Daydreamer (On Hold)

Chapter 10

Austria frowned as Germany slammed the door. He wondered what had been bothering his younger cousin. Either way he figured he wouldn't ask when Germany returned. He had noticed that Ger always preferred to do things alone. Usually anyways. It seemed like the boy had trouble reaching out for help, but Austria couldn't help him with that. He needed to learn to ask for help on his own, after all, Austria wouldn't be there to help him forever.

Eventually Germany would probably move out, he would be on his own, running his country by himself. He'd need to attend the monthly UN meetings, but for now Germany only has to go to a specific one.

The first UN meeting of the new year, usually the first or second Monday in January. Every country had to attend, no matter what age. So as long as Germany was in school, he'd only have to go to one UN meeting a year.

Lucky. Austria thought. He didn't particularly like the long meetings, but he knew Germany might enjoy them. Some were important, but others seemed like no one, not even UN himself, wanted to be there.

The man sighed and decided he'd go look through and sort out an old box he'd found. He walked upstairs I go his bedroom, where a large cardboard box sit in the middle of the floor. He sat down on the floor next to it and opened it. The first thing he noticed was a few sketchbooks. He grabbed the first one and opened it. The first few pages seemed to be rough sketches of a landscape, nothing he recognized. Then he turned another page to see a sketch of a few buildings, Austria recognized them, but he couldn't remember where he'd seen them. He knew they were probably from somewhere in Germany, a larger city perhaps. The next few pages where similar, just quick sketches of buildings and parts of whatever city it was.

Austria flopped through the pages, yep. Mainly just peaceful landscapes, Buildings, and the occasional portrait.

He set the book aside and grabbed the next one, the first few pages where similar. He turned the page, instead of seeing a landscape or a building, there were two babies. Countryhumans. They seemed to be sleeping soundly and enjoying each other's warmth. Austria looked closer at the symbols on their faces, yep, they were exactly who he thought they were. He smiled, he could just barely remember it. He was just a few years old, but he remembered meeting them for the first time. He got to hold them too. He remembered feeling so cool because he had two new baby cousins.

Austria smiled at the distant memory that he'd nearly forgotten about. The next few pages were similar, mainly just the two laying in a crib together. After that there was a picture of one of the boys standing for the first time. Behind the small pudgy baby was a very happy and proud father. The picture was of relatively low quality in today's standards, but back then it would have been very prized. On the other page seemed to be a drawing of the picture. The next few pages were more drawings and pictures of the two babies standing and other monumental things a parent would never forget. Austria quickly got to the end of the sketchbook, he'd noticed a few of the pages had been ripped or scribbled out. It was a bit odd but he thought nothing of it and just moved on to the last book.

He opened the final sketchbook to see two very young little boys running through a grassy field, they looked to be about 2-3 years old. They both had big smiled on their faces as they held each other's hand. The next page was a picture of the two boys sitting in their father's lap, laying their heads on his chest. The three all were sleeping. The man was sitting in a wooden rocking chair. It was clear they were on a porch of some kind. Austria smiled, he remembered that house.

It was a little cabin out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by grassy fields on one side and woods on the other. It was a vacation home for the family, they would often go there in the summer. It seemed to be Reich's favorite place in the world. The man would sit there in his wooden rocking chair, just sketching. He did it almost everyday for hours on end. It was so...peaceful.

Austria flipped ahead. Mainly just drawings of the family or sketches, there was an occasional page just filled with random scribbles, which Austria only imagined was the two little boys' attempts at drawing.

One thing was a little unsettling though. It seemed the farther he got into the sketchbook the darker things seemed to be. Not in a lighting way, but just what the drawing was about. There were more and more pages that had been torn out, a few looked to be burned, and some looked as they they'd been splashed with water.

One picture in particular was unsettling. It was a detailed drawing of a soldier crying over another soldier. There was blood leaking from the dead man's stomach area, and his entire belly seemed to just be drenched in the red liquid. The other man also seemed to be bleeding out. It was beautifully drawn, but, it was unsettling. Almost all of the pictures after that were also very gory too. A recurring theme seemed to be suicide.

Austria finally got to the last page. On it was a sketch of the family. A man, his father, and his sons. It was obvious there was once a photo to go along with it, but it was gone. Who knows what happened to it, but it was the last picture of them all together.

The last time they would be a happy family.

— — — — —

Eh, a little shorter than I would have liked, but oh well.

How are you today?

Happy Father's Day...wow I didn't plan for this chapter to come out today, considering the fact that it is kinda Germany's backstory & early life? Kinda. Idk.

Well, sorry it's a bit short.

Stay Safe & Have a lovely day because you deserve it.