Mist Falls

Chapter one: Starting Again

I'm sat in my room looking out over the ocean watching the as the waves beat against the rock the cold glass against my face, I wonder if from the outside it looks like I'm crying because inside I have not cried since I woke up in the hospital almost a year today, I keep wondering if the tears will ever come the tears for my pain, the tears for my parents the tears for my life but they never do.

"Winter, it time to go," Mike says softly stepping in the room behind me.

I look around my now empty room, empty like me, the soft purple walls dad painted don't hold the same warmth they used to be a home full of warmth that dad built with his own two hands but now its a shell of echoing pain but still I don't want to leave I belong here or dead.

I watch as my brother comes to stand in front of me his tried green eyes seem to look for something on my face, eyes that look so much like mums his short black hair is longer than it was a year ago and there shadow around his jaw where he has not bothered to shave in a few days. He is just taller than dad with the same strong jaw and slightly off centre nose but mum's soft eyes its strange to look at him now.

"Come on Winter, Fox is here to get us," he says holding out his head waiting for mine.

I put my hand in his as he half pulls me put of the room and down the stairs, I run my hands along the wall for the last time hoping to memories each and every lump and bump.

The front door is wide open and standing at the front of a black SUV is Fox also know as James Fox but no one calls him James excepts his Dad, Jack my dads best friend we all grew up together but I haven't seen Fox for almost two years he looks different than he used to more like a man than the boy I remember.

His hair is jet black but the tips are green and stood on end while the back and sides are buzz cut where he used to be skinny his muscles have filled out and he's pretty good looking even more so than before I always had a little crush on him. His dark blue eyes find mine and a smile over takes his face.

"Hey Winnie," he smiles big as he goes to hug me I step back and he frowns as he looks at Mike.

"Hey Fox," I say as I walk past him to the back of the truck and open the door before shutting myself inside and crack the window a little.

"Is she ok?" I hear Fox whisper to Mike, I look though the rear view mirror as he looks to my brother who is frowning at the car, "Are you alright man you look tried".

"I am and she's well no, I don't know if she will ever be ok," he says so quietly I almost miss it, I see the tears fill his eyes as I look away.

"Why didn't you tell me things where this bad I would have come sooner we all would," Fox sighs.

"Because she needed time, she needs more but not in the place and the college says if I don't attend summer school I will fall to far behind," he whispers back.

I tune out, this I do feel guilty about, I know I'm a huge burden on my brother and there's no end in sight there is still a year until I turn eighteen and until he is stuck with neither mum or dad had any family left and Uncle Jack well didn't handle Dads death well and turned to the beer so Mike is stuck with me but as soon as I turn eighteen I'm leaving, he needs a chance at a normal life and looking at me he will never have it.

They talk for a few more minutes before a the both front car doors open and they get in. I pop in my ear phones and blast Hailstorm though my ears Fox turns from the front seat and smiles I just stare out of the window.

"Listen I meant to Skype you about Winter but I, well with everything going on I didn't get time," he whispers, I keep looking out of the window one of the ear phones hidden behind my neck as he talks, "I will text the others but don't touch Winter unless she knows your there and if she screams at night come and get me, never touch her back and if she dose not talk for days on end don't worry ok and don't push her."

I glance a look at Fox who is just starring at Mike as he nods I what looks like understanding.

"Fine but you know we need the truth all of us?" he asks Mike as looks at me in the mirror.

"I know I will but when where all together I don't know if I can do it twice," Mike says I can't see his face but I hear the pain in his voice pain that I add to everyday just by living.

We take off and I don't look back I can't the thin resolve I am holding onto feels like its starting to break with every mile we take I swollow down a sleeping pill and turn my music up louder as I slip into the dark hoping it will chase away the screams.

I try and think about something else where are we moving to, the middle of no where a tiny town in the middle of now where called Mist Falls where Mike goes to college, its a great school but we will not be living inside town we will be living with his rick friend who own a huge mansion as Mike calls it on the edge of town in the forest.

Mike told me a little over a month ago that we would be moving, I didn't take the news well I wanted to stay but Mike said for one it wasn't safe and two I needed a fresh start and so did he well he needed to go back to his life while mine was trapped in time.

Mikes friends lived with them including Fox, the only one I new was Fox and I didn't care to be living with three more boys Jett, Jax, Phoenix and Zeek.

I feel the sleeping pill begging to work as my eyes get heavy and I drift into the darkness.