Mourn Me 3.0

Chapter 3: The Good Die Young
*Adam's POV*

Stay calm Adam, stay calm…
"Shh, it's alright, honey, it's okay," I cooed, rocking my little sister comfortingly back and forth as she clung to me for dear life. She was whimpering and wiping her nose on my bare chest, choking me a bit as her thin arms wrapped around my neck. I scooped her up and bounced on the ball of my back foot, cupping the back of her head as the curls tangled up in my fingers. I was sure to mind the rings that graced my appendages, taking note not to get the delicate locks snagged on the glittery jewels. Blindly walking over to my vanity, I fumbled around for the flashlight that was in the prepped box. Feeling the rubber grip, I snatched it up, quickly pulling it out and flipping the switch on. When I breathed in, a thousand tiny, electrically sparked air particles filled my lungs. A bunch of illuminated molecules jumped in the air in the path of artificial light, followed by another surge and a lighting crack so powerful you could feel the tension surround you in a tight embrace. The pound was so loud that it shook the house and stunned both of us before ringing in our ears. Maria quickly covered her ears and screamed in fright, tears streaming down her face.

My heart twitched and I instantly had a wave of adrenaline punched me, shooting the protective instinct through my veins. "I've got you, Adam's here," I shushed automatically, waving the wand of light around and making a path to see through the darkness. It was so black that you couldn't see outside the flashlight's limits. The old and worn out furniture looked eerie and uninviting, weak and frail. I kept the trail on the ground, avoiding various obstacles that were left on the ground. Searching our way through the hallway, the young girl hid her face into my neck, crying uncontrollably. The corners of my lips turned down and finally turned into the dusty living room. I gently set Maria down, wiping the tears away with my thumbs, kissing her forehead and mumbling, "Hold right here, you're okay."

Reluctantly leaving my precious sibling, I handed her the yellow flashlight to hold onto so that she could still have somewhat of a vision. I maneuvered my way down the hallway and into her room, kicking the doorjamb accidentally, cursing under my breath as I lifted it up to inspect it. Balancing on one foot, I crouched down and held my injured toe up to my face. In the extremely dim lighting, I couldn't really tell if any real damage was done, but I was sure it was bleeding; invisible red liquid seeped coolly over my blue nail polish. I rolled my eyes at my stupidity, limping some as I worked more slowly into Maria's room, being sure not to get any blood on her stuffed animals that may be lying around. My eyes were gradually starting to pick out pieces of lightly colored objects as they adjusted to the setting. I could barely make out her three favorite toys scattered on her bed, next to her powder-pink shirt and black tights, which were covered in sticky pink fluid from an abandoned strawberry syrup bottle on its side, leaking the sugary goodness. I decided to ignore it and sighed, picking up Ken, Barbie, and Pinky. As I was heading to exit, I stepped on something and tripped into the wall, barely catching myself before smacking into the drywall. I just have to be so clumsy, don't I? Checking on the item I stumbled upon, it turns out to be in my favor—her kiddy princess-flashlight. I grabbed that, too, and for a last time went down the hall.

I saw the little blonde wave the light stick around in the air, flicking the house with sight. I placed the dolls next to her, but she was too focused on her "magic" to notice. Once I took it from her, she started pouting, but I soon switched it out with her own utility. Smiling big, she played with that to her heart's content. Puffing out my cheeks and letting the static induced oxygen seep out. I had to find my cell phone (we couldn't exactly afford a house phone at the moment,) to contact my great-aunt Clarice—the person to call if something like this was to happen. I would leave Maria in her care but stay here, for her house is too crowded with me there, since she really only has enough room for a child. I used my tool to see around the kitchen where I would usually throw my bag (no, it is not a purse, even if it may sparkle like one) after work. After searching the cracked counters, the paint-chipped chairs, and the broken-legged table, I closed my eyes and tried to retrace my steps from earlier today. Let's see… I grabbed my bag, walked halfway to work, got ignorantly yelled at by some snotty rich kid, took a horse back to the stables, asked to speak with Mr. Ratliff about a raise, and grabbed a cab back home.

