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Series: Broken World
Prompt: Psychic/ Superpowers
Summary: A strange man wants to take Devon away.
“Mister and Missus Neumann, I know this is very difficult for you—“
“It’s been fine!” Daddy insisted. “Leah and I have done well. Just look at our files.”
The man in the grey suit made a face that wasn’t quite a smile. “Yes, well. You are upstanding members of this community. That’s commendable. But rules are rules, Mr. Neumann. Surely you want what’s best for your son?”
“We give it to him!” Mommy said. She held Devon tight, stroking his hair. “We make enough to support ourselves. I have flexible hours, so I can pick him up and drop him off at school. Like Marc said, we’re doing just fine.”
The suited man nodded, but then he took in a deep breath and shook his head. “I wasn’t talking about your home life, Mrs. Neumann. I’m sure you two are wonderful parents. But the fact is, you can’t provide a safe environment for him. Think of his future.”
“You can’t just take him—“ Mommy started to shout, but then she calmed down and covered Devon’s ears. They started to whisper to each other. Devon couldn’t really tell what they were saying, but he knew that Mommy and Daddy were angry and the man in the suit kept smiling when he didn’t mean it. Devon hugged Mommy tighter and his face in her shirt. He wanted to go home and play hide-and-seek with Nessa. She was the best seeker because she could turn into a dog, and she was always on his team.
Mommy stood up suddenly. Devon clung to her even more. She kept one arm around him, but she wasn’t covering his ears anymore.
“I am not going to let you take him away. Devon is my son! I would never let anything happen to him!”
“Mr. Neumann, please tell your wife—“
“Mr. Grant, I stand with my wife on this.” Daddy stood up and put a hand on Devon’s shoulder. “Devon is our son. You can’t just take him away from us. There has to be something we can do.”
“I’m afraid the law is very clear on this. Your son is normal. He doesn’t belong in St. Francis. He’ll be very well taken care of, I assure you.”
“In foster care?” Daddy said in his quiet-angry voice. “Being shuffled from home to home for the next thirteen years? We can keep him safe. Please, Mr. Grant.”
The chair scraped as Mr. Grant stood up. “I’m very sorry, really. But if you two refuse to cooperate we will have to use force. You both will be charged with obstruction of justice. Devon doesn’t need to see that.”
Mommy’s chest started shaking and her breath quickened. Daddy hugged both of them tight.
“May we have a moment?” Daddy asked.
“No, Mr. Neumann.”
Mommy sobbed into Devon’s hair. Mommy loves you, she said in her silent-voice. She sent him a memory from three days ago, when they’d gone to the playground and had a picnic. He could feel her love and happiness when she had watched him and Daddy playing on the swings. Devon started crying.
“Mommy, I don’t wanna go.”
Mommy and Daddy will always love you, Devon. Never forget that.
The door clicked open. Heavy feet walked into the room.
“Mr. and Mrs. Neumann, step away from the child.” This new man’s voice was harsh and loud. Mommy kneeled on the ground. She slowly tried to let him go, but Devon hugged her tighter.
“I don’t wanna. I don’t wanna!” he said, louder and louder. Daddy pulled Devon away.
“I know, little man. But we don’t want to make the police mad.” Daddy’s voice cracked near the end. He gave Devon one last tight hug. “We love you, Devon.” Then he gently pushed Devon towards the suited man.
The suited man’s thick fingers grabbed Devon’s shirt collar. Devon screamed and tugged and fought at him. Daddy seemed to collapse as soon as Devon left his side. This wasn’t right. They were a family. The police weren’t supposed to let this happen.
Mommy hugged Daddy close. Both of them were crying. Devon had never seen his parents cry before.
The door slammed shut between them.
Prompt: Psychic/ Superpowers
Summary: A strange man wants to take Devon away.
“Mister and Missus Neumann, I know this is very difficult for you—“
“It’s been fine!” Daddy insisted. “Leah and I have done well. Just look at our files.”
The man in the grey suit made a face that wasn’t quite a smile. “Yes, well. You are upstanding members of this community. That’s commendable. But rules are rules, Mr. Neumann. Surely you want what’s best for your son?”
“We give it to him!” Mommy said. She held Devon tight, stroking his hair. “We make enough to support ourselves. I have flexible hours, so I can pick him up and drop him off at school. Like Marc said, we’re doing just fine.”
The suited man nodded, but then he took in a deep breath and shook his head. “I wasn’t talking about your home life, Mrs. Neumann. I’m sure you two are wonderful parents. But the fact is, you can’t provide a safe environment for him. Think of his future.”
“You can’t just take him—“ Mommy started to shout, but then she calmed down and covered Devon’s ears. They started to whisper to each other. Devon couldn’t really tell what they were saying, but he knew that Mommy and Daddy were angry and the man in the suit kept smiling when he didn’t mean it. Devon hugged Mommy tighter and his face in her shirt. He wanted to go home and play hide-and-seek with Nessa. She was the best seeker because she could turn into a dog, and she was always on his team.
Mommy stood up suddenly. Devon clung to her even more. She kept one arm around him, but she wasn’t covering his ears anymore.
“I am not going to let you take him away. Devon is my son! I would never let anything happen to him!”
“Mr. Neumann, please tell your wife—“
“Mr. Grant, I stand with my wife on this.” Daddy stood up and put a hand on Devon’s shoulder. “Devon is our son. You can’t just take him away from us. There has to be something we can do.”
“I’m afraid the law is very clear on this. Your son is normal. He doesn’t belong in St. Francis. He’ll be very well taken care of, I assure you.”
“In foster care?” Daddy said in his quiet-angry voice. “Being shuffled from home to home for the next thirteen years? We can keep him safe. Please, Mr. Grant.”
The chair scraped as Mr. Grant stood up. “I’m very sorry, really. But if you two refuse to cooperate we will have to use force. You both will be charged with obstruction of justice. Devon doesn’t need to see that.”
Mommy’s chest started shaking and her breath quickened. Daddy hugged both of them tight.
“May we have a moment?” Daddy asked.
“No, Mr. Neumann.”
Mommy sobbed into Devon’s hair. Mommy loves you, she said in her silent-voice. She sent him a memory from three days ago, when they’d gone to the playground and had a picnic. He could feel her love and happiness when she had watched him and Daddy playing on the swings. Devon started crying.
“Mommy, I don’t wanna go.”
Mommy and Daddy will always love you, Devon. Never forget that.
The door clicked open. Heavy feet walked into the room.
“Mr. and Mrs. Neumann, step away from the child.” This new man’s voice was harsh and loud. Mommy kneeled on the ground. She slowly tried to let him go, but Devon hugged her tighter.
“I don’t wanna. I don’t wanna!” he said, louder and louder. Daddy pulled Devon away.
“I know, little man. But we don’t want to make the police mad.” Daddy’s voice cracked near the end. He gave Devon one last tight hug. “We love you, Devon.” Then he gently pushed Devon towards the suited man.
The suited man’s thick fingers grabbed Devon’s shirt collar. Devon screamed and tugged and fought at him. Daddy seemed to collapse as soon as Devon left his side. This wasn’t right. They were a family. The police weren’t supposed to let this happen.
Mommy hugged Daddy close. Both of them were crying. Devon had never seen his parents cry before.
The door slammed shut between them.
