Take Me Away | ✓

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P H O E N I X

For the past sixteen years, my door was a maroon colour. It was only a couple months ago that my mom decided to switch things up. It was spring then. That's when things changed.

My eyes squinted at the brass knob of the door as my hands fumbled around my pockets. I was grateful I hadn't lost my keys this time, otherwise I would have been sitting in the cold like last time. This whole town was cold. Ever since the scandal of the guy who'd caused his sister's untimely death came out. My brother had dated her once. I'd had a crush on the perpetrator.

The lights in the hallway were off but I could make out two silhouettes. Kat sat on the stairs with her fingers gripping the bannister and peering out. Ethan's sleeping form was slumped against her and he was dangerously close to hitting his head on the bannister.

I felt a sharp pain in my temple as I tried to put one foot in front of the other until suddenly the stairs seemed like too much of a challenge. My shoe caught on one of the steps and I slumped down, closing my eyes to see if that would stop the dancing black spots in my vision. I was tired. I always was these days.

The three of us sat there quiet as mice. The squabble from the living room infiltrated our ears. Kat didn't spare me a glance, too fixated on the engravings of the door and what lay behind them.

For the time being, I found that running my fingers through Ethan's hair was almost therapeutic. He'd never have let me do this had he been awake, always swatting away anyone's hand, dare they lay a finger on his beloved locks. But like this, he looked young. His features were soft and unarmed. For now at least.

I heard the click of the door opening and wondered if anyone else had heard. My head was too heavy to lift to see who it was but I knew it was only Matt. He always came home at this time, after having a couple of beers with his friends and whatever else he did.

He took one glance at us and the slightly opened door which our parents were behind. Ethan was the first to go. The warmth from beneath my fingers left as he was carried upstairs, stirring slightly in his sleep.

It didn't take long for him to come back. "Come on." He said gently to Kat telling her to get up and she obeyed. She was different then. We all were.

I counted Matt's footsteps. Eight until he reached the landing. Five more to reach Kat's bedroom. A total of thirteen steps until he came and sat next to me. "You should probably go to bed."

"I'm not sleepy."

"Your room is better than being down here."

I lifted my head to look at him. His brows were furrowed as he stared at the crack in the door. "My room is right above the living room."

He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "It's going to be okay."

I snorted at that but otherwise didn't say anything.

"It won't be like this forever." And he was right because the next day my parents told us they were getting a divorce.