Goodbye, sis! *Completed*

Chapter 4- The fire

"Well, who would've thought that two girls could burn through three pots of Ben & Jerry's and six bags of marshmallows in the space of an hour?" Brook had been wittering like this all night. We'd decided that we'd watch our favourite films (which consisted of Red Riding Hood, Scream, The Simpsons Movie and Dear John) before we brokeout the snacks. With Brook in the house you have to take precautions. I often make jokes how she eats like a pig but is as thin as a rasher of bacon, to which she replies- "Mmmmmmm bacon!".

"Well Brook, let's be fair. It is you." I say with a wink. We're layed on our stomachs facing each other with various gossip magazins before us. She laughs and smacks my arm. 

"Oh ha ha!" She says with far to much sarcasm. "What about you?"

"What about me?" 

"Oh puh-lease. When you stayed at mine the other night, you couldn't take your eyes off of the cookie dough nevermind stop eating it!" She pushes her chocolate brown hair behind her right ear.

I laugh and scrape my long black hair back across my head. "Yeah but your Mum does make legendary cookie dough."

"Damn right!" We both laugh. But soon Brook's smile fades. "Are you alright Ash?"

I frown. "Sure. Why do you ask?"

"Well," She looks me over. "You just don't seem yourself."

"Eugh! That would be the 'rents." She looks curious, I sigh. "They weren't very happy about my little outing this morning. Apparently I need to be put on a leash. And my Dad practically told me he's ashamed of me."

"Well, you can't really blame them about the leash bit. I mean after what happened to Zoey."

"I guess, but they're just suffocating me!" I flip another page in my magazine. Me and Brook have now both finished,

"Switch?"

I nod. "Switch." We trade magazines and flick past the contents pages.

"Listen. I've got a plan." Brook proclaims after about twenty minutes of silence.

"Yeah?"

"When you need to get away, text me. I'll come over and we'll go out. After all I am the goody-two-shoes-girl-next-door-type. Your parents trust me." She bats her eyelashes. "I'm a blue-eyed-angel." I laugh. Brook grins. "So- Do we have a plan?"

I nod. "Yes we do."

"Ace! Come on. It's officially tomorrow..... Or today.... Or.... Okay it's gone midnight." I hit the light and climb under our blankets.

"Night Brook." I whisper.

"Night."

It's dark. I'm running, stumbling. I can see them up ahead. Zoey's golden hair is bouncing as she walks. I'm screaming at her. She doesn't hear. She walks straight into the shed. The shadow of a man comes into site. The bottom of his jeans scraping across the grass of the field. He slams the door and locks Zoey inside. I hear her screaming, bashing the door. He reinforces it with a heavy wooden plank, the same as the shed. I'm sprinting. I can't run faster and my legs feel as though they're going to fall off. Zoey's still fighting. Still crashing against the door. The man picks up a can of petrol and throws it over the shed. I'm still screaming, almost there. He lights the match and infront of my eyes throws it onto the shed. Flames shoot up and reach to the sky. Zoey screams long, terrified screams. The man turns and runs. I charge at the shed. It's completely aflame. 

I smash at the walls. The smoke burns my eyes and throat, choking me. The taste of charcoal fills my mouth. Zoey's gone silent. "Zoey! Zoey!" I scream. I kick the wall and about four planks fall out. It's enough. I reach in and grab hold of her hand. She's unconscious on the floor and her hand's burnt. I pull her. She drags across the floor inch by inch. A small part of the roof falls in just missing her head. I hear someone running and turn to see a man and woman walking their dog. I scream and wave my arms. The man sprints over and shoves me out of the way. The last bit of roof falls in on top of Zoey. The woman's phoning someone. The man kicks at the shed again, like I did. He knocks out enough planks to climb inside. I hear crashing as he moves burning wood and then he emerges, Zoey's burnt, limp figure lying in his arms. I can't move. I just crumple to the ground and start to sob. That's when we hear the sirens.