EARTH'S DEFENDERS: battle for survival

They spent their holiday watching soap operas, playing puzzle games, gardening, and baking cakes or cookies…which they were hopelessly bad at. On some days, Mom would come home with a small stack of books from the library where she worked. “To improve your vocabulary,” she always told them, waving them like gifts she couldn’t wait for them to open.

Other days, Agatha would slip out with her friends, usually bribing Denise with sweets to keep her silent about those little escapes. Nevertheless, school holidays were the best time for the sisters to bond, even with their small acts of mischief.

***

That day, they were busy in the garden, weeding and watering the plants, when a car rolled into the driveway.

“Who is that?” Agatha asked, stepping up behind Denise.

“I have no idea. I’m going to check it out,” Denise replied, taking a few careful steps toward the car for a better view. The window rolled down slowly, but the driver’s head stayed slumped against the steering wheel, unmoving.

“What is he doing?” she whispered, her steps growing more cautious.

The man finally stepped out, and when his face came into view, Denise recognized him, it was her dad’s brother, Uncle Andrew. She ran to him, threw her arms around him, and he lifted her effortlessly, pulling her into a tight embrace

“You’ve grown so big, Denise. No food left for the rest of us, huh?” he joked, though it landed poorly. Maybe because his eyes were red and swollen, or his voice sounded rougher than she remembered.

Agatha approached slowly, her head slightly lowered, her gaze anywhere but his face. She would have run If she had the opportunity.

Denise knew that look, the memories that haunted her sister.

She recalled the incident on her birthday three years ago, the moment that made her see her sister differently.

---

After the party, Denise had been upstairs in the nursery, playing with the other kids. Downstairs, the adults were drinking and talking about the good old days, lost in their own world. But the joy was cut short when Matthew, Uncle Andrew’s son, snatched one of Denise’s presents, a remote-controlled racing car she had just unwrapped.

“Give it back, it’s mine!” Denise cried, reaching for it.

Matthew pushed her to the floor, laughing with the other kids as if it were all a game.

“It’s mine now, and there’s nothing you can do about it,” he said, his tone icy.

Denise ran to her room in tears, too frightened to tell anyone. It was supposed to be her special day, yet all she felt was a deep, crushing disappointment.

“Denise?” she heard Agatha calling for her. “Where the hell is my favorite, oops, I mean… my only sister?” Agatha muttered as she scoured the hallway. Then she pushed open their bedroom door and halted when she saw her crying.

Denise scrambled onto the bed, turning her face away. She didn’t want to cause any problems, especially not today.

“What happened?” Agatha asked, her voice turning into a snarl. “Why are you crying?” She sat beside her and pulled her close, wiping her tears with the hem of her shirt.

“It’s nothing,” Denise replied. “I was playing with Miya when I hit my hand… it just hurt a little.” She tried to make the lie sound believable.

Agatha wasn’t buying it. She grabbed Denise’s wrist, examining it carefully.

“There is no bruise,” she said, her tone sharp and unforgiving. “Are you lying to me?”

That question shattered her. Denise couldn’t hold it in anymore, tears burst out of her again.

“Matthew took my racing car,” she admitted. “And he said he’d beat me up if I told anyone.”

Agatha shot to her feet, anger flooding her face. Without another word, she stormed out of the room. Denise followed slowly, dread curling in her stomach.

“Matthew! Matthew!” Agatha’s voice cracked like a whip as she charged into the nursery. “How dare you make my sister cry?” Every word dripped with fury.

Denise couldn’t see anything from the doorway, but the shrill screams, the crash of breaking glass, and children running out with wide, shocked eyes told her it wasn't good.

The adults rushed upstairs, and soon Matthew was being taken to the hospital, blood spilling from his jaw. That night, Agatha was punished severely and grounded for the rest of the year.

—

She could feel the guilt and shame weighing on her sister, given her refusal to apologize for what had happened.

“Come over, kiddo,” Uncle Andrew called out, his voice drained of all its usual warmth.

“I, I’ll go call Dad,” Agatha mumbled, keeping her eyes fixed on the floor.

“No!” he yelled, louder than either of them expected. He put Denise down gently and moved closer, taking Agatha’s hands.

“Why don’t you go inside and get your things, and Denise's packed. We are going somewhere.”

Agatha frowned. “I don’t understand. Where are we going?”

“I’m taking you two…”

“Where? And why can’t I call my parents?” Agatha demanded, her face shifting from confusion to suspicion.

Denise stood still, watching everything unfold as if she were a spectral figure. Uncle Andrew moved forward and stood in front of Agatha, then went down on one knee and hugged her tightly as tears slid down his face.

“What’s wrong?” she asked quietly, her eyes fixed on him.

“What is going on?” But the questions only made him cry harder.

“Your parents…they had an accident,” was all he managed to mutter before he completely broke down.

“ What…? How did this happen? Where…where are they? I want to see them now!” Agatha pulled away from his arms and ran to her sister.

Denise froze as her world lost every breath in it. She felt Agatha tug at her, urging her to move, but her legs didn't respond. She waited for him to get up laughing, one of his dry jokes again, but that never happened.

She didn't hear his next words, or maybe she didn’t want to, but she knew they were heart wrenching. When Agatha rushed into the house, tears streaming down her face as she clutched their family photo tightly to her chest. “No,no,no…”