Two Worlds V

XXVII

Scarlet...

Dominique hadn't always been a pain in the ass. You could come to the house and ask if you could have dinner with us and he'd happily invite you in. Mom always said he had a soul that could be an angel's. Every Sunday after church, we'd get ice cream and then go to the movies to see a kid's movie.

When Jack had been born, he was so happy, especially since the doctor's had apparently said my mom wasn't going to be able to have any other kids after me. I was happy to have a baby brother. I thought I could teach him about the things I learned. I didn't know one day he'd know a hell of a lot more than me.

July, 2001...

I was sitting with my dad in the living room watching cartoons late at night. He had passed out on the couch and I was sitting on the floor, holding my feet. I watch the screen intently, not feeling tired. I heard something behind me and looked to see my mom looking into the room. She gasped and then started running down the hall.

"Mommy?" I asked, and got up.

I heard her scream and my dad snapped awake. I jumped as he ran out of the room and down the hall quickly. I got up shakily and started going to see what was going on.

"Claire!" I heard my dad scream and the apartment started getting loud with a high pitched noise, "Claire!" He screamed again. There was a bright white light from Jacob's room, and I ran to it.

I looked into Jacob's room and my dad was standing in the middle of the room, staring at the floor in front of him. I started looking around him and saw her eyes were burnt from their sockets. I gasped and went back slightly. My dad got Jack from his crib and then came to me.

"Scar, take your brother and run," He told me urgently as he handed me Jack. I held Jack shakily, not knowing what was going on, "Go, Scarlet!" He yelled at me and I swallowed as I started running out of the apartment.

I ran out to the parking lot and looked back, others around our apartment getting out and running down. I held Jack to me, swallowing. I was scared as I heard sirens. My dad ran down and to me, picking me up and carrying me as he ran to the other side of the parking lot. The windows burst with a white light and glass shattered through the parking lot where I would have been standing. I held onto Jack as my dad stopped slowly and looked back, crying.

When the police stopped questioning my father, we were sitting in the back of the ambulance. My dad was holding Jack and I was holding a blanket around me. My dad's hand was shaking as he bit his bottom lip and moved his hand to Jack's throat. He had a tight grip as Jack squirmed.

"Daddy," I said, and he released his grip on Jack's throat, "Where's mommy?"

He was quiet, and I was scared. I hadn't seen him like that. I looked to the ground and cried quietly.

Cas, present...

When I walked out of Vince's room, I got into clean clothes and then walked into the map room. Vincent was sipping his coffee at the table and Jack was messing with his boot buckles. Guy was poking at Mr. T trying to make him go faster.

"Well, you're all awfully quiet," I said, sitting down.

"What would we be talking about?" Jack asked, getting his foot off the table.

"I don't know," I said, "How are those marks doing?"

"I'm fine," Vince said, "Sometimes it hurts, but other than that, nothin'."

"Yeah, kind of like a sting?" Jack asked, looking at him and he nodded, "Yeah," He looked back to me and I nodded, looking to Guy. Guy looked at us slightly.