Part I - Prologue

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~Mexico~

Cassandra Jade stood in her parent's doorway, arms crossed as she stared at her mother packing for one of their various business trips.

“You know you could help right?” Mrs. Martinez asked her daughter.

Cassie sighed and entered her parent's room. She grabbed the clothes and threw them into the luggage.

“Try folding them first, honey” her mother cautioned.

“Why do you have to go anyway?” Cassie asked, clearly upset.

Alba moved up to her ten-year-old daughter and gathered her into her arms.

“But why London? Please don't go Mom” Cassie pleaded, her voice cracking.

“Isabel's just next door and you'll be here with Natán. We'll be back before you know it” Alba cooed, slowly caressing her hair.

“I've got the bags in the car” Diego announced as he walked in, holding hands with Isabel; Cassandra's best friend.

“Daddy don't leave me all alone” CJ cried out, as the tears began to fall.

Isabel settled down quietly beside her friend and rubbed her back.

“What's this?” Diego asked, crouching in front of his daughter. “Don't cry my beautiful princess. It's just for the weekend.”

“Yeah, not forever silly” José, Cassie's older brother teased joining in the conversation.

Cassandra narrowed her eyes at her brother and sniffed.

“You're just happy because you get to go along with them” she stated.

José grinned and lifted his sister in the air making her laugh.

“It's like you've got superpowers or something” CJ teased, playfully punching her brother.

“Yeah right” he chuckled, playfully rolling his eyes.

At sixteen, José was stronger than he looked. He set his sister back down and messed up her lengthy blonde hair before walking out

“Hey!” Cassie cried, going after him. “You messed up my hair!”

“My bad” he teased.

“Apologize!”

“It won't magically comb your hair” he stated.

“Yes, but it'll make me feel better.”

José laughed. Cassandra stamped her feet and pouted.

“Apologize!”

“Make me. I'm so scared” José teased, not bothering to look back.

“Mom!” she whined.

José stopped in his tracks and shot a look at his little sister. Alba popped her head through the doorway and sighed.

“Diego, your children are at it again” she called out, handing the matter to her husband.

“José?” Diego bellowed, knowing his son started it.

“Fine, fine. I'm sorry for messing your stupid hair” José finally apologized.

Cassandra smiled to herself and turned away to go play with Isabel. Her parents left that afternoon, putting Cassandra in the care of Alba's younger sister, Milena.

“They're gone” Cassandra sighed sadly, closing the front door and turning to address her aunt. “Where's Natán, auntie?” she asked.

“Upstairs. Listen, Cassie, I'm going to take a nap okay? If you need anything, just wake me up” Milena told her niece and turned to her room.

Cassandra flung herself on the couch and turned on the TV.

“I wonder what Natán's doing” Isabel whispered to Cassandra.

She smiled mischievously at Isabel.

“Natán!” Cassandra yelled for her cousin. “Come see something!”

“What?” her fourteen-year-old cousin groaned.

He walked into the living room where Cassandra and Isabel were watching Fashionable Eva.

“Can we please watch something else?” he asked.

Cassandra sighed and grabbed the remote.

“Go to the guide!” Natán snapped.

“I know how to do it!” Cassie snapped back.

Isabel sat quietly in between the cousins and held back her laugh. It wasn't long before a loud roll of thunder broke the stillness of the afternoon. Then it began to rain. Hours passed and the rain got worse.

“Ugh!” Natán groaned and buried his head in one of the couch cushions.

“What?” Isabel asked, scooching closer to him.

“It's raining and you girls are making me watch this awful TV show.”

“You don't like Celebrities Under Water?” Isabel asked.

“No. Because they make you think the celebrities are going to drown, but then they never do.”

Isabel nudged Cassandra who frowned at her. She reached out for the remote and changed the channel.

“Should we watch a movie Natán?” she asked.

He smiled at her and her heart fluttered.

“But I'm picking it” he announced and Isabel gladly handed over the remote.

Halfway through the movie, the channel scrambled and Carlota Diaz, the youngest newscaster in Mexico, was going to announce the cause of the interruption.

“Ouuuuu Carlota Diaz” Cassie teased Natán.

Isabel huffed quietly and pouted. Natán had a big crush on her and every inch of his room was filled with her posters.

“You girls are just jealous she's hotter than the two of you could ever be” he smirked.

“You kids are still glued to the television?” Milena asked, joining them in the living room.

“Oh, we were just watching a movie, and then—”

“Shushhhh! She's starting!” Natán cut Isabel off.

Cassandra eyed her cousin and gave Isabel a sympathetic look before turning her attention to the screen.

“We interrupt this program to bring you breaking news. A plane on its way to London, crashed and caught fire after its engine failed shortly after takeoff from Mexico earlier this afternoon.”

Everyone froze.

“Auntie?” CJ whispered.

Milena reached out to her niece's outstretched hand and squeezed it.

“Let's all calm down. Think positive thoughts okay? It could be any other plane” she told the children.

Natán had grown quiet and as for Isabel, she had started sniffing.

“Mom's right,” Natán said, his voice barely above a whisper. “There's nothing to worry about”.

He turned up the volume of the TV and slipped an arm around Isabel's neck.

“Twenty people, including children, have lost their lives in the plane crash. And others, in very critical conditions.”

“Oh God” Isabel whispered.

“Auntie? They're not on that plane right?” Cassie asked.

Fear had overcome her. Before Milena could reply, the names of the dead passengers were displayed on the TV screen.

“The following are the names of the bodies that have been discovered” Carlota continued. “May their families accept our condolences.”

Milena gulped and braced herself as her heart raced.

“Nikki Paul, Maria Perth, Joe Blake, Melody Woods, Alba Martinez, Diego Martinez, José Martinez, Perry Toi, Lucy White, Edwa—”

Natán turned off the TV and ran out of the living room. Isabel hugged her knees and buried her face. Milena looked over at Cassandra who just sat there, staring at nothing in particular. The scene broke her heart and she gathered her niece into her arms.

“I'm sorry Cassie” she whispered before starting to cry.

Cassandra couldn't cry. She felt numb. It was as if her sense organs had shut down. Less than twelve hours ago, she was with her entire family and now she practically had no family at all. She felt an ache inside of her, buried her face in Milena's chest, and cried.