Rubbing my temples I forced back a suggestion that was the last resort, and paced to my bedroom. With no luck spotting the bag from afar, I choose to rummage through my possessions. Tossing over blankets, pushing makeup and hair styling products such as gel and volume spray off of my dresser, dumping out drawers, and shifting objects on my desk, I let out a frustrated gruff to the ceiling, face-palming myself and dragging my hands down. No luck anywhere. And that could only mean one of two things—one; I dropped my bag which contains the cellular device either going to or from work, or two; I left it at the stables. Possibility One would be the more pleasant, yet doubtful incident. I was very conscious of making sure I held onto it while traveling the robber-infested streets of L.A. Two, on the other hand, seemed like the likelier happening. The only thing was, is that I really, really did not want to have another encounter with the money-hungry father or the spoiled man-whore son, who, clearly doesn't know how to treat people with respect, coming from the fact that he uses girls as he pleases for his own sexual needs then throws them out. And that he thinks he rules everyone who works hard for their pay. Which, coincidentally, is probably the same amount of work he does in a year of banging as we do in a day on the stud farm.

I truly had no desire whatsoever to be going back there. Especially after the events that happened today. Yeah, I know, it was pretty common for the bleached-blonde bitch to act that way, but that doesn't excuse his father. All I did was catch up with him as he exited his mansion, right before my shift was over, with his grouchy face and rigid posture. The sun had begun to set, and the heat was burrowing itself into my already-burnt skin.
"Excuse me, sir? Mr. Ratliff?" I had called to him, waving at him to get his attention. When he had finally turned around, his nose turned up in disgust and he scorned at me, stopping abruptly and looking me over to scrutinize me.
"What do you want?" he growled, continuing his stomping towards what I had imagined to be his garage (possibly as big as my house) with cars that are sure to cost as much as I make in a year. I heard a few whinnies from some of the horses as their caretakers lead them into their stalls, brushing them, replenishing the hay, changing their water—the usual wrap-up tasks to be performed. There was a cold gleam in his eyes that made me want to back down and leave with what I had, but if I didn't do this then I would be a coward and a bad brother. That's another thing wrong with the population nowadays; people are just too easily manipulated and spineless. There needs to be a backbone to this world, and giving up just because someone says to be not helping.
"My name is Mr. Lambert—," I introduced myself, extending a hand to shake. Scoffing at it he turned away.
"I know who you are," he interrupted hostilely. For a brief moment , I thought Why would he know my name, or the names of any of his lower-class workers for that matter? but then I realized he was just trying to get the conversation over with and just the fact that he didn't really care who I was. Typical.
"I want a raise, or to be able to work overtime," I stated bluntly, biting my lip nervously as the words were spurted out. He raised a suspicious eyebrow at me before narrowing them. A cold sweat poured over me despite the weather conditions. He stepped closer and I instinctively leaned back and tensed up; my mind preparing for the 'fight or flight' response.
"Now, Mr. Lambert, tell me exactly why you think I should do that?" he curtly replied, sharply pronouncing each word and syllable. I felt a lump in my throat arise, and I tried to swallow it—a similar feeling to swallowing pills dry. Only this time, it wasn't helping me.
"I um…" Closing my eyes for a second then taking a deep breath I regained my composure. It was like an on-the-spot meditation. "I need the extra money to pay for a gift I was planning to give to my younger sister," I told him.
Carefully watching my face with beady eyes, he said through clenched teeth: "We do not need your extra services, Mr. Lambert." It was like he had to force himself to say my name. He patted down his slicked hair, and turned away, beginning to leave again.
"But, sir, I can do anything, seriously! I just really need the money!" I pleaded, restraining myself from lunging forward and blocking his path. Although, that wouldn't work, considering that I was about half his size.
"You are not needed anymore today. Goodbye." Not facing me again, he headed off to his original destination without another sound.

Now, with that memory in mind, I will not like this…at all. Why must these things happen to me?

I threw my head back in frustration and grunted at my stupidity. Today of all days my brain decides to make me forget it. I walked back to my living room, going to grab my keys when I realized I had totally forgotten one factor that I definitely shouldn't have elapsed. Running a hand through my hair, I bent over the couch, staring down warmly. I reached out and patted her head. How could I let this slip my mind? Now I have to figure out where she will go when I'm gone. There is no way I'm leaving my innocent baby sister alone in this storm. Maria, being the animal lover she is, nuzzled into my palm and started to meow and purr. I chuckled at her and scratched behind her ear. She flipped herself onto her back, letting her flashlight drop with a thump! I began tickled up and down her sides and across her stomach, causing her to squeak in between her giggles and high-pitched laughter. I started to laugh along, grinning wide when her cheeks started to get red and her locks became a curly mess. Rolling onto her chest, it gave me the opportunity to scoop her up in my arms. She was still giggling as I slung her over my shoulder, holding her in place by her feet. I was sure to not run into anything in the dark, and used the small light source to locate the counter. I set her upon it and started to search for my car keys.

