Chapter 1: The Escape

Hey, everyone! This is my first fanfiction on Hetalia! (Don't worry, there will soon be more!) Anyway, I just want to say that there aren't any Hetalia characters in THIS chapter. Rest assured, they WILL appear in Chapter 2! Enjoy!

Cassia's POV:

Springing up from the floor, I grab my sister's hand, and race to the door. My hand grabs onto the cool doorknob, and I twist it.

I fling open the door. The cool fall breeze hits me like a slap to the face. My younger sister is crying behind me.

We have to escape. Where? I don't know. But it has to be some place far away from here.

We run down the worn concrete stairs, and onto the driveway. Our feet patter on the hard asphalt. It's so quiet.

For a moment, I look back. There was the house that I lived in for about a year. The door was made out of oak; the porch and stairs starting to fall apart. One of the windows was smashed.

A year too long.

"You little s****!"

My aunt's screams ruin the quiet scene. I start running again. My sister is trailing and whimpering behind me, but we can't stop. I can't allow her to catch up with us.

I hear the car engine start. My heart beats even faster. All of this adrenaline is pumping through my veins.

"YOU WON'T GET AWAY YOU S****," our aunt shouts at us.

Cailey and I make it to the sidewalk across the street, and we keep running.

"Cassia, hurry up!" Cailey shouts. I know her leg hurts, that's why she's been limping. My sister and I run until we reach the end of the street. The stop sign makes me pause for a second; the bright red shines in the light of the streetlamps.

Just look back! Only once! I tell myself.

I force my head to turn, and there she is. My aunt's car is following us. I decide to alternate between streets. I sharply turn left, making my aunt swear loudly again, and my sister sob a bit.

"We have to keep going, Cailey. She's going to catch up with us!" I tell her. Newly fallen leaves crunch beneath our feet.

"I know," she sniffs. "I'm just in a lot of pain!"

Green hedges and barren trees fly past us. My legs are getting tired, but I keep moving.

…

By now, my legs are heavy as weights, and my sister won't stop crying. We're slowing down.

"Is she still there?" I ask her, but I already know the answer. I hear the car's horn echoing into the night.

"Yeah," she replies. We make it to the end of the block, and then I turn right.

My aunt's car swerves.

I see the sign saying that we're nearing the highway. The perfect escape.

"Sis, we're going to the highway! Are you trying to get us killed?" Cailey shouts at me.

I snort. We were most likely going to be killed by our aunt then the highway. Nothing matters at the moment. Not the moon, the stars, or even the fear of my aunt . I keep running, getting closer and closer.

When we get to the highway, though, I immediately regret the decision. Cars of all shapes and sizes are zooming past us. Many of the drivers and passengers stare at us while they fly by. We must be a peculiar sight: One of us with a black eye, the other with a huge gash on her calf. Not to mention the numerous bruises on our arms and legs.

I have no choice, though. My aunt could be driving up the road any second, now. Just standing here and thinking is wasting time.

What do I do? I scream at myself. My lungs are burning like fire from all of that vigorous running.

Time is ticking.

Instinct taking over, I grab my sister's wrist, and take off again. I decide to run straight forward. Cars are speeding past us, and we run along beside them.

…

Cailey and I run on the grassy road right beside the highway.

We can't keep running here forever. This highway probably stretches out for miles. I'm scared that my sister might bleed to death from the gash on her leg.

Once I see a sign that mentioned at exit, I lead Cailey towards it.

Nothing is there, just an abandoned road. No houses are around either.

I'm such a stupid git! What do we do know?

I start to follow a faded sidewalk next to the street, but Cailey jerks me back. She points towards the road, where a bundle has been dropped. It looks familiar, but it's too far away to see why.

"Cailey, we really should get help. It's your leg you should be concerned about!" I tell her.

I realized that my sister isn't following me. She's gone to the street, to retrieve the bag.

"Cailey, hurry up! A car can come at any moment!" I shout at her. She takes her time.

