Chapter 4-The past, or the future?

"Daddy? Where is Liam?" asked a little girl, her mismatched eyes staring into the chocolate brown ones of her father. Said man crouched down and ruffled her hair. "Don't worry angel. He will come home shortly. He is in school, remember?" he said with a small smile. The eyes of the little girl brightened. "Now how about you go and color some pictures?" Alex Darkwood hurried his five year old daughter to her room. She started drawing a picture of her family while waiting for her 13 year old brother to come home. She loved her brother with all her small heart. If there wasn't the age gap one would think those two were twins. They looked similar, taking after their mother in looks. Clarisse Darkwood definitely had good looks,pale skin, dark brown hair with some black strands here and there. But the feature that caught everybody's sight were her heterochromatic eyes. One sky blue and one grass green. Nobody knew why these specific genes were passed onto her children but Liam and Gabrielle both had heterochromia. Although genes from their father also showed in their appearances. Both siblings had dark brown hair which looked black without the touch of the sunlight, pale skin and looked like they were destined to be forever short like everyone from their family tree. The only difference was in their eyes. While Liam had eyes of chocolate and pears Gabrielle's were cinnamon brown and cloud grey colored. But even though they looked like Clarisse their personalities copied their father. Alex Darkwood is a stubborn but loving man. He works as a policeman and his righteousness is truly remarkable. He would die for what he thought was right. His kids obviously inspired by him were trying to become a hero like they thought he was. Liam protected the bullied in his school and Gabrielle always stood for fairness in her daycare. To say he was proud of his children was an understatement. The family ties were strong and nobody could tear them apart. Or so they thought... A few hours must have passed and still no sign of Liam. 'Did he have to stay in school longer than usual?' thought little Gabrielle. Her brother has always told her that school is full of surprises. Did the school make him stay longer as a surprise? She was starting to slowly drift off to sleep when she heard the phone ringing.'Maybe Liam is calling!' She got up from the floor and went to find out if she was right. She saw her father pick up the phone. She will wait until he finishes talking to ask him about her brother. "WHO ARE YOU?! WHERE IS MY SON!!" her dad yelled after a while. She was shocked. Her daddy never yells. Even when she and Liam make trouble he never yells. "I DON'T CARE IF YOU ARE A BLOODY SAINT! GIVE ME MY SON BACK!" Alex Jackson screamed into the device.'Who is he screaming at? What does he mean by give me my son back? Where is Liam?' Gabrielle thought to herself. After a while her dad put down the phone and started crying. "Daddy?" Gabrielle went closer to her father and rubbed his back a bit. Maybe it would help him as it helped her when she cried. "Come here angel." he said and hugged her. "When will Liam come home?" she asked timidly, hoping her dad would stop crying and be happy. But it had the exact opposite effect of that. "He will come home soon. I promise."  "Liam!" Gabrielle shot up from the bed and fell right onto the floor. It was just a dream, just a dream... I finally opened my eyes only to see everything was blurry. A few more tears escaped from my eyes and fell onto my hands. I blinked until I could see a room with black and dark blue walls.I am held captive by Phantom... How much time has passed since they left us alone? I got up and lied back down on the bed.Might as well face the memories without having to break down in front of those psychopaths. The promise my father made...he couldn't keep it. He started looking for Liam discreetly. But Phantom found out. A week later they found a body near the school Liam went to. My parents never told me the details and didn't let me see Liam for the last time either. They said I deserved to remember him the way I did. It had to be horrible. But there were letters and a note with his body too...one letter was addressed to me. I only got to read it a year ago. It was a letter from Liam and is one of my most prized possessions since then. It hurts so much to think about it but it brings me happiness too. I felt tears fall down my face once again. He knew he would die after writing that letter. Heck it must have been his last wish! I remember his few last words as clear as if I read the letter only yesterday. 

How are you? I know you must be missing me but please be a good girl okay? We will meet again one day, I hope it won't be too soon though! You are the best sister one would want, you are beautiful, kind and caring and I love you more than anything on Earth! Promise me to remember this forever! I have one last request for you. Please live your life to the fullest! Don't let anything stop you from achieving your dream and certainly do not mourn for me. I am still with you and will always be. I am in your heart so make sure to talk to me! Not aloud however, people will think you are crazy or something. I love you Gaby, be healthy and happy for me.

Even if he was only thirteen he was so mature and caring. It brings me to tears everytime I think about him. But he was right. He will forever be with me in my heart. After the burial father decided that we had to move, get new identities. He never told me why but I have a feeling that I know. Phantom had my brother and he killed him after my father searched for him. They surely knew about me from the background check they did while getting my brother. I am sure there was some sort of threat in the note they found with Liam. That's why we got new identities from ministry of law and changed our daily life. My mother, before a journalist, became a theatre actress while my father worked as a security guard before becoming a policeman again. Not on a high position as he was before but still a defender of the law. It was in his DNA, he couldn't help it. My mother and I both understood. For the looks we also had to change. My mother dyed her hair blonde and got blue contact lenses. My father grew a beard and dyed both his hair and beard from ginger to black. He also gained some weight and changed his hairstyle. I didn't have to dye my hair seeing as I was still too young. However I had to get used to wearing chocolate brown lenses. I could choose the color I wanted and I chose this one because I wanted to remember my brother. The last and biggest change was our last name. From that day onwards our family name became Jackson. As the years flew by my father taught me self-defense and all escape tricks. By the time I was thirteen I was a master at escaping from police station and lockpicking. 'But it won't help me much in here, will it?' I chuckled to myself. Everywhere I went I tended to lay low, not to get noticed much. I had a few friends but wasn't one of the popular kids. I even kept my grades on high averages! It was hard not to do my best but if my father told me it was essential for me to not be noticed I believed him. But one school trip had to ruin it all. 'All the plans, tears and sweat, the pain...it was all for nothing, huh?' I shook my head. No use thinking about it now. I have to get out! No matter what it takes. Not only for myself but for my parents and every child that is held by those two demons. I heard a knock on my door. I stood up shakily and dried the rest of the tears on my sleeve. I opened the door to see Xavier standing there with a creepy smile. "Time for introductions."