I could feel her brown eyes watching me as I scrambled around trying to find them. A low rumble of thunder shook the silverware in the drawers. It was nearly silent, but it was definitely noticeable by the feeling of your heart shaking inside your chest as the air vibrated with long sound waves. Maria looked around nervously and began to whine. If mom was here, I thought, she'd know exactly what to do. She would make it seem like nothing was wrong, like all of this was just going to blow over. And she would make you believe it, like really. There wouldn't be any frantic scurrying, no frightening thoughts, not a worried little girl… There would be peace; love; hope. I wouldn't be here struggling to make ends meet even when working my ass off, raising a child since seventeen, or losing a house. I wouldn't be lonely, or scared, or missing the days when I was truly happy.

I slammed my hand down on the table, causing the little blonde to jump and stick out her lip.
"Oh, I'm sorry honey," I apologized, cupping her soft cheek and pushing away her bangs. "I just can't find my keys, and it makes me frustrated." Yeah, because I had to be a dumbass and leave them in my bag along, with the cell phone, at work. She didn't say a word and nodded shyly. Now I have to think of a place where she could stay when I'm gone. I groped the back of my mind for repressed memories of someplace that would be open or available, and that I could drop her off at. Glancing at her little wrist, the bracelet that she got as a present from one of her friends sparked an idea: she could go there! I twisted it around, fingering the plastic beads subconsciously.
"Who did you get this from, Maria?" I questioned.
She pushed her lips out and tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Jesca!" she exclaimed happily.
Oh, good. I know her mom pretty well. I'm sure she wouldn't mind doing this tiny favor for me. "Adam has to go to work and get his stuff. So—"
"You forgot your bag? That's not good," she interrupted with a little frown. I smiled and nodded.
"I know," I sighed. "But now I need to get it. So, do you mind going over Jessica's when I do that?"

She shook her head, hair flying around her face. I kissed her forehead.
"Hold right here, alright?"
Walking in the dark, I found the closet and pulled out her pink jacket and my leather one, slipping it on. Taking the flashlight with me, I helped Maria put her coat on and grabbed her in one arm as I brought us to the front door. By now, the rain was hitting the roof so hard it sounded like the shingles were the ones coming down. I opened the door reluctantly, but as soon as I cracked it, it flung back, causing me to jump and Maria to yelp. A blast of warmish wind pounded through the house, causing me to squint as the air licked my eyes dry. Checking the darkening sky I thought, thank god it's in cab distance. I tugged Maria's hood up to cover her head, and I hurried out by the street, running a bit to the nearest taxi stops, hailing one over to come pick us up.
I scrunched up my nose when I entered the well-used cab, smelling strongly of smoke and sweat. I had to hold back from gagging.
"Where to?" the man rasped, coughing. I told him the directions quickly. It was about 2 miles away. Shit, I hope I have enough money to get a little head start to the stud farm..., I thought to myself as we passed shops and buildings. It was then I noticed that we were just about the only ones on the road besides a few other cabs, driving around looking for clients. A sickly feeling bubbled in the pit of my stomach.

We pulled up to the 5-story apartment and I handed him the cost.
"I'm gonna need another ride. Can you wait here for a minute?" I asked the man, grinning maybe a little too big.
He coughed into his arm again, nodding "Sure."
I thanked him, and pulled my sister out with me, running in the doors. Huh, these lights were out too… I walked up one flight of stairs as the emergency-lights shone spotlights on the carpeted ground. Finding room 415, I set Maria down and she grabbed my hand as I knocked on the door. Hearing a few shuffles on the other side, soon the door was opened, containing a candle-lit living room. Jessica's mother gasped when she saw us, dripping in soaked clothing. I tried my best convincing-smile.
"Hey, Mrs. Stanfeld," I said awkwardly. I relaxed a bit when I knew she was home safe. "I know this is short notice, but can Maria stay here for a while? I left my keys and cell phone at work, and didn't want to leave her alone," I explained pathetically, looking away from her concerned face every other word.
"Oh, honey, of course!" she accepted, widening the door. I gave my sister a tight hug and told her I loved her.
"I love you too, Adam." Her little voice hit my ear, making my heart warm. Kissing her hair once, I let her go hesitantly and she bolted in the apartment, straight to her friend. I sighed softly, and straightened back up.
"Adam, are you sure don't want to wait here until everything clears up?" the young woman asked kindly.
I shook my head, "It's alright. I have a cab waiting and really need to get my stuff. Thanks, though."
She smiled sadly and gave me a quick hug, rubbing my back motherly. I missed that kind of touch. As I turned to head back to the steps, she called "Be safe!"
"I will," I said. Although, I wasn't really convincing myself very well…

