

Click to play music for Chapter 1
The walls shook and trembled as the repeated blows from the wind rained down upon them. The cold seeped into the room, leaving it bitter and lonely. Though the stove was still warm, it couldn't over come the chills. "Next." an icy voice rang out of the speakers, filling the already freezing noise with more. A young man approached, a passport and papers in hand. "I've come here to stay for a month" he said, his voice was shaking, and his accent was creaking. " Hmph, it says you stay for two weeks. Now tell me, does that sound like a month to you?" Leon said, plopping the papers onto the window still. "But-I-it-that should be right yes?" he stuttered, grabbing a hold of the small table on the outside window. "No, this is wrong. Why did you come here....Yaroslav?" Leon said, flicking through his manual and the documents. "To visit" Yaroslav said, his voice desperate. Leon thumbed to his declarations, reading carefully before snarling at Yaroslav, "It says right here you are here to work." Leon scoffed, mumbling to himself as he cross checked the passport. "I will possibly pick up a job yes." Yaroslav said, his voice growing quieter as he talked to himself. "Possibly? You come here with possibly in your mind?" Leon scolded. "Please! I have to see my family!" Yaroslav begged. "And what's so important huh?" Leon said, leaning over to see Yaroslav, " My Father, he was hurt by another one of my family...he was betrayed... Please, let me in!" Yaroslav said, placing his hands together and shaking them in front of Leon. He scooted back, his mind racing.
Family.....betrayal.
December 13, 1999 -- Approximately 3:12 AM
The snow bit at Ivan's ankles, his heart racing with fear. "Ivan! Where are you?!" A distant voice called.
Leon appeared from the house, a small rifle in his hands. It was fully loaded and cocked.
Ivan held his arm, it shot with pain. The feeling made Ivan squeak, but he held it back. "Ivan come out!"
Leon yelled, his face covered with anger. Ivan stood up and ran, his feet were cold, but his will to live was
not. Leon shot his head up, as he listened to the sound of footsteps. A pair in front of him, and a pair
behind. "Leon! Please stop this Leon!" Damincalled, his pajamas ruffled up, and his jacket scuffed. Leon
snarled and trotted towards the sound of someone falling. Ivan stumbled over his own feet, throwing him
near the creek, where rocks washed up. He squeezed his hand and bit his tongue. His arm awoke, throbbing
with pain. Ivan sat up and looked at it, as the air filled with small sobs. It wasn't deep, but it wasn't good.
He pulled out the piece of glass stuck in it and held it down in his jacket. The freezing Russian wind caught
up to him. It showered him in pellets of snow that scratched his nose. He mumbled and attempted to shoo
it away. But his hand was caught in the grasp of another. He gasped and attempted to release it. "No! No!
Please let me go! It was a mistake! That wasn't me!" He screamed pushing the body of the hand away from
him. "Ivan. Ivan!" A soft voice said. Damin's face emerged from the darkness, with a tired expression. Ivan
stopped and scared before grabbing Damin into a hug. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...." he sobbed, burying himself
into Damin's shoulder. "It's okay, please, its fine. We have to go." Damin said, grabbing Ivan's face and looking
at him. He lifted Ivan to his feet and grasped his hands. "Come on, we can take the trail out." Ivan nodded,
wiping his face off. His military uniform was still wonderfully colored, aside from the tears and scratches in it.
It almost glowed in the white snow. "Where should we go after th--" a bullet whizzed by Ivan's head and hit a tree.
"Ivan! You deserve justice for what you done!" Leon screamed, walking towards Ivan before planting his feet for
another shot.
Damin sprinted to Leon, knocking the gun out of his hands before he attempted to hold him down. "Leon, stop it!
It wasn't Iva--" Damin was knocked in the nose, sending him flying backwards. Damin held his face, crouching
down into the snow. "Please...no.." Ivan said, his voice cracking with tears. Leon picked the gun up and threw his
pistol to the ground. "You.. you did this. You killed them! You killed my family!" Leon yelled, walking to Ivan and
pushing him to the ground. "It-I -please! It wasn't me who said that!" Ivan pleaded. "Then it must be a look a like
yah?" He said, aiming the gun at Ivan. "You deserve this. You took away the last thing that meant something to me
you took away everything. You became a monster Ivan" Leon said, his teeth gritted. "No, please! It wasn't me who
said it!" Ivan said "I don't care, you still did it. Goodbye Ivan Baneina" Leon mumbled.
