognized their demeanor. They were all the same.
Kraven and I locked eyes, and he knew exactly what was happening.
“NO!” he shouted, skidding to his knees to throw his arms around my waist.
“Grab him!” the woman ordered, and the men went right to work.
Kraven kicked.
He fought.
He fell apart.
“Don’t take me away from my brother! Please don’t take me away from him again! I’ll be a good boy! I promise I’ll be the best boy! I won’t get in trouble anymore!”
Tears filled my eyes as I watched him get taken away.
“Julius, please! You promised! You promised me this wouldn’t happen again! I can’t go back there! I hate that place! I hate those people! The bed sucks, and the food does too!”
He was referring to the group home, which was where they’d take us first. We weren’t babies. We were older. It’d be harder to place us and definitely not together.
I had no control over my emotions and was hitting, punching, and pushing the officer. My body throbbed, my heart pounded, and my head started getting dizzy the more I put up a fight.
“Son, calm down!” the other woman said over the ringing in my ears.
I fought with every ounce of strength I had, still holding on to the hope that this would one day be over. We wouldn’t have to deal with this anymore. It was all I had left to hold on to.
Kraven and I both shoved, slapped, and hit the men holding us prisoner,wanting to hurt them as much as they were hurting us. Not paying any mind to the pain running through my body. It was nothing compared to the knife they were stabbing into my heart.
He lifted Kraven into the air, tossing him over his shoulder.
“It’s going to be okay, buddy!” I reassured, my voice breaking. “We’ll be back together soon! I promise you! Just listen to them! Don’t get in trouble!”
Kraven had a problem with authority, but who could blame him…
I watched my little brother lose his mind, trying to grab hold of the door. Seeing his fingers slip inch by inch as they made their way out to the SUV broke my heart into a million pieces. I was supposed to protect him.
The scene played out in slow motion as I screamed for Kraven.