Well it turned out that I had to pay for the taxicab to wait out there, so I only had enough funds to get me three fourths of the way there. So, now I was jogging in the pelting rain. I sighed in relief as the streets became more spread apart and there was actually greenery around. Lightning struck down in the near distance and make me lose my balance, slipping backward in a puddle. I cursed under my breath, hearing a ripping sound. I got up with an aching tailbone, shrugging off my jacket to inspect the damage. Great, a vertical tear right down the middle. I huffed, shaking my wet hair and deciding to just leave it there. It would have been different if it was another coat that had sentimental value, but it didn't, so it wasn't a big deal. However, now I was a shirtless man running down the street. Not the best impression to be giving, I laughed in my head, trying to lighten up my mood to no purpose.  I finally reached the mansion, though!

Catching my breath as I walked up to the house, I knocked on the elegant door, panting slightly and hugging myself. I shook my head like a dog to try and get rid of the constant dripping in my eyes, but it was to no avail. The rain was just coming down too hard and consistent to let me have any real freedom from the water. The electricity in the air was causing the short hairs on my arms to stand up straight. Jumping at a loud crash that sounded like glass breaking, I heard some obnoxious yelling along with an unsettling calm voice. I thought it was going to be the emotionless woman who answered, since that was the last tone I heard, but, to my utter despise, the son emerged, opening the door with surprise and irritation swimming in the hot chocolate of his eyes. I noticed that his shirt was torn, with teeth-sized holes at the edge. And his trousers were littered with dirt stains.

"Hi, uhm," I stuttered, searching for the right words as he looked over my soaked figure in confusion. I can't imagine what someone would be thinking as a shirtless man comes knocking on their door, walking outside in one of the worst storms up to date. "Can I get into the stables?" I blurted quickly, running my stiff fingers through my hair, placing a few blue strands out of my face. "I think I left my bag in Cobalt Blue's stall after I put him away," I explained with a hopeful gleam in my eye. Internally I doubted I was going to get anywhere without a little bargaining in the least.

His plump mouth twisted up and gave me a look-over, similar to his dad's first action when I had spoken to him earlier. The sour apple doesn't fall far from the rotten tree, I guess. "You have a bellybutton ring?" the blonde sneered, taking a quick glance at my stomach as the piece of neon-green jewelry glimmered under the water droplets that stuck to it. I flushed a bit against my will and looked down at it, throwing my arm over it. Yes, I had gotten one on a dare. Personally, I think it suits me quite well, even if most others don't. But then again, when have I ever cared about that?

"It was just—," I stared to stammer quickly before getting cut off by the boy's annoying voice.
"Aren't those for chicks?" he taunted, laughing sinisterly tilting his head back and letting the matted blonde fringe fall over his face. It made me feel a bit embarrassed for reasons unclear. I didn't exactly enjoy being stared at in such a way that made me think that every detail of my body was ugly. Then again, I did not have to explain myself to someone who doesn't deserve anyone's attention—especially mine. Giving him the satisfaction of making me crumble is not going to happen. I looked away to the stables at one of the mares who were digging its hooves into the ground anxiously, big, dark eyes wide, long pointed ears twitching in all different directions, and nostrils flared with a bit of foamy stuff dripping out. It made me feel empathetic for them, for they didn't realize what was going on even less than we humans did. "Yeah, I've been with girls who had navel piercings," Ratliff continued cockily with a lust filled look. Pervert…"This one slut liked when I would play with it in my mouth." My face unconsciously scrunched up, negatively reacting at the thought. "Some kind of fetish or something," he mused, folding his arms over his skinny chest. He let out a huff of air, smirking maliciously. "Do you like it when your pretty boys bite you?" I snapped my attention back at him, drilling sharp lasers into his skull, wanting to punch out his pearly bleached-white teeth.
"It's none of your damn business!" I snapped in a deep voice, rage boiling up in my blood. I felt my cheeks flush in anger. He blinked and his mocha eyes widened, appearing shocked and taken aback some.
"You do not talk to your boss' son that way," he scolded coming closer, pointing an accusing finger at me then at the big stable doors. Something in his eyes sparked, like he remembered something. "You know what? You're fired. Get out," he spat, dripping in venom.
Being as that my mind was unstable at the moment, I shot back, "What the fuck did you just say?" I couldn't get fired. I just couldn't. With no job, that meant no money—no money meant no food or payments, no payments meant we would lose the house, and of course no food meant starvation or stealing. Everything of which I do not want to put Maria through.
"You heard me. You're. Fired." He showed no other emotion but pure pleasure in doing this. He was enjoying making me squirm and smashing my life into itty-bitty pieces.

