What Makes A Monster?

Prologue

I still remember how the rain burned like acid on my skin that night. It came down in torrents, doing little to quell the fires that spread from roof to roof, first my neighbors' house, then the one beside it, and finally my own. The glow of the flames reflected against the shiny pavement as my mother hauled us into the night, her bare arms covered in soot. Hale had clutched onto the hem of her nightshirt, his fist white with the force of his grip.

The sounds of the city were overwhelming, mixed in with the howls of terror, the distant sirens wailing from afar, too far to get to us in time. My mother's breath came in ragged gasps, her hair plastered against her back, her ponytail dragging in between her shoulders. I tried to turn back, to glimpse some semblance of aid, flashing lights in the distance, but my mother pulled me further away. She hushed me as I protested, soothing a whimper from Hale as she hauled us further into the darkness of the city.

My bare feet were numb as we hurried along the back alleyways, through a maze of dim confusion and chaos. Who knows how far we got before we were discovered, or how far away we got. All I remember is the suffocating silence after the explosion, the excruciating buzz in my ears as the building to our left crumbled and smoked. Screaming people filled the streets as my mother scooped us up, desperately pushing through the panicking crowds, as if she were swimming against the currents.

Her ragged breaths echoed in my ears from where I clutched onto her. Struggling against the crowd, my knuckles turned white with my grip on her hand. The crowd pushed and shoved and my Mother stumbled, sending Hale sprawling as I hit the concrete. I was trampled and tripped over but somehow, through all that chaos, I could clearly see my brother's face as he was grabbed.

Mother's scream pierced through me, her helpless cry from behind me as she shoved through the tide of bodies to get to her son. Hale wailed loudly, only to be cut off by a leather gloved hand, his wide eyes meeting mine as he whimpered.

In the end, I'm still not sure how I did it. Or, for that matter, why. All I know is the moment my brother's eyes met mine I was no longer laying limp. I hauled myself off the concrete and kept low as I ran for my twin. The terror in his eyes was paralyzing, but my muscles moved of their own accord.

I dove for the legs belonging to Hale's captor, attempting to haul my brother away. My cheek collided with the fold in their knees as we all went tumbling down. Hale rolled to the side as our mother threw herself towards us, and I was yanked upwards to meet their eyes.

The hand tangled in my hair squeezed as I screamed, kicking my legs and flailing my arms. My mother screamed my name right before the tower behind her exploded with flames, and the rubble separated us forever. My raw throat burned from the wail I let out, reaching towards the debris, but my captor threw me to the ground and I was met with darkness.