Neither Cody nor I attempted to strike up a conversation in the car. We were just too scared to even open up our mouth and speak. Mom kept telling us jokes but she was the only one to laugh. Which didn’t seem to bother her.

When we finally entered Amazia’s neighborhood and started searching for her house, it got worse.

I was just paralysed. There it was. A classic, red tile-roofed house with all its shutters closed because of the heat.

“No light in the house,” Cody whispered.

I could tell he was afraid, but for some reason he seemed to enjoy the situation. Such a weirdo. Sometimes I wonder how come he’s my brother.

“I’m coming with you guys,” Mom said.

She got out and opened up our doors. The heat was just too much to bear. The sun was shining joyfully over Mom’s head while she was waiting for her sons to stop acting like chickens.

‘Come on!’