Ambulatis

The grove of trees blended together in the eerie darkness into a mass of evil that overstretched the horizon consuming the animals. Branches extended over the narrow asphalt blocking the glow of the crescent moon. The car's headlights illuminated a few feet ahead as the road's treacherous curves crept up like monsters. Axel Rose's voice sang through the speakers enveloping the confined space. The vibration of the bass kept Ethan focused on getting home. His sister looked out through the curls that encircled her face as she fiddled with her fingers.

Her items filled the cushioned backseat and the trunk of the small sedan.

"Angel, pick a different genre," Ethan's gruff voice broke through the drums. He used the back of his right hand to rub the sleep out of his right eye. His recently cut dark baby hairs stood at attention, so it hid the curls similar to his sister's. His bulky arms filled out his black leather jacket over a plain white shirt and his dark jeans. The energy drinks he consumed three hours ago were losing their effect. His fingers beat on the steering wheel while his sister searched through his phone for more music to keep him up until they made it to his apartment.

"We should have stopped somewhere so you could sleep," Angel's soft voice barely sounded out through the heavy rock and roll. She watched her brother's eyes shut for a moment too long with his head leaned back on the headrest.

"I told you, this isn't my car. My roommate needs this for work in the morning." Ethan groaned. Silence crept into the car as the music switched over. When foreign words sang throughout the vehicle, Angel's smile could not be contained as her brother moan heavily. "We are going with anime openings now."

"It's better than silence," she retorted.

Ethan used his middle and index finger to dig in between his sister's ribs. The sound that escaped her from the shock was a pass from a pig or an injured dog. Angel pressed her body to the door hoping the distance in the confined space may do her good. Her giggles bubbled through her lips while she managed to take hold of his bulky arm into her feeble hands. Her canines bared, threatening to bite him. Ethan pulled his arm back from his sister's loose grip, which caused her infectious laughter to overwhelm the music. Her laugh was rare and only occurred in moments that he held close.

"Here."

Angel reached into the cooler on the back seat, cradled between a suitcase and a duffle bag full of clothes. Half her arm dug into frigid ice water to reach an aluminum can. She pulled the drink out of the cooler with cool water that dripped on the center console. As their fingers brushed, the glare of LED headlights illuminated through the night. The approaching vehicle drove at full throttle before creeping into the rival lane. Ethan honked the horn, trying to catch the attention of the driver, who recklessly picked up speed. While Ethan cursed, he jerked the car in the opposite lane causing Angel to crack her head against the window. Ethan threw a worried glance at his sister, who rubbed her temple gently. Their erratic hearts had no moment to rest when the reckless driver pushed into the correct lane. The brightness reminded Angel of a future that was slipping through her fingers. The big brother jerked the car off the asphalt into the forest thickets, replacing the smooth road for gravel and tree roots. The unstable ground rumbled the car while Ethan tried turning back onto the street. The moment the vehicle lost friction and rolled into the trees' depths, the adrenaline made the world slow down. Ethan's eyes watched Angel's nails scrape against the dashboard as the windshield shattered, creating a rain cloud of glass that dug into their skin. The aluminum trash drifted into the air while the phone ripped from the auxiliary, blacking out against the car's ceiling. The ice-cold water spilled from the foam box soaked through Angel's thick curls while it seeped into her black camisole. The overturned car was crushed into a bruised tree with headlights that gleamed through the foreboding darkness. Angel watched with heavy eyes as her brother sagged against the airbag with blood trickling down the side of his head. The girl was pulled into a deep sleep that enveloped her in eerie silence.