CHAPTER ONE

ALEXIS

The memory of that night flooded my mind like water rushing into a sinking ship. Waking to the sound of glass shattering. His hands tighten lethally around my neck. The sound of myself choking and crying out for him to stop. The back of his hand across my face, and the stinging pain that followed.

It wasn't hard to recall. Afterall, this was my life; I run, he finds me, he gets his revenge, repeat.

I looked over to where my sister was sitting. The classroom was small; she was only a row down. Her features were easily distinguishable, and she was definitely my sister, that was for sure. Strands of her soft black hair framed her slender face, which made her seem almost angelic as the sun shone through the clear window, and formed an almost perfect halo. I glanced down at my phone, the corners of my lips perking up slightly. I was just as pretty, and damn anyone who said that I wasn't. Compared to my sister, I had snow-white hair which enhanced my pale blue eyes. I blinked, and smiled.

The worksheet that laid in front of me was almost completed. I didn't find school massively difficult, and so I passed pretty easily. My pencil scratched softly on the paper as I finished the sheet, hearing the sound of the bell echo around the school halls. I slang my bag over my shoulder, stuffing my homework messily into my satchel. I heard Carina's light footsteps approaching, and I looked up to see her clutching her stuff. Since the rain was pouring down today and we had no umbrellas, walking was no longer an option. We had no option but to call him.

"Cat, call Brady." I shoved my hands in the pockets of my leather jacket as my sister called our foster father.

The man couldn't take care of a hamster, let alone us, but it seemed that no one was aware of this. Sometimes, I wished for his demise to come, specifically with my hands around his neck. I was realistic, however, and knew the day would never come.

I sat down on the pavement in front of school. It took a while for the man to arrive, and by the time he finally did, everyone else had left. Like always, he looked drunk, so I wasn't shocked to see the car slide a little. I gripped the straps on my bag, looking at my sister as she called shotgun. I sighed, slumping down dramatically and frowning at her. She just grinned back, and pulled me to my feet. I made my way to the back of the car, eyeing Carina as she reached a hand out to open the front door.

I barely managed to get my bag in the car, then my body, before the man in the driver's seat sped off. I let out a small squeak of surprise, and pulled the door shut with a slam, narrowly missing my feet. The car raced down the street, the wind flying fast behind us. Brady didn't slow; the car felt faster and faster by the second.

I vaguely heard Carina start screaming at him to stop, and I joined in. Brady didn't seem to hear us. Either that, or he was purposely ignoring any noise we made. It was like he had wax in his ears. I glanced with terror at my sister, then back to the street. We had passed our home already, and were headed down a main street.

One moment the road was there, wide open and safe, and the next it wasn't. It was the smell that hit me first; acrid ash, burnt rubber from the car doors, smoke billowing out into the air. I knew that I must have been in incredible pain, but my body was so numb to the world that it didn't register until minutes later. I moved my head slightly, wincing at the stiffness, and saw the truck spiral to the other side of the road. It had hit us.

There was blood on my body, in the car, sticking to the seats and creating a sharp metallic smell. I could taste it in my mouth, staining my teeth, dripping down my throat. Carina was still stuck in her seatbelt, with her head hanging limply, her mind in shock. I tried to reach a hand out to place on her shaking shoulder, but couldn't control my muscles. I was stuck.

I spat a strand of hair out of my mouth, watching as the blood flew. My eyes wandered to Brady, who was injured beyond belief. There was shrapnel in his neck, slices of flesh cut throughout his body, a dent in his skull. The airbags had exploded out, cushioning his chest, but missed his head. I didn't mind. He wasn't a very good father.

Sharp, violent shards of glass had embedded themselves into my body, shredding through the skin, as I heard the engine groan and stop. There was a moment of silence, where the world seemed to pause. It was then that I knew I had to move fast. The next few moments of my life were a blur. I pushed myself up. Reached for the door handle. Stumbled to the front and tugged my sister's arm.

We made it out, and the car engine burst. I watched as the vehicle exploded in flames, the smell of Brady's burnt flesh wafting through the air. My sister collapsed by my side. The last thing I remembered was the pain and the sounds of the ambulance sirens, before everything turned black and I hit the ground.

_________

I woke up in pain, unsurprisingly. My head was pounding, and my body felt stiff and sore. More than that, there was loud sobs coming from beside me. I squeezed my eyes shut tighter, before opening them. It took a few blinks for the room to come into focus, and I stared at the ceiling for a moment. It was a creamy white colour; flat and smooth.

