The strong wind sneaks in through the open window, ruffling Brook’s hair as his cheeks turn pink and numb. Ember sits in the passenger seat, looking out at the trees flickering by. Her chin lays on the open window as she tries to swallow the lump in her throat choking her. Despite the continuous attempt to blow her eyes dry, moisture reappears every two to three seconds.  

It’s the wind, it’s the wind, it’s not you. You’re fine. 

The bottled up emotions suffocate them, having nowhere to go. A flicker of sunlight shines through the trees, becoming the only source of light in the dark night sky aside from the headlights shining fiercely and brightly.

Finally, Brooks speaks up tentatively, “Hey, you okay?”

With a croak in her voice, Ember replies, “Yeah”.

“And?” Brooks asks again, hoping to get something out of her.

“I’m fine now.”

“You’re not fine when you have your face intentionally turned away from me, talk to me.”

Whoosh, the sound of the wind engulfed them.

“Sigh… Come on, Ember, I’m your older brother, you have to open up to me. You can’t just keep everything locked up in there. You don’t tell anyone anything, and we’re left here having to guess what you’re feeling. I’m trying to help you,”

Whoosh.

You will never understand what it’s like to feel lonely. It bites at you and tears at you continuously. 

Tears run down her cheeks in waterfalls, and as she inhales through her nose, Brooks hears her sniveling.

Hearing that, his breath quickens as something rises from the inside. Memories rush back, and without warning, a force erupted inside of him, “You have got to be strong and tell me what’s going on!”

Strong? I try to be strong.. to not let it show… But even I have a breaking point! 

“Why do you constantly keep silent when I ask you stuff? It feels like I’m talking to a wall! Cry if you want to, but you don’t even have the courage to look me in the eyes!”

Exasperated, Brooks turns around. A heavy hand lands on Ember’s shoulders, and his fingers grip on, turning her towards him. 

“What are you doing! Let go of me!” Ember flails, pulling her body back, not willing to show him her face, not willing to show him the look in her eyes.

Suddenly, she crashes into the car’s door. 

Brooks was shouting, “No no no no no!”

Frantically, she swiveled her head back, only to find a car pummeling towards them. Brooks grasped the wheel, his eyes widened as he jerked it to the right. 

Bam! His foot slammed onto the brake, but it was too late. 

“Ahhhhh!” the scream ripped out from Ember’s chest as both of them swung to the left. 

Screech!

Blurs pass by their vision. Something started to rise in Ember’s stomach, saliva started to form in her mouth, and her eyes shut tight, trying to escape from reality.

Crack! A rock pummels into the windshield, and a white streak forced its way into the corner. Faster and faster it spread, encased only by the film. Crunch! The shards burst apart, raining down on them. Their hearts pounded, threatening to steal their breath away, but they felt nothing as the car soared through the air. A coat of armor protected them, as the numbing on their arms separated them from the bits and pieces with jagged edges. Weightless, until they were jerked forward.

The screech continued to resonate in their heads, until, “Scrunch!” Everything halted to a stop.

Panting, Ember raised her face slowly. What is this? Why does it feel so sticky?

Something warm ran down the side of her face, seeping into her hair. She squinted, trying to distinguish the hodgepodge of brown objects and green spots protruding from directly in front of her. She scrunched up her nose as she smells the stale and rusty smell. Glancing over to her left side, she can see her brother, eyebrows raised and eyes wide from the harrowing situation. Bits of red streaked all over his face and arms. He reached to his left side, hands trembling as he fumbled, trying to click on the red button to release himself. 

All the while, he repeated over and over, “What have I done?”

He curses over and over as his knees land on the divider between the driver’s seat and passenger seat, getting closer and closer to Ember until all that’s left between them is a small gap of cold air rushing in. His body cowered over Ember, shadowing her face from the minimal light shining in. All Em could hear was her brother’s fast paced breathing, as his eyes flickered over her, trying to make sense of her injuries.

A shaky breath escaped his lips as he uttered the question, “Where does it hurt Em? Please… tell me where it hurts. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. You’re going to be okay. I promise.”

The left side of the car was distorted, and Ember was trapped inside a jumble of steel and airbag. A dark red liquid was oozing all over her, staining her clothes and the seat below. 

Ember’s head feels so, so, dizzy, and she can hear a sharp ringing in her ears. She fights against her eyes as they start to flutter shut, and looks Brooks in the eyes while mumbling weakly, “Brooks, I-I love you. Tell mom and dad too…” Seconds passed, and she no longer had the energy to fight against gravity. Her eyelids drooped over, and all that was left was an eternal hole of darkness.