The dark-haired boy, Ariel, turned to his brother. He grabbed his shoulders and looked him deep in the eyes.
"Listen to me."
The thin and frail little boy, Uriel, forced his tears to stop and focused. He clenched his jaw hard and nodded at his brother.
"We can't let him catch us. He'll…hurt us." A tremor went down Ariel's spine. "I-I…I think they only want you…"
"If I give myself up and you escape through the window, then hide in the lighthouse, Ma will come and—"
"No!" Uriel protested, shaking his head.
"—listen!" Ariel insisted, tears threatening to well up in his young eyes, yet he refused to let it happen.
Not in front of his little brother.
"Leave through the window, go hide in the lighthouse and wait for Ma to come get you. If she doesn't come after a day, run south and don't stop."
"If you keep running that way, Arthur will eventually find you, okay!"
"Ariel, what?! I can't—"
Ariel shook Uriel, as if to awaken him. "We can't!" he screamed. "We can't both die!"
