Dedicated to @Demelza Carlton for her awesome editing skills. She's taught me so much.

Callie's hand shot out from under the duvet and pummelled the alarm until the incessant beeping stopped, only for it to be replaced by the pounding on her bedroom door. She groaned and rolled over, pulling the duvet over her head to muffle the noise.

"Just another five minutes please!" she begged.

"Get up lazy bones, it's the first day of your new job and you can't be late," Adrianne hollered through the closed door.

She'd had the nightmare again last night, the same one she'd had every night for the last twelve years - George creeping into her room to laughingly tell her that her parents were dead and she was finally all his. The imprint of his repulsive, wandering hands touching her skin that first night were firmly etched in her mind and she could still see the look of lust that would cross his face when they entered a room he happened to be in. The look of horror on Adie's face when he tied her to the bedposts and made her watch him rape her, would stay with her for an eternity.

The nightmare, although over now in reality and in sleep, was a vivid reminder of his torment from the first night he dragged Adie into her room to partake in his fun. Only too willing to take on two troubled pre-teen girls, he'd been dreaming about getting them alone for years before that. Imagining how they would feel beneath him and he praised the fates that brought him his greatest wish. To everyone else he was a saint, a hero who stepped up to the mark. They'd tried to tell a social worker not long after it started but she had flirted with George, accusing them of being attention-seeking, little misfits and told them, in no uncertain terms, that their uncle was making a huge sacrifice by giving up his life to look after them.

Their schoolteachers had failed to notice bruises marring their bodies on a daily basis, and parents of friends never questioned George's reasons for not allowing them to sleep over. Callie was eternally grateful that Adie had the foresight to convince their doctor to put them on the contraceptive pill under the pretence of 'excruciatingly painful cramps'.

Adrianne, Callie's twin sister, older by 4 minutes but more like forty years in terms of her maturity, continued to pound on the door. "I'm not leaving until you show yourself!"

Adie had pretty much taken over the run of the household when they turned seventeen, the day they finally found the strength to fight back and kick out their abusive uncle. Now, three long years after they had shut the door on Uncle George's bleeding and swelling nose, the dedication and single-mindedness Callie had put into her schoolwork after her one failed attempt at a relationship had finally paid off. She graduated with honours. Today she would take the first step to