The stranger looks at me in the eye, sending a shudder down my spine. He pulls the trigger, showing no sign of mercy. "Mom!" I cry. Suddenly, I feel a sharp sting in my ears. They started throbbing. Tugging at my hair, I scream for help and rush to mother's side. The stranger quickly ran out the door, and out of the picture.
"I love you," she mimed, smiling weakly at me. I looked at my mom's unresponsive eyes and body, and embraced her, getting her blood all over my shirt.
"No, no, no!" I bawled, shaking her. My brother, Lucas, my sister, Lana, and my dad came rushing into the scene. Police lights filled our small, vague room. They kept yelling words that I couldn't pick up.
That's when I grasped, at the age of 12, the fact that I couldn't hear any longer.
From that moment on, I would've never expected to meet someone that could change my life forever.
My name is Arabella, and I have a story to tell.
As Claire aims to leave her oppressive stepfamily behind, she befriends Zion. Will he be her ticket to freedom or a distraction in achieving her dreams?
*****
Claire Olsen has had a crush on Zion Petrakis since the first time she laid eyes on him, but he never noticed, instead only having eyes on the school's it girl, Maddie Jennings. Knowing she couldn't compete with Maddie, Claire hid her feelings for Zion, satisfied with admiring him from afar. However, when a series of events led Claire closer to Zion, her feelings for him grew from infatuation to love. And despite fighting hard to keep her feelings contained by distancing herself from Zion, he was determined to show her that he's earned a spot in her life.
[[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]