Shooting star

Does being free means you have nothing to come back to? Or it means you will never come back?

As they were running away from the city, strange noises were heard. It was a buzzing of some sort, coming closer than backing away, and coming closer again. It felt like it was up in the sky.

Besides the buzzing, their heads were filled with questions about the riot and things that were happening right now. Only Kaden and Dean saw the bloodshed, but they said nothing. They ran in silence.

- Wait... I need a second. - Kara stopped. She relied on her knees, breathing heavily. They were far from the city and no one was coming for them. No one knew they escaped. The lookouts had a wide range of sight, so they had to escape it before dawn, or otherwise someone could see them in the morning. - Is that a shooting star? - Kara pointed her finger in the sky, with a smile on her face. - I made a wish... - She seemed happy.

- Kara...? That''s not a shooting star... - Kaden's voice was devastated. They all stared into the flame ball that was going right into the city. Buzzing sounds were now all around them, but it seemed as if no one could hear it. Like being enchanted, they stared into the ball of flames.

As the shooting star disappeared behind the steel wall, a huge explosion happened. Flames peaked over the walls, as they could hear the sounds of destruction. Kaden realized that the buzzing sounds were planes and they continued to bomb the city. Flame balls were falling one after the other, as their flames lit up the sky. Kara gasped, but Frankie broke to tears.

- Dad?! - She screamed and started running towards the city, but Kaden caught her by the arm. She dropped down, furiously punching her fists into the ground. - It's not fair! We should have been with him! - Every scream, every tear on Frankie's face hurt Kaden like someone was stabbing him. Even that he could bare, but seing Frankie crush, he couldn't. He wrapped his arms around her and started cradling her. He kissed her forehead, while she continued to cry.

Kara stood there, watching her always strong sister crush. She walked over to them and sat on the ground besides Kaden. Her hand caressed Frankie's hair. Kaden kept whispering: Shhhh... Everything would be OK... But Kara thought he was more speaking for himself. 
Twins couldn't move their eyes from the flames that were devouring the city. Their father told them he isn't coming back from the protest alive. They already had their goodbyes. But still... Knowing that everything is gone now, and that there is nothing to come back to... It crushes you from the inside. His eyes met Donny's. They glistened. Dean patted him on the shoulder and returned his gaze onto the sky. He saw two planes, illuminated by the fire. They remained in the air, probably to make sure the city is destroyed, and then they left. The disastrous buzzing silenced.

They were now walking for two days and two nights. Luckily, there was no sun to burn them. Just dark clouds everywhere. They just kept getting darker as they kept moving forward. The ground was plain, without grass, and not a tree in sight. Just rocks and cracks in the dry land. Wasteland. Nothing. Empty and naked ground. There were no signs of a city on the horizon. Couple of times they found a house, in a rotten state, but usable. First night they slept on the ground, but the other, they slept on the bed improvisations. Kaden and Dean were pretty creative. Donny noticed a small wound on Kara's hand. It was like a bruise, but darker. Almost black. But the first day, it wasn't there. Seemed to be getting worse as they continued moving away from what's left of the city. Kara didn't complained, so he didn't asked. Everyone walked most of the time in silence. Whenever they got hungry, they would make a small barbecue, and heat up one of the cans of food. No one said it out loud, but they all eat as less as they could, so the supplies would last. Frankie noticed the ground was getting a bit steeper. There was a house on sight, half ruined, but it would do good. They reached it just in time the night fell.

Frankie and Donny prepared the food. They all gathered around the fire, with small plastic plates in their hands. Dean was staring at the only star in the sky.

- Our mother use to make the perfect brownies. I miss them... - He said it with a thoughtful voice. They were all surprised by this brake of silence. Except Kaden.

- Our dad made the most tasteful pancakes...

- No. - Everyone looked at Kara. - He made the best cheesecake...

- Oh yeah, I've forgotten about it... - Kaden smiled.

- Well, our dad made the best apple pie! - Donny shoved his brother, who had a bite in his mouth, so he just nodded his head, and murmured: The best!

- Frankie can cook an excellent beef! - Kaden glowed.

- Yeah, I kinda do... - She smiled, and so did everyone. 

They continued talking deep into the night. Fire burnt down, but they talked. Memories hang in the air, as they shared secrets and events from their lives. The childhood seemed so careless now, without burdens of the world. When Kara fell asleep, the talk changed into sharing their first kiss stories, and ridiculous crushes over the years. Frankie decided to carry Kara onto the bed. It was rotten, and springs were peaking all over the mattress, but they covered it with blankets. Dean stood up and showed Frankie to be silent. He gently picked up Kara and placed her in bed. Frankie covered her, and kissed her on the forehead. She seemed firm asleep. Dean took Kara's hand and showed it to Frankie.

- Donny told me about it. - Kara's hand had a big black spot on the palm. As Frankie took her hand, she noticed the veins around the spot were black, too. She gave Dean a scared look, but he just shrugged his shoulders. He moved his fingers across the spot and instantly back his hand. It felt like a sudden burning sensation. 

- What happened? - Frankie was confused.

- I'm not sure. For a second I thought it burned like hell... - He looked at his fingers, and on top one of them was a black spot. He tried to wipe it of his shirt, but it wasn't coming off. - What the...

- Shhhh, we'll speak of it in the morning. 

Dean took a long look at her. His hand went through her hair.

- I think you're beautiful... 

Frankie enjoyed in closeness of his body and his hand in her hair. He picked up her chin and slightly kissed her. A small peck on the lips. Her body flickered, in a good way. She wanted him not to leave, but he did.

- Sweet dreams angel...

As Kaden prepared to lie down, he saw something interesting through the window on the other side of the house. Donny followed him. There were wooden boards nailed on top, so Kaden pulled one out. As he did, Donny gasped. It looked like a wide valley or a crater in front of them, and there were hundreds and hundreds of glowing rocks on the ground, and one big in the middle. As far as their eye can see, there were more of this stuff.

- What is that? - Donny whispered.

- I don't know... I honestly don't know...

Reviews

[TheSweet]

I must admit that this chapter could do with a little polishing up, there are some awkward phrasings and strange grammar which would otherwise make it flow nicer. Also, seeing as this is the first time they've ever set foot outside their now broken home, it'd be nice to have a little more description of their surroundings and their thoughts towards it. Just some food for thought.

Kinda wondering about the blackness on Kara's hand though. Interesting devenlopment in the story, and no real continuity problems. :) Now for the final part.