A few years ago, a random virus that appeared overnight wiped out 3/4th of the population. The world went into ruin for a bit, until society came together after dying down to about 3 million people. They then made so many things that they could only dream of making when the population was at its max. Soon, most of society moved to a high tech city so originally named “The Big City”, It reminded people a lot of a Cyberpunk society. People did still live outside of The Big City, doing important jobs to keep the city afloat, like farming and livestock. One of these jobs was a mortician, where that job was taken by a man, his wife, and four children. A few years back, The wife of the man died, leaving him and his children alone. Well, the story starts with the man’s eldest daughter, Judith-Ann, went outside of their mortuary, and to the graveyard when one of the fancy cars from The Big City came rolling in. Judith-Ann thought it was just a customer, for they were the last mortuary left. Her two brothers, Vance and Lloyd (A pair of twins) and her little sister, Historia ran over from playing and paused to see a young,clearly wealthy man. The man only seemed to be in his late twenties, but wasn’t that handsome, for he had a ugly nose, and just a ugly expression in general. His blonde hair was sickenly greasey, and his green eyes had that look of disgust at the three younger children, before landing his eyes on Judith-Ann.
“Well hello there, you must be the missus of this home” The man said, going to kiss Judith-Ann’s hand
“I am the eldest child of the house, not the missus” Judith-Ann replied, pulling her hand away from him, slightly disturbed by the look in his eye. The man silently looked her over, smirking, making Judith-Ann feel the desperate need of a shower.
“Well, we can talk about you more later dear. Is Mr. Mirisciotta here?” he asked, butchering their last name
“Yes, my father is here, I shall get him” Judith-Ann quickly ushered her siblings inside, slamming the door behind her, which did attract her father into the dinning room.
“Judi, what did I say about slamming that damned door?” Her father spoke, narrowing his eyes at the four children. Historia ran up to him, and he picked her up.
“Father, there is a man outside looking for you, and I don’t feel comfortable around him…” Judith-Ann said, rubbing her arms like she was cold.
“A man? Let me go see him, must just be a customer, my daughter” he said, putting down Historia, ruffling Vance and Lloyd’s hair, and patting Judith-Ann’s shoulder before heading outside to talk to the man. Being the curious thirteen, eleven, and nine year olds they were, they peaked their heads out and listened in.
“Hello sir, how may I help you?” Their father asked, standing in front of the man. Their father was a scrawny man, and wasn’t very tall.
“Ah! Mr. Mirisciotta!” The man said, butchering their last name once again, “I have wonderful news for you!”
“Oh? And… what would that be, sir?” Father questioned, looking confused.
“Well, as a man with a need for entertainment, I have been rounding up all of those who are… less fortunate than me, and letting them participate in a game of life and death, and you are chosen!” The man said happily, like this was the biggest honor he could give the mortician.
“Excuse me, What?! No, I will not, I have children to take care of!” He screamed at the man, looking horrified.
“Oh please, If you die, I’ll have them in the best orphanage around… but your oldest daughter… I might keep her” The man said, grinning in a sick and twisted way.
“My daughter is thirteen! She isn’t even old enough to let me work with me yet!” The children’s father started to back up, afraid. The man sighed in annoyance, and snapped his fingers. The man’s car let out a loud hissing sound, and a large, slithery arm reached out, and grabbed the father, forcing him in the car. At the time, Judith-Ann ran out, hitting the man.
“Let! Him! Go!” She cried each word, banging her fist against the man’s body. The man just rolled his eyes and slapped her, the force of it sending her reeling back and falling, only getting up to see the man drive off with her father, to The Big City. The other three children surrounded her, quickly.
“Where is father going?” Vance asked, tugging on his sister’s shirt to get her attention.
“That man took him!” Lloyd huffed, looking upset. Historia looked quite peeved.
“I want Daddy…” She mumbled, stomping her little feet. Judith-Ann just picked up her sister… then kicked a rock.
“God dognit! Now he’s gone! What are we going to do now?!” She yelled, for she was quite mad. The twins looked at each other, and came up with an idea.
“We should go get him back” They said together, very seriously. Judith-Ann looked at them like they had four heads.
“Absolutely not! We are going to call the police and stay put!” She reprimanded them. They just scoffed.
“Come on, did you not see how expensive that care was?” Vance asked.
“He could buy his innocence and get us arrested!” Cried Lloyd. Judith-Ann thought about it, and agreed with what they said, and came up with an idea.
“Fine, I’ll go get Father back, you all are going to the neighbors! I’m sure Nice old Mr. Wally would take you-”
“I’m putting the bad man in time out!” Historia yelled, waving her arms angrily. Judith-Ann gave them all a look.
