Lilia could hear it—that scraping sound—back and forth, back and forth. Was it the beams? The lights? The place she once called home was trashed, so it was hard to tell. The sound would have bothered her more if it weren't for a more pressing matter.

Like the piece of wood sticking out of her shoulder, she couldn't see it due to the blood dripping into her eyes and the dust choking everything in its wake.

It took all her willpower not to yank the thing out, but her mom's voice echoed in her mind, telling her not to touch it.

Mom, she thought, startled. Stella!! Where are they?

She pulled herself up, looking around frantically, trying to see through the dust and the rubbish, looking for a speck of life, anything, to know that she was not alone in this horrible place. But the overwhelming pain radiating from her shoulder reduced her to a curled mess. Her screaming was the only thing she could hear.

Then, like a prayer, she heard something beyond her screaming: a whisper, but that was enough for her. Hope bursts up to the brim with only one word.

"Lillie."

***

Four Years Later

Lilia Spencer slept comfortably underneath a tree.

Suddenly, her whole body jerked up, startled from a nightmare… just in time to see a slender leg coming toward her unprotected side. She caught the foot and flipped the person attached in one effortless motion. The fight ended with Lilia standing over the attacker, her foot on their chest.

Lilia's eyes widened in recognition. "Stella, what are you doing?" She looked down at the wriggling, brown-haired twelve-year-old girl and couldn't help but sigh. Lately, this had become common, her little sister trying and failing to get the jump on her.

And this time, it was a surprise attack, of all things! Please! The kid needs to stick to her strengths, the sixteen-year-old thought, raking her cyan-streaked blond hair away from her sleepy eyes, then stopped.

Wait, where is my headband? Her hands moved down to her neck, and she sighed. The cloth tangled up with her headphones. She yawned. Oh well, I'll leave it. Then, as a side note, she ensured the wrist guard on her right forearm was firmly fastened.

She should be angry, but she had to admit Lilia knew why Stella was acting the way she was.

Her thoughts returned to the nightmare she had just had…no, it was more than that. It was a memory chasing her in her dreams for the last few months. Stella noticed and tried to get her out of her head.

I don't know what's wrong with me; that event happened years ago. So why am I dreaming about it now?

Stella interrupted her thoughts, looking up at her in mock defiance. "What am I doing? What are you doing, Lillie? Aren't you supposed to be in class?" Stella's hands moved to her face. She pushed Lilia away and started to search in the grass for something.

Lilia glanced slightly to the right to see something catching the light. Ah, her glasses. She picked them up and held them before her almost blind sister.

"My glasses!" Stella exclaimed, but before she could snatch them out of Lilia's hand, Lilia plopped them on her nose, poking it in the process.

"There you go, milady," Lilia teased. Teasing Stella was so much fun; it was hard to stop. Besides, it was her fundamental right as the older sister to show her love by teasing the heck out of her only little sister.

Stella's outraged look was more than worth it.

These moments felt like typical sisters just having fun with no other worries. Of course, it was an illusion, but it was an illusion that was precious to them both.

Besides, I kind of enjoyed spending time with Stella… Just don't tell her that.

Stella gave her a pointed glare before adjusting the black-rimmed glasses on her face. Even with the adjustments, they were too big for her small face.

Lilia didn't comment. After their mother had disappeared, her glasses were the only salvaged item. Stella hadn't taken them off since. But as the years passed, Stella looked more and more like their mother, the same dimple in her chin, the exact curve of her nose, and the same small, slender frame. Seeing her grow up was like seeing Mom all over again.

Mom. Lilia's fingers brushed against her right shoulder, feeling the rough edges of a scar. A reminder of the day that they lost their mother. Even when she closed her eyes, she could still see the particles rippling through the sky before dropping down like a storm. Destroying everything she once called home: terrain, structures, and people. It was horrifying.

Suppose her mother was still alive. Lilia would hold her tight and never let go, but she also wanted to know why she didn't tell her that Lilia was adopted. Why had she had to find out from a total stranger? Why didn't Mom tell her that Lilia was one of them? Why did she leave them? Just why?

Pain sliced through her. Why didn't she question it sooner?

None of this could be confided to Stella. No, not the fact that Lilia was adopted. Stella knew about that but didn't know about Lilia's feelings. How it still hurt. Lilia wanted Stella to keep some of her innocence, especially in this godforsaken place.

"Stop staring at me like that. You're creeping me out," Stella stated with a disgusted look.

Lilia smirked. "Ahh, you're so cute," and she smothered her in a hug, maybe a little too tightly.

