I woke up and it was almost nightfall. For a second, I panicked. Had I missed my stop? I looked out the window and recognised the road. We were nearing the Fayetown bus station. I breathed a sigh of relief.

I grabbed by bags as the bus slowed down. I got off and the familiar scent of baking bread from the Faye Bakery greeted me.

Home. At last.

I exited the bus station and entered the bakery. Immediately, various different smells reached my nose. Buttered rolls, garlic bread and cheese. I walked up to the counter and bought two orange cupcakes. Dad's favourite.

"You're right on time, Bebe," the baker told me. "Two orange cupcakes, fresh off the oven, for you. I'll throw in a muffin."

I thanked him and walked out. I proceeded towards the lake, on the other side of which my house which my house was.

***

I knocked on the door and waited. No answer. I knocked again, harder this time. Still no response. I wiped some frost from the window with my sleeve and peered inside. No sign of him.

Probably had a last minute call from work, I thought.

My dad runs a company, MaxCorp Food Distribution, which is the major food supplier for the country. He wanted to help the people dying of starvation. The government strictly rationed all the food provided to the people which led to food shortage everywhere, except in Gercalais City, which was the centre of administration. He started the company to distribute meals to starving cities.

In short, he was the best person to ever exist.

I headed towards our neigbours' house. Dad gave them a spare key to our house, just in case. I climbed up the carpeted stairs to their door and knocked. A green-eyed lady with long hazel-coloured hair answered the door.

"Um, hi Mrs. Carson. I think my father isn't at home. Can I get the key to my house?" I asked.

Tears filled her eyes. "Beatrix, honey. I think you should come sit down."

***

I squeezed the armrest so hard I was afraid I might break it. My chest felt hollow. My head felt hollow. I felt hollow, like someone ripped out all my organs and left me to die.

"How?" I managed to say. My voice came out like a croak. "Why?"

"No one knows, dear. He was found dead, bullet holes on his chest. We informed your school, they were supposed to break the news to you slowly," she said in gentle voice.

Her daughter, Krystle, handed me a glass of water. I held it with both my hands, staring at the clear, transparent liquid, with cubes of ice floating in it.

"Drink," she urged. "You'll feel better."

I did. It tasted as normal as it looked.

"When?" I asked.

"Two days ago. Near the lake. The bizarre thing was, no one heard gunfire."

I couldn't believe it. No, I refused to believe it. Who would kill Dad? My father, who only wanted to help people.

I stood up. "Key," I said in a small voice.

"Yes. I'll bring food everyday. Call Krystle if you need anything." She handed me the key.

"Yes Mrs. Carson. Thank you."

"Krystle, walk her home, will you?" she told her daughter.

"I'll be fine Mrs. Carson. I live a stone's throw away," I said.

As I exited, Krystle whispered to me, "It's okay to cry, you know. You don't have to be so tough all the time."

***

I sat on that chair which used to be pale white in colour, before Dad decided it needed a colour splash.

I looked around the house. It wasn't much, but for me, it was beautiful. I wondered whether, years later, someone would live there. Any outsider could never imagine what this house had gone through. They could never imagine the once-happy family that lived here.

I walked over to the shelf beside the television. I ran my fingers over a photo of Zinnia and me and picked up the old framed photograph of our family, from when it was complete. My parents were sitting on their knees, to match their children's height. Mom, in a beautiful blue dress, smiling at the camera, her arm around me. Me, about three years old, with a stupid smile on my face, standing beside my five year old sister. Dad, wearing white shirt and trousers, trying to make Zinnia stand still.

I missed them. I missed every single one of their faces.

The grief hit me out of nowhere. That hollow feeling returned, the knot in my stomach tightened, becoming more painful by the second. I collapsed. The realisation finally sunk in. That they were gone. All of them. And they were not coming back.

Is it me? I asked myself. Do people always seem to die around me?

I couldn't stand up. I crawled towards the wall and sat with my back resting on it. I took deep breaths and calmed myself down. It still hurt. A lot. Every happy memory I had of my family flashed through my mind. I rested my head on my knees. It took me years to cope with the loss of my sister. I couldn't handle another death.

And for the first time in years, I cried.

I don't know how long. All I know is that it seemed like years. The tears kept on coming, wet and hot against my face. All the tears I've held back over the years flowed out, on and on, till I could cry no more.

After I sat there for what seemed like another few years, I finally opened my eyes. Sunlight shined through the window. There was an annoying sound that was becoming louder by the second. It took me some time to realise that it was the sound of someone knocking on the door. I groaned and answered the door. It was Krystle.

"Breakfast," She set the tray down on the table.

I sat down. I wasn't hungry.

"If you need anything, call me," She said as she left. "And I shall be taking the key. You take forever to answer the door." I didn't respond.

***

I sat there for days. Krystle brought lunch, and dinner, and breakfast again, and took back the untouched food trays. It didn't matter. I didn't feel like eating. I didn't feel like doing anything.

***

I just wanted to sit there and do nothing, my mind completely devoid of any thought except for the memories of Zinnia and Dad.

***

Krystle tried unsuccessfully to make me talk. Then one morning, clearly annoyed, she placed the hands on my shoulders and shook me hard. I snapped out of my daze.

"Bebe, get up and eat something," she ordered. "Now. You cannot sit around doing nothing all day."

I didn't answer.