“Do you not know how big The Big City is?” She asked them sternly. The boys just gave her a look, and then looked at each other like, “Is she stupid?” Historia was getting fussier and madder at the second. Judith-Ann sighed, and dragged them inside. For the first time since their mother died, they felt very lonely in their home. Judith-Ann ran the house with an iron fist, sending them to bed early… she packed her own bags, left a note, and left the house… to find her three siblings already dressed, bags packed and ready to go. She groaned.
“Must you all be so stubborn? You’re not going!” she snapped at them, ready to start screaming.
“Hey, he’s our dad too! You have to let us help!” Lloyd cried, trying to reason with her. Vance nodded and Historia just looked pouty about almost being left out.
“Yes, He’s your father too, but your children! Fighting with a rich man is not something you should be-”
“Shut up and let us join dammit!” Vance screamed at his sister. She sighed, and her shoulders fell.
“Fine, y’all can join… It would be better for me to keep an eye on you all… get in the car, we’re driving to father”
The family had an older car, a Honda that people used to drive when the population was larger. The cars now could fly, and most just drove on these rails in the city, the road was mostly empty.
“So… Judi… do you even know how to drive?” Vance asked, buckling up in the back while Lloyd helped Historia buckle up before buckling himself. Judith-Ann got into the driver seat, buckled up, and started the car.
“Momma taught me, now shut up and let the driver focus” With that, They peeled out of the driveway and towards the city, leaving behind their little mortuary, waiting for them to bring back the mortician. Judith-Ann wasn’t all that good at driving, but was good enough to not crash… and that’s all they needed. The Big City was about forty eight minutes away from where they lived, and Historia had fallen asleep in the back. They finally entered The Big City, and the twins looked out the window in awe, for their father never let them come with him into the city. Judith-Ann had been to The Big City before, for her mother used to visit past customers of the mortuary. Mother was actually a Therapist, and helped others with grieving. Judith-Ann missed her mother, for she was a good mother to them. They drove slowly down the ground road. Most of the cars drove on rails up in the air, for it was quicker then normal travel… but now the roads down here were clear. She drove for a bit until the car ended up sputtering and dying.
“Fu-Rats!” Judith-Ann corrected herself, smacking her hands against the wheel. Historia woke up from hearing her sister being upset, and sniffed.
“D-did we get daddy back yet?” She yawned, rubbing her eyes.
“No, Historia, we haven’t yet, the car is broken down!” Vance told her, with Lloyd nodding.
“Boys! You don’t have to tell her! She’ll get upset!” Judith-Ann scolded them. She got them out of the car, they broke down near a few shops near the street, where older men worked.. Or more so sat and smoked. One man waved Judith-Ann over.
“Say, y’all must be from outside the city, hmm?” The man asked, rocking in a rocking chair and smoking his pipe. Judith-Ann nodded.
“Yes sir, I’m the daughter of the Mortician” She said, nodding to him. She didn’t know what he wanted, so she stayed on high alert. Vance and Lloyd were getting Historia out of the car, and were watching closely. Historia was starting to get grumpy again, and had her little hands on her little hips.
“Hurry up” She said, tapping her little foot on the ground. Judith-Ann gave her a little glare, trying to shush her.
“She seems to be quite the impatient one, hmm?” The old man chuckled. Judith-Ann nodded.
“So, what are you young ones doing all alone out here? And driving nonetheless?” The old man asked, taking another hit of his pipe.
“Our father was taken, a Rich man took him away… do you know who or where he is?” Judith-Ann asked the old man.
“Ah, you mean that one starting that game? Took one of us earlier…” the old man said with sadness in his voice, and the others around him just nodded and muttered.
“Where is he?” She asked, getting slightly hopeful.
“Why, he lives in the tallest tower… right above us” the old man pointed up, and all four siblings looked up at it. It was huge, around 200 feet up in the air.
“Now how do we get up in there?!” Vance asked, looking bewildered. Lloyd just let out a low whistle. The old man just chuckled and smiled, getting up.
“Follow me, children, i’ll show you a way in” He said, grabbing a cane and leading them into the store. The four siblings looked at each other and ultimately decided to follow the man into the store. The store was full of little nooks and goodies, and smelled of various spices. Vance and Lloyd looked and tried to touch everything, wanting some of it. Historia just looked, being curious, like any nine year old. Judith-Ann had to stop the1 boys from touching anything, and picked up Historia to follow the old man faster. The old man showed them an old curtain, which when pulled back revealed a vent to the side of the tower. Judith-Ann gawked at it, and got a shimmer of hope in her eyes. A hope that maybe, just maybe, they could actually get their father back.
“This vent is shaped like a staircase, all the way to where that man is.” The old man spoke, holding back the curtain.
“So.. we can use this? To get in?” Judith-Ann said looking hopeful. The old man nodded, and motioned for them to enter.