Tears were stinging the back of my eyes. "But I can't get fired," I pleaded; ready to fall down to my knees. "Please Mr. Ratliff, I need this job, I'll do anything." I lost all my pride right then. Begging was one of the easiest things to make me feel weak. And it sure doesn't help that I'm doing it to someone who's unworthy… and younger.
He smirked in triumph. "Too late, now, Lambert. I win." With that, he put a cold hand on my bare chest, and gently pushed me backward. Feeling the tears brimming up, I bit my lip, choosing to ignore the shove, and started to leave in defeat, ending with less than what I came with. I wiped my eyes, and choked on a sob some. How could I be so stupid? I knew what he was capable of. I knew that I was out of line, but I still did it anyhow. Now how are Maria and I going to get by?

…
Maria! My bag! My keys! My phone!

I suddenly stopped, feeling the monster's eyes boring into my back. My heart did a flip in my chest and my stomach began to knot. Then I felt my muscles tighten, and I bolted left, nearly slipping in the mud.
"Hey!" someone, probably my ex-boss's son, called after me.
I didn't care anymore. I was fired, so, why not break a few rules? I felt my calves start to burn at the long sprint was getting to me, but when I reached the stables, I had totally forgot about it and the fact that I was catching my breath. Laughing a tad when I realized that someone didn't lock up the horses, I opened it, instantly filling my nose with the musky smell and clouding my ears with nervous stomps and neighs. Fishing around in my jeans, I realized that I still had Cobalt Blue's stall key in it. So I have the horses' keys, but not my own? I'm so screwed up…

I quickly ran to his section and unlocked him, being sure not to startle the already-anxious animal. I used a calming voice to whisper in his ear, and saddled him up sloppily. I heard the blonde calling and swearing at me again, his voice getting louder each time. I put my left foot in the stirrup, and swung my right over, mounting the tall creature. I held his reigns tightly and nudged his sides, commanding him to go. With a wary shake of his head, he began to walk forward stiffly. I snapped the reigns, and he obeyed more easily, but there was still tension in his muscles as he picked up speed to the door. Stopping, his tail swished back and forth, resisting going further without more guidance. I kicked him harder, hearing my last name once again, with a familiar tone and a woman's voice. Great…  I said some things to coax him along, and surprising he moved carefully forward, being sure to mind the mud. I have a natural knack for animals, and it definitely pays off, especially in times like this.

As Cobalt rounded the corner, I met glaring eyes with my own, staring down the blonde as the world seemed to stop. His jaw dropped open and a timid flame burned. I breathed in and shrugged him off, commanding the racehorse to leave. He did as I was told, even now in the rain, and he began his trot. Pressing my thighs together and pulling on the thin ropes, I directed him to a canter to the front of the estate, where we could ride off to Maria. The boy screamed once more. I glanced back and he hastily grabbed a horse of his own, practically dragging it to move. My mind reeled with consequences, but I didn't once regret my actions.

My horse uneasily huffed in and out. I felt a barely-there shake in his legs. Deep down I felt kind of bad to do this to the poor thing, but my needs come first. Switching us the way to my house, I made him gallop in the soft grass along the road of the outskirts of L.A. The stallion wasn't going at his best speed or agility; I couldn't blame it on him, however, given the circumstances that he wasn't on his usual terrain as we switched from grass to concrete. I let him slow down so that he wouldn't ruin his steeled hooves.
Unwillingly crying when I saw that we weren't even close to my street, and hearing another set of clicks. I turned around and cursed under my breath as Ratliff rounded the same corner I just turned off of. Smacking myself in the face, I searched a way to get out of here, and fast. I almost cheered despite myself as I caught sight of an abandoned car in a community parking-lot. I patted Cobalt Blue's strong and wet neck, silently thanking him as I hopped off ungracefully, but sufficiently. I ran my hand down his droplet-littered nose and ran off to the car.