"Also, you haven't showered for days, have you?"

I still didn't respond.

"Come on, I'm not talking to the walls here. You need some activity now."

I sighed. She was testing my patience.

"I'll wrestle you out of this chair if I have to."

As annoyed I was, I knew she was right. "Fine," I mumbled.

I tried to stand up, but was too weak to do so.

I should have eaten.

Slowly, she made me eat. "This is good," I said as I bit into a sandwich. Soon, I had finished everything she brought.

"Feeling better?" She asked.

I nodded. "I need some air."

***

We walked side by side on the slippery pavement. Krystle jogged to catch up with me. "Where are we going?"

"The cemetery," I replied.

I pushed open the creaky, rusted gates. "Where?" I asked her.

She led me to a spot at the back. In the shade of a tree, his tombstone sat.

"I'll be outside." She started walking towards the gate.

I brushed some snow off the stone. His name was carved in fancy script. Vinn James Maxinova. Founder of MaxCorp. Husband to Grace Maxinova. Father to Beatrix and Zinnia.

I blinked away tears. I hated crying. For years, I had trained myself to not show any sign of weakness, but Dad's death undid all of it.

I noticed I was crumpling the brown paper bag I had brought with me. I opened it and took out a slightly mashed orange cupcake. I set it down in front of the stone along with a white rose from Krystle's garden.

"I'll miss you Dad," was all I could manage to say.

I walked over to Zinnia's grave and left the second cupcake there, with a red flower. A zinnia.

"I'm lonely, Zee," I told her. I could imagine her rolling her eyes.

My God, Beety, there's no use crying over it. Get over it already, I imagined her say.

"Dad's with you now, huh?"

Mm-hmm, and we're eating cupcakes.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. I need to stop having imaginary conversations, I told myself.

"Alright, see ya, Zee."

Hopefully, not too soon.

***

I slept on my bed that night, for the first time since I came back. Nightmares troubled me all night. Many times, I woke up stunned, sweating and nauseous. I saw the same dream on repeat. The night Zinnia died.

It was in Gercalais City, where Dad had a meeting. We were having dinner in a fancy restaurant in the outskirts of the City. Dad had to attend a call and stepped outside.

"I can't wait to go home," Zinnia said with a mouthful of something they called 'spaghetti' in the City.

"Mm-hmm, I hate how fancy everyt--," I was cut off by a loud 'boom' in the distance. Panic crept onto me. "What was that?"

"Probably some old truck backfired." She ate another mouthful.

"It's sounded a lot louder than that."

"God, why are you always so paranoid?" She continued to eat.

I punched her arm. "Will... you... stop... eating?!"

"Hey! Let me just--" She was cut short by something crashing through the window. Her eyes widened. "Beety, get up. I'm afraid for once, you might be right."

What happened next is a blur. People started panicking. Zinnia and I got up to run. The thing beeped thrice and exploded. We were thrown against the wall. There was a harsh ringing in my ears.

"It's a bomb!" I yelled.

"Ya think?" she shouted back.

I would have waited for the ringing in my ears to subside, but another grenade landed a few feet away. Zinnia saw it first and practically dragged me by my shirt before I could get to my feet.

"Move it, slowpoke!" She took my hand and pulled me towards the door.

We were on the third floor. There was no way we would make it before the building collapsed.

"Find Dad!" I yelled to her.

A water tank burst. Seconds later, we were both drenched. Another loud explosion echoed through the hall and the building started falling apart. Huge chunks of concrete fell in our way. We took the stairs down. Second floor. First.

We're gonna make it, I told myself. We're gonna make it.

Another grenade crashed through a window. I had the time to make out the words 'Property Of The Government' before it exploded, throwing us back. I landed on my back. The sick ringing filled my ears again.

"Beety!" I heard Zinnia scream. "You okay?"

"Do I look okay?" I shouted. "I'm alive, that's all that matters."

Zinnia stumbled over to me. Her chin was cut and bleeding. A chunk of ceiling landed on her foot. She let out a blood-curdling shriek.

"Zee!" I tried to move the concrete, but it was too heavy for me.

"Beety, go!"

"No! Are you crazy? I'm not leaving you!"

"Goddammit, Beety! For once in your life, listen to me! Go! I'll be right behind you."

I forced myself to stand up. "I'll bring help." I ran down the stairs and climbed over a mound of debris and out the big doors.

I saw Dad arguing with a Kreaner. "Sir, you have to understand. My daughters are in there! I'm going in!"

"Dad!" My voice was hoarse from all the shouting. "Dad!"

He turned towards me. "Bebe!" He had a deep gash on his cheek and was bleeding profusely. "Are you okay?"

"Zee! She's still in there!"

As if on cue, the whole building burst into flames and collapsed. I screamed so loud that Dad had to cover his ears. Then I buried my face in his shoulder and tried not to cry.

We waited three days before they found her body. Dad wouldn't let me see her, but I managed to catch a glimpse.

And that was an image I'd never get out of my brain.

***

Hey guys! Hope you liked it so far!

Is it just on my screen or is Frosted actually ranked number 21 in
Sci-Fi? ? ?

With just two chapters published?!

Anyway, if you have any recommendations, requests, corrections, please feel free to DM me! !

Don't forget to vote and comment!!

And watch out for my next chapter next month!!

Stay awesome! ❤