Chapter Text
The house was in chaos, everyone was running around doing their own things. His 4 foster siblings were rushing to finish packing the night before their flight. (How stupid, Tommy was already packed. He was a whopping 12 years old and was not going to get caught slacking.) His 9 foster cousins were also getting packed. Everyone was starving and the food had yet to arrive. Tommy wasn't getting any attention from anyone, this fact just made him angry (sad) so he tried to get attention. Nobody listened so he lashed out and got in trouble. (Not in big trouble but he was still in trouble.)
He was about to say something again when the doorbell rang. He yelled "I'll get it!" and opened the door. It was a nasty police man. Tommy knew that police were not people who you wanted to deal with. Especially not ones as ugly as this one. The man was wearing a uniform that looked too clean to be used, and a hat that looked like it was gotten from the most expensive mall in town. The mans hair was brown and curly, it looked like it wasn't taken care of properly.
Tommy wasn't daft, so he tried to slam the door in the man's face. It was almost shut when Tommy noticed the man's foot shoved in the crack of the door.
"Isn't it a bit rude to slam the door on someone?" The man asked with a bittersweet smile that looked unnatural. Tommy knew that this man was a wrong 'un and was about to speak his mind when his foster dad's brother walked over.
"Timothy! What did I tell you about being such a nuisance to people?!" The older male spoke harshly.
"I'm so sorry about him, he can be so useless sometimes. Anyway, what was it that you needed, officer?" This time it was said with a fake tone of respect. Clearly the officer felt it too because he spoke with the same tone.
"Well, me and my partner were doing a security check at each house in the neighborhood." He said, his eyes still lingering on Tommy. "And I was wanting to ask if you all had sufficient defenses against intruders, it's even more important seeing as there have been many burglars breaking into home around the holidays." When the man finished talked there was a look of understanding across both faces of the men there.
"Of course, our alarms are actually out right now and it's getting checked when we get back from going on holiday." Tommy's "uncle" replied stupidly. "Didn't he know not to tell cops information?" Thought Tommy.
While the adults continued their conversation Tommy decided to walk towards the door. He tripped and was laying on the ground contemplating life. It was at this moment that the universe decided to bless him with bad luck because someone opened the door to let another person in just as he was about to get up. The pizza man tried to walk inside but his foot got caught on Tommy's leg and he stumbled causing a couple pizzas to fall down to the floor.
His Uncle saw it all happen and accused Tommy of doing it on purpose.
"You little jerk, that was my favorite kind of pizza!" The evil man said this with malice in his voice. He shoved Tommy to the ground and yelled at Tommy to go to the attic.
"Stay in there until tomorrow and be glad that we're still taking you with us!" He screamed as Tommy ran upstairs. When Tommy got there, he cried and cried knowing that he wasn't getting to eat for the second time that day.
You see his "family" wasn't struggling but they still refused to feed him saying that the money would be used for something more important. Tommy kept crying until he couldn't feel anything anymore. Eventually he fell asleep.
--- Wilbur POV ---
"This is too easy." I thought as I went door to door asking what safety measures people had put in place. Most everyone in this patch of land was going on vacation meaning everything was up for grabs.
It's boring because it's all the same. "We're going to visit family for the holidays," or "To get the gifts we want we have to leave and come back." It sucked. "At least we're getting money out of all this." I thought as I knocked on the next door. I was going to speak when I looked down and saw that it was a kid that answered the door.
He looked to be 11-13 years old and his clothes weren't the best looking. I looked at his face and saw a fading bruise on his cheek, where that came from I have no idea. More importantly, he had a look of distrust and disgust on his face. He tried to shut the door and I stopped by putting my foot in the crack.
"Isn't it a bit rude to slam the door on someone?" I said with a, hopefully, natural smile. The kid looked like he was about to speak up before he was interrupted.
"Tommy! What did I tell you about being such a nuisance to people?!" The man who interrupted said this with nothing but malice in his voice. I don't even know what to say to that. Apparently I didn't need to because the man then spoke to me.
"I'm so sorry about him, he can be so useless sometimes. Anyway, what was it that you needed, officer?" I can tell that this man doesn't respect me because his tone of voice is just wrong. I decided to reply with a similar tone, one probably couldn't tell the difference between his tone of fake respect and my tone of hardly concealed hatred. I don't like child abusers.
"Well, me and my partner were doing a security check at each house in the neighborhood." I replied, my eyes were still on the child. "And I was wanting to ask if you all had sufficient defenses against intruders, it's even more important seeing as there have been many burglars breaking into home around the holidays." It was easy to come up with the right words to get the information that I need because of all the times I've done this in the past.
"Of course, our alarms are actually out right now and it's getting checked when we get back from going on holiday." The man I'm talking to is very trustworthy of cops, I could never. The kid looks a lot less trusting, good for him.
I kept talking with the older male to get more information from him but out of the corner of my eye I saw the boy walk towards the door. I was wondering what he was doing but he tripped. I was just about to ask if he was alright when someone opened the door as the kid was pushing himself up. A man carrying loads of pizza boxes walked through the door and tripped forward on the kids foot. The man stabilized himself but not before a couple pizzas fell to the floor.
"You little jerk, that was my favorite kind of pizza!" The man, who I just decided was evil, yelled. He then shoved the boy to the ground and yelled at him to go to the attic. I knew how scary attics and basements could be but I didn't saying anything seeing as I didn't have all the information I needed.
"Stay in there until tomorrow and be glad that we're still taking you with us!" I heard faintly, I realized that I was spacing out but I couldn't do anything to stop it. My mind fills with static as I remember how me and Techno were treated before Phil took us in. I was pissed, but again I couldn't do anything.
My body went on auto-pilot as I went to the rest of the houses. I went back home in the van with Phil and Techno. I think they noticed something was wrong but I couldn't care less. When we got back i was still holding back tears of anger. I couldn't think, but I talked to them anyway.
"So, what houses have security?" Techno said with almost no emotion, I guess he realized how I was acting and that emotions would just mess with my mind.
"Literally none of them." I snapped, I feel a little bad but I can't help it. Phil took this as his time to pipe in.
"I don't know what happened, mate, but you can talk to us." He said calmly. I noticed how on edge they were because of me so I took a few deep breaths and calmed down.
"There's a kid at one of the houses that is getting mistreated. He had a bruise on his face and everything. He got yelled at and pushed and I-I don't know what to do, my mind won't stop spinning the static is getting to be too much-" I was interrupted by both Phil and Techno telling me to breath.
"Ok, maybe he's just in trouble and people are on edge." Techno tried saying. I was going to speak when Phil intercepted before I could.
"Even so, it still sucks. But you know there's nothing we can do, it's not like they're gonna leave him at home, basically on a silver platter, for us." We all knew what he meant. It's how me and Techno got adopted after all.
"I understand but it still feels horrible." i replied. The conversation was normal-ish after that. Phil said that me and techno would be sleeping in the nest that night and maybe the next day too. Neither of us protested seeing as our instincts yearned for it as well. Both me and Techno are piglin hybrids, Techno got some physical attributes while I got mainly the instincts. He had tusks, pinkish skin, and a yearning for gold, family, even children. Meanwhile, I had all of the instincts that there are. Anything, you name it, I probably have it. The only things I don't have are the yearn for a mate, even techno doesn't have that, and I only have a small yearn for gold while Techno loses his mind at the sight of it.
We all went to bed and I slept peacefully even with the things happening to that kid.