Four years ago...

"Come on, Blake! Just this once!" I huffed in frustration, watching his thick eyebrows furrow. Forest green eyes -much like my own- squinted intently at the screen as long fingers moved angrily across the surface of the game console, successfully blocking my insistent whining.

"I'll do your dishes for a week!" The aggressive moans of pain from whatever creature he had killed offered as my only response.

Blake possessed an art I was immensely jealous of. It was like he could put up a wall in his head, ignore everything else and simply exist on his own. Just like now, he had placed up the wall and I was failing miserably at climbing over it.

"If you don't take me, I'll have no social life and I'll just have to follow you everywhere." I was grasping at every straw I could, even though I knew he had probably forgotten I was in the room.

Groaning in utter frustration, I stomped my feet on the ground. The movement causing my short, light brown curls to bounce around my shoulders. My frustration at the situation was palpable, the taint of red splashed against my cheeks displaying my anger toward it.

I charged inside the room, where his lanky figure splayed haphazardly across the bed. In a fit of hot rage, I swiftly grabbed the console before darting towards the door. A victorious smile lifting to my face.

Something heavy suddenly collided with my back, resulting in me losing my footing and falling to the hard ground, head first. The collision bringing my rain of victory to an abrupt halt. Still in a daze, I barely registered Blake snatching back the controller before seating on my back, immediately restricting my breathing.

"Get off me you fat ass!" I whizzed.

"I am not fat, this is pure muscle." He made a show of flexing his slightly muscular arm, resonating a gag from me. I squirmed, trying to get out from underneath him to no avail. My breathing had become laboured, his weight straining me, when my mother finally appeared at the threshold.

"Blake, get off your sister now!" A displeased frown littered her full lips as shallow wrinkles appeared on the space between her eyebrows. Her tired blue eyes met his green one's in a challenging manner, effectively raising a single brow.

Blake immediately scrambled to get off me, knowing well not to try and challenge her. I drugged in a lungful of air at the loss of his weight on my back, standing up while dusting myself before passing him a smug smile. He responded by poking his tongue out childishly, always the sore loser.

The loud clearing of my mother's throat brought our small banter to yet another halt.

"Blake, just take Savannah to the sleepover. She's never asked you to drive her anywhere before." our mother's voice held a daring tone to it, clearly leaving no room for arguments. She folded her arms across her chest, hardening her stance when he made a move to argue.

Blake sighed loudly, his broad shoulders dropping exaggeratedly as if he had just been subjected to an unimaginable punishment. His almond-shaped eyes glared daggers at the side of my face, clearly unhappy. It was my turn now to openly poke my tongue out at him, portraying my obvious victory.

"Thanks mum! You're the best!" I squealed, wrapping myself around her scrub clad body. She released a chuckle while wrapping her frail arms around me, hunching slightly at my weight.

I excitedly made my way to the baby pink room besides Blake's, a skip to my steps. On the small bed -pushed against the wall- a large bright red bag sat, clashing with my white sheets.

I had been invited to my classmate's birthday sleepover yesterday, and my excitement could not be contained. I was up until the early hours of the morning, bouncing around my room whilst I conjured all the fun activities we could indulge in. It would have been my first sleepover and in my young mind, I had built up a magical night of blissful fun.

Hastily, I slung my bag over my shoulder while slipping on a pair of doll shoes. I practically flew down the stairs, impatiently tapping my foot on the tiled floor as I waited on my sulking brother.

The clanging of his car keys resonated the room, announcing his arrival. He lazily sauntered down the stairs, displeasure lacing his face.

"Let's go." he grumbled over his shoulder, walking a straight line towards the door. His bad mood didn't deter mine in the slightest as I skipped my way towards his car, a gleeful smile stretching across my lips.

Blake had already settled into the car once I made it to the drive way, a mischievous glint in his eyes. I eyed him suspiciously, knowing the look he was giving me only meant he was up to something. He proved me right when he locked the door, revving the engine seconds after I rested my hand on the door handle, taunting me.

