Lego House

i. Ignition

A ripple runs through the ground, accompanied by an almighty bang. Her ears ring as she falls to the ground, her shoulder hitting the tiled floor of her kitchen first. Her head slaps against the floor as her body slams down. Pain rips through her entire body as she spins onto her back, looking around with wide eyes, every inch of her panicking.

As her eyes focus on her surroundings again, she sees smoke. She manages to rise to her feet after multiple attempts and helpless cries. Her hands are in fists at her side, her fingernails digging into her hands. 

"Michael?" she calls out. Her voice is quiet, though. A hand grabs hers and she gasps, but the hand twirls her around and she calms instantly at the sight of her big brother. "Where's mum and dad?" she asks, having to yell over the insistent ringing in her ears and pounding of her head.

"We have to run, Autumn," he says, instead of answering her question. He pushes his glasses further onto the bridge of his nose. She is thankful that they are not broken in any way.

"Mum! Dad!" she cries as Michael pulls her along. As her older brother pulls her out of the house, she begins to sob. The heat surrounding her, from the fire and from Michael's comforting hug, is unbearable but she allows it. "Where are they?" she sobs into his chest.

Her chest rises and falls, her breath raspy and ragged. Michael's caring brown eyes are staring down at her worriedly. His lips are moving slightly, and a tune is floating out of them. The same as when they'd first sat down to calm themselves after the attack. "When things go wrong, we can knock it down."

"Mikey," she breathes. She sits up, automatically allowing cold air to freeze the back of her sweat-soaked curly brown hair. "Not very encouraging." He manages a small smile. His eyes have dark shadows beneath them, and his face is splotchy with red.

She looks around at her surroundings. The sun has set, and in its place is the moon and the stars. The sky is a deep blue, almost black. It truly is beautiful, especially with the little dots of sparkling stars. She sees a body lying on the floor, pale and with small beads of sweat trickling down her forehead. The familiar dark blonde hair and slim figure makes her breath catch in her throat. "She's alive, just asleep," Michael tells her.

"Where's Jarrett, then? And Irisa?" she asks. The little girl is Jarrett's little sister, Aleyah, and Irisa is Autumn's best friend. She remembers that before she fell asleep, they had met up with her two friends and some of their siblings. "And Roselle? Is Tommy - did they find him?"

"Tommy's dead." A snappy voice, one Autumn recognises almost immediately.

"Ris," she whispers, standing up. She turns to where the voice had come from and frowns sympathetically at her beautiful best friend. Her long, straight blonde hair is tucked behind her ears, running down her back in a tangled, but somehow still beautiful, mess. Her green eyes are clouded with tears. Autumn rushes to her and envelops her in a hug.

"So is my mum, my dad. And," she's sobbing now, into the Autumn's shoulder, "look around. Kirstai is dead." Autumn's hand roughly bunches up her friend's hair while rubbing Irisa's back, as she tries to hold in her tears. Out of the corner of Autumn's eye, she sees a tall, lanky figure.

"Is Jarrett okay?" she mumbles.

"Go to him, it's okay," Irisa manages, her voice full of tears. Autumn pulls away with a curt nod, not daring to look at her broken best friend. She walks quickly to Jarrett, a friend she's known for many years.

"Hey, Autumn," he musters, his voice rough. Autumn looks up at him through half-closed eyelids, her eyelashes obscuring her full view of his familiar face. The one she used to have a pathetic crush on, the one she's grown to know only as a friend.