Brothers [English]

Prologue

Diane's pov

The darkness. The silence. The night.

I was deeply asleep, breathing softly. Nothing could have interrupted my dreams. Not a hint that it would be the night that would change my life. Slowly I started to wake up. The real world was near, but at the same time blurred, soft, a stranger to my five senses. Until I opened my eyes. My dream already in the past, not even a memory to me. I still had to get myself used to the darkness. The only thing I could recognize was the light of a street lamp, outside my window. The shutters were half way down, so that only a part of that light could enter the bedroom. I looked around me. Another familiar thing: the digital display of my alarm clock. In green bright numbers it stated: 2 AM.

I waited, until the shadows in my room started to make sense. The more objects I could recognize, the less I was afraid. My wardrobe, my desk. Everything was the same as always. So why did I wake up? Something was off. Then I heard it. Some strange noise coming from the backyard. Completely awake I finally was able to notice it. I put my naked feet on the floor, shivering. Was it cold or fear?

"There's nothing to be afraid of" I kept telling myself, slowly approaching the window, even though my leg didn't really want to move. Everything looked normal. All the lights in the neighbourhood houses were off. The street lamps made it possible for me to see my backyard. It seemed normal, too. Everything was the same as always. The swings, my bike, the flowers which my mother cherished and took care of everyday. I went back to my bed. Nothing to worry about. Probably it was just a cat or some other animal. I covered myself with the sheets, curling up under them, hugging the pillow. My eyelids shut down and I was about to fall asleep again, when I heard it again. I couldn't understand what was the cause of the noise, but I didn't imagine it. It was louder than the first time. My hand rushed to the light switch and I looked around in fear and confusion. What the hell was that? I could hear my dad getting up in the other room. He had heard it too. I ran to the window. Despite the fear, I had to know. I pulled up the shutters completely, to see better. I was just in time to see something, or better, someone, running away in the dark, through the street behind my backyard. I wasn't sure, but it looked like he was wearing a white sweatshirt, with a hoodie lowered on his head...

Ok... this is just an experiment. I'm translating this fanfiction I originally wrote in Italian, my native language. So if you see any grammar mistakes, feel free to tell me that, so I can correct them.