I went a little overboard, and it is definitely not my best work, so I’m a bit embarrassed to share it, but whatever. Y’all tell me what you think. 
2 a.m.
1:59 a.m. A dark room. Lit up only by the lime green glow from the alarm clock placed on the bedside table. The warm mass bundled in blankets shifted, letting out a small snuffle, then shifted again, a small head emerging, dark hair strung across the pillow. A hand shot out, tucking pieces of hair back, then the eyes opened, reflecting the green light eerily. The eyes flickered over to the time, then the body rose, pulling the blankets up with them. Footsteps sounded outside the closed door and the girl flinched, pulling the blankets back up over her head. The footsteps paused for a moment, shuffling outside the door, then moved on. Inside the chilly room, the girl lowered the blanket from her head, pushing her stringy hair back behind her ears. She glanced back over to the clock, now glowing the numbers 2:00 a.m. and she knew it was time. Now or never. Placing her feet silently on the ground, she padded over to the door, pulling the blanket off the bed as she walked. She pulled the wool sheet over her shoulders as she opened the door. It felt as if the house was holding her breath as she stepped into the darkened corridor, dimly lit from light seeping in from underneath a door. She stood motionless in the hallway, trying to muster up enough courage to step forward.
One breath. Two breaths. The girl’s breath hitched in her throat as her feet thrust her forward, stumbling down the hallway towards the light filtering through a crack in a door a few feet away. The girl pushed her way into the room, drawing the attention of a man standing in the middle of the bedroom who was packing a camo-print backpack. The man stood, his face twisting into worry. “Eve, what are you doing up?”
Eve stood still, taking in the sight of the man’s fatigue’s, the name Brandon McCalister emblazoned on the right breast pocket. “You’re leaving?”
Brandon sighed. “I was hoping to sneak out undetected.”
“You would have left without saying goodbye?” Eve brought the edge of the blanket up to her eye, dabbing away a tear that threatened to escape.
“I didn’t want to make you worry. I thought it would be easier if I just left. No pomp and circumstance.” He shifted his weight, the camo boots on his feet clunking on the hardwood floor.
“Brandon, of course, I’m going to worry. You’re going off into war! What if I never see you again!” As Eve spoke, a rogue tear trickled down her cheek, leaving a streak of refreshing chill in its wake. She pulled the blanket even tighter around her shoulders, trying to keep out the sudden chill that enveloped her.
“Eve, I’m only going to be deployed for a couple of months. I’ll be fine." His face broke into a reassuring smile, but when Eve did not mirror his smile, his smile faded and he held his arms out to his sister, inviting her for a hug.
“What if you end up like Dad? He said he was going to return…” Eve’s voice shook, and she buried her head in her brother’s coarse jacket. “Mom can’t lose you. I can’t lose you.”
Brandon shook his head, holding Eve at arm’s length. “I’ll be fine Eve. Most likely, I won’t even see any action. But I need to go, and I need you to be strong for Mom and Lacey. Can you do that for me?”
Eve sniffled, wiping tears from her face. “For you.”
Brandon smiled, cupping her small face in his coarse hands and laying a soft kiss on her forehead. “You should get back to bed. I’ve got to go.”
Eve nodded dejectedly, hugging him once more as if it was the last hug she would ever give him, and padded back to her room. Getting back into bed, she glanced at the alarm clock on her bedside table. 2:15. 15 minutes to do the thing she had been dreading for months. As she felt her eyes droop and her mind start to fill with the colourful fog of dreams, she felt herself relax for the first time in what seemed like forever. It was going to be hard without her big brother around, but she knew what she had to do.