An innocent Smile

prologue

Prologue

How it began...

I could hear the wind whistle and the trees sway with it. The sun was just starting to peak over the trees. I yawned. I could hear my parents snoring in the next room and my baby brother crying from the nursery across from me. I sighed. As usual, I would be the one to get up and take care of him.

I slowly sat up and got out of my bed. I got a chill as the air carressed my skin. I made my way to the door and opened it. I silently creeped down the stairs and walked towards the kitchen. I stopped to look at myself in a mirror hanging on the wall.

My long brunette hair was a disaster. I ran a hand through it to try to straighten it a little but it didn't help a bit. I just frowned and entered the kitchen. I got a bottle from the cupboard and filled it with water from the sink. I scooped in some formula powder and twisted the nipple on. I shook it and made my way back upstairs.

When i entered my brother's room I saw him jumping up and down screaming his head off. I walked over to his crib and lay him back down. I hand him the bottle and he quickly puts in his mouth. Not long after, he closed his eyes.

I just stand there and watch him. He's getting so big that I can't believe he used to be smaller. I smile at his now sleeping form. Adam was one of the few people I care about.

As I stand there watching him I feel jealous. I wish life were that easy. To just cry and be given what I wanted at any time. To just sleep all day without a care in the world. It sounds like heaven. I sighed and left to take a shower.

I let the hot water soothe me. It slid down my bare back and I could feel my muscles relax. I felt content. That's when I heard something that would forever haunt my mind. A heart wrenching scream echoed throughout the house.

I froze for a moment and then I quickly jumped out of the tub. I pulled on my robe and ran out of the room. I opened the door to Adam's room and what I saw brought tears to my eyes.

On the floor next to the crib lay the still figure of my baby brother. I slowly walked over and kneel next to him. I pulled him into my arms as sobs erupted from my body.

Then i heard a faint laughing that made my blood run cold. I twisted around but saw no one. The laughter stopped. I lay Adam back down and went to sit in a corner of the room. I sat down and pulled my knees to my chest.

I cried until I had no tears left. I  just sat there silently.

About an hour later, I could hear my parents waking up. How they didn't wake up before I don't know. They must have just thought he was crying again and that I would take care of it.

I saw the door knob turn and my mother walked into the room. She was smiling and then she was screaming.

My father was in the room faster than you could blink an eye. He saw my mother on her knees sobbing. When he saw the cause of her devastation, he too was on his knees. I may not get along with my parents, but the look on their faces was something I wish I never would have seen.

My father looked up and saw me sitting silently in the corner. He stood up and approached me.

"What the hell happened!?" He screamed at me. Did he think this was my fault, that I did this?

"I don't know." I could hear myself say.

I could hear sirens in the distance coming closer. My father just turned around and went to comfort my mother. I lay my head against the wall behind me and closed my eyes. Then everything went black.