Burning Sky // Alec Lightwood ➰

For the record, it was the dryer

"Lately I've been, I've been losing sleep, dreaming about the things that we-"

I smash the snooze button on my clock and bolt from the bed. I was already awake hours before from a nightmare again. It wasn't that bad this time but still, I never risk to fall back asleep after one.

I pick at the bottom bunk and find my brother, Adam still asleep with his mouth open. Laughing, I reach down and shake his shoulder gently. When he doesn't move I try calling out his name a few times but the reaction is again nonexistent.

I jump from the bed with a sigh and land on the floor next to him, reaching to pick up the glass of water placed on the nightstand.

Oh he is so gonna hate me for this.

I try one last time to say his name so if he is really mad I can at least tell him that I tried a lot but he didn't budge. And that's the truth because Adam remains sound asleep. I don't even think it again before I empty the glass of water on his face.

I watch amused as he immediately sits up from his position on the bed, looking around him startled and scared. His hands move to his face and hair and when he fills the cold water on there he turns to look at me with a threatening look.

"This is getting old." He complains but I shrug at him causing him to sigh.

"That's it I'm getting my revenge." He announces all of a sudden and I widen my eyes before starting running across the hall to the bathroom.

Once inside I lock the door and proceed to get ready for school, ignoring Adam banging on the door. After washing my teeth I realize that he has given up and he is no longer outside the door. I carefully unlock it and take my head out, looking around for a possible threat. The coast seems clear and I quickly make my way out the bathroom and run to the bedroom, knowing Adam will be probably eating breakfast.

After I get dressed I go down the stairs only to find my brother picking up an empty bottle of aspirins that was on the floor. He looks at me for a moment and I nod at him.

"I'm going to get ready." He calls from the base of the stairs as I make my way towards my mothers room.

"Hey, are there any Cheerios left?" I ask him and I can hear him laughing as he replies with " at the supermarket sure, here, I don't think so." I roll my eyes at him and enter the dark room at the end of the corridor.

When I close the door behind me the first thing that I notice is the mess that the room is currently at. There are scattered clothes all over the floor along with some folders and papers.

"Mom?" I call out at the figure laying almost lifeless on the bed under the covers.

"Mom, you have to wake up." I insist as I approach her bed, watching my step in order not to step on something. The only response I get from her is a groan and I sigh as I move to shake her shoulder.

"You have to go to work today." I try again but she sighs.

"It's fine, I can call in sick." She replies with a raspy voice and I shake my head even though she can't see me.

A wave of a strong smell fills the room and I swallow hard trying to block it. I look under the bed and sure enough a bottle of vodka is laying there half empty.

I swallow the lump forming in my throat and turn to look at her again.

"No you can't. You have already done that twice this week. If you continue like that you are going to lose your job and you know we can't afford that." I say more sternly  and after a moment I can hear the bed shifting and she stands up, sitting at the edge of it.