XCOM - A Hidden Truth Occupation - Chapter I || 'Parades and a daring Rescue...'

@Blue winter rose

"Annemarie, would you please come and help me..?" Ellen asked her eldest - and only - daughter. She was quite busy with preparing tonight's meal and needed help with the potatoes. She was standing in the kitchen; one of the only places in the house in which she truly felt at peace. It wasn't like she didn't like the rest of the house; quite the contrary. She loved the farm, her children and her husband. She continued to absentmindedly remove the ends of the beans and put them all in a big, shiny cooking pot.

"Annemarie, please come and help. I'd rather not have a discussion about 'why the food isn't ready yet' with your father." she tried; putting down the knife and grabbing the - rather large - sack of potatoes which she then brought over to the counter. "You'll only have to prepare a couple of them." she said and smiled; she was quite sure Annemarie would come. She brushed over her forehead with her left hand; leaving her white sleeve stained. She was wearing quite modern clothing - or so she thought - and enjoyed looking her best; both for her children, but primarilly for Albert.

She then looked out the window and gazed over the fields in view; it was all theirs and ohmy was she proud of it. Her husband, Albert, and her youngest son Tom were tending and milking the cows in the shed next to the actual house and the sound of happy and - more importantly - relieved cows could be heard. "They'll be done soon..." she whispered as she took the knife back in her hand and continued chopping off the ends of beans...

” I am coming” she yelled back at her mother while she put in some numbers on her calculator. In thought she bite on her pencil trying to figure what she had done wrong. Something just didn’t make sense. She was trying to make something for her father’s hip so he could walk easier. They were only sketches though a silly dream. Only she could go to college she thought. Not that it would matter even if she got it right her father wouldn’t want to wear it she thought grim.

“I am on my way” she answered when her mother called for a second time and sighted. Like having food ready on time is important at all. It irritated her how her mother seemed to live on like nothing has ever happened. She couldn’t bear her mother just seemed to forgot ADVENT took over there country. She didn’t wanted to argue about it now and she walked to the kitchen leaving her notebook behind in the living room. Without a word she opened the drawer to get a knife and started to peel the potatoes.

It didn’t take long before the door opened and Diesel enthusiastically stormed into the kitchen leaving a trail of mud. Diesel was closely followed by her father and Tom. “hey” Anne said towards her father and brother whilst kneeling in front of Diesel. “hey” Tom said back before glancing toward the pan with beans whilst making a disgusted face. “beans again?” he complained. “be nice to your mother, she tries her best.” Her father said strictly towards his son before turning to his wife. “when are we going to eat?” he asked with a look on the clock. Then his glance went to his daughter “hey” he said back giving her his best smile while he leaned against the kitchen table to relive some of the pain in his hip. Didn’t work that much.

Anne looked up at her father and smiled back at him. She saw he tried but it wasn’t as natural as genuine anymore. He always was a bit distant but when he came back alone he turned cold. Especially towards anything technical and as a side effect in the years also to her. How much he tried to hide that there bound was nothing like it used to be. Just 3 years ago he would be more enthusiastically but, it was like when the aliens took away her brother they also took a part of her father she though sad looking down at Diesel who happily licked her hands. She smiled at the dog and petted his head in silence.

"Soon, honey." Ellen answered absentmindedly, before turning around to Anne, saying; "Anne, i would love for you to accompany me to the stores after dinner, we need to buy some stuff i forgot yesterday." She then winked at her and told her husband and her son; "You two, starts making the table. Dinner will be done soon, and i don't feel like allowing it to get cold." She then looked at Anne again, slyly.

Anne nodded towards her mother while she stood up. Diesel not longer getting attention from her turned around towards her father and sat down in front of him looking up at him as he wanted to ask something. Anne laughed shortly at the dog. Diesel seemed to follow her father everywhere and never left him alone for long.

As Anne picked her knife up again to continue to peel the potatoes she noticed her mother looking at her. She knew that look. Even if she didn’t saw it that often anymore. Her mother was planning on something. She was curious what her mother had planned that involved a trip to the store.

Anne turned around and saw her father slowly and visible painful standing right. “ofcourse”he murmelt while he absentmindedly petted the head of Diesel and walked towards the cabinet to get the tablecloth. Tom seemed to be less willing what was expected and started to complain. “do I really have to? I did it yesterday as well” but after a short glance of his father he also walked over to the cabinets to help.

Ellen, having noticed that Anne must've realized something was up, snickered and finished the rest of the beans and then put them on the fire.

