Chapter Text
The day was pretty early, the sky clear and the smell of the forest absolutely amazing. Everything was almost perfect. Zoe and Connor quietly walked the trail, occasionally cracking a joke at one another and laughing softly. Really one would say this was all maybe too perfect, but they didn’t care. This was the only alone time the two of them got and they always enjoyed it. They finally managed to reach a meadow directly in the middle of the forest, Connor slowly taking Zoe’s hand and pulling her out into the flower bed.
“Remember when mom and dad brought us for picnics here?” he snorted, sitting down in a patch of purple iris, “If our lives weren’t so shit now maybe they would do that still.”
“Connor!” Zoe laughed, playfully hitting the back of her brother's head as she sat next to him, “Don’t be so hard on them. They’re trying ya know? I think handling two kids is just a struggle for them.”
“More like handling me.” Connor rolled his eyes, “It's obvious they don’t like me anymore Zoe. Not since what I did in second grade.”
“To be fair that teacher was kinda an ass for not giving you line leader like she should of. I would have done the same thing had I had enough strength to lift a printer.” she lightly placed her hand down on her brothers, smiling up at him, “Mom and dad love you Connor...life's just been a bitch lately.”
“Whoa Zoe since when do you talk like that? ” Connor laughed, batting his sister's hand away, “You talk like that in front of mom and dad and they would kill you. ”
Zoe started to gather some the irises around them, twining their stems together and placing the crown on Connor’s head, “ To be fair Con, I think they would blame you for teaching me such ‘horrible’ words.”
Connor opened his mouth, ready to snap with a comeback, but was cut off by thunder booming above their heads. Thunder? Connor and Zoe could of both sworn the day was clear when they got here. It boomed again.
Alright. Time to go home.
The older boy swiftly took his younger sister’s hand, helping her up from the flowerbed and walking back to the trail before.
CRACK
“Connor look out!” Zoe yanked her brother away from a falling branch, the tree having been hit catching fire quickly and causing dry grass and trees around to do the same.
‘Shit’ Connor thought. ‘Shit, shit shit, shit.’ the forest was catching fast. He pulled Zoe to another trail behind them. If they couldn’t take the trail the used to get there, they would have to take one to get to the other side of the forest. He ran, refusing to let go of Zoe’s arm and keeping his mouth closed as smoke filled the forest. ‘Keep Zoe safe Connor.’ he told himself, ‘Stay awake. Keep her safe. Keep running. Keep Zoe out.’
They could see the edge, Connor almost smiled, slowing his pace. Big mistake. A tree slowly came crashing down with the wind and flame of the storm and before Connor knew what he was doing he scooped Zoe in front of him and threw her from the forest, onto the dirt, and a little away from the fire.
Another crack. Connor was gone.
Breathing…
Was he breathing? What was happening? Where was he again? Wait...Zoe...where was Zoe? Is...was she okay?
Another breath…
Connor let out a loud gasp, pushing himself up from the ground weakly and looking around. The forest looked chard, everything burned by the flames before. But Zoe? Was Zoe okay?
Shes okay. Came a voice, You’ve saved her.
But what about himself? How was he...how was he alive ? Was he alive?
He didn’t feel like it.
No.
Connor wasn’t alive, but he certainly wasn’t dead either.