A small click a rose from the forest "Put the gun down Leon. Don't you dare shoot my brother." Damin said, his body trembling.
"D-Damin please.."
" No."
"But he killed Mom and Dad."
"I don't care. He's my only sibling."
"But, I'm your brother."
"Was." A chilling voice rang out, it filled the space it touched, yet it left an empty feeling.
"Damin..no" Leon said, his heart torn in two. Ivan stood up slowly, backing up to Damin. He took shelter behind him.
"You would choose the man who killed your parents, over your own brother?" Leon said, his eyes in shock. "Rumors
doesn't start family." Damin blankly said, his body becoming calmer and relaxed. He put the gun down, walking away
from Leon. "Ivan come on, we can stay with your sisters." Damin said, his face cool and collected. Leon was in shock,
his mind was paralyzed, but his feels were not. He growled and swung the rifle towards Ivan "You will not get away yo-Ah!"
Leon screamed as a shot rang out. He dropped his weapon and looked to Damin, who stood gently in the snow, his gun
aimed directly at Leon. His leg screamed in agony, along with Leon. "Damin-- Damin please" he gasped. Damin walked
to Leon, crouching to his level. "I leave, you don't follow." He said softly. "What-" Leon's mouth was shut by Damins hand.
"I leave you don't follow Leon. Me and Ivan will not return." He said standing up. Ivan looked to Damin then to Leon.
He huffed and walked over to Leon, who scooted away from him. "Go away dirtbag." He huffed out, his eyes gently
opening and closing. Ivan sighed and hurled him over his shoulder. "Sto-" he closed his eyes and passed out. "Where
do we need take him?" Ivan asked, assuring Leon a comfortable spot to sit on his shoulder. "House. Make a meal, wrap
him up, and leave." Damin said, his blank voice scaring Ivan. "Oh ok" Ivan said in haste. The walk was long. And so was
the note. Leon awoke to the smell of Borscht, the only thing Damin knew how to cook. He smiled and spoke gently "Damin
is that borscht again?" With no answer he opened his eyes, and looked down at his leg. It wasn't a dream. He shot up
and looked around, a bowl of soup and a note.
Dear Leon,I hope you have awoken without pain. I also hope you haven't ran outside looking for us. By the time you read this,
me and Ivan will be gone. Don't look for us. Don't search. Along with that, don't go near Ivan's sisters, unless otherwise
said. I have to protect my brother, even if that means leaving you. We took the old rabbit, and left you the car. There
is plenty of gas to get you to the station for refilling.
Leon, I am sorry for this, but it was not Ivan. He wasn't himself. An if you can't accept that, we will not return. Leon,
please don't fret and linger over this. I don't want to see you homeless. Go and work. Move out, find some where better.
I will not respond to your letters, but I will send you picture of me, to assure that I am not dead. We are bound for Belarus,
were we will stay with Ivan's family.
I will possibly never talk to you again. But I will make sure to visit and see how you're doing.Goodbye, big brother,xxxxxxxxxx
Damin Leginxxxxx
He collapsed onto the table, his muffled sobs drowning out the falling snow outside. He was alone.
For once he was alone. No annoying brother, or happy friend. But alone. He always wanted peace and quiet.
Now he wanted chaos back.
- - -
"Sir? Please sir?" A voice brought him back. Leon tensed up at the sight of a police officer. "He causing any troubles?"
He asked, gripping Yaroslavs arm. "What? Oh, no. Let him through." Leon said, avoiding Yaroslavs eyes. The officer
left, leaving the two alone. "But I thought-" Leon cut him off "Leave." He said, his eyes looking to the back wall.
Yaroslav gladly picked his bags up and ran over to the entrance. He looked back to Leon and huffed, walking into
Russia. Leon sighed and gripped his head, along with his leg. He groaned and grabbed the mic again. "Next."

For once he was alone. No annoying brother, or happy friend. But alone. He always wanted peace and quiet.
Now he wanted chaos back.
- - -
"Sir? Please sir?" A voice brought him back. Leon tensed up at the sight of a police officer. "He causing any troubles?"
He asked, gripping Yaroslavs arm. "What? Oh, no. Let him through." Leon said, avoiding Yaroslavs eyes. The officer
left, leaving the two alone. "But I thought-" Leon cut him off "Leave." He said, his eyes looking to the back wall.
Yaroslav gladly picked his bags up and ran over to the entrance. He looked back to Leon and huffed, walking into
Russia. Leon sighed and gripped his head, along with his leg. He groaned and grabbed the mic again. "Next."
