Daylight

NINE

Aaron...

The tinted windows blur the lights, all red green and orange. I'm still nervous, and I can feel my hand starting to sweat under Charles' hand. He just squeezed it tighter.

Soon enough, we were back home. Tori carried Boots into the house, after a very lazy argument Charles tries to put up. He let her win, as long as the dog slept in the living room. She agreed to it, after cleaning her in the sink. Yeah, Boots was a really small dog.

I watched from the frame of Charles' door as he put the girls away for bed. Elizabeth insisted on sleeping on the couch, so that she could have her own space away from us. But then Charles told her the dog was going to sleep there, and she said, 'Well, I guess the floor isn't so bad, it looks nice and  comfortably hard.'

When Tori closed her door and the light went out, Charles went to the living room. I saw him sitting back on the couch, petting Boots and caressing her. He looked so calm. He would make a great actor.

"Charlie?" I call, and he slowly turns his head to me. Theres a moment, of nothingness where everything is void of everything. Then he smiles at me, and I can't bear to smile back.

I take my seat next to him and pull him closer to me. His head is on my chest, so that he could breath steady with my heart.

"God, Aaron... what are we doing?" He asks softly.

He sounds so genuine.

"I don't know. But we'll get through this, together, I promise."

"Do you really think she's your sister?"

I hesitate to answer. Charles' breaths are becoming faster by 1%, so I calm down.

"We never found the body. I hope she's alive and well, but, Charles... I don't want to see her." I gulp down the lump in my thought. Charles notices the breath I take, and he sits up.

"Aaron..."

"What kind of a brother doesn't want to see  their family? Especially after what happened to her. What kind of brother am I, to just give up..." I sniffle and wipe the tear that was in the corner of my eye.

"Hey, hey, you did everything you could." He tried consoling.

"Yeah, but not enough."

"Cruz." I turn to him, and he wipes away my tears easily, offering me all his love in one look. "You did everything you could. And if you two would meet one day, I have no doubt in my mind that she'll forget it all, just to be in your arms."

He gives me a kiss on the cheek, where a tear met his lips. He smiled and hugged me tight, letting me know he was there.

"I love you," I say.

"I know," he responds.

Elizabeth...

All I hear is the little crickets chirp and the wind. Its calming.

I hear Victoria shift in her sleep, then let out a sigh. She's on the edge of reality.

I turn so I can face the window, and the clean path it gives.

There it is.

The moon.

Big and glowing, too great to be a star. I share it with Micky, I share it with Vic, Tori, my dead parents, my brothers and Aaron.

My eyes droop down, and a tear falls over the bridge of my nose. It leads down to my cheek, and it keeps going. More tears fall and fall, until my head is in a puddle of sadness.

I thought I was ready.

I thought I could do this.

But how am I suppost to kill my brother, if I can't even talk to him?

Maybe Vic was right, maybe I'm not cut out for the job. Maybe Tori will be better than me. Maybe she'll achieve my dream for me.

I can be let down easy.

I sob silently, so close to Tori, I wonder how she doesn't hear me. I have half a heart to call out for help and warmth and love! But I also want to be the strong girl, who can push pass everything.

I need to be strong.

My eyes are struggling to stay opened. I see the moon, the sky that is never fully black, and the stars that never twinkle anymore.

For tonight, I'll be weak.

Please Vote!

Okay okay! I got a question!
Would you rather read a semi fantasy/spiritual (demons, Angel's, ghosts) story, or a story that is based on summer friendship-romance, with a kind of 'Call Me By Your Name' vibe?