When The Sun Came Up, You Were Gone

Late Night Drive(2)

Dominic's POV

My house used to be loud. Silence was as rare as finding a diamond in the desert. All six of my siblings would be running around, yelling and screaming. I would be chasing them and after a while I would be so tired, I would just collapse onto my bed and sleep. My parents aren't exactly the riches people, so they both work long hours and back breaking jobs. Since I'm the eldest, I take care of the others.

At least... I tried.

Here's the list of people in my family:

Dominic Storm (me): eldest, eighteen years old

Malik Storm: Second son, sixteen years old

Owen Storm: Third son, fifteen years old

Claire Storm: First daughter, thirteen years old

Jeremiah Storm/ Jasmine Storm: Fourth son/Second Daughter, eleven years old

Gracie Storm: Third daughter, nine years old

Most say we all look exactly alike, especially Malik and I. We all have the same hair, eyes and long legs in our family. My blonde hair was the most annoying feature I have. It was raggedy and always got in the way. I've been trying to get a haircut, but every time I go to get one, one of my siblings are screaming for my help.

This is why condoms are a thing.

"Dom!" Owen yelled for me, probably from his room since he's a lazy-ass. I finished one of my notes and headed up the stairs, taking two steps at a time. Going through the hallways of my house is dangerous. One moment, everything is chill and good, next someone is body slamming you to the ground. I give it two seconds before hurrying down the way, getting into his room quickly and safely, "Can you help me with this bullshit?" In his hands is chemistry homework... and since he is also a dumbass, I have to help him. I go over and explain the different components of the periodic table and continue with the ions and shit. After a couple minutes, the idiot still doesn't get it so I pull up a youtube video.

"Dommy!" This time it's Claire, "Can you please help me with math?"

Away I go,

"Dom!" Jeremiah, "I need help with English!"

"Dom!" Malik, "What the fuck is a parabola?"

"What the hell is a exponent Dom?" Jasmine.

How long will I have to stay in jail if I kill them?

I head out to the hall to go downstairs when a tiny voice catches my attention, "Dommy?" Gracie was peaking her head out of her room, a mask covering her face and gloves protecting her from germs, "Can you spell 'Difficult' for me?"

Long sleeves, pants that reached her ankles, boots that reached her knees, hair pulled back and covered with a haircap, a mask protecting her face and goggles that fogged up every once in awhile. My little sister was confined in a bubble, one she created a few years ago. I swallowed down my anger, nodding at her with the biggest smile I could make, "'D-I-F-F-I-C-U-L-T', difficult. Need anymore help?"

She shook her head and squeezed back into her room. She never comes out, unless it's for dinner or to use the restroom. She cleans everything every night. She has to be the first person to use the bathroom, has to be at least four feet from others, and doesn't ever want to go outside unless it's needed.

I went back downstairs, staring at the notebook I have been filling over the past few years. The books stacked on my table all about the phobia that surrounded her life. The little voice in my head spoke up, holding demands, "You have to find a cure."

I opened another, venturing deep in it, hoping the cure could be found soon.

~

"I'm home!" My mom shouts the moment she opens the door. One by one, the demons come running towards her. Sometimes I think she's going to break from all their weight. I close my books, turning off the table light. Now that they're home, I get two hours to myself.

"I've already feed them, they took their showers, and should be heading to bed in about thirty minutes," I explain to her, taking my jacket from the hanger, "Malik will help with the tucking in, but I can't be sure he'll be good at it. Gracie is already tucked away in her room, so just go by and say goodnight. Remember she hates it when people go in. Jasmine wants you to talk with her just for a minute or two about some girl stuff. I'm guessing it has to deal with her body maturing, but I could be wrong. Please make sure they are asleep by nine, I have to get them up tomorrow for school and I really don't want to deal with their whining." She nods, listening to all my requests, "I already have their lunches packed, breakfast prepared so you don't have to concern yourself with that. All you have to do is talk to them for a bit and make sure they are going to bed. You can do that, right?" She stares at the floor, nodding. I sigh, knowing she isn't strong enough to say a word to me, "I'll be back around eleven. Don't wait up for me, you need to sleep, also if you are hungry I made some extra food for dad and you. Good night." With that, I left her with her children.

Her children?

It was freezing outside, which was odd for California. Over at the East, it seemed like winter lasted forever. Snow sucked, but I think the sun sucked the most. Bringing my hands to my mouth, I blew my breath into them, hoping it would stop them from feeling numb. I had no true destination to go, I just wanted to get out of the house for a little. I wanted to have some peace and quiet.

I took my car down a few streets, just observing the lights. I was born and raised in Portland, Maine. It was the most populated place in the state and honestly, it was really annoying. Traffic was the norm and walking was mandatory. Taking the bus could either mean you were late or barely on time. I think the only thing I don't miss about the place is it's humidity. Feeling sticky was never pleasant, imagine feeling it every moment of your life!

California wasn't exactly humid. More like dry hot. I couldn't tell whether I liked that more, both kinda sucked. To get anywhere in California, you have to drive on the freeways, which can be annoying. Accidents everywhere and idiot drivers were the majority. The saying is true, if you can drive in southern California, you can drive anywhere.

People say driving around aimlessly can reduce stress, which I agree with, but sometimes it can lead to dangerous outcomes. Back in Maine, I would drive around for about an hour or two after my parents got home, just so I could breathe. One day I was driving when some drunkard came out of nowhere and T-Boned me. I'm always alert now, ready for anyone to attack. California has this weird sensation when I drive around. It's not like anywhere else. The people here are incredibly odd, driving at their own speeds and ignoring everyone else. Sometimes its thrilling, but most of the time its just fucking annoying.

I pull aside on the road, turning off the car. It's just endless streets and darkness. Most of the time I could cool down while driving, but today is different. I want to do something, anything. My bones are shaking to do something. Twisting my lip, I pull out my phone and ring up someone.

"Hello?"

"Are you busy?"

"Not exactly," they sound tired, "I was going to head to bed, why?"

"I wanna come over," I turn on the car, not waiting for the invitation.

"Go ahead, the front door is unlocked," I pull out into the street, checking for any crazies, "how many should I grab?"

"Four or five."

"You have enough time for that many?"

I glance at the clock, ten forty. It's not like the time really matters, "Actually, pull out six."

"Okay but if you get grounded, it's on you!"

"They won't ground me."