Rebyl Jayde
Prologue
We were playing among the puddles of spilled alcohol and broken glass, while our parents careened about dizzily, belting something faintly similar to happy birthday. It was Rebyl Jayde's birthday, my little sister, that is. She turned two, and she didn't seem to mind the lack of presents or the excessive drinking and drugs. That's just how our parents celebrated; drink 'till all the alcohol is exhausted and move on to the cigarettes, then weed, then the shots and so on, if you catch my drift. Don't get me wrong, they were great parents, but they lived everything to the extreme, good and bad. Until it all went up in smoke and everything was gone.
Time slowed down, focusing on the cigarette that fell from my father's lips. The liquor soaked, wooden floors burst in to flames, throwing us back in a wave of heat. My sister screamed at the intensity of the heat. She was smart enough to know what to do but she was too small. The fire roared angrily, reaching out with glowing fingers to touch us. Rebyl Jayde cried and crawled to me, the glass biting into her rosy skin. But she was tough and didn't totally freak out. I lifted her up into my arms.
"Dad, we have to go!' I screamed over the destruction. He just shook his head and stumbled towards us.
"Get you and your sister out now! I'm not leaving without your mother!" he said. He bent down and kissed us on the forehead. As he left Rebyl Jayde screamed out with her arms open wide toward my father. "I love you, Rebyl Jayde and Emeric. Goodbye." He said, looking at me over his shoulder. Then I was running, desperately, a race against the spreading flames. My feet flew from under me. I twisted in the air to land on my back so not to crush my precious burden. Smoke turned the room into a gas chamber, filling my lungs, coaxing a cough from my throat. My eyes focused on the front door, untouched and my closest exit. I was up and running again and I threw the door open. Cool air rushed in to the burning house, exciting the flames.
" At least I still have you." I said to myself looking away from the fire and down at my sister. Her eyes were closed and she was still. Too still.
"Rebyl Jayde?" I gently shook her. She didn't respond. I gently layed her on the cool grass, decorated with dew and put my ear to her chest. Nothing. Her face was pale and clammy. She was gone. A scream ripped from my chest, piercing the black sky. The moon, red rimmed from crying, mourned my loss while the world moved on. I fumbled with the clasp of my necklace. I brushed J's hair from her face, kissed her forehead, and pressed the chain into her tiny hand, folding her fingers over it. "I love you Rebyl Jayde." I ran from the destruction of my life with tears gently falling down as the sound of firetrucks echoed from the distance, too late.
Time slowed down, focusing on the cigarette that fell from my father's lips. The liquor soaked, wooden floors burst in to flames, throwing us back in a wave of heat. My sister screamed at the intensity of the heat. She was smart enough to know what to do but she was too small. The fire roared angrily, reaching out with glowing fingers to touch us. Rebyl Jayde cried and crawled to me, the glass biting into her rosy skin. But she was tough and didn't totally freak out. I lifted her up into my arms.
"Dad, we have to go!' I screamed over the destruction. He just shook his head and stumbled towards us.
"Get you and your sister out now! I'm not leaving without your mother!" he said. He bent down and kissed us on the forehead. As he left Rebyl Jayde screamed out with her arms open wide toward my father. "I love you, Rebyl Jayde and Emeric. Goodbye." He said, looking at me over his shoulder. Then I was running, desperately, a race against the spreading flames. My feet flew from under me. I twisted in the air to land on my back so not to crush my precious burden. Smoke turned the room into a gas chamber, filling my lungs, coaxing a cough from my throat. My eyes focused on the front door, untouched and my closest exit. I was up and running again and I threw the door open. Cool air rushed in to the burning house, exciting the flames.
" At least I still have you." I said to myself looking away from the fire and down at my sister. Her eyes were closed and she was still. Too still.
"Rebyl Jayde?" I gently shook her. She didn't respond. I gently layed her on the cool grass, decorated with dew and put my ear to her chest. Nothing. Her face was pale and clammy. She was gone. A scream ripped from my chest, piercing the black sky. The moon, red rimmed from crying, mourned my loss while the world moved on. I fumbled with the clasp of my necklace. I brushed J's hair from her face, kissed her forehead, and pressed the chain into her tiny hand, folding her fingers over it. "I love you Rebyl Jayde." I ran from the destruction of my life with tears gently falling down as the sound of firetrucks echoed from the distance, too late.