Dan-
3years ago---
I held my younger brother, only 12 years old, to my side in the dark alley.
"Dan," he sniffles. "I'm cold. I want mommy." He snuggled closer, his boney elbow digging into my side painfully.
"I know. I know I do too." I whispered. He was shivering so badly and his lips were turning a purplish blue. I slipped off my hoody and pulled it over him. The cold assulting my exposed arms and slipping through the thin material of my shirt.
"I want mommy." Peter was sobbing now. I looked around quickly. The streets seemed empty, but a wandering gang could still possibly hear his pained sobs.
"Peter, you need to be quiet. Please. Please peter be quiet." I pleaded. "It will be okay. I'm here. I will always be here for you." I whispered.
He buried his face in my chest, his tears wetting the material. Soon though he stopped and I could feel him relax as he was pulled down into sleep.
I needed to stay awake. Needed to watch out for anyone or anything that could hurt my little brother or I.
I must have dozed off, because suddenly I am ripped from next to Peter and a firm hand placed none too kindly over my mouth.
"What do we have here?" A graely voice mused, alchole strong on his breath.
"Might be a little fun." Another guy chuckled.
It was a small group of men, four or five of them, all bigger than I. I struggled slightly, trying to distract them from the little ball behind me that was Peter...
Present---
I traced my finger tips over the faded and chipped bricks. Grafiti marking every inch. It wasnt as cold s I remembered. I sat in the very same spot almost 3 years ago, thinking, remembering.
Peter never understood all of what happened that night while he slept...
Mom and Dad had packed up and left one day. Just leaving me and Peter completely alone with nothing. We eventually had to leave the house.
That first night, it would have been so easy for that gang to see Peter. For him to wake up and panic. They might have killed him, a fate I almost wish they had given me.
They came back a few times. Night after night. I never told peter all that they did. He was always a deep sleeper, and I am thankful he never woke up to see that.
As the nights went on like this, we had, eventually, been found by Ted...
Ted...
I took another drink from the beer in my hand. Ted was everything. He was all we had. Now he was gone. Some killed him. For no reason he was dead. No point but mindless murder. It made my blood boil.
I threw the now empty bottle at the wall. I watched as it shattered, the glass falling to the dirty floor across from me.
I leaned my head back, waiting for the anger to disperse. I couldn't be like this when I went back to Peter.
Peter.
His name instantly calmed me down. It was getting dark, the sun sinking below the buildings. I needed to get back to Peter.
I stood, wobbling slightly. The world twisted and tilted randomly. Colors swirling one with another. I brased myself on the wall, waiting for the world to come into some form of focus. When it was as close to clear as I could get, I started to my car parked just at the start of the alley.
Once inside, I turned the car on and tried to focus on the twisted, swirled road. Numeral times I had restraighten myself as I felt myself going off the road.
Suddenly, as I turned onto the last street home, I didn't see the car till it was directly in front of me...
Impact was inevitable.
The last thought I had, was of my little brother only a few doors away.