"What the fuck, Lambert?!" I could finally make out the blonde yelled in fury, swinging his leg over and stumbling when he landed on the ground as his left foot got stuck in the stirrup. The horse neighed loudly, kicking its hooves against the pavement crisply, clacking like cooking pans. He 'parked' his next to Cobalt, the two both shifting fretfully. My mind blocked him out at this point, focusing solely on the vehicle in front of me—and how to get into it. "You can't just leave a racing horse out in the open like that!" he shouted accusingly. "They're worth more than ten of those stupid cars!"
His loud voice and angry tone wasn't helping to calm the beautiful creatures down, and they only backed away from him as he attempted to snatch their reigns into his grasp. Sighing irately, he lunged for them, pushing the black horse's patience too far and making it rear up on its hind legs, large muscles flexing with the amount of weight being put on massive thighs and strong ankles. His, the other lighter one, started to shake its thick neck and its eyes got circular and wide. They definitely sensed something coming—and soon. Which resulted in the urgency for my task to increase. My heart rate doubled as I realized that there was no way I was getting in the driver's seat without breaking in. Well, if what they say is beggars can't be choosers then I don't have much of a choice, do I?

I stepped back about four feet, lining parallel with the door. The boy looked at me confused. I took a deep breath then lifted myself on my back leg, extending my right foot out fast in a side-kick to the window. The glass shattered into tiny, sharp fragments, scattering across the ground and inside the car. I reached in and clicked the door unlocked, minding the miniature mountains left standing from the pane.
"What are you doing!?" the young Ratliff scolded sourly in distress. The horses jumped when the loud crash was emitted and finally lost it when the blonde screamed at me again. Neighing piercingly in fright, they ripped free from the male's grasp and took off in the opposite way of the clouds, their hooves pounding off in discord. "No!" he shouted, running to no avail to catch up to the galloping steeds. They were going at a top speed of 35 miles-per-hour, while he was only going under half of that. He sprinted for about two minutes straight before coming to a defeated halt, panting to catch his breath. He screamed in rage, throwing his arms up into the rain. His chest was heaving and he bent down and rested his hands on his knees while gasping for air. I'm guessing he doesn't get a lot of exercise outside of the bed. Then again, he did go pretty far. Huh.

By this time I had already opened the door and I was currently trying to start the ignition. I turned the key, and at first the engine sputtered and quit. I dropped my head on the steering wheel, coincidentally on the horn, causing it to honk loudly. I jumped and accidentally kicked the ground, opening up the wound that was just starting to heal. Cursing under my breath, I glanced up to see the blonde running towards me, face twisted in anger. I rolled my eyes and tried to start it again.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" he hissed, finally stopping behind me as he threw a fit at 18 years old. "I can't steal a car!"
I glared back at him as a thunder crack shot through the approaching night. For a moment, he actually looked sort of frightened. "I am, you aren't," I corrected sharply. With one last turn, the vehicle roared to life, small lights flickering on in the dark. I smiled triumphantly and swung my leg into the car, shutting the damaged door closed and situating myself in the seat.
He pulled on his hair and his eyes widened. "I know!" he exasperated, hopping up to the broken window. "But if I'm seen with you stealing a car, it can ruin my reputation!" Quickly pulling away from the blades, he forced his hands at his side.
I laughed at him. "I don't think you have to worry about that." His face reddened. Yeah, you don't want to mess with me.
I buckled my seatbelt as an automatic response to getting in a car. "And you're seriously worried about business right now?" I narrowed my eyes at the selfish boy. "That's pathetic. Your so-called work is probably being destroyed right now anyway." Mine too, unfortunately.

