"Izabel, please take out the recycling, be good to mother nature." Adrianna Criston said, not looking at her daughter, busy trying to slide a brush through a younger girl's hair.
"Ouch Momma! That hurts!" The little girl screeched, grabbing the brush out of her mother's hands.
"Hey keep it down! The game started." Devan Criston yelled from the living room, staring at the men in helmets bash each other around to get a hold of the ball.
"Sorry Daddy! Izzy, can you brush my hair for me? You are much gentler than Mommy." The little girl looked at me with baby blue eyes that no one, not even the devil, could resist.
"Sure thing Jessi, just let me run out to the garage to be 'good to mother nature'," I replied light heartedly, casting a smile at my little sister.
I ambled down the stairs to the garage, the cold cement freezing my bare feet. I shivered, and hurried to throw the bag of cans into a barrel so I could get back inside with my family.
All of a sudden, I heard Jessi scream. "Jessi!" I shouted, rushing up the stairs to door. I fiddled with the knob but it was bolted shut from the inside. I ran to the side door of the garage and was met by the fall of pure white snow. I didn't have a jacket, but I couldn't waste any time worrying about that.
I heard Jessi scream again. I ran for the front door, but it was locked as well. Running around to the side entrance of her house, I noticed the windows were filled with fire. But this fire wasn't normal. The flames licking walls of her house were pitch black, just like the night sky I was running underneath. I tried to kick down the side door, but it wouldn't budge. Even my muscular legs, strong from hours of dance class each week, could not bring the door down.
I did not give up. I rammed into the glass door with my shoulder, hearing something crack each time I ran against the door, but the door remained completely intact. It was my shoulder that had shattered.
"Jessi! Mom! Dad!" I shouted, continuing to kick the door, my efforts now in vain. The screaming had stopped, and now the black flames could be seen conquering the entire house.
There was a hand on my shoulder. I jumped, punching the 6'4" man in the face with my bad arm. Shit, that hurt.
"Jesus Christ!" The man shouted, cupping his face in his abnormally large hands. Another man approached, a little shorter, but still had a good eight inches on my 5'5" frame.
"We need to leave. Now!" He said, pulling me by my shattered shoulder. I whimpered in pain, and felt the need to roll my eyes at myself for the pitiful sound. God, I sounded like a little puppy.
"No! I'm not leaving, my family is in there, my little sister-" I faltered, knowing that there was no way any of them were alive. But I was not about to think about that now. There were two strong men to fight, and I was already injured.
"Leave me alone! I don't know what's going on, but I know sure as hell I'm not going with you." I swung with my uninjured arm, but the taller man easily dodged my swing and held me with my arms pinned down to my side, facing the other man.
"Listen to me," The shorter man said, "I know you don't know who we are, or what just happened, but I promise we can help. Now, either way you are coming with us, because your house is burning down and you don't have anywhere to go. So, you can come with us willingly, or we will take you kicking and screaming; your choice."
The taller man let go of me and I stood, sandwiched between the giants. "A little harsh, Dean," The tall one said, "Her entire family just-"
"Okay, fine, no need to talk like I'm not here. I'll go with you." After I had weighed my options, staying as uninjured a spossibke seemed like the best option, seeing as no matter what these guys were going to take me with them. "Now, where is your car?" I shivered, the cold air hitting my arms.
I was stupidly dressed in leggings and a tank top, not at all appropriate for the snow falling softly onto my head.
Dean, noticing my apparel, shrugged off his jacket and gave it to me. "Here," he said, "Sam's would fit like a moo-moo on you."
"Thanks," I said, laughing to myself of the stupidity of the situation. Here I was outside my house, which was burning black flames, and this guy just performed the most cliche act, except for the stretching to put your arm around the shoulder one. But it was cold, and I could feel my lips beginning to turn blue. So I threw on the worn leather jacket. Sam put a guiding hand on my back and I shrugged it off, refusing to become one of the weak little girls who fainted when anything unusual happened. I walked over to the car.
"An Impala '67?" I asked incredulously.
"Yeah, how'd you know?" Dean said, patted the car and looking at it as if they were true soulmates.
"Got a thing for cars." I replied. That was true. Cars were the only connection I shared with my dad. Even before I could walk, I was learning about cars, how to fix them, the classics, even how to drive. Technically, I could drive at the age of eight, but those pesky laws kept me waiting a whole lifetime for that license.
As I was about to hop into the back of the car, I looked down at my swollen cold feet. "Um, guys?" I said
"What is it?" Sam replied, concern on his face
"I don't have any shoes." At this, Dean cracked a smile, looking at Sam, who was turning red.
"What's so funny?" I asked them, trying to get my mind off of the past events.
"Oh nothing, it's just that you reminded me of something Sam said once." Dean snickered.
"Dean, shut up." Sam said, and we all got into the Impala and Dean drove off.
