Amalgamate

Rolling Thunder

"Bambi!" Mr. Piccini snapped at his daughter, drawing the blonde's eyes away from the car's window where she watched the storm clouds brewing overhead. His hands were tightly wrapped around the steering wheel, tanned knuckles turning white with the force he was using. "Don't you dare cause a storm now of all times. You know how important this meeting is."

"Of course, Father," She murmured, a tiny smile curving at her lips. Celso wasn't the best driver, and typically, he'd rely on the staff to chauffeur him around, wherever he wished to go. However, the recent financial state of the Piccini family had led to most of their staff being let go, or dealt with, for those who refused to leave. Bambi hated it, hated how their loyalty to the family was 'rewarded' after so many years. If she had her way, everything would have been different, but there was nothing she could do now. Well, not nothing.

After several moments of silence, Celso looking rather anxious as he drove down the narrow, cliffside street, a low rumble of thunder sounded, causing his gaze to snap to his daughter. "Bambi, what did I just say?" He scowled darkly, though the younger blonde had hardly looked up from her hands clasped in her lap.

"I'm not doing it, Father, I promise!" She insisted, glancing to meet her father's eyes in the rear-view mirror. "I-I think it was supposed to rain today. Th-That's why I wanted to come, to make sure you were safe."

"When did you get so sweet, honey?" Bice, her mother, chimed softly, reaching back to gently pat the girl's knee. The Piccini woman had always been soft-spoken, a trait that Bambi had received from her, but she hardly ever spoke in the girl's defense. "Isn't she being a sweetheart, darling?" She questioned, her tone hardening as if scolding her husband.

"I just... I worry for you and Father," Bambi replied, fiddling with her fingers nervously. "You... You're both all I have," In another life, the blonde might have felt guilty for the words slipping off her tongue, guilty for the lies and the rain that began to pelt the windshield. Without Benedetto there, though, the youngest Piccini was unable to feel any sort of remorse for her parents, her eyes peering out the window to focus on the ocean she had thrown herself into only months prior.

"Oh, sweetheart, nothing's going to—Celso, would you mind watching the road?" Her mother broke off, gripping the door's handle as the vehicle veered into the other lane. Painting an anxious expression on her face, Bambi mirrored her mother's actions, her blue eyes wide.

"It's fine, Bice," The man snapped in reply, jerking at the wheel to center himself again. A loud clap of thunder echoed his words, followed by a flash of lightning. "Bambi, can't you do something about this damn storm?!"

"I-I'm trying!" She whimpered, clutching tightly at her skirt with her free hand. "I've never... It's worse than any storm I've tried to stop."

"Try harder! You know how important this meeting is, and if anything goes wrong, it would be a shame if you ended up like—" His words were interrupted by another strike of lightning, seeming to hit the road only a few hundred feet in front of them. In Celso's surprise, he sharply turned the wheel, making the small car skid off the narrow highway.

"Celso! Brake, dammit! I—The brake, not the gas, you idiot!" Bice screamed, genuine fear being the only thing to ever make her raise her voice. "Celso, please!" She continued, fumbling to reach for the emergency brake. The man didn't respond, his eyes wide as he stared straight ahead, locked onto the rapidly approaching cliff. The vehicle jerked, bouncing over the shrubbery between the street and the rocky terrain. Finally, as the car slid over the edge, Bambi relaxed, letting the feigned expression slip from her face.

"I wish things could have been different for all of us," She murmured, the heavy rain and her mother's screams masking the words. As they fell, the blonde took a deep breath, allowing herself to phase through the car door.