"Stop that!" Stella begged, struggling to escape. Lilia held her for a few more seconds before putting her out of her misery and letting go.

Stella gasped, out of breath. Glaring at her more-than-satisfied-looking sister, she said, hands on her hips, "I know what you're doing, trying to distract me."

She knows me too well. A smirk formed. Maybe this will work. "Oh, look, your fatigues are messed up."

Her sister, forever the honour student, gasped at how messy her military fatigues were: cough, a wriggled-up sleeve, and a button undone cough. After fixing herself up, she zeroed in on Lilia, who was always unkempt. Lilia closed her eyes, waiting for the lecture.

But she only heard Stella whisper, "Just like Mom." That statement brought back memories, good ones this time. Her mom, coming out from the basement, her clothes rumbled, and her hair flopped in her eyes. She even had a coffee stain on her blue lab coat. It looked like she slept down there. Seeing her like that was a common sight and an endearing one.

"Yeah, just like Mom." Lilia had to admit that her personality was similar to their mothers'.

There was a moment of silence before Stella's determined look returned to her eyes. "I repeat. Lillie, why aren't you in class? It's music. You like music… well, you used to."

Music. Ouch, right to the heart.

Lilia stiffened at the word. Yes, once upon a time, she used to love music. Every waking hour was committed to creating new kinds of unique sounds. She was obsessed with it. She smiled at the thought. Maybe she still was.

She used to play her piano on the big stage. Hearing the clapping and cheering audience was a common occurrence for her. That was before her breakdown.

That was before a lot of things. Her cyan eyes darkened with regret.

Lilia brushed her fingers against her flute case, feeling the outline of the content. The flute never left her side because it was a gift from her mom. It gave her comfort, but at the same time, it was a reminder. A reminder that things were different now. Even music, something she enjoyed more than anything, could be used as a weapon.

Seeing the hurt look crossing her big sister's face, Stella said concernedly, "Lillie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"It's fine," she lied.

Not entirely convinced, Stella continued, "Still, that's no excuse to cut class, and music isn't the only class you're not going to." She dug into her bag and dragged out a whole bunch of schoolwork. Lilia winced, knowing where this was heading. "This is your homework the teachers pushed on me today. I feel like your servant and am no one's servant." She angrily waved the pages in front of Lilia's face.

"Class bore me. Besides, Stella, isn't it better this way? It allows smart people like you to have one-on-one time with the teachers." Lilia settled back down beneath the tree and tried to relax. Ahh, it was one of her favourite sleeping spots.

Stella was smart. Genius-level smart. Like mother, like daughter. Although their mother's expertise was biology, Stella's was computers and information gathering. She built a functioning system out of thrown-away computer parts. She even patched into an untraceable internet connection.

Headmistress Weatherly, the leader of Compound 8, was still beaming over that one. In the Wastelands, having a reliable communication source was a matter of life and death.

To be honest, she was a proud big sister.

Stella dumped the homework into Lilia's lap. "Don't give me that excuse. You may not be as smart as me, but this work should be child's play, even for you." She looked sideways at Lilia, folding her arms in front of her. Huffing under her breath, she added, "And please! Like I need one-on-one with a teacher."

Lilia didn't respond; she only rolled her eyes at the 'even for you' comment. She absentmindedly stuffed the papers inside the bag, resting beside the tree.

Stella sighed, and Lilia could tell what she was thinking. She had seen that look so many times before. Who was supposed to take care of whom? She knelt and turned Lilia's head toward her with her fingers so their eyes met. "Lillie, I know it's hard for you. I just want you to try. That's all I am asking. Okay?"

Lilia nodded in agreement. She could never say no to Stella. Lilia would try… at least for a short while. However, she knew it wouldn't take long for her to return to her old ways.

Stella didn't look convinced, but then the bell chimed. "I have to get to class, so I'll see you later, okay?"

Lilia smiled. Stella was such a stickler for rules. "Okay."

Lilia watched Stella limp away. No, it wasn't when Lilia tossed Stella. Stella was injured on that day when the Ripples fell. Stella almost died. Her leg was crushed, and it had to be reconstructed. She still had a limp as a reminder.

Stella and metal detectors are not friends. Lilia smiled at her dumb joke, but the smile soon disappeared.

The limp was not the only thing Stella took from that disaster. Stella develops an obsession with finding their mother's whereabouts and even goes to Headmistress Weatherly for help. Although that woman always came with strings. Stella knew that.

Lilia couldn't help but be worried. She was praying that Stella wasn't in over her head.