Until Next Time

... Wait, WHAT!?

Cole balked at the unexpected, seemingly excessive punishment, whirling around to face his defense council who simply shrugged his shoulders and gathered up his things.

"Your Honor! Please! You can't do this! I have to be released, my sister, she -"

"Be quiet Mister Guildford or I'll hold you in contempt and add a further term of imprisonment on top of what I have already served you with! Accept the consequences of your actions and be a model prisoner whilst in jail. Maybe with good behavior the parole board will release you earlier. So be good and do as you're told. Your sister will become a ward of the state and be brought under their care."

The judge cut over and dismissed Cole's objections forcefully, refusing to hear anymore of what he had to say.

How could this be happening?! Cole's mind swirled in confusion as he struggled to grasp the sudden, unexpected turn of events of an impending future where he was held for a further potential six years.

His sister become a ward of the state?

Department of Health and Human Services staff members entered the court and approached the young girl, who sat wide-eyed and terrified at what was unfolding. The shock of losing her brother for years and having her own freedom seemingly taken from her, was causing a vast amount of stress to pile upon her already fragile mental state.

She would not survive in their care. The Department was notorious for turning already troubled children in their care into an even more cracked and broken state than what they already were.

Troubled kids, runaways, drug addicts, orphans, the list went on and on. None of them ever enjoyed a bright future, all being left worse for wear than before they were locked up by the system.

Most kids became full time criminals, involved in crime, drug use and other notorious behaviors.

"Get off me!"

"Damnit kid!"

A custody officer who had gripped an arm of Cole's was shoved away by him and fell over. Cole, whose feet weren't shackled, jump over the barrier separating his sister and he.

"Mister Guildford! Cease this behavior at once!"

The judge roared, banging his gavel.

"Annie, let's go. We're getting out of here!"

Cole stood between his sister Annabelle and the other government officials who were rapidly closing in on them. Wildly looking around, he was desperate to escape the impending doom that awaited them.

His hands were cuffed but that didn't mean he was completely out of options. He just had to get them out of the building and they would stand a chance.

"Easy kid, just surrender peacefully now, you don't want to make it worse than you already have okay? Come quietly with us."

A custodial officer tried to calm the heightened situation.

"Your sister will be taken care of, you have my word we will look after her to the best of our ability."

One of the Department of Health and Human Services officials also tried to placate Cole, assuring him he had nothing to worry about.

"Like hell she will! Everyone knows what the systems like!"

"I'm scared brother, I want to go home..."

Annabelle grasped the sleeve of his shirt and held on tightly, her trembling body felt clearly through the minimal contact between them.

"It's alright Annie. Leave it to your big brother to get us out of here. We'll be home soon, I promise."

Easier said than done, how exactly am I going to get us out of here? Cole thought, trying to come up with a strategy.

He knew he was at a significant disadvantage. Hands bound and outnumbered, not to mention the custody officers were much bigger than he was, how exactly was he going to break free?

It had been his sister and he for years. They didn't have much, but what they did have was each other. He'd be damned if he would let himself to be dragged away from her. The time spent on remand had already exacted a dangerous toll on her, mentally and physically. Having to survive on her own had been extremely dangerous and damaging.

That was already unforgivable.

"Stick close to me Annie, don't let them get a hold of you okay?"

"Nn!"

Annie nodded at me, her eyes glistening with tears as she struggled to hold them and the fear she felt back.

"Hiya!"

Lunging towards him, one of the Department of Health and Human Services members tried to get a grasp on Annie and pull her away.

Clenching his fists together, Cole swing them around and clocked the person in the face, sending them sprawling to the ground.

"Run for it Annie! We're going!"

"Okay!"

As another official dove for Cole and wrapped him up in a bear hug, Cole shook them off and tossed them aside. Annabelle took the opportunity afforded by that act alone to make a break for the entrance to the court room, clambering over a set of seats and hitting the ground running.

"You're not going anywhere kid! Jail's where the judge is sending you and that's exactly where you're going!"

A custody official threatened him as they faced off with one another.

"Good luck! You're going to have to catch me first!"

Cole sneered back. Seizing a momentary lapse in the confrontation, he too made a clean break for the entrance, whilst the officials tried to adjust their positions.

"Go for it Annie! Open the door and run, I'm right behind you!"

"Nn!"

Annabelle opened the door, ready to escape with her big brother in tow.

"Gotcha!"

Cole felt himself be wrapped within a tight grip and he fell to the floor under the weight that he suddenly found pressing down on him.

Suddenly unable to use even the limited use of his hands because they were trapped under his body, Cole could only look over his shoulder and face off with the custody officer who had tackled him.

"Let me go!"

He struggled desperately to escape but couldn't fight them off as another official closed in and assisted the other in restraining him.

"Game over kid. You're coming with us."

"Get off me you thugs! I have to protect my sister! What's wrong with you all?!"

Lifted and dragged to his feet, Cole kicked out trying to break free. Completely restrained now against officers twice his size, he could do nothing but resist violently whilst he was pulled back to the front of the courtroom and the door leading to the custody area.

"BROTHER!"

Cole looked to his screaming younger sister, who was still standing in the doorway and watching her older brother be carried away.

"Come on Annabelle. Everything is going to be okay. Just come with us quietly..."

The Department of Health and Human Services officials closed in on her, edging their way closer step by step.

Hell no, they are not taking my sister! Cole thought.

"Run Annie! I promise I'll fix this! Just get away for now!"

"I c-can't! I d-don't wanna!"

Bawling her eyes out, Annabelle refused to leave Cole as he was pulled to the custody door and about to disappear within its depths.

Cole knew once that door closed, there would be no escape. Annabelle would be on her own again and if she stayed, he would almost certainly never see her again. She would be lost and entangled within the spiderweb that was the governments care system. Just another one of thousands of kids swallowed up.

Just another faceless person that would inevitably become a series of numbers and digits amongst many, on a stack of paper and computer systems.

"You can't let them catch you! I swear it won't be long, just be patient and wait for me! I'll come get you once this mess is all sorted out! Remember, I love you... Now go!"

"I-I love you too big brother! Don't leave me waiting too long or I'll never forgive you!"

Just as the officials were within striking range, she bailed, her echoing footsteps patting against the floor as she ran away.

"Damnit! Alert security at the front counter!"

"Right!"

One of the officials took off sprinting after her while the other pulled out a phone, tapping furiously at the screen to dial out a call.

"Haa..."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Cole relaxed and allowed himself to be dragged through the court door that was open and waiting for him, towards the celled custody area.

They wouldn't catch her, he was certain. They'd been running from a lot of things the last few years. If there was one thing they were good at, it was evading and avoiding the clutches of those who were after them.

He'd just been unlucky recently.

"You've really done it this time kid..."

One of the custody officers growled at him.

"Yeah? Well at least they didn't get my sister so I win this round I suppose, don't I?"

Laughing gleefully, Cole taunted the custody officers as they tossed him into the cell.

Not even bothering to remove the cuffs from his wrists, they slammed the door shut and walked away, leaving him alone in the white washed wall of his confinement to stare at the flickering fluorescent light above him.

"Oh Annie..."

Miserable though he was, he knew would see her again soon, he knew it. She didn't have to worry about a thing, soon they would be back together and he would be taking care of her just like they had been. Being the big brother he was, he would always protect his little sister.