Shadows at night

Chapter 1

It was still dark outside when I woke up from another restless dream. Again. I was use to it now, but that doesn't mean it didn't annoy me. I sighed sitting up in bed. I knew it was no use trying to go to sleep again. No matter how hard I tried the effort was always futile.

Pushing my way through the bed covers I went to the next room to check on Katie. The light was off and the door open. I usually let her sleep in my bed but today she insisted on being a "big" girl.

I smiled as I saw her snuggled in the covers. Kaitlyn or as she preferred Katie ,my little angel , was my three years old sister. The light was casting a shadow of her long dark lashes on her red baby cheeks. The little button nose was a little red as well and the full pink lips were in their usual pout. It was always a sight to see her sleeping. Tonight was clearly one of the rare nights with no nightmares as she slept soundly.

Well, at least some one is getting their sleep, I thought closing the door half way as I made my out of her room again. Checking the clock I found out I still had one more hour before I had to start getting ready for school so I took my ipod and landed on bed. Closing my eyes I rested my head against the headboard and started thinking about the long day ahead. I had to drop Katie before going to school. Thank God the day care was open today. Katie was big for going to the day care, but she couldn't go to a normal school. That wasn't an option for her. And I couldn't afford to get her in the school she needed .Not with the pay of my part time job after school. Not many fifteen year old guys could get a high paid job.

I saw the clock tick by and was out of bed fifteen minutes before I needed to be. But that wasn't essentially bad. I could get to school early and revise for my test.

The bright light of the bathroom momentarily blinded me, causing me to close my eyes. On opening them I found my self face to face with my haggard form. My brown eyes were dull and forehead wrinkled with lines. My hair was coming into my eyes due to a hair cut long overdue and I badly needed to shave. As always I blocked it all out as I knew it wasn't getting better and started. Within the record time of twenty minutes I showered, changed my clothes and grabbed two bowls of serial before running up to Kaitlyn's room.

"Katie, sweetie wake up" I started softly while turning on the lights and moving the curtains. She didn't even move. Of course not.

"Katie. Honey you have to get up or we are going to get late again" atleast this time I was rewarded with a light moan of annoyance. I chuckled and tickled her more into consciousness.

" I'm awake Jared " she chuckled " stop. Stop Jay! "

" you get up right now or your getting more of this young lady" I said in a mock stern voice. She laughed at me, catching my bluff. I kissed her forehead and picking her up, went to the bathroom. It took about half an hour of clothes and shoes flying around before I got her ready. Finally she was ready. We raced downstairs to the kitchen for our cereal, with me making sure we were quiet enough not to wake up anyone else in house. Not only would that spoil my good mood but also get us more late than we can afford right now.

By the time I had her strapped in her booster seat in the car, the fifteen minutes head start was the only thing helping us from getting late.

"Ok Katie, I might get a little late today, so no annoying Miss Carter. Clear?"

"ya ya sure. You're still taking me to the park later right?"

"Tell you what. If you behave we might just make a stop at the ice-cream parlor later too" I was rewarded by a squeal for this. Next five I smiled listening to what was very necessary for us to do in the park and later what ice-cream to get.