Chapter 1 (Thee unnamed)


I had never seen
this man before, yet I had an overwhelming feeling of familiarity.
His eyes, so blue and deep, seemed to look right into me. He was
distant and yet he seemed to be calling for me, silently begging me
to come closer. His gaze was so intense, as if he was looking
directly into my soul. I couldn't hide from it, I couldn't turn away.
He wanted me - but why? I didn't know, but the feeling of being
wanted was irresistible. I felt like he had known me my entire life,
like he was an old friend I hadn't seen in years. I could feel
something pulling me towards him and I found myself wanting to go, to
find out why he was here and what he wanted from me.

I take a deep breath
and close my eyes trying to clear my mind, but the image of the man
is still firmly imprinted in my mind.

I slowly open my
eyes and sit up, my heart is still racing and my palms are sweaty. I
look around and try to familiarize myself with my surroundings,
trying to make sure the nightmare was just that: a nightmarish dream.
Nothing is out of place and the only sound I can hear is the faint
crackling of the lantern on the wall nearby. I swing my legs off the
bed and onto the cold wooden floor, the sensation of being in a safe
and familiar place calming me. As I take a few steps forward, reality
begins to take hold and I am able to focus on the ever-so-familiar
sounds and smells of my home.

I take a few more steps
until I reach the window, opening it and feeling the gentle night
breeze pass through. I take a few deep breaths, inhaling the sweet
smell of the grassy lawn outside and the refreshing scent of the snow
and the fresh breeze. I close my eyes once more, letting the peaceful
scenery wash away the fears and anxieties of the night. I slowly open
my eyes and look out at the stars twinkling in the night sky.

I take another deep
breath looking out at the silent night. The stars twinkle in the sky,
casting a magical glow in the sky. I take a moment to take in the
beauty of the night and to clear my mind. Suddenly I hear a soft
voice behind me. I spin around to see my seven year old sister
Annalise standing there in the doorway, her blue eyes wide and her
dark brown hair swept away from her face. She is holding her crutch
close to her side, her small hands gripping it tightly. She looks at
me and gives me a frightened look. 'Kiera?' Her voice is soft and
scared. I take a step towards her and wrap my arms around her,
feeling her trembling body against mine. For nights since the
accident she had woken up and came into my room to sleep beside me.
Just two years ago she had terribly injured her leg after getting
lost in the woods for days. I whisper soothing words to her, telling
her that everything will be alright and I will protect her. I can
feel her relax against me and I know that she believes me. I take her
hand and lead her back into her room, feeling a newfound strength
within me to protect her. If that man in my dream was truly real and
wanted me and my family and would do anything to protect them. At
that moment I vowed. Then I walked back into my room and lay on my
bed. Tiredness pulled me down and I fell to sleep not even noticing
it.

I slowly lift my
eyes open, surprised to find myself in my bedroom. I sit up, trying
to remember the details of my dream from the night before. I pause,
trying to recall the face of the man that had been in my dream. Who
was he? What did he want? I take a deep breath and try to put the
nightmare out of my mind. The aroma of breakfast Barba fills the room
and I take in a deep breath, trying to enjoy the smell and forget my
worries. I look around my room. The sun was just beginning to peak
through the windows and I felt a sense of calmness come over me. I
knew that I would be able to put the dream behind me and start my day
refreshed.

I get out of my bed
and hurry to get changed into one of my lavender seam dresses that
goes a few inches past my knees. Then I slowly hurry down the stairs
and down into the dining room/kitchen. "Good morning Kiera."
My mother who is standing in the kitchen greets. "Um, Good
morning mother." I offer her a smile. "Do you happen to
know where Annalise and Ezra are? Breakfast is almost done..."
She asks. I shrug then start hurrying towards the door. "Where
do you think your going Kiera?" She asks. I turn around my
cheeks turning bright red.

I run out the
door and take a look around, and eventually see Annalise and Ezra
playing in the front yard. I smile and shout their names. They turn
around, and seeing me they come running up to me, both of them
wearing matching pajamas. 'Good morning!' I say, motioning for them
to follow me. We all rush back into the house, and hurry into the
dining room/kitchen. 'Ah, there you two are.' My mother says as we
enter. 'Good morning mother!' Annalise and Ezra chime in unison.
'Breakfast is almost done, so why don't you all take a seat?' Mother
asks. We all take a seat around the table, and as soon as we sit
down, mother places a plate of barba in front of each of us. We
all eagerly dig in and enjoy breakfast. Afterwards, Annalise and Ezra
run off to get ready for the day, and I hurry back up to my room to
get changed a bit more.