"Marvelous!" She said as she witnessed how her husband and Tom were doing the table. Shifting her attention from them back to Anne, she said; "Anne, i think those will be enough potatoes, let's get them into the water."

She then walked towards her soulmate and gave him a hug whilst standing behind him, saying; "I missed you, honey..." She then slyly looked at Tom and pulled him close as well, saying; "And you, as well."

After a little while, she let go of them and walked towards the radio and turned it on. Immediately, it began blaring out the news;

"and have announced that tonight we will be graced with the presence of important ADVENT officials, many of whom will also be present at tonight's festivities. We, at Radio538, would like to remind you that your presence at these festivities is mandatory. Have a good night and please, enjoy the parades!"

Ellen's eyes widened; quickly glancing back to her husband. Tears began gathering as the ever-present, yet greatly supressed fear of ADVENT was awakened in her. Her facial expression was on of pure fear, and her heart had started to race. Her thin hands were shaking, and one could see her chest going up and down quickly...

Anne nodded and started to put the potatoes in the water one by one. Silently helping her mother.

Anne’s father tensed up when his wife hugged him from behind but as soon as he released it was his wife he relaxed and smiled weakly “I missed you too”he said softly his eyes fixed on a point in the distance. Diesel pushed his head against their legs as if he wanted to join in with the hug. Tom wasn’t as pleased with the hug and wrestled out of the hug with an irritated “mom, we were just gone for an hour.”

When Anne heard her brother she turned around to look at them and suddenly it felt normal like Willem could just walk into the kitchen and laugh at Toms reaction on the hug. Anne closed her eyes for a moment. She wanted to believe it would happen and for a second she did, but instead of Willems laugh it was the news that broke the silence and Anne's fantasy fell in thousand pieces. Angry she threw a potato into the water so water splashed all over the kitchen counter. Enjoy the parades she thought bitter. How could they enjoy the fake illusion they tried to cover up the evil horrible truth with. A truth she only know bits of pieces of but those bits and pieces where enough to hate them. More than enough.

“put it off” Anne father said harsly nearly angry and in a few steps he was to the radio and put his hand over his wife's hand to put the radio off. “I don’t want to hear this nonsense in my own house” he said loudly through the kitchen before looking at Ellen. He couldn’t bare to see his wife in fear to not be able to take that fear away.

Tom sighted and said in an annoyed voice “do we really have to go?” while he looked at his parents. “ Well I am not going” Anne said stubbornly without thinking while she threw another potato into the pan with water. She didn’t wanted to join everyone with there fake smiles and pretend like the world was amazing.

The moment his hand touched her own; Ellen couldn't keep her tears from running down her cheeks. Sniffling and without control over her own breathing she almost collapsed; clinging onto her loving husband for support. "Y-You... you heard what they... what they said..." she tried; her eyes still filled with fear.

At Tom's voice, proclaiming he wouldn't go, only to be backed by Anne who also didn't feel like going, she cringed; the realization that being absent from mandatory parades and festivities will cause more harm than good. "Y-You... we... we have to go..." She whimpered; her eyes wet and tears making her cheeks shimmer. The entire ambiance in the room was ruined by something as simple as a radio broadcast. Yeah, the family used to love listening to radiostations like 538, but... since ADVENT took over they began broadcasting more and more pro-ADVENT content. It was practically impossible to ignore; the Aliens, their oppression...

"W-We have to..."

Anne’s father took his wife in his arms. When he looked at her he saw the fear in her eyes. Eyes that looked so simeral as Willems. That look was all that it took to make Albert wishing he could make an end to ADVENT. But he couldn’t not with his leg and even then. Not going to the parade as much as he wanted to. Would mean punishment he knew.If it was just him he wouldn’t mind but, he couldn’t lost another child. He couldn’t put Ellen through that. Not again. He looked back at his two children safely in the kitching. He took a deep breath and said to his childeren as much as he didn't want to. “Your mother is right. We..” He started but Anne wasn’t planning on letting him finish.

“We don't have to do anything. What are they going to do anyway. Checking every farm in this middle of the nowhere”she said loudly looking at her parents. Her mother was scared she saw but she wasn’t. Refused to be. No she was angry, angry for everything ADVENT had taken away. There freedom, there safety, Willem." But she would never shiver in fear for them. No matter what they would do. “I am done doing what they want to.”she yelled. Then a lot softer she added “Willem wouldn’t” looking at her parents angry. She heard her little brother next to her gasp for her air. Now she really had done it. She had said his name. When she saw the pain in her father eyes she immediately felt sorry. But the thing with words is as soon as you said them there is no going back. So she kept looking at her parents to see their reaction.