Brotherhood (New Zealand Countryhumans)

Mint leaves

America's POV:

A day had passed. Dad hadn't let us out. He didn't feed us either. Australia didn't talk to me. He just sat in the corner quietly. I tried to entertain myself with the light that would pour in from the small bar vent. I made shadow puppets on the walls. However, there is only so long where you can be entertained by shadows.

With every minute that passed the hungrier a became. I thought about knocking on the door. Maybe Dad forgot about us. I felt so weak and all alone. I had spent my nights trying not to fall asleep. Every time I closed my eyes, a horrible image filled my head. It scared me. I didn't want to see how the nightmare ended. I didn't like it.

Every few hours I would hear Aussie mumbling to himself. I couldn't make out what he was saying but the tone didn't sound pleasant. I could hear him mumbling again. I decided to see what he was doing. I stood up shakily and walked over to him quietly.

He was asleep. He sleep talks? I never knew that. I didn't wake him, I just listened in to his mumbling.

"Don't cry, don't cry, don't help, don't try," He muttered. He was having a nightmare. I shook him awake.

"I told you not to help!!" He shouted as awoke suddenly. He turned around and looked at me.

"What do you want?" He asked rudely.

"You were having a nightmare," I said.

"So, that doesn't matter, it's only a bad dream what did you think was going to happen," He said in a snarky tone. I guess he was right. I heard my belly rumble and I felt sick. Aussie must have heard it. He handed me a couple of leaves. I was confused.

"Mint leaves, stick them on your tongue and the hunger isn't as bad," He said.

"Where did you get them from?" I asked. He pulled out a small ziplock bag filled with other little leaves.

"The garden. I read a survival book and decided to collect them just in case," He explained. I stuck the mint leaves in my mouth and sucked on them. It actually helped. Aussie grabbed out a mint leaf as well and stuck it on his tongue.

We sat there quietly together. Suddenly the door opened and we looked at the door shocked. Dad was standing there, he held his belt in his hand and leaned against the doorframe drunkenly. I was scared.

"Get out! France, Canada and New Zealand will be here shortly for dinner, don't tell them anything!" He shouted at us. We weakly stood up together and climbed the stairs to the doorway where Dad was standing. We nervously passed him and then I ran straight up to my room and shut the door.

I had a stash of cookies in a desk and I ate all of it I was so hungry. I completely forgot about the mint leaves in my mouth and swallowed them. At least they weren't poisonous, I just hoped Aussie was sure they were mint leaves.

I sat on my bed feeling my eyes start to close, and before I knew it, I fell asleep.

UK's POV:

I shouldn't have drunk so much wine. I could barely think straight. I got a call from France and I answered it. She told me she would be over shortly to make dinner. I fell off my desk chair and immediately ran to the cellar door. I hung up the phone.

I listened in, I couldn't hear a single thing. I walked back to my room to grab a belt just in case they did something stupid when I let them out. I unlocked the doors and told them what was happening. They obeyed me immediately and went up to their rooms.

I walked into the kitchen and boiled the kettle to make myself some tea. Hopefully, it would help me sobber up before France arrived. I made my tea and stumbled towards the lounge to drink it. It was quiet in the house. I liked it that way.

I couldn't remember why I locked the boys in the cellar, I had had to much wine and had forgotten about the boys anyway. I enjoyed their absence. However, even though everything seemed slightly blurry, I did notice something red on Australia's face. Once I finished my tea I decided to check on him.

I walked into his room, but I couldn't seem him. I then heard the tap running in the bathroom. I had better catch the tap before it runs too far I thought to myself in my drunken state. I opened the door to Australia wiping away the blood with wet towels.

"WhaT ARe YoU doiNG!?" I shouted. Australia turned to me looking terrified.

"I hit my head, and it started bleeding, I'm cleaning it up," He said nervously.

"WItH CLeaN toWELs?!" I yelled. He seemed to back away from the sink and from me as he dropped the towel on the ground. I could see a large cut above his eyes.

"AMEriCA!" I shouted. I could America quickly ran into the bathroom nervously. I could see the crumbs on his face but I had other things to do instead.

"fiX YOUr BROtHeR!" I demanded and left the room to make myself some more tea. I could hear yells of pain coming from upstairs as America probably tried to help.

Thirteen cups of tea later, the boys came down the stairs. Australia wore a slouch hat which covered the large cut. Australia's eyes glistened. He had been crying. What a baby. I told America to get dressed in something tidier.

I didn't want my wife thinking I am unable to look after kids. If I was no longer able to keep them under my care, France wouldn't be able to look after all of them. France working around two kids is hard enough, but if I am unable to care for the boys, they would all be put into different homes, with different people. They would barely ever see each other. It was better this way.

There was a knock at the door.