CHAPTER ONE
Smoke fills the air, the room gets hotter with every ticking second. "DADDY!" I cry out, pain fills my chest as I watch my father slowly die. Tears swell in my eyes to the point I can't see, is just a blur. Colors are forged together so the only thing I can recognize is my fathers face directly in front of me. "Don't go, don't go, don't go, don't go, please don't go," I say repetitively holding his bloody face set before me. I cough rapidly holding my father close to my weak body, if he dies I die too.
I press my face into his chest listening to his heart rate start to slow down. My head spins thinking of a life without him. I start to cough more to try and get rid of the smoke plus the ashes filling my lungs. I then feel a light tap on my shoulder I look up into his dead eyes and notice a small smile on his face. "I love you, Nathaneal." He manages to let out.
A yelp escapes my lips as his heart rate is too low to pursue. I feel as though my lungs are filled with smoke and poison, I cough even more while sobbing into his arms. Ash covers his face as well as mine, the heat becomes more intense. "Daddy, don't leave me." I murmur watching his eyes become more lifeless by the second. I wipe my tears with my hand and make a choking noise. I gasp at the sound of his chest empty and shake him. "DADDY WAKE UP!" I shout painfully, trying to encourage myself he is alive, somehow. At that moment I block out all sound, every part of me is focused on him.
Tears make my vision even worse than before. "DAD! DAD!" I scream at the top of my lungs. I cough more harshly and rapidly as I lay on my father's dead body chanting his name. He is gone. I clutch his shirt and sob even more upon him. A sudden tug is on my wrist as someone pulls me away from the limp body. They lift me as if I am as light as a feather. I try to fight it but I am in a weak position. "NO DADDY!" I scream as tears stream through my eyes as I get further and further from my dead father. I try and reach for him yet I am just too small and helpless. Thrashing I try to get to him, but it just drains my energy. I try prying my nails into the person's shoulder but it is useless, I am useless.
That doesn't stop me though, I still thrash, twist, and turn until this person will let me go. "DADDY!" I cry. I keep coughing from the atmosphere, it's almost pitch black from the smoke. When my eyes are open they burn as if at the touch of fire. I start gagging and choking on the smoke and start feeling a little woozy. The world spins around me as I try to go back towards my father. My body is getting weaker and harder to move every time I try to break free. I have become too weak to scream or yell. All the energy from anger and guilt has left me. I raise my arm in the direction of my father and smile a little. "I love you too..." Are the last words that come from my lips. Then everything goes black.
I wake up with a gasp and feel my eyes tearing up. "It was just a dream, Nathaneal," I reassure myself taking deep long breaths. I look at the alarm clock and notice the time, "Four twenty-seven?" I groan sitting up and clearing my mind from that dream. I feel a painful swelling in the pit of my stomach as I brush my fingers through my brown hair. I also feel hot and uncomfortable, what is going on? I decide to get up and wash my face, I do so and wobble to the bathroom. I turn the squeaky faucet on and watch the cold water rushing into the sink. The sound of the liquid soothes me as I begin splashing it unto my face. I sigh and take more deep breaths trying to slow my heart rate. Looking up in the mirror I notice my face is pale like the moon, and my brown eyes look dark and terrified as if I have seen something.
I have seen something, in the dream when I was six. I was too young to suffer the way I did, and it scares me even today as well. I look as though I just killed my best friend, it is because I did. If it wasn't for me my father would be alive today, if I hadn't left the stove unattended this would never have happened. Yes, I was only six yet I was curious what my father was doing. He told me to watch the stove while he did some cleaning around the house yet I didn't listen. This fate is all my fault.
As I stare at my reflection I don't see me, I see an eighteen-year-old boy who looks worn down and worried. I am not that boy, I am excited about the road ahead since I recently found out my brother is Tony Stark. That's right the man of steel, the genius behind the Avengers. But then again I am scared for the road ahead of me as well. As I become lost in thought I hear a knock on the bathroom door. "Nathaneal, dude you have been in the flipping bathroom for over an hour. I really need to pee." A voice says, then I realize that voice is my roommate Micah. "What time is it?" I ask confused, didn't I just get in here? "Eight forty-nine, NOW LET ME INTO PEE!" Micah says urgently. Eight forty-nine?!
I quickly open the door as he bolts in and slams the door in my face. I laugh a little at his urgency to use the restroom as I hear his comments. "Sweet Relief." He says like he just passed a level in a video game. As I hear him wash his hands I lean against the wall. He opens the door and his red hair is brighter than ever from the lighting in the background. It looks super dramatic. "Why are you in your pajama's? School starts at eight fifty-five ya know," he says raising an eyebrow at me. I say curses under my breath as I rush into my room to put on actual clothes. I quickly grab stuff to throw on jeans, a red panda t-shirt, my black shoes and grab my backpack.
I hop around on one leg struggling to put my jeans on when Micah busts open my door. "Dude, there is such thing as knocking," I say rolling my eyes. "Well 'dude' I don't wanna be late for school so... bye!" He states before bolting off. "You are my ride though!'' I yell finally succeeding at putting my pants on. "Better hurry!" He replies distantly. I quickly grab my shoes and bag then chase after him.
Once I am in the car I slip on my shoes and buckle. "Thank God that our dorm is only three minutes away from the school," Micah mumbles pulling out of the parking lot. "Hallelujah," I say jokingly then chuckle a bit. He laughs sarcastically in response, "Haha so funny." I sigh then look out the window, then I see her. "Stop, Audrey is here," I say while Micah puts his foot on the brake pedal.
I roll down my window, "Need a ride?" I ask hopefully. "Yes actually," she replies opening the back seat door. As she closes the door she blows her blonde hair out of her face. "So Audrey, hows it been?" Micah asks starting to drive away. "Eh, could be better. Being a cheerleader kinda sucks since all the girls wanna be you," she says looking at her cheerleading uniform. "Oh is that so?" Micah asks raising an eyebrow in the rearview mirror. "Yeah, and guess what. Pheobe totally dumped Carson, it was an ugly break up. Oh and July so likes you, Micah," She smirks looking at Micah. He blushes as we laugh at him. "Don't laugh at me, I can tell you two have a thing for each other." He says over defensively. My face begins to burn and I look down trying to avoid any eye contact. The car grows quiet as we pull in to the school, I hate silence. "I uh, gotta head to class," Audrey says as we pull up to the north side of Lincon Prep. She opens the door and exits as quickly as she arrived.
"You like her," Micah smirks driving towards the west side of Lincon High. I feel my face burn even more than before as I watch his mocking smile. "Shut up," I reply crossing my arms firmly. I blow my brown bangs out of my face as I look out the window. "Save the animals!" I hear faintly, it must be Forest she is obsessed with nature and such. As we drive by I see her long brown hair blowing in the wind. Dude, what is with the dramatic effects? Once we get parked I grab my backpack and walk towards the west side of Lincon Prep. Today is going to be a very long day.