"You're so grown up." Gretchen chuckled as she looked me in the eyes and kissed me on the forehead. Her warm hands made my cheeks tremble as I smiled back.

"I know. I can't believe it either." I told her while we sat under a nice, shady tree to celebrate my birthday.

"How did you go from five to fifteen. Seriously, I'm gonna have to lock you up if you keep growing."

"Hey, I can't help it." I shrugged. "It's not my fault I'm over six feet tall with a full-on beard."

"Which kind?" Gretchen teased. It always irked me when she'd make those jokes, but she'd never hurt me like that. Unlike that demon I'm supposed to call a brother. He'd bury me with those.

"Regular beard." I told her, as I had promised to not ever use women like that to hide who I am.

"Good." Gretchen then readjusted her black wedge that hung off her left foot. It was a little too big but she didn't care. Shoes are shoes and style was her thing. Style mattered.

The two of us looked out at the decent view above. The skies may have been grey, but at least they were calming. The air around had this cool breeze, yet not too cold that it was intolerable. This was always my favorite kind of weather. It just felt right. No explanation needed. It just felt... right.

We sat together in silence as she let out a sigh. Her soft hair blew in the wind. She turned away for a moment before turning back to me. "I'm sorry A.J couldn't be here or Dad for that matter."

"It's fine."

"No, seriously." Gretchen touched my shoulder and looked me in the eyes. "They love you too."

"They really don't."

"Of course they do."

"How do you know?" I shook my head before standing up tall. "Neither has said they love me or even treat me like family. A.J especially."

"He may not be very loving, but he still cares."

Oh Gretchen. You always saw the best in people even when they don't deserve it. You hold the door for a thousand people yet get a thank you for every hundred that went by. You were always the person I wanted to be. But sometimes the truth is colder than the oldest ice. Sometimes people don't love you and there's nothing we can do to change that.

"Ray..." Her words trembled as a low, rumbling sound pierced through the air.

"Shit. It's gonna rain." I mumbled to myself before turning back to the now pitch black sky. "We gotta go."

Normally I wouldn't be this scared of storms as they are just part of nature, however we've gotten severe uproars in recent months. The rain has come down harder, the winds were much more powerful, and lightning had hit more trees. There we were, out in the open. Danger was looming about.

As the winds had begun to pick up, I saw the birds flapping their wings. The once prosperous birds went from circling in a calm manner around the seas to fighting hard against the wind. I took one step forward before Gretchen grabbed my arm. "Come on, let's go!"

Gretchen and I ran down the wet grass as rain poured down. Strong, glorious rain. The droplets like acid on my skin every time I fell where the rain moistened my wounds.

"Ray, get up!" Gretchen yelled as she pulled me off the gritty roads. We were almost there. We were almost safe.

With all my might, I let go of her arm and ran past her.

"Hey! Wait up!" She yelled, but her voice was drowned in the storm.

Amid the endless rain, I kept on running. My feet pattering against the pavement as I ducked under the nearest bridge. It wasn't much of a haven, but this would do.

"Gretchen, we made it." I couldn't stop panting as my system collapsed. I laid on the ground while the rain dripped off the bridge onto my already soaked face. I continued laying there for as long as I needed, until the rain begun to slow down. My heart was beating out my chest as I clutched it upon sitting up and seeing a clear view of the wreckage.

"Gretchen?" I called out. My legs slowly wobbling down the seemingly endless pavement. The world before me blackened with every waking heartbeat. I took a moment to hold onto the nearest tree only to discover it was no longer there. Where could it be?

When I looked nearby there was a shoe: A black wedge.

My body shuddered as chills tingled my spine. I slowly looked forward to see a leg sticking out.

"Gretchen!"

Oh god. Oh dear god! This couldn't be real. None of this could be real.

My hands cupped my mouth as I saw her pale body laying under the fallen tree.

"N-n-no..." I shook my head as my knees wobbled. I couldn't–I couldn't even touch her. I couldn't even touch my own sister. I just couldn't.

I fell back onto the ground and began to heave. "Help! S-somebody help!"

Tears began to stream down my face as I sniffled hard. "Please help me..."

Trauma's a curious thing. The things you remember and the things you wish you could forget, yet still want to remember for whatever twisted reason it may be. My mind chose for me to forget what happened next except for a whirlwind of blurs. A face here. A shape there. The light burst. The darkness flickered. It was switch that would adjust constantly while voices enthralled my mind. It kept bombarding with question after question. The pitches rising to a piercing degree where I held my head and buried it into my knees.

"Please stop!" I shouted.

"Stop what?" A doctor said as he came out into the hall. My heart jumped as I lifted my head while my eyes shifted from the left to the right. Those vultures glaring at me with their beady eyes as I was on my knees, holding my head tightly.

"W-where am I?" My inner-child getting the best of me as I asked that question. The doctor stood there and ran his fingers through his thick, black hair before letting out a deep sigh.

"Sir, do you remember who I am?"

"N-no. I'm afraid not."

He nodded for a moment until he extended his arm out. "Dr. Marco LeRoche."

"Raymond Lochner." I humbly shook his hand. "Can I please see my sister?"

Dr. LeRoche's hazel eyes only darkened as he sat me down on the chair and broke the news. 

"No..." I shook my head. "She can't be dead!"

"I'm very sorry for your loss."

She can't be gone, I cupped my mouth and closed my eyes. She just can't...

While I still struggle to grasp this idea that she's truly gone, Dr. LeRoche touched spoke up again. "We've contacted your family."

"How? I never gave their number."

"I never said you did." Dr. LeRoche answered. "Your sister was revived for some time and gave us a number."

"Did she ask for me?"

Dr. LeRoche gulped and turned away for a moment. 

"She didn't ask for me, did she?" I deduced as he looked at me again.

"Actually, that was the first thing she did. You wouldn't respond so she gave us a number."

"Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Sir, you were asleep." Dr. LeRoche emphasized. "Or in some kind of state. We didn't know what would happen, so we left you alone."

My jaw fell as I looked away. The bitter taste of betrayal lingered in my throat as I shook my head in disbelief. I could've said goodbye. I had a chance. I had a chance... Oh god. Oh dear god!

As this newfound loss wrapped around my heart, a certain voice rung in my ears.

"Where is she? Where's my sister?"

"Sir, you need to calm down."

I turned away to see that flaming red hair blazing in its trail of destruction. Once he came nearby, I tried to cover myself. 

"You." 

I opened my eyes and raised my head up a little while staring into his fiery eyes.  "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything–"

"Why is she dead?"

"I don't know!" 

"Of course you do!" A.J screamed as he came forward and whacked me in the face. 

I fell to the floor as the beating continued on. His feet to my sides, his fists to my head, beating upon beating. It didn't stop. He didn't stop. And he wouldn't.

 "You fucking bastard!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Enough!" Doctors got security as they burst in on him and pulled him off me. 

"It's your fault!" A.J shouted as security held him back. "You should've died instead! You should've died!"

Jesus, how did we get here? One minute, I'm enjoying the day with my sister and the next, A.J is blaming me for her death. Maybe he's right. Maybe I should've died instead. At least then, everything would be right with the world.