Chapter 56 (Part A)


Tintin slowly began to wake, but realized as he woke that his location made no sense. His environment was foggy and obscured and could not see much detail. He stood in front of a small closet with clothes in a room with two small twin beds. Why was he here? What happened to the Detectives, Chang, and Snowy?

“Fenton, hurry and finish getting dressed…” Tintin hears a familiar voice which he has not heard in years. Tintin knew that none of this could be right, but nevertheless went along with the events that were somehow triggered.

Tintin is holding his dress coat in his hand with dark dress pants, shirt, and shoes. He puts on his coat and sees the other young boy sleeping in the other bed. All of this seems so familiar that Tintin is almost mesmerized trying to take in everything he is seeing. Even though the general environment still seems foggy and obscure, it’s more defined than he remembers it in his dreams. He looks at his brother and instantly a pang of sadness hits him. Tintin holds up his hand as if to say good-bye.

He walks down the dimly lit hall into the kitchen with a small table for four. A few tin cans and an ornate salt and pepper shaker sit in the middle of a table covered with a yellow cloth. He takes a seat and his mother puts a steaming hot bowl of oatmeal with just a touch of butter in front of him. He picks up his spoon to take a taste, but it’s still too hot for him. His mother pours a little milk to cool it down for him, and he begins to eat.

Tintin wants to ask questions, but something inside him is preventing him from doing so. He looks over to the quaint sink and stove by the kitchen window. His mother has her back turned as she is wearing a long lavender dress that comes almost to her ankles, and her auburn hair is swirled in a bun with some of her hair running free below her shoulder. She seems to be busy preparing breakfast.
His mother turns around, and in detail he sees her hazel eyes and the few freckles on her cheek. Her demeanor appears to be sad as she lays a comforting hand on Tintin’s shoulder.

“Eat your breakfast dear, it will be a long trip…” his mother says to him.
“Where am I going?” Tintin finally was able to overcome the compulsion to remain silent.
“Your father says it’s best for you Fenton dear” his mother says trying not to cry.

“But mother!” Tintin suddenly feels the desire to plead but his mother only
responds with a finger on her lip. At that moment the tea kettle begins whistling loudly, and his mother quickly tries to silence it. His mother pours tea in a pot and brings it to the table, fills Tintin’s tiny teacup, and puts just one lump of sugar.
A few moments later, the other sleeping boy in the room awakens and slowly enters the kitchen. Tintin sees him as the other boy gives him a confused look. What happens next is not exactly how Tintin dreamed it.

“Mom, why is Fenton dressed up? I thought we were on holiday from school?” the boy in the long blue pajamas and sleepy cap says.
“Benton, you’re supposed to still be sleeping” his mother explains softly.
“What’s going on mom?” Benton asks curiously.
His mother puts one hand on her face as she is standing by the sink turned away from him.
“Mother?” Benton persists.
“Your brother is going away…” was all his mother would say.
“I thought…you know, Fenton and I would be kept together if you and dad sent us away…” Benton reasoned.

The sight for Tintin of what was unfolding before his eyes was heart wrenching. This memory was coming back to him bit by bit. It felt odd being in the body of a seven year old child, but having the mind of a twenty-five year old man.
That moment a man, just a couple inches taller than his mother came running in.

He had sandy blond hair and bright blue eyes. He was athletic, but not really robust. His hair was combed and laid sideways with one bang falling over his left brow. He sported a thin mustache and goatee. He was dressed in a pair of brown trousers with suspenders, and a white button up shirt with a light brown puffy hat.
“They’ll be here any minute, I have your suitcase already packed Fenton” the man replied.
“Dad, you promised you would send us together!” Benton protested.

“They wouldn’t take both of you together…I tried” his father said in a defeated tone.
“But you promised!” Benton said a little louder.
A knock at the door was heard shortly after.

“They’re here…come Fenton” his father said somberly.
Tintin got up and followed his father to the front door. A man with gray hair and mustache wearing a black trench coat stood with a black umbrella at the door. Another man with thin dark glasses and blond hair, dressed similar to the other man was there too.