"Open the door or I'm telling Mum!"

This immediately had him unlocking the door, satisfaction engraved on his face. I roughly plopped on the passenger seat, effectively slapping my bag on his face. I laughed at the sound of his head hitting the glass before shrugging my bag of, and dumping it in the back seat.

"Hey, I'm the driver Poppy! Your not supposed to hit me!" He ran his fingers through his sandy blond hair, a replica of our mother's, as he glared playfully at me. His glare however, flattered when he saw my nervous frown.

"What's wrong?" Concern etched in his features as he turned to face me completely.

It was always like this, we fought and teased each other all the time, but he would always be there for me whenever I needed him. Blake wasn't just my brother, he was my best friend too.

"I'm just nervous I guess,"

Naturally, I had always been an introvert. I found it really difficult to socialize and whenever I did, it would be extremely awkward. My mother and Blake were the only people I was completely free with, I could be myself without second guessing every move. But I was heading to highschool, and I didn't want to be the weird, lonely kid that seats alone at launch.

"You don't have to be, your awesome and if those girls don't see it, I'll just let you follow me around all over school." He ruffled my hair slightly, a teasing smile on his pink lips. Huffing, I slid further away from him, pressing my back to the door as I tried to fix my hair.

Fresh air hit my face, the light breeze combing through my hair as my curls flew unsystematically, slapping against my cheeks. loud music blasted from the speaker whilst Blake and I belted out to the lyrics, bobbing our heads to his playlist.

I squealed, excitedly jumping in my seat at the familiar tune of my recently favorite song. My fingers fumbled with the radio, trying to turn up the volume when Blake slapped my hand away.

"You can't blast that shit from my speaker, someone from school might hear it!" The horror in his eyes was laughable as he tried to slap my hand away again when it crept to the volume button.

"Why do you have it in your car then?" I taunted, knowing he loved the song too. We had spent countless mornings singing it in the kitchen since it was released, about two weeks ago.

I watched as his eyes sparkle with their usual smugness, probably from a smart retort he had come up with. His lips began moved, working soundlessly as the loud blaring of an ominous horn effectively drowned his words.

His eyes flickered to the road, filling with dread while his face scrunched up in horror. I could see the veins on his neck strain as he struggled to raise his voice above the deafening blare.

I wasn't prepared for what happened next, and frankly I don't think I would have ever been. I was fourteen, and my biggest worry was having enough friends before I joined highschool. So, not even the warning horn, a warning too late, would have soften the blow.

The thing is, there was the before and the belief that everything would be okay and the after, when I walked away from what many don't. It was as if it had happened to someone else, if am honest, it didn't sink in until months later. It was noise, mangled metal and injuries. Some that are healed up already, others that are permanent.

My young mind had not yet grasped the situation until the car was flipping down the road, its exterior making contact with the asphalt. A conspicuous amount of glass rained on us, I could feel them slice my skin but the pain never came. I was numb in fear. I screamed, the seatbelt tugging on my skin with every lurch as my body jerked to the dashboard, my forehead colliding roughly with the window. I gripped my fingers on the belt, drawing blood as I willed everything to stop. The sound of metal being bashed over the concrete was too deafening.

Then, all over sudden, it all stopped and quiet ensued.

I was disoriented, drifting in and out of consciousness. Fleetingly aware of the coppery taste in my mouth, then I kept waking and waking. I liked to be unconscious rather than awake, because when I was awake, I felt the pounding in my skull and the aching of my skin. I sucked in cramped air, feeling my lungs caving in on themselves. My heavy eyes shot open at the steam rising somewhere from the back, the smell too intent for words.

I blinked multiple times, urging my eyes to gain focus. Hazily registering that the car had rested upside down, resulting in blood rushing to my head. I peeked to my left, a blood curdling scream slicing through my clogged throat.

"BLLLLAAAAKKKKEEEE!" I screamed, my eyes welling as I bungled with the seatbelt blindly.

