Chapter 2
Shane's POV
"I will help with the chores. You can count on me," I said, trying to fill my voice with pride. My eyes locked onto the face of the woman robot, her metallic frame glinting faintly in the dim morning light pouring through the dusty windows. Her synthetic skin shimmered faintly as she turned to face me. Her expression was stiff, programmed, but there was the faintest twitch at the corners of her mouth — a smile.
"Acknowledged," she said, her voice whirring softly, as if spoken through thin layers of metal and glass.
"That is... unnecessary," she added, but this time there was a trace of reassurance behind the robotic tone.
Behind me, Sam bounced on his feet. "Me! Me! Me too!" he chirped, his hands raised eagerly.
I clenched my fists. No, no, that can't be. She couldn't just brush us off.
"I—I—I'm good at it, though," I stammered, trying to keep my voice steady. I needed her to believe me, to trust me. To let me stay useful.
"Me too!" Sam added again with a grin so big it nearly split his face. I could've laughed. He was trying to copy me. But I couldn't afford to lose my focus. Not now.
I took a deep breath and bowed slightly. "Please," I said, putting as much respect and humility as I could into the word.
Sam, wide-eyed, followed my lead. He bowed too, looking at me out of the corner of his eye, clearly trying to mimic everything I did. It was... adorable. Painfully so.
The woman robot tilted her head, her mechanical joints letting out a faint chk-chk sound. Her sensors flicked briefly in Sam's direction.
"Fine," she said, monotone again, but there was the faintest glint in her glassy eyes. She turned and rolled away to resume her own tasks.
Fast Forward – Sam's POV
I was cleaning the window with a rag that was too big for my hands, my tiny arms stretching and struggling to reach the top corners. Shane was nearby, mopping the floor. He looked really serious, like he was in some kind of competition.
"Shanny, why do we need to clean?" I whined, my arms already getting tired. The rag was too soggy. I wanted to throw it.
Shane chuckled softly. "You volunteered, remember?"
I puffed my cheeks and pouted. "Because you wanted to do it! I can't lose, you know!" I said proudly.
Shane looked at me with an amused face, then back to the floor. He sighed quietly, disappointed — I think? That made me a little mad.
"Hey!" I said, trying to snap him out of whatever big-brother thoughts he was having.we where twin!!.
Shane's POV
We worked quietly, the hum of robotic servos and distant mechanical footsteps filling the space. Sam's complaints made me giggle. He was trying so hard to keep up, even though this kind of thing clearly wasn't his favorite.
I looked at him with fake disappointment, just for fun. His frustration was instant, and his cheeks turned pink. I quickly returned to mopping, letting the moment pass.
He didn't understand it yet — not fully. He didn't see the fear in their blank stares, the rules hidden behind the robotic smiles. But I did. I had to protect him. One day, maybe he'd understand everything. But not now. For now, I had to carry the burden. I was the older brother.
As we cleaned, the sound of heavy steps echoed from the hall.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
A tall figure appeared. The man robot.
He entered the room, glanced at us with unblinking mechanical eyes, and sat down heavily on the sofa. The cushions groaned under his weight. Then… silence. He didn't speak. Didn't move. Just stared blankly ahead.
"Why is he just sitting there? We're still cleaning, right?" Sam whispered beside me, frowning.
I gently shushed him, placing a finger to my lips.
"Don't provoke him, okay? He might hear us," I whispered, forcing a smile onto my face. Sam's eyes widened a little, but he nodded.
"Let's go to the kitchen, okay?" I whispered again.
Sam agreed with a nod, and we tiptoed toward the kitchen. The robot didn't follow.
Sam's POV
My stomach was growling. We were finally in the kitchen, and it smelled like bread.
"Shane, I'm hungry. Are we both going to eat?" I asked hopefully.
He looked at me seriously, his expression completely different from before.
"Sam," he said, placing both of his hands on my shoulders.
"Yes...?" I asked, tilting my head. What's with the drama?
"From now on, you don't talk to them like that. You need to be polite, and don't talk unless I say it's okay. Got it?"
I blinked. "B-but why...?" I asked, feeling a little nervous. Was something wrong?
He looked at me gently now. "Do you trust me?"
"Of course!!" I said, no hesitation.
"Then just trust me, okay?"
I didn't understand. But I loved my brother. If he said it was important, then it was. I nodded.
He smiled warmly, ruffling my hair. "You're a good kid, Sam."
"But I'm still hungry, Shane," I said, pouting.
He laughed, his voice light again. He opened the cabinet and found two potato chips. We sat on the kitchen floor together and shared them, the silence of the house wrapping around us like a thin blanket.
I watched Sam eat, the way he smiled it's I give him the best food he ever tasted. He made everything feel lighter — even in a house ruled by robots, even in a world where I had to tiptoe around rules I didn't fully understand.
He trusted me.
And I couldn't let him down.
Even if it meant bowing my head. Even if it meant pretending everything was okay. Even if it meant cleaning, and smiling, and laughing with him when inside I was shaking.I will protect him
We finished eating. Sam leaned his head on my shoulder.
"I love you, Shane," he said softly.
My eyes stung. I put an arm around him.
"I love you too. Always."
End