“Professor…it’s a pleasure once again” Tintin’s father said trying to sound welcoming.
“I’m really sorry, we are running behind and don’t have time for chatter, is your son ready?” the gray haired man said with an attitude. His accent was unmistakably German.
“Come on Fenton, get your suitcase” his dad told him.

Tintin looked at both guys as they eyed him with pretentiously with smiles. He suddenly feels sick at his stomach and doesn’t want to go.
“Dad, I-I really don’t want to go…” Tintin tells his father.
“Now son, we’ve discussed this, it’s what’s best for all of us right now” his father said putting both hands on his shoulders.
“We have a wonderful facility with all kinds of…technology that will…fascinate you” the blond haired man said slowly.
“You see Fenton, it’s time we have you utilize your gifts to their fullest extent” his father looked him in the eye.

“Dad! What about me?!” Benton came dashing up behind him.
“We’ll be back for you…” the grey haired man said a bit unnervingly.
“You’re scary!” Benton said looking at the man for a moment. “Both of you!” Benton whispered.
“Enough Benton!” his father scolded him.
“Don’t worry brother, I will write you and mom and dad” Fenton assured his brother.

“It’s ok, most children do not like to be separated from their home” the blond haired man replied almost sarcastically.
“Time grows late, we must be on our way” the gray haired man said grabbing little Tintin by the hand.

Tintin watched as his mother cried silent tears and his father kept Benton from running after them. Tintin suddenly remembered the man’s iron grip on his wrist. As if almost by some static shock, Tintin was suddenly in a place that seemed unfamiliar, yet familiar. The high ceilings in a room full of desks brought a feeling of dread. The room was dark as there were children sitting around him in desks mindlessly watching a film with some kind of propaganda.

Obedience, confidence, and sacrifice were the three main words that kept being repeated. When the film was over, a man in a general’s outfit with a long ruler stood up and began lecturing which Tintin could not seem to hear a word of. A couple minutes later when he stomped his feet, Tintin was walking out of a room in line with the other children. Everyone was walking in a line until someone startled Tintin.

“Fenton!” a familiar whisper suddenly got his attention.
“Benton! What are you doing here?”Tintin suddenly asked seeing his brother in a similar uniform.
“We got to get out of here brother! They’re saying we won’t be able to go home for the upcoming holiday to see mom and dad! Each year they take away more of our privelages…this year everything has changed ” Benton whispered.
“What are you talking about?” Tintin asked truly confused having no prior memory of what was going on that moment.

“They’re asking us lots of questions about our father’s work over and over…and at night…some of the boys have disappeared from the room only to come back later and have no memory of what happened to them” Benton tried to whisper quickly.
Tintin looked shocked at his brother also in a similar uniform. Benton’s hair was disheveled, his clothes looked all wrinkled, and he was sweating with a distraught look on his face. Tintin didn’t know what to say because he was unable to recall the recent happenings during that period of time.

“You there!” a deep voice suddenly said startling Tintin and Benton.
“I want to go home Fenton” Benton pleaded just as a tall blond haired mustached man grabbed him from behind dragging him away.
“That’s the third time you’re not where you’re supposed to be boy!” the tall man said picking up the struggling boy.
“Let me go!” Benton yelled.

“This time you’re going to learn your place boy…and more testing…” Tintin heard the tall man say as he disappeared down the hall with his brother struggling. Tintin wanted to help his brother, but could not.
“Move!” another man shouted out. “Schnell!” the man emphasized.
Tintin caught up with the other boys and suddenly everything once again disappeared and he was in a room with a chair and a light hanging above it.

Tintin, still a young boy in body but adult in mind, began walking around the room exploring the perimeter looking for some clue. A steel door and a glass that appeared to be a mirror were the only things in the room.
“We didn’t say you could get out of that chair boy” a man’s voice said as the door swung open.

Tintin saw the same blond haired man with the mustache and a pair of shades. A couple other dressed looking soldiers came in and stood by the door.
“Sit down!” the man ordered.
Tintin backed up and almost fell over the seat.
“What do you want?” Tintin asked.

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