HEIRLOOM

Chapter 13

I awaken to a sickly sensation churning in my stomach coupled with the eerie feeling of being watched. Upon prying open my heavy eyelids, I meet the somber gaze of Alex, reproachfully peering at me. His forehead bears a small wound oozing a dried trail of blood, accompanied by numerous contusions on his cheeks.

The heavy stench of smoke and gasoline hangs thick in the air, causing my lungs to constrict and my eyes to water. The scorching heat seeping from the mangled metal and engine is almost unbearable.

Despite the darkness still enveloping the surroundings, a grayish hue seeps through the whitish fog, signifying the early hours of the morning. The impact had shattered the pine tree in half, with its broad and dense canopy plowing through the driver's side of the windshield. Thankfully, Alex had sustained negligible harm while the others remained unscathed. Gabriela, unconscious, slumbers safely on my shoulder, her tender breath soothing my frazzled nerves.

Kristeen and Isabel huddle in the back, their arms wrapped around the children who cling uncomfortably to one another. The cabin is consumed by an oppressive stillness, save for Kristeen's intermittent snorts that cut through the quiet. I scan the space around us, desperate for any sign that this is all just a horrible nightmare. However, my gaze comes to a sudden stop when it lands on a deep dent in the roof of the car, a sobering reminder of the shocking events of the previous day.

Alex follows my line of sight, his brow furrowed as he locks eyes with mine. I wish he wouldn't stare at me so intensely; it's almost as if a punch to the jaw would be less painful. Struggling to withstand his disapproving stare, I lower my gaze. Alex says nothing, intensifying the already unbearable silence that weighs on us like a lead blanket.

Remarkably, the battered car sputters to life, and Alex steers us back onto the road. His eyes are grimly fixed on the horizon where the forest dissolves into the golden glow of the sun, slowly rising through a veil of mist.

"Where are we headed?" Gabriela inquires, rousing from her slumber and peeling her eyelids open.

"To grandma and grandpa's house!" Lily chimes in jubilantly, already alert and inspecting her surroundings. "Right, Dad?"

"That's right, darling! We're off to grandma and grandpa's home!" Alex responds, the corners of his mouth revealing a strained smile as he briefly meets my gaze.

I drop my gaze once more, acutely aware that I am the sole cause of the harrowing ordeal this group of people is enduring. At a loss for words and powerless to offer any aid, I choose to remain silent.

"You know, Dad," interjects Lily tentatively, "Yesterday, I remember our house was on fire, and we were rushing somewhere at night, and…it was really scary." She halts, trying to recall the details of the nightmare, but Alex hastily cuts her off, his voice coaxing, "Sweetheart, it was just a dream! Our home is safe and sound, and you...you only dreamt it!"

"Okay, Dad," Lily concurs, her tone lightening with a sense of relief. "I'm so glad. I was so frightened by that dream. But..." Her gaze traces an astonished path toward the shattered glass that forms a thin, silky web on the windshield, and her eyes widen with disbelief. "What happened to the car?" she queries.

Isabel steps in, gently advising Lily, "Let's not overwhelm dad with too many questions right now, darling. He'll explain everything when we get to grandma and grandpa's, alright?" Isabel wraps her arms around Lily in a warm embrace, hoping to distract her from any worries. Lily nods quietly and snuggles into her mother's shoulder, her curiosity momentarily appeased.

As we enter a vibrant birch grove, the leaves dance exuberantly, greeting the new day with zeal. In the distance, the whistle of a train echoes melodiously, accompanied by the rhythmic symphony of its wheels. Puffing gray clouds of smoke into the chilly morning air, it steams along the blackened rails that cut through the grove.