The Killing: Chaos (Book 1)

FRECKLES AND FLAMES

THORNTON

"No..." The building burns in front of me. Blazing, sparking, utterly aflame. "No." I lurch forward - barely managing to sprint a few meters before something catches me around my middle.

"You'll die."

I absently recognise the voice as Matt's - gravelly and deep. Annoying as hell.

"Let. Me. Go." I struggle blindly against the hold. "GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME, MATT!" I scream.

Our family's in there. I have to- need to-

I shove Matt's arms away, manage another few steps before I hit the ground with the force of him tackling me, the next second, my home explodes. The glass shatters and the ground seems to shake beneath me.

Dots appear on my vision as I try to stand. I wobble on my feet and sway as the angry red and orange flames devour what was my home.

The world starts to spin, my vision going blurry, or maybe I'm just about to pass out. Yeah, I'm about to pass out, I think as I hit the ground again, the world going dark.

I wake up in the backseat of Matt's car.

My nose crinkles as I taste iron and a metallic tang on my lip. I must've bitten it when he tackled me. I wipe the blood away by the back of my hand, trying not to look at the red smear now on my hand.

I groan and rub my temples as I sit up, my muscles groaning in protest, eyeing my brother in the driver's seat. Matt's a fine driver, a good driver actually, not that I'd ever tell him that, but right now, his hands are so tight on the wheel that I can see his knuckles go white whenever he tenses.

It takes me a couple of seconds to remember what just happened.

"Turn the car around, Matt," I hiss, leaning forward. Matt just keeps his head forward.

"No," He says through gritted teeth.

I'm too tired and sad and frustrated to argue back, so I just flop back onto the seat and hug my arms around myself. "Are they...are they gone?" I breathe, barely a whisper.

Matt's jaw clenches. He just nods, a light tip of his head. His dark hair falls in his face, and he doesn't blow it away. "Then we need to go back, Matt! We need to go get them and-"

"No. We don't," Matt says, still not looking back at me.

"Yes. Yes we do. That's our fucking family, Matt. Emily! Our little sister. Our-"

"I know, Thornton!" He almost screams it, his voice cracking as he slams his fist on the horn, the blaring noise nearly fucking deafening me. He pulls in, signalling even though there's no one around us. No one at all. If it had been under different circumstances, maybe I would've cared, or asked, but I don't.

"I know, okay. I don't want to be driving away, okay?" He pauses, and turns to look at me.  "I just...there's nothing we can do, Thorn!"

"Call the fucking police! Call 999, Matt!"

"You don't think I already tried that? You don't think I've already called like a hundred times? No ones picking up! Not the police, not the fire department! No ones on the streets. The prime minister appeared on the TV, and said something about an emergency when the power cut out! Next thing I know there's screaming and sirens and blaring, and I look outside and the neighbours' house is on fire! I shouted for everyone to get out when the staircase caved in. There was nothing I could do."

I grind my teeth and fold my arms. I glance down at the abandoned hokey stick lying on the floor of the car and have to restrain myself from picking it up and slamming it into Matt's face.