Breathe Into Me

Prologue

AXEL - ONE YEAR AGO (29th March, 2018)

"Thank you for taking me to Luna Park, Ax! I had such a great time!" Rye chortles excitedly from the back seat.

She clenches onto her pink, fluffy stuffed care bear I won for her only a few short hours ago - it was love at first sight - she was insistent on winning the toy.

Normally, I always have the unlucky hand when it comes to those overpriced carnival games as they are rigged, but fortunately today was in my favour. It was worth it, knowing it brought a smile onto my seven year old sister's face.

"I'm glad you had a great time. Just don't make me regret buying that bucket of fairy floss, you know mum will kill me," I chuckle. Rye's cheeks bulge out mischievously, she lays her head against her stuffed animal, yawning, "Now that we're heading home, why don't you try and settle down for a nap?"

Rye tries to object but her drooping eyes tire her out. In a matter of seconds, her gentle breathing breaks the car out of its silence; I direct my eyes back to the road.

As the sun breaks away from the skyline, Sydney's nightlife awakens.

A small smirk etches to the corner of my face as I quickly catch a glimpse of Rye sleeping in her booster seat. Her Hazel ringlets curl over her face, curtaining her closed eyelids.

She's an adorable little monkey.

Unfortunately, the peaceful aura is disrupted by my phone's ringtone, shunned by my mum's face.

"No mother, if you were wondering, we aren't dead. We're on our way home now," I sigh exhaustively.

When it comes to Mum, I can predict her allusive thoughts without having to second guess them - she's opaque as glass.

"Relax Ax, I trust you with Rye. You're the best big brother she has. I was just checking up on you guys."

"We left about fifteen minutes ago. Rye just fell asleep in the back, we'll be home within thirty minutes."

"Okay good. Tyler on the other hand just can't sit still. I've been trying to get him into his pyjamas for the past hour," monstrous cries radiate in the background; I laugh.

"Don't worry mum, when I get home, if he's still not down, I'll take care of him."

Although her face is visible, the warmth in the silence indicates her grinning on the other side.

"When did my little boy become such a responsible young man?"

"Since dad ditches us for his work."

I can feel the aura of her uneasiness stretch through the line. She sighs, "Don't be like that Ax. You know your father loves you guys." Deep behind her certainty, lies an undertone of built up resentment over the years.

As a mum, she's been automatically programmed to fabricate a wall over her emotions, as a way of protecting us. That facade doesn't fool me though, I'm far too observant to be lied to.

"Mum-" a blaring car horn disrupts the conversation, coloured by a cacophony of yells and curses.

When my eyes fixate ahead, I'm blinded by a sheet of white light.  My fingers clench the steering wheel until my knuckles are white from little circulation. I drive into total oblivion, panicked and unaware of my surroundings, clueless to my mum's voice painstakingly calling upon my name.

"Axel??? Axel! Is everything okay??" Mum's loud voice camouflages with Rye's petrified voice, who has been shaken awake.

"Axel???? Answer me damn it! What's going on?" She demands again, her voice terrorised by fear.

My mouth is numb, dry and speechless. A thousand weights hit my throat all at once, chaining down right into my stomach. The mixture of my erratic heartbeat and the background sounds burns my skull senseless.

"Axel??? Ω Μαρία μου!"

As I squint against the overly bright light, the clarity sequences, and the blindness disperses.

I suck in a sharp breath, grazing towards the rear view mirror, "Rye, you alright?"

Her cute, rosy face is pale with fear, almost as though someone broke the news to her that Santa's existence was a myth.

"Αξελ, τι συμβαινει?" (Translation - Axel, what is going on?)

I sigh heavily, easing away the last terrified nerve from my face, "Mum, it's fine, just a few loud car horns, that's all."

For a short while, I hear nothing but my mum cursing angrily in Greek, panic stricken, "My god Axel, you gave me a heart attack! Be careful on the road. The last thing I need is for my two children to be wrapped around a pole!!" I roll my eyes - why are Greek mothers so dramatic? "Is Rye okay?"

My gaze scales apprehensively on my younger sister. Although she's a little shaken up, she subtly nods anyway. "Yep. She's fine. Told ya mum, we're all good."

In relation to my response, the red light flickers to green. I press lightly onto the pedal, thoroughly using caution. "Okay. Be safe on the road, Axel. Please, for the sake of Rye and yourself."

"Mamma, εσυ όχι-" (Translation for - you don't-)

"AXEL!!!" The pain in Rye's voice loses my calm momentum. Feeling that rush of adrenaline and panic conflict my chest, my eyes snap up.

Rushing down the lane is a bright red Ferrari, muffler by the angry horns and swears of nearby drivers - we're the main targets.

My foot unsteadily presses harder against the pedal. Apart from my racing heart rate, the rest of the world hinders; enough for my eyes to maximise the minuscule distance between the racing Ferrari and our car.

The last thing I inextricably remember is the poignant sound of my sister's cries before the Ferrari ploughed into the centre of the car.

________________________________

Well....that wasn't a great start....:(:(:(
How did you guys think of the prologue????
Hope ya'll enjoying the story!!!

Nic29013