Flames

Prolouge

My hands run along the old leather suitcase.

My parents'.

How could they be gone? An inner voice asked.

I sigh. My feet drag themselves down the steps and into the kitchen.

I pull out a recipe for some sort of chicken, and begin to make dinner.

I hear footsteps coming down the steps. I spin around to see my sister standing there, hair hanging in front of her sullen face with a liquor bottle in her hand.

"Oh, Katie," I say, noticing the three-quarters-empty bottle.

Katie looks up at me, and I feel like crying. "What am I supposed to do, Julia? Sit around and do nothing while the emptiness inside eats away at me?" She huffs, then takes a sip from the bottle as she sits at the table.

I sigh once again as I begin making dinner once more.

After dinner is made, Katie and I eat in silence. I listen to my sister occasionally take a sip from the bottle.

When I scrape my plate into the trash, I grab my keys and slip on my shoes. "Katie?" I say, getting her attention. Her head snaps back to look at me. "Do you need anything? I'm going to the store," I said. She smiles strangely and shakes the alcohol. "More liquor, please," I let out a small gasp. "Well, bye. And you may need to get that stuff on your own time," I quickly add before closing the door. I know I should be nicer to her since she's depressed and all, but I don't feel it's my duty to get her her self-medicating products.

As I pull into a Wal-Mart, I can't help but notice a stand for buying plane tickets. What a weird place to sell those, I think to myself. I get my cart and start going about my business. But my thoughts wander and I can't stop myself from thinking about the plane tickets.

Where were they to? Who was selling them? Julia, I scold myself, if you're so interested in it, then check it out after shopping. I turn around and proceed on my way through the food aisles. After I go through the check-out area, I immediately go to the stand. An elderly man stands behind the booth-like thing with a young girl. "Hi!" The girl says cheerfully. "We're selling plane tickets to help raise money for finding the cure for cancer," I smile. Anyone who had a heart had to buy one. I hand some money to the man and he gives me two tickets. "Where are these to?" I ask politely. The man grins and I smile as crinkles form around his sea-blue eyes. "The Caribbean," he says. I thank him and go back to my car. I am almost unaware that I was putting the groceries into the trunk as I thought about my encounter.

The Caribbean.

Katie and I are going to the Caribbean.