Snowpiercer

I'm staring at Brooklyn's skyline, sat in a cold bench with my dog. Years before I was born, the city was beautiful, full of luxuries and technology, now looks like the pictures of my history books, particularly the ones from 200 years ago, between World War I and II. I still don't understand, why humanity doesn't learn from its mistakes?

It's getting dark, Jefferson wants to go home, and I'm really tired. After spending all my day and energy in the Cyclone's Market, I'm exhausted. After eating my sandwich and drinking my apple juice, Jefferson and I go across the Manhattan Bridge, through Brooklyn and finally home.

I was seven when Steve’s mom, Sarah, died of tuberculosis. It was unexpected, Sarah was part of our family, just like Stevie. A week later, Bucky moved from our home to Steve’s although Steve refused. They lived together until Buck got his orders two years ago, and Steve joined the army.

I’m outside home, watching Becky and Zach arguing (again), Lance is on the porch with Leo and Abby.

“Lance!” I say. “What are you doing outside? It’s late.”

“Zach and Becky.” He says.

I kiss his forehead. While Leo and Abby play with Jeffie, I talk to my little brother about our future.

“Lance.”

“What.”

“Do you think about Bucky?”

“Yeah.” Says with his head down. “I really miss him.”

“I’m going to bring him back, baby.” I say.

“What?” He says, confused.

“I turned eighteen, Zach and Becky don’t want me here and…”

“Wait, what?”

“Zach wants to start a family with Becky, you know that. But they don’t have enough money to feed another mouth, so someone has to go and there’s no way I’m letting you go.” I explain.

“You can’t do anything?” He says. “I don’t know, I can look for a job or sell something.”

“No.” I say. “There’s not enough money.”

“But-“

“Lance, I made a decision.” I say. “You’re fourteen, you have to go to school, college and then have a life, have a happy life.”

“Lily, I don’t want you to go. It’s dangerous!”

“Lance.” I say, putting my hand in his shoulder. “This is not your war.”

“And it’s yours?” He says.

“Yes.”

“Liar.” Cries. “You’re a liar! You are four years older than me, you-“

“Please, don’t do this.” I say, his clear blue eyes turned red and tears going down his cheeks are killing me.

Before I can say something, Becky opens the door. “Hey Lily, I didn’t know you were here!”

I see reed skin in her neck after possibly screaming and husky voice, her eyes travel around me, stopping at my backpack.

“Seeds and fresh food.” I say.

“Fresh?” She asks.

“Yeah.” I say, entering home.

Zach watches me as I go to the kitchen, I really hate when he does this, like a fucking creep. So I gave him a death stare.

While I unload the food from my backpack I feel Zach’s eyes on me. Like a fucking creep.

“What!” I say, really angry.

“Nothing.” He says, sitting in that old, smelly armchair to watch TV.

While I wash my hands, Becky comes to help me make the dinner. “Zach and I we’ve been thinking in colleges, for you.” Lies.

“Oh, really?” She must think I’m an idiot.

“Yup, we want you to have a good education, sister.” She says, washing her hands.

“So your husband and you, want the best education for me.” I say, waving my hands. “What a great sister!”

“Please Elise.” She says. “This is not a joke.”

“Oh yes it is!” I say. “This is a fucking joke! Your husband can’t make enough money to take care of us and you want me to spend money in a career?” I say, laughing.

“Enough!” She said, getting mad. “Zach can hear you.”

“Fucking useless.” I mumble.

“What did you say?” She asks.

“Nothing sister.” I lie. “I was thinking about the recipe.”

“Oh, okay.”

After dinning spinach cream soup, Lance and I go upstairs. Heading to our room, I open a secret pocket of my backpack.

“Lance.” I say, closing the door. “Look at this.”

I take out a paper bag with strawberries in it. “They are fresh.” I put the bag between our beds. As I unwrap the strawberries, Lance’s clear blue eyes shine in the dark of our rooms. “For you.”

Lance loves them since the first time he ate them, he was eight, his brown hair was messy after playing outside with his friends, and dad brought strawberries to home. He brought a bag full of fruit, and mom made fruit ice cream, we loved that.

Becky was seventeen at the time, she was happy, her long honey hair waving in the wind and her emerald eyes full of life, and a big, white smile. But now, her hair has lost all of its vitality and her eyes look like ashes and we rarely see her smiling.

Bucky was nineteen, arctic blue eyes and sharp jawline, so handsome, he had all the girls behind him. If he weren’t my brother and if he were into girls I’d probably ask him a date. Now this sounds weird. Ew.

But I… well I am tall, 1.75 meters exactly, mom always said if I took care of myself more often, all the boys will love to date me, but please, I don’t need boys. My hair is always in a chocolate braid, my eyes are like Bucky’s and Lance’s, arctic blue and pale skin. Maybe it’s a thing, our blue eyes, just like dad.

He was tall like Bucky, strong and bearded, mom said he looked like a lumberjack, we have his eyes. But mom, she was delicate, blonde, pale, and emerald eyes. She was young and beautiful, I really miss them.

Now I remember, that year Steve lost his mom.