It finally gave out, releasing my weight as I plummeted towards the force of gravity. My head slammed painfully against the roof as pieces of broken glass dug into my knees and palms, resulting in excruciating pain.

"BLAKE, WAKE UP!"

I scrambled towards his unconscious body, inhaling sharply at the sight of his body completely shattered against the car. His long limbs were intertwined with the car door, making it impossible to determine where flesh began and metal ended.

The steam that had earlier invaded the backseat was now; hot, irritating heat, the pungent smell became prominent. I squirmed uncomfortably, blinking my eyes as a ferocious wave of heat slapped across my face.

Yet another piercing scream ripped from within me at the sight of bright-orange flames peeking their ugly head from the backseat of the car. They licked the interior; sneeringly, as they destroyed everything in their wake. The orange flames stretching their greedy claws towards us as they creped past the windows.

"BLAKE COME ON, WE HAVE TO GO!"

I willed him to listen to me as hot tears streamed down my cheeks. I rubbed my hand brutally under my eyes, tugging on the seatbelt furiously. It was useless though, the belt had been trapped too deep between the clash of metal and flesh. I fought back the bile raising up my throat as I gaged dry at the sight.

How was I supposed to get him out?

I could see the flame creep closer to us, making me jump into action. From my peripheral vision, I sighted a large piece of glass laying beside the car. I leaped for it quickly, stretching my arm past the broken window, searching the uneven ground. I gripped the glass tightly meeting it to Blake's seatbelt as I tried to cut through the thick material.

"SOMEONE CALL NINE-ONE-ONE. I THINK I JUST SAW A HAND MOVE!"

I could barely hear the pandemonium going on outside, my soul focus on freeing Blake.

I breathed in a lungful of air, wanting to scream for help, but diving into a coughing fit due to the acid air of burning leather. I however, continued to cut through the belt, quickening my paces. I disregarded the large pool of blood running down my arm, only yelling in frustration at the slow pace at which the seat belt was cutting.

A horror laced gasp tore from my chest as the flames crept over Blake's arm, dancing around his skin before releasing a foul smell. I cut more furiously, urging the thick belt to release my unconscious brother.

The scalding heat of the flames had me flinching away from him, the glass sliding out of my trembling hands. I watched as the flames licked every inch of Blake, engulfing him wholly.

Crumbling into a heap at the roof of the car, I watched helplessly as my brother disappeared behind flashes of red, orange and yellow. The distance sound of sirens concealing the cracking of the flames against his skin.

"Blake, we have to get out. I promise not to play that song again. Y- you don't even have to take me to the sleepover, p- please just get out." I said, deluding myself that he could hear me. That he would listen and come out. I reached my hand to touch his but flinched again at the blistering heat.

"You promised you would never leave me"

A sob wrecked from my narrowed throat as I looked onto my brother burning before me, my heart constricting painfully.

By that time, the flames had spread its claws through the whole car, creeping out the windows and crawling along the exterior. It was unbearably hot, but I couldn't move. I was frozen. Completely frozen in a nightmare I wouldn't wish any fourteen year old.

Suddenly, a hand gripped my arm, dragging me out of the car. I thrashed, kicking and screaming, not wanting to leave my brother alone.

"Let me go! M- my brother!" I said hysterically to the brown eyed man that was carrying my bruised body towards an awaiting ambulance.

I briefly registered the other car a little further along the road, buried under a large tree as paramedics made their way over to it franticly.

"We will help him."

They never did get the chance to help him, they couldn't. I had just began to relax into the man's hold, when a loud explosion rang through the air. I watched defeated as the car exploded, the flames billowing brightly in victory.

I was screaming but I couldn't hear it, everything around me was moving in slow motion. I watched the flames consume the car, my lungs clogging up as my heart squeezed before I lost consciousness.

I remember hoping that when I woke up, it would have all been a dream. A horrid dream. It wasn't, I woke up and he was still gone, he left me to relive the nightmare. Over and over again.