That got him really fired up. Bunching his fist into a ball, he raised it. Bluntly ignoring the bluff, I shifted the gear to DRIVE. I grinned at him falsely.
"That is it!" he barked. When the old car began to inch forward, he ripped the backseat door open and jumped inside, right before the tires sped up and flung us out to the streets. That little shit… he doesn't give up, does he?
"Oh, NOW look who's breaking the law!" I spat, zooming down the road in a mad fury. The hairs on the back of my neck were prickling up like little needles. An icy chill ran through me. The clouds swirled together, like an ocean in the sky. Only, this ocean was murky, crying, screaming and snapping. There wasn't any formation of a funnel, however, but instead it straightened itself out to be a thick line of black condensed water. I had to force my eyes to tear away from the unsightly truth of the moment, and focus on the road to Maria. She's going to be fine. She has to be okay, I said, over and over in my brain just to keep from breaking down and shattering right there. I shouldn't have left her. I shouldn't have been a bad brother. God, if I just remembered to take my bag none of this would have happened!
"Dude! You're driving like a maniac!" Ratliff exclaimed, unwillingly letting fear slip in the underlying tone.
"Shut the FUCK UP!" I shouted, straining my throat so much that it was instantly becoming sore. I barely heard his sticky skin peel away from the vinyl as he hugged himself. I wanted to yell at him about how my driving was the last thing I was worried about; that he didn't have to get in here in the first place; I was not a 'dude'; and that maybe I am a maniac! Maybe I am crazy! He didn't know the half of it. No one has any idea how hard my life has been. My armor was cracking and tears swelled up in my vision. Walls were crumbling and my strength was grinding thin. I was falling apart at the seams.

When I was driving, the puddles seemed to be turning into one big lake, and the houses looked like they were giving into the strain on their structures. There wasn't a single soul to see. A pressure was squeezing my head like I was swimming down to the bottom of a pool, or like I was descending on an airplane. My ears popped and I winced out of pain, a few salty droplets falling over the rims of my eyes. A blood curdling instinct in my gut told me that something definitely was about to happen. My foot pressed down more on the petal, racing an invisible ghost of fate. Hearing another seatbelt click and catching sight of a blurry sign, I slowed down just enough to turn the corner without flipping over on the wet pavement.

It'd felt like I had swallowed my whole chest and more water in my eyes formed, falling down my cheeks and neck, mixing with the chilly rain beads. I was losing it! I hated my body for acting like this without my permission, but I really had no choice. All I wanted to do was get to my sister and make she's okay. Any punishment was well worth her safety. My foot must've been eager itself, for it jerked us forward and put the petal-to-the-metal. The younger Ratliff yelped and scratched his seat with an irritating noise. I winced, but my eyes soon widened as I saw a mirage of my little sibling standing in the road. I slammed on the brake, causing both of us to yank forward, luckily neither of us getting injured thanks to functioning seatbelts. But, it didn't stop the brakes from locking, making the vehicle fishtail slightly. Thankfully my mine fished reserved lessons I'd learned in driver's ed. on how to deal in this situation, and my hands worked on a will of their own.

The car skid to a halt, ending in the middle of the street where I was sure to have seen a girl there. After my heart jumped back into place, I automatically checked on the boy in the backseat. Still not over the shock, he had his eyes squeezed shut, gripping the seat for dear life. Paternal instinct kicking in, I asked "Are you alright?" I wasn't aware that my voice would waver that much.
His chest started moving up and down as he peeked at me slowly. "Y-yeah, I think so," he stuttered his muscles relaxing rigidly. I regained my composure and my original goal shot into my train of wild thoughts. I involuntarily shifted to overdrive and threw my restraint off, swinging the door open in wrath. I instantly felt as if I couldn't breathe. The tension of the electricity imbalance was too great of a force to be contained any longer. The hairs on my body stood up and I could feel the blood accelerate in my veins. I noticed a faint clicking with a gasp as Ratliff exited the car, having a similar reaction as me. I could see the apartment in which Maria was in, and I started to run for it. The blonde followed, just probably not wanting to be alone. Thunder erupted like a volcano and the ground shook, causing me to cease in my tracks. A sound like a cracking whip broke the sound barrier and a bluish white gash ripped down the sky, originating from the ground up. The impact was so immense that I fell on my backside, knocking the wind out of me like a kick to the gut. Even if I was paralyzed with the aftermath of the volt traveling up my spine, I could still hear the building collapsing in on itself, see the debris flinging into other structures and the road, feel the incredible heat of the explosion smack me, and the smell of thick black smoke as a devastating blaze swallowed everything in its path, flaming up into the atmosphere and waving a sinister goodbye to its hundreds of victims as it burned them alive.