River

Prologue

T he rain falls in torrents, sheets of it coming down so heavy and thunderous, the sound is an echo through the woods behind me. Mud covers my sneakers, and what’s remaining of my clothes sticks to my skin, but despite the rain and the howling wind that rattles the trees around me, the fire still blazes.

It hisses where the water touches but roars louder every passing second, as if angered. I don’t feel the pain in my body, but I do smell it, where my skin is burned, my hair singed. My clothes are barely holding on, but all I can do is watch.

Someone is holding me, but I don’t know who, someone else is crying but all I see is the flames as they devour everything, including the car and my brother inside.

I tried.

I tried so fucking hard to get him out, but I couldn’t. His screams are still ringing inside my ears, the cries of agony and fear working their way through my body, tearing apart my very soul.

I feel it physically breaking, shattering into thousands of tiny pieces.

He was the only family I had left; he was my best fucking friend and now he’s dead.

Burned alive.

Sirens wail in the background but it’s too late now.

He’s gone and someone is going to need to pay.