A grip on my hand brought me back to reality. It was loose and soft, but comforting all the same. Tilting my head slightly to the side, I was able to see my sister's face. Her hands were trembling, and her face stark white, but she was by my side, offering her company. I gently applied more pressure to the grip, squeezing her hand and attempting to assure the girl that I would be alright.

It wasn't needed. The look on her face told me everything that I needed to know.

She leaned down, her black hair dangling onto my face, and embraced me. I tensed, but realising she had no harmful intentions, leaned into the hug. I could hear her whispering apologies over and over again into my ear, but it wasn't necessary. It wasn't like the car crash was her fault, anyway. My arm moved up and around her body. I made a failed attempt to pat her on the back, only stopping when the pain shredded through my muscles. My skin felt like it was on fire; hot and sharp and burning. Every single touch, even just the brush of her skin against my clothes felt like a thousand needles impaling me.

I just tensed, and allowed her to finish the hug. When she finally pulled away, brushing her hair behind her ears, I gave her a weak smile. Carina stumbled to a chair nearby me, and curled up, her eyes staring into mine. I vaguely heard the footsteps of a man entering the room, and turned to face the doctor. His dull eyes were deep and heavy with pity, and his hands clenched into slight fists. I raised my brows at that, staring at him with a varying degree of confusion. He seemed to notice this, and calm a little, before approaching. I stayed still as he went through the inevitable check-up, which involved a lot of bright lights and poking of fingers. I let out a small hiss though, as he pointed a torch in my eyes, which earned a muttered apology.

"Visitors," he said gruffly, pointing to the door.

I gave him an exaggerated grimace, scrunching up my nose. He definitely wasn't the best doctor I had met. Before glancing to the door, I let my eyes drift to where my sister was, still in a bundle on the chair. She was hugging herself tightly, tears dripping silently down her cheeks and over her lips.

She knows. The world knows. And there is no way of hiding that.

The door let out a small squeak as it opened, and I swapped my attention to it, and the people entering. The first one, Henry, I recognised. He had been both my sister and mine's social worker for as long as we could remember. I didn't mind him, but then again, everyone has a way of getting on my nerves somehow. He gave me his usual pitiful smile, and I nodded in response. No point wasting a smile on him.

Carina leaned towards me, and grasped my hand for the second time. Sweat was forming on her brows, and she looked a mixture of confused and scared. I gave a reassuring smile, which dropped as soon as I looked back at Henry. He didn't care. Either that, or didn't notice the emotion change. There was a group of people huddled behind him. I gave a quick head count. Eight. Way to many for the room that we were in.

"Hello."

My eyes snapped to a woman standing behind the only man in the room that I was familiar with. My eyes took in her features, committing them to memory. Ocean blue eyes, brown hair, sharp jawline, perfect posture. I snorted internally. What a cliché description.

I bit my cheek in anticipation. "Hello."

My voice was rather dull, and emotionless, but I guess no-one could really get mad at me for that. Considering the recent events, it was understandable. The woman opened her mouth again, and I chose to listen in. Who knows, it might be important.

"I'm Genevieve." Her voice was business-like, and formal. "It's a pleasure."

I didn't trust her one bit. "Alexis."

"Who's she?" My sister's voice crept out from behind me.

Henry said something, but I didn't focus. The woman had a small smirk on her face, and her eyes were staring into mine. It was almost like a snake; the amount she showed power and stance was evident of that.

I opened my mouth, and snapped it shut again, considering my next words. I chose snarky ones.

"Well, spit it out, then." My accent shined through the frustration in that sentence, and I held back a roll of my eyes.

Chuckling, the man dropped a thick folder into my lap. I winced, but ignored his concerned expression. "She's your sister."

My brain stuttered for a moment, hands turning pale as I fiddled with the file apprehensively. Luckily, it was my sister that spoke up, meaning I was able to stay silent and continue examining the file.

"Biological?"

Henry gave a short nod to Carina, and she mouthed the word 'wow'.

I doubted him for a second, but the blood and DNA results in the folder confirmed it. Ninety-seven percent match.

"So what happens now?" It was probably the best question that I could ask right now.

He looked thoughtful. "In this case, you will immediately be discharged as soon as you're given the all-clear by Dr Martin. Background checks, home checks, safety checks, legal documentation; it's all been done. All we need is your opinions."

I turned to Carina, giving her a soft look. I wouldn't do anything without her by my side. She leaned towards my ear, whispering a few words softly.

"Give it a chance."

I smiled and turned to Genevieve. "Who are they?"

I didn't care if my voice sounded bossy or rude. I had the right to know. While asking, I jerked my head towards the others in the room. They didn't react; probably assuming that I would ask this question at some point. Fair.

"They're your siblings too."

A/N

Soo, that happened! Do you think the pace of the story is alright?