Lost Shadows

Prologue

I was happy, I remember that much. It was snowing, the morning dark and cold. But, my sister and I were happy. It was the last day of school and we couldn't wait for the year to be over. My mum died when I was eight, leaving my sister and I to jump around from foster home to foster home.i never knew my father, he left before I was born, I don't think Sophie even remembers him. My sister, Sophie, turned eighteen a couple of days ago and could legally take custody of me and get us out of this hell of a 'home'.

Sophie and I left for school, expecting to have an absolutely perfect day. It was the last day of school before the Christmas holidays and everyone was buzzing with excitement. I had chemistry first with my best friend Chloe, her long blonde hair and bright blue eyes were crazy as always. Chloe, Sophie and I were inseparable since the day we met 14 years ago, we did everything together. The day passed by slowly, but our excitement for the day to end never wavered. We began planning our Christmas Holidays, texting each other ideas during our separate classes. By the time lunch came around, we had come up with a million plans for the Christmas Holidays.

"We should go shopping next week! I need a new outfit for Christmas," Sophie exclaimed. The day was full of excitement.

Finally, the day ended and we were ready to start our holiday. Sophie and I parted ways with Chloe, excited to get home as fast as possible to start our Harry Potter movie marathon and eat popcorn and ice cream, until our foster parents got home that is, but they usually work late, so we weren't worried.

Sophie was driving. The windows were cold with ice, her dark hair contrasting with the pale frost. The music was cranked up to its highest volume, blasting through the speakers. We were both singing along to the music, having the time of our lives.

We stopped at the lights and turned the music down, waiting for them to turn green.

"Hey Apryl, we should go ice skating with Chloe tomorrow! I can't even remember the last time we did that!" She said joyfully. She had what I liked to call the 'Holiday High.'

The lights turned green and Sophie pressed her foot on the accelerator. I heard a loud screech and the sound of a horn blaring. There was a flash of light and a scream. I was flung to the side and my head hit the window, glass pressing into my cheek. The car skid across the road and suddenly we were upside down. My vision became foggy, my ears were ringing and blurred lights were everywhere. Then everything went black.

I woke up to the repetitive beep of a heart monitor two days later. My entire body was throbbing. There were IV's in my arms and oxygen tubes in my nose. My left leg was elevated and covered in a sterile white cast, my right hand was also wrapped.

Nurses came in and out, asking stupid questions such as:

"What's your name?"
"How old are you?"
"How are you feeling?"

I always replied with the same answers:

"Apryl Destiny Gray."
"I'm Sixteen."
"Horrible"

It wasn't until days later that they told me what happened. A truck collided with our car. Our car was hit on the side Sophie was sitting. But most importantly, Sophie did not survive.

Those four simple words turned my world upside down.

I was angry and upset. It should have been me, not her. I started to spiral. I started seeing things, people, objects, things that weren't supposed to be there. I began shutting people out, only letting Chloe in, but there were things I wouldn't let even her know. I tried isolating myself from the rest of the world. I was numb.

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