“Good luck, young ones” He said, as the four siblings entered to get back their father. The old man was right, the vents were shockingly like stairs. It was a long way up, and they got tired quickly, besides Historia, who had Judith-Ann carry her. They passed many rooms, getting closer and closer to their father, hearing faint screams and cries. The boys flinched, guessing it was the death game they heard about when the Rich Man took their father.
“I… don’t like these sounds…” Vance said, looking scared. He was causing the vent to shake with how much the boys were shaking. Judith-Ann sighed, and looked back at them.
“It’ll be okay, i see an opening ahead” She said as they closed in on it, the screams and cries getting louder and louder. They all peaked through the opening… or more like the older kids did, while Judith-Ann covered Historia’s eyes. It was Horrific… blood and bodies were everywhere, and a few were twitching from their wounds. The only comfort from this that the children got was that a few people were alive… and one of them was their father.
“It’s Dad!” Vance whispered, smiling and nudging his brother. Lloyd nudged him back, and they looked at Judith-Ann, whose face was horrified, but relieved.
“So, how do we get him back?” Lloyd asked. Judith-Ann just stayed put for a bit, before continuing on.
“We go after the Rich Man. We get rid of him, we can save Father.” She said, So they continued, With Historia pouting that she didn’t get to see. They traveled for about twenty more minutes, before finding an office, with said rich man right underneath them. The siblings gave each other looks, and smirked. They decided the littlest one could leave first… and land right on the rich man. She was able to get him onto the floor, and her siblings followed behind her, pinning down the rich man.
“Okay, here’s how it’s going to go! You’re gonna let everyone here go, or we’re gonna force you to!” Judith-Ann said, leaning down to face him on the floor. The Rich Man spat at her.
“You damn girl, you just want your father free, hmm? Well I won’t, I’ll just kill him faster! He stole my sister away before I could meet her!” The Rich Man yelled. The siblings froze.
“Explain” Vance said, his elbow digging into the man’s back more.
“My father had many wives in his time, I was one of his children that no one knew of. I had siblings I wanted to meet… and the one who would be most willing was Alice.. Your mother…” He sneered. The siblings were shocked, the Rich Man was their uncle? They all kinda froze as the Rich Man continued.
“So I tried to reach out, but then I found out your stupid father married her and took her away! And now, she’s dead! So no, you’re not getting your damn father back, I want him dead!” The Rich Man screamed at them, only for Historia to start jumping on his back, causing him to cough.
“So… you’re literally saying that you’re our uncle… and you’re pissy because your half-sister got married and had a family before she died?” Vance stated. They all thought this guy was really lame. The Rich Man stuttered. Judith-Ann just looked around, being able to see said game. She saw a red button, and by logic, it was either gonna blow this place up or stop what was happening… she silently prayed it was the ladder as she pressed it. The game was stopped, and she let out a sigh of relief.
“How dare you!” The Rich Man screamed, before Historia jumped on his back again.
“Stop throwing a tantrum!” She scolded him, as her brothers snickered. The people that were playing the game looked confused, and then they looked up at the office, to see an thirteen, eleven, and nine year old kids beating up a grown man. Their father looked up at them, his eyes shining with pride, those were his kids, saving them all. After tying up the Rich Man, The siblings rushed down, trying to avoid the bodies, to get to their father. They practically jumped at him with how excited they were.
“Father! You’re okay!” Judith-Ann cried, hugging her father. Vance and Lloyd were just running around in a circle with their father in the middle. Historia was just jumping up and down.
“Daddy! Daddy!” She said, Their father just laughed, hugging the ones he could actually grab.
“You all… how did you find me?” He asked, his voice the sound of a now free man.
“We snuck in from the vent! Judi drove us here!” Vance said, still very excited. Their father gave them a pointed look.
“As much as I am grateful for you all… you know you guys are gonna be grounded for a long while, right?” Father said. They all looked down, and nodded.
“Well, find a phone and call the police, I don’t think anyone will appreciate anyone doing a death game for no reason.” The siblings looked at each other, deciding to not correct their father. They found a phone after searching for it, and did call the authorities, leaving a tip. They dared not stay for it, just wishing to go home, back to their Mortuary, and away from the man and his riches, but they did lose Historia around the place.
“My goodness, where is she now?!” Judith-Ann cried. They searched, and searched, until they found Historia running down the hall, holding a key and note.
“I found something from Mommy!” She said, jumping up and down, handing it to her father. Her father opened the note and read it.
“This key is to be given to my husband by the bank when he comes for it, for it is to my Will and small fortune, may he take good care of our four children… my goodness! Your mother’s fortune! I always wondered where that damn key went, he must have taken it!” Their Father cried out. The siblings looked at each other, realizing their Mortuary will be able to have modern and better equipment, and they will be able to live comfortably. They went through the vents again, to get out this time before police came, and passed the old men, who their father thanked greatly for helping the siblings… and for fixing their car! They drove away, all siblings falling asleep in the back, as they returned to their Mortuary, now full of Riches.