𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐀 ↝ 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘭

pilot | z e r o .

​The evening air was cool and gentle, a smooth breeze swimming across the neighborhood- and that made her angry.  The world seemed so calm, so at peace, seemingly unaware of the events that were unfolding.  She wanted to scream.

​They didn't stop until they reached their car, parked on the opposite side of the street.  Dropping her arm, her twin brought it back up to cradle the baby brother with both hands.  The infant whimpered, and the boy tried his best to comfort the child.

​The girl risked a look up at the window; the glowing orange was a beacon of destruction, a smoldering threat.  Her pajamas smelled of charcoal.

​She turned back to face her brothers; her twin was rocking the baby back and forth, rather awkwardly, yet still gentle, trying to soothe him in the time of sheer panic.

​"Shh, Sammy, it's gonna be okay," the boy cooed, but the words weren't truly meant for the baby, but rather himself.

​Oh, how desperately she wanted to believe him.

​"Dean-" she tried to speak to her twin, but the words caught in the back of her throat, turning her mouth sour. 

​The boy's eyes lifted to meet hers, their candy-apple gazes locking momentarily.  The girl shuffled closer to him, pressing her body against his.  The warmth that surged through her this time was much more pleasant than the fire; this warmth was the feeling of home, of security, of love.

...

​Body nestled tightly against her father's chest, the girl wept.  Her tears fell silently, but to Dean, each one sounded like hail pounding against glass.  He refused to cry himself; he took after his father in that way.  He needed to be strong for his sister.

Sam was now sound asleep in the boy's arms, and feeling the baby's slow, even breathes helped to calm Dean down.

​The family of four stayed like that for nearly five hours; no one spoke a word.  Even after the biting flames were drowned into oblivion, even after the flashing red and blue lights ceased, even after the blaring warning siren faded, even after the dark hours of twilight broke into the gray of dawn.

​Her eyes began to grow heavy, as she had cried her body dry.  There was a small hole drilled straight through the center of her chest; she felt hopelessly... empty.

​"D-Daddy?" It came out a stammering croak, and the father pulled his daughter further into his chest at the sound of her tiny voice.

​"Yeah, sunshine?"

​Sweat and grime coated her body as she leaned more into her father's side, squeezing her eyes shut tightly in the hopes of erasing the horrific images that now plagued her mind.

"... I'm scared."

The father's heart shattered then, as if it weren't already broken enough.

He swallowed his devastation and splayed a gentle kiss across his forehead.

​"It'll be okay, Makayla.  Nothing will hurt you as long as I'm around.  I promise."