I sigh in defeat. Bad memories keep creeping into my mind. I try to push them back as best as I can.

I'm on the lookout for any cars, when I see lights at a distance. They are barely noticeable, but the lights get larger and larger.

That's when my brain makes a connection.

Car.

Cailey.

Crash.

Dead.

I have to save her! My brain yells.

I lunge towards Cailey. My hands reach her back, and I push her towards the opposite sidewalk. I hear a thump. She's safe.

I sigh with relief. I momentarily forget that there is a car coming towards me at about 70 miles per hour.

Someone shouts my name.

Something comes crashing into my side.

Suddenly, I'm flying through the air.

Cailey's POV:

"CASSIA!" I scream. I drop the bag and race to where Cassia landed.

I stare at the car, a shiny Polvo, while it speeds away. I silently curse at it.

My sister! I think.

I look back down at Cassia. Her breaths are short and jagged. She seems to be unconcious.

God, please don't let her be dead! I plead. She's my sister! I need her! She's all I have.

Those words echo in my head.

She's all I have.

I sigh. Why did Mom and Dad have to go?

Suddenly, my sister shifts. Her eyes slowly open. She blinks a couple of times, then looks up at me.

"Cassia, are you okay?"

She narrows her eyes at me. "You don't say?" Cassia answers me sarcastically.

I sigh again. Thank God. She's still the same.

Cassia's POV:

I lie there on the grass.

Everything hurts.

I want to say that I'm fine, that everything's okay, but I know that'll be a lie.

Cailey's POV:

I look at Cassia again. Red splotches cover her shirt.

"OH MY GOD YOU'RE COUGHING UP BLOOD,CASSIA!" I scream. My breath gets faster. My hands start to tremble.

Stay strong, Cailey. Everything will be alright.

I can't even lie to myself!

Cassia starts to move again, but I stop her.

"Moving's only going to make it worse." I tell her.

The bag!

My hand reaches into the bag. I looks for any paper to wipe up the blood. Speaking of that, my leg has started to bleed again.

Luckily, I find a pack of tissues.

"Cailey," my sister says.

I turn my head towards her.

"Yeah?"

"That bag..it's mine." Cassia tells me. It is. I finally recognized it. Maybe some person coincidentally left it here.

"Your leg.." my sister points at my calf. "I don't want you to bleed to death."

"This is more important!" I shout.

I gingerly hold a tissue up to Cassia's mouth to quiet her down.

Cassia's POV:

Cailey holds the tissue up to my mouth.

"Sing to me." I say.

My sister looks at me as if I were crazy.

"This isn't the Hunger Games." She mutters.

"Please," I say. "For your dying sister?"

Cailey glares at me. "You're not going to die, okay?"

"I know." I admit. I think about what would happen if I did die. Where would Cailey go? How would Aunt Carol react? Would I be buried next to my parents?

"But…what if I do?" I ask her.

"You're NOT going to die, OK?" Cailey shouts at me. Her lip is quivering. I can tell that she's trying her best not to cry.

"Sorry, Cailey," I apologize. "I'm just scared, that's all." It's true. I don't want to die. Not here! Not now!

Cailey looks down at me. I must look weak and helpless, lying there on the ground.

She sighs, but she starts to sing Safe and Sound, by Taylor Swift.

My eye lids begin to feel heavy.

"I remember tears streaming down your face, when I said I'll never let you go-"

While Cailey watches for any cars passing by, I'm blaming myself for getting us into this mess.

"-when all those shadows almost killed your light."

I was sure that this plan was going to work.

"I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone."

I want to sleep. I shouldn't, though. I need to keep an eye out for any dangers.

"But all that's dead and gone and pasted tonight."

I close my eyes and think about the events that lead us to this.

"Just close your eyes; the sun is going down."

"You'll be alright. No one can hurt you now."

Flashes of memories, both good and bad, go through my head.

"Come morning light…You and I'll be safe, and sound."

Cailey's voice echoes.

"Sound...sound…sound…"

Well, at least we got away.