Rebecca

Chapter 1: December 24 2015

I lay shivering under a soaked cardboard box, stretching out my bony arms. "Please...spare some change, sir..." I moaned. I don't know why I'm doing this, it's pathetic and humiliating, so after a little while, I gave up my begging and pleading then wrapped my arms around my 6-year old sister. I cradled her as if she was a newborn baby. I kicked the stick that held open the flap of our box. The flap blocked out the gloomy place we called New York. I felt a little more heat now, though. I looked at Rebecca who was now still cradled in my arms and she fluttered her eyes open. I stroked her long black curls while I sang her a lullaby, it didn't take long for her to fall asleep again. "Mommy! Daddy!" She cried out in her sleep. A tear slipped from my eye and dropped onto Rebecca's pale cheek. I knew what she was dreaming...It was when our parents were killed.

We had a tiny apartment and all shared one room. Mother was cooking some homemade macaroni and Rebecca was acting up so she went to calm her down, when she calm back the stove was on fire and the fire was quickly spreading to its neighbouring furniture. An ember jumped up from the crackling fire and it landed on Mom's shirt, I watched in horror as I saw my mom become a human torch. She slammed from wall to wall, spreading fire everywhere. I panicked and grabbed Rebecca who was two at the time, and I ran out of the building. I know I should have made sure my dad was okay, but being only 14, I didn't think about it much... I watched the residents of the apartment slowly feed out of the building. I was happy Rebecca was fine but soon realised that Daddy wasn't with us. I quickly scanned the crowd of terrified people; it didn't take long to realise that he was gone. That's it. Both of our parents dead in one night.

I had to clear those ugly thoughts out of my head before I make myself depressed, I drifted out of my nightmare and into a dreamless sleep.