Promise Me Love

The Flame

 Hey, guys! Well, this is my first story here in Wattpad, and I hope you'll all like it! I know this is a lot different than the other stories, but I promise you, it won't be predictable and lame, AND it's gonna be good.

read and review (and probably vote if you like it). thanks! :D

Prologue: The Flame

                I couldn’t sleep. Something just felt wrong.

            I sat up and looked around the room. Although it was dark, I could still see my brother’s figure. He was lying in his usual sleeping pose. But I knew better.

            “Jun,” I whispered loudly.

            No response.

            “Jun,” I repeated, but this time, louder. “I know you’re still up!”

            “So what if I am?” he asked drowsily.

            “I can’t sleep. Could you...”

            “No,” he cut me off.

            “Just for a while,” I pleaded. “Pretty, pretty please!”

            A deafening silence followed.

            “Fine,” he finally grumbled as he reluctantly got up his bed and walked toward mine. I moved to one half of my bed and patted the other, where he soon sat, half-heartedly.

            “You’re acting so strange, Jun. You’ve never shown me that attitude before,” I chuckled.

            “People change, Risa,” he shrugged.

            “Not overnight,” I smiled, convinced of my own words. He nodded and lied down next to me. “When we’re older, do you still think we could sleep on the same bed?”

            “What a dumb question,” he responded. “Of course not! That would be disgusting!”

            “Why? We’re just twins. It’s not like anything weird’s gonna happen.”

            “Well, we’re just twelve. I don’t think things like that should bother you. Go to sleep, Risa.”

            And with that, I shut my eyes tightly, feeling more comfortable now that Jun was right beside me. But just as I was about to fall asleep, I felt the atmosphere change. It became hotter than usual – much hotter. Jun held me close and began coughing, and after a few seconds, so did I. We were inhaling smoke, I could tell.

            “Stay here,” Jun ordered me in a voice so firm that it scared me. He quickly got out of bed and walked briskly to the door. The moment he opened it, flames started to invade the whole place. Everything became blurry, but I forced myself to stay alert. I heard Jun scream and curse someone whose name I couldn’t make out. Then, everything turned black.

            I opened my eyes and shut them again as they practically got blinded by the white surroundings. Am I dead? I thought. But after I blinked again and again, I realized that I was in a hospital. What was I doing in a hospital?!

            “Oh, thank God, you’re awake,” a chubby old man said, teary-eyed. He hugged me gently and started crying.

            “Uhm, who are you?” I asked, freaked out by the whole thing.

            “Y-you don’t remember?” he asked shakily. He faced me as he stared at me, tears dripping on my neckline. I recognized him then. He was my uncle.

            “U-Uncle T-Tommy? W-What happened?” I stuttered. I felt inexplicably nervous. But he just shook his head and turned to the hospital bed next to mine. It was my brother, lying unconscious. My eyes grew wide as they started to fill with tears.

            “He saved you,” Uncle Tommy said weakly. “He saved you from the fire. But your mom... my sister,” he stopped as he let more of his tears flow from his chubby, red cheeks. And that’s where it all burst out. I began crying to the point that breathing became a lot harder to do.

            I tried to get up, but my body wouldn’t listen. No, I had to get up. I just had to. “Get me on a wheelchair,” I commanded one of the nurses. And so she did.

            I rolled my seat toward Jun. My tears wouldn’t stop flowing. He saved me. My dear brother saved me.

            “You’re father was spared from the blaze,” Uncle Tommy said. “Well, hardly. He’s in the Intensive Care Unit.”

            “What caused the fire?” I asked softly. But my uncle didn’t respond. “What caused the damn fire?!” I began to yell.

            “Arson! It was arson! But we don’t know the culprit!” He desperately yelled back. I just kept quiet. I had nothing to say anymore. And even if I did, I couldn’t speak. My sobs wouldn’t allow it. I turned to Jun, my twin and only sibling. I caressed his face and whispered in his ear, “I’m here, Jun. I’ll protect you. I promise.”

            His fingers started to twitch.