I walk into my room, grab my brush off my night stand and start to slowly brush my long brown hair. Suddenly, I hear a knock on my bedroom window and I drop my brush onto my bed and hurry over to open the window. I push it open and gasp back in surprise to see Damian sitting on the windowsill looking down at me. 'Damian...' I look up at him. He grins back at me, his eyes twinkling. 'Hey, Kiera.. wanna go on a walk?' I look around my room then look back at him. 'I...um..' I stutter. He just grins. 'I don't know if I can... My mother is already suspicious.' His smile disappears. 'Please? I really want to talk to you about something.' I take a deep breath.

'Okay, I'll be in a few minutes.' I close the window and quickly get ready. I brush my hair one final time, grab my jacket, and run downstairs. Mom
luckily isn’t in the kitchen. When I open the door, I see Damianwaiting for me with a smile. I smile back and we start walking. We walk in a comfortable silence until we are a ways into the woods. 'So what did you want to talk about?' I ask him as we sit down on a nearby log. He takes a deep breath and looks into my eyes. 'I wanted to tell you that I'm….’ He pauses ‘leaving town.' I'm taken aback by his words. 'Leaving town? But why?' He looks away from me and says softly. 'I need a change of pace, I need to get away from here and start over. I want to make a fresh start.' I look away from
him, not wanting him to see the tears in my eyes. I take a few
moments to gather myself before I turn back to him. ‘But, what
about us… we’re going too.’ He hushes me with his finger.
‘We’re too young right now… maybe in a few years.. I look at
him taking in the words then finally I take a deep breath 'I
understand. I'm going to miss you.'

He looks back at me
and smiles sadly. 'I'm going to miss you too.' He stands up and says
goodbye. I stand up and hug him tight, not wanting to let go. He
gives me a kiss on my cheek then, He pulls away and walks away
without looking back. I watch him until he disappears into the
horizon, my heart heavy with sadness.

I slowly walk back
home, my heart pounding slowly in my chest. It was a feeling of
shock, disbelief and confusion that clouded my mind as I made my way
back. I can hardly bring myself to realization of what had just
happened. I take a deep breath and try to process what had just
happened. I can still feel the sting of the moment, but I know that I
will somehow get through it. Finally I approach my house and walk
inside hoping to find my bedroom and stay there, maybe forever.

I take a deep
breath, not wanting to tell her the truth. Instead, I tell her that I
was out for a walk. She narrows her eyes, not believing me. I can
tell from the look on her face that she doesn't understand why I
would be out walking in the middle of the day when I should be doing
my schoolwork. I try to explain that I needed some time to think, but
she doesn't seem to understand.

I can feel the tears
beginning to form in my eyes as I think of what I just left behind. I
can't bring myself to tell her how much I'm hurting right now. I just
want to go to my room and be alone with my thoughts. I can feel her
eyes still on me, but she doesn't say anything. She just stands
there, watching me.

I finally look up and meet her gaze.
I can tell she wants to know more, but I'm not sure I'll ever be able
to tell her what happened. I finally turn away and head for my room.
I close the door behind me, and for the first time in a long time, I
allow myself to cry. I know I'll never see him again, and that hurts
more than anything.

I sit in silence, tears streaming down my face as I hear the faint knock on the door. I know it's my mother, standing there worried and concerned. I can feel her pain, and I know I should open the door and tell her the truth. But I can't bring myself to do it. I can't bear to tell her the truth, knowing that she will be disappointed in me. So instead, I stay in my room, lost in my thoughts and my shame. I can't bear to look her in the eyes and admit what
happened. I can't face the truth, or her. I can feel the tears streaming down my face as I sit there in silence, unable to open the door. I can hear her knocking, pleading for me to let her in, but I can't. I can never tell her what had happened, and I know that I'll never be able to do so. Never, maybe
never ever.

“Alright, have it your way.” She says then I hear her faint footsteps as she walks
away and down the stairs.

I sit up in bed knowing that I can’t stay here forever.


(Any questions or anything feel free to put in the comments below..)