PROLOGUE- HELL'S PROMISE - VIII

Standing at the stove, I watch as the water in the pot slowly begins to boil. Luckily we did still have some hot cocoa from the winter season. I remember fondly when we would wake up just after dad would leave for work and make some on our own, doing our best not to accidentally burn ourselves, and failing once or twice, just cause we didn't have the strength to keep the pot at a constant stillness. As such, we had to do a lot of hiding mild burns, but the pain was worth it to us. Nothing could keep us from enjoying a good time. Absolutely nothing. I look up from the pot to state aimlessly at the stove's digital clock. We were the entire definition of free right now, and yet, it didn't feel like much of anything at all. Well, no, it felt miserable actually. What did we do to deserve lives like this? I want my mom...I want my mom! I don't wanna watch after my sister every second of my life, I wanna hang out with friends and get soda from the convenience store, I wanna ride on scooters and talk during class and be liked by my peers.

I wanna have a good life, so why is life so mean to me?! I bite my tongue to keep from any of that leaking out, and the potential consequences that could come if any of it did. I don't need her feeling bad because I can't handle my feelings. It's my responsibility to be strong, so just be strong...and be stronger if you have to. Thinking that, I notice that the water has finished boiling, so I go ahead and begin pouring it into our cups. I watch as the water sends the cocoa mix inside into a cyclone formation, partially mixing all by itself. The satisfaction watching this brings me is indescribable. With a chuckle I move to begin stirring the cocoa in their separate cups. Chloe had decided not to follow me down. She couldn't take being so close to mom's corpse, and I can't blame her. I only can because...well because I can. It worries me a little why I feel so nonchalant but we have too much else to worry about right now, so, as long as I'm not looking at what once was her, then I'll probably be okay if I just don't think too hard about it.

I take both mugs and begin to carefully carry the mugs up the stairs and to the room, where Chloe waits, sitting on the side of the bed while holding a pillow that used to belong to mom. I sigh just slightly, before walking over and setting her cocoa down on the bedside table and smiling warmly. That does seem to help just a bit as she chuckles before grabbing her cocoa. Sitting together, I feel like the air is turning a little less tense. Sipping from my mug, I try to look as calm as possible, seeing if it'll rub off on her.

"Chris..." She whispers. "I don't wanna leave." She says this even quieter. "Our room is safe. No one can hurt us there. No one will find us there. Right? Isn't that how it's always been?" She asks with a serious look on her face. I gulp. "Can't we just stay in there forever? I...don't wanna die. Death is scary. I'd rather be with you and safe from anyone and everything. Is that okay?" She doesn't move, but I know she wants to go back there at this very moment. I look down at the ground. How do I say that's impossible now? That our place of safety is no longer an option, ever again. I feel myself holding in a scream, not at her but at myself for being such a worthless brother. Just say it how it really is, cause there's no saving her from the truth, is there?

"They'll take you away. We'll never see each other again. The chance someone wants both of us is too unlikely to even imagine. I can't let you be taken away. Do you understand? They'll find us here, and then we'll lose our chance to be together." I say it all with a tone of fear. I hope it's not totally real, cause it sounds so desperate. Clicking my tongue, I sit up straight. "We won't lose each other. That's the only promise that will ever matter to me." I say, before sipping more from my cocoa. Chloe seems to absorb everything I say before sipping some more herself, her lack of response starting to make me nervous. Finally, I can see the tears forming at the corner of her eyes. She lowered her face as the drops fell onto the carpet. Words weren't viable anymore. I gently squeeze her after setting my cup down, feeling myself weaken with each of her bodies quivering heaves.

There was nothing else for me to say. Nothing else I could hope to say. If we wanted to stay together, we couldn't get caught, and she understood that. Still, she was insistent on not letting go of me once she wrapped her arms around me in return. I wondered quietly just how likely it was that I wouldn't have even been able to hold her this last time and died to that thing. I shiver at the thought and block it from my mind. So easily I could have ended up dead, and then what would she have done? I'm not allowed to die. She needs me, the only one that can keep her safe and make her feel like it'll all be okay.

Nothing...no one else matters.

We finally end the hug and, while not looking incredible, she definitely looked better than she did before. She sets down her cup and lays down in bed. I lay down next to her and together, we fall into a well deserved rest, the last we'll have in this house we used to call our own.