The king of nightmares.

chapter 1

Natellie's thoughts wandered as she watched the receptionist's hands flurry across the keyboard, momentarily leaving the keys to tap the mouse with her long and bony fingers.

she must have sensed Natellie staring because she suddenly looked up and smiled, her glossed-up lip shimmering as they widened. Natellie returned a small smile.
The effort of the forced smile seemed almost foreign to her as her cheek muscles unwillingly dilated, giving way to the upper curves of her lip.
Almost immediately after, the strained process took effect ....and she regretted having smiled.
Her eyes welled up with disloyal tears , leaving her with a blurry image of the receptionist's alarmed eyes.

Natellie quickly looked away, dabbing her eyes ferociously with the hem of the sweatshirt that encircled her wrist.
she spun around, and made her way to the metal chairs that lined the waiting area.

from the corner of her eyes she saw her mother lean forward on the dashboard and talk to the receptionist.
Although she sat quite a distance away from the counter she knew what her mother was probably saying, judging by the sympathetic looks on the receptionist's face.

Natellie sighed as she bent down, resting her head on her sweaty palms. Her smooth brunette hair faithfully tumbled down her shoulder creating a veil around her and hiding her tears that, now flowed easily down her cheeks. she willed her ears to muffle out the noises around........and immediately, the night that she had so desperately tried to push back into the corner of her head, overwhelmed her.

Natellie had always liked the feeling of looking out the window at the cold, dark night, while she sat inside her warm home, enjoying it's safety.
Before her the dinning table was neatly set with delicious food ...that was enough to make her drool over herself. And although her hunger was killing her, Natellie waited...patiently.
Her mother kept glancing worriedly at the clock on the mantle.
"oh! I do hope he comes soon....the food is going to go cold"
Just then there was the sound of the doorbell. Natellie slid out of her seat and hurried to get the door.
as she unleashed the lock she expected, as usual to see her brother, Eric, standing on the doorway with his jersey dripping with sweat and his soccer shoes sticky with mud. She expected to see him there with his crooked grin and the glint of mischief in his chocolate brown eyes...his light brown hair rumpled to an extent that, it wouldn't be a surprise if someone were to find a bird's egg in it! ...........but what she hadn't in her wildest dreams expected to find was the wide eyed neibour that greeted her.
Natellie didn't have have the time to study him as her gaze shifted down to the thing......or more like a 'who' ..that he carried in his bulky hands. In his hands was the crumpled body of a teenage boy, his jersey dripping not with sweat but with fresh blood and his eyes shut in obviouse pain.
This....boy...it couldn't possibly be her brother could it??.....no it couldn't be...
it shouldn't be..

she felt a thousand questions whizz in her brain as she watched her brother being placed on the couch and heard the far off voices of her mother yelling into the phone. The white spread of the couch slowly turned scarlet with blood. Natellie
walked over and knelt down beside him, taking his hand into her own.
His eyes suddenly fluttered open, it looked weary and light red. He turned his head towards her, wincing slightly with the pain. Natellie couldn't trust herself to speak....but she felt herself asking a stupid question...the one big question that filled her brain. "you won't die will you?". She felt like a five year old....It seemed both highly important and silly at the same time...life and death wasn't a matter to be questioned at...in fact they were the question mark itself.
Her brother grinned...."My innocent little sister....", he knew Natellie hated to be called like that...but at that moment those words seemed  precious . "...it dosn't matter..all that matters is that you stay strong through anything that is about to happen..". It was infuriating to see how he managed to be so calm. He hesitated slighly " you will won't you?....for my mother ....for me?.... suddenly his eyes clouded over "Nats there's more that my mother isn't telling us....there's more....you must contact dad...they'll be after you soon...promise me Nats....promise me that...."
"stop it" Natellie heard herself scream....her tears flowing non-stop "stop blaberring...your scaring me" she cried. He smiled sadly,
" I'm sorry Nats ......I.." he let out a groan and he squeased his eyes shut again. His grip on her hand tightened ..."I love you .....Nats ...I really love you Natellie....your the best sister I could have....pls thank mom for me will you...for.....'you'..."he rasped letting out short forced breaths.
Natellie could now hear the sound of sierens....as his hold on her hand loosened ever so slightly". There were suddenly pediatrics in their living room, they were shoved into the ambulance and soon they were at the hospital. The night went on horridly.
Early the next morning when the doctor told them that Eric had passed away ,it was like hearing a news that you had already read in the paper that morning. There was no emotion, a scarcity of tears, just a sharp pang as she felt the small amount of hope, inside her, shatter to a million pieces, as she recalled the words she didn't quite have time to convey:

" I love you too...brother"
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Athour's note:
pls vote n comment....id luv to hear ur opinions n ideas.....thx