• Zosma screamed as something hard nailed her in the lower back, pinning her down. Everything was loud and confusing as screams and debris filled the area. She squeezed her eyes shut, and tried with all her might to keep Isabella safe.
    She was crying and coughing up blood at the same time, splattering some on Bella’s top and neck. Her foggy mind was full of pain and images of what she could only imagine had happened to their family and the people in the tent.
    They had been a good distance from it, and Zosma knew she herself was hurt really bad. Though a lot of stuff was flying away from where the bomb had hit, a good deal was still collapsing inward, and crushing what was left of the victims inside.
    She choked on another sob, and screamed in absolute agony as something else landed on her lower leg, snapping the bone cleanly with a loud sound. Why, why did she have to have so much pain? Not just physically, but mentally as well. The pain was so much that she could hardly remember or want to breathe.
    It wasn’t fair at all.
    Her mind kept repeating that for what seemed like hours until eventually, a strange after math silence filled the air. The dirt that had been stirred up settled like a blanket on top of everything. Zosma had stopped crying, it took to much energy away.
    Zosma simply lay there, under pounds and pounds of painful debris, and she shakily clutched Isabella’s small shoulder. She opened her eyes slowly to see the damage.
    As far as she could see in front of her, chunks of wood, brick, and shreds of what was previously the tent were covering the ground. She could see a few, blood drenched corpses mixed in and bit her lip so she wouldn’t puke on Isabella.
    Isabella.
    Zosma looked down at her sister, and felt her stomach drop. Her small face was paler than usual, and her eyes were closed. She couldn’t be sure if she’d gotten cut on anything, or if it was her own blood splashed across her.
    She shifted positions slightly, but the chunk of wood was too heavy for her to move anymore. Her body felt strange she noticed. Her arm under Isabella’s back was strangely numb, and her shoulder was twisted in the oddest angle. The broken leg was aching, but not as much as a minute ago. Wherever a chunk of wood was on her, it felt numb.
    She could feel blood dripping down from her left ear which felt stuffed up. When she tried really focusing on anything, her vision looked quite a bit blurry. And not to forget the cold feeling that seemed to be spreading through her, making her sleepy.
    No. She couldn’t fall asleep. She had to get her and Isabella out of there, away from the ruins.
    Coughing again, more harshly, she tried pushing the wood off them. It moved a few inches, but gave her some painful splinters in the process. She winced, but pushed it again, trying to lean weight into it.
    She managed to get it another few inches before her tired muscles gave out, and she had to stop. Her hands were cut up, slightly trembling. It made her feel weak, and scared. Her strength was failing when she needed it most.
    A cry passed her lips as she let her head drop onto Isabella’s shoulder and her eyes fluttered closed.
    She was stuck under heavy wood with her sister who she wasn’t sure was even still alive, and couldn’t do anything. She was so useless; she wouldn’t even be able to save one person. Fear and guilt washed through her, and she cried out again.
    Her muscles were cold and useless, but she struggled anyway, not wanting to give up.
    “Help! Someone…help.” She croaked, tears trickling down her face again. She kept that up for an agonizing amount of time, until she suddenly felt the wood shift and felt its horrible weight vanish. Her body curled up automatically as she turned her head to look at what saved her.
    A guy was standing there, dusting off his hands. A cat like smile was plastered on his godly beautiful face, stretching ear to ear. Hair as black as night fell over his left eye, hiding its golden color. His skin was paler than she could ever have imagined and his teeth were not only sharp, but blindingly white.
    He had on a black and white suit with curtails and a matching top hat which he tipped to her. His lanky figure and stance made him look strangely like a cat.
    Zosma stared at her mystery savior gratefully, a trace of a smile on her face. He simply chuckled, and knelt down beside them. He looked at Isabella and gently put two fingers at her neck, checking for a pulse.
    His smile faltered, and Zosma put a hand to her mouth, feeling sick.
    She couldn’t be dead, not Isabella. No, not my partner in crime…no…she thought weakly to herself as she started sobbing, her body shaking with it. She curled into a tighter ball, clenching her fists so hard her knuckles were white and her nails cut her palms.
    “Now, now deary, don’t cry. Hush, its okay.” The guy said soothingly, his voice low pitched and soft. She shook her head, unable to stop. She felt strong hands pick her up, and cradle her. “Could you tell me your name?”
    “Zos-Zosma…” she forced out. The guy nodded and his smile came back. It was kind of creepy. “I’m Cheshire. Nice to meet you deary, such a pretty name you have. Just close your little eyes, and rest. Everything’s taken care of.”
    Zosma’s sobbing seemed to subside as he spoke, and her head lolled to the side. She let her eyes shut close, and fell asleep to the sound of Cheshire’s footsteps and, she couldn’t be sure about it, but possibly another set of footsteps.


    Isabella woke up four hours later. Zeus was holding her, and she could hear him crying softly. She groaned and looked up at her oldest brother’s face. He was a mirror image of his twin Zosma, give or take a few changes and gender difference.
    His eyes were rimmed with red, and his face soaked from tears and blood from a head wound. A cloth band like her own was torn and blood splattered, but had managed to stay on him. She could see he had a shirt of the weird shiny black material on, but it was also torn and bloody.
    “What…happened?” She asked softly, trying to stay awake.
    “Someone…someone set off a…a bomb…it’s horrible, there’s bodies…everywhere. No one’s alive…I can’t even find a-a trace of…Zo…” His voice sounded tortured, and when he looked her in the eyes, it showed there also.
    Absolute agony, pain, and suffering. He helped Isabella into a sitting position, keeping his arm on her back. She felt faint, and absolutely awful as she scanned the area.
    It was dark, probably early in the morning, but the stars seemed to mock them with their light, portraying the field of severed limbs, blood, and stilled chaos. The smells washed over her, making her throat constrict slightly. It disgusted her, how at a time like that, could she want the blood?
    Blood of hundreds of innocent people, some strangers, some family.
    “Help…me up Zeus, I-I…we have to get out of here…” She murmured, struggling to get to her feet. She felt him wrap an arm around her waist, and a second later they were on their feet. He kept his arm around her as they stumbled through rubble, ignoring the filthy blood lust.
    She saw something reflecting light at her feet, and stopped.
    “Come on si-”
    “Look…” She cut him off, pointing at it. A golden juggling ball; the twin’s golden juggling ball. Zeus drew in a breath: Isabella cried. He started walking again, much slower, and dragged Isabella along. After a while he just picked her up and carried her away, both with heavy hearts and pained faces.
    He didn’t really know where they could go now, so he just kept walking down an abandoned, dirt road numbly. Every time he felt like he would just fall over and pass out, his gaze dropped to Isabella who was covered in blood and dirt.
    He would sigh, and start walking again. He couldn’t let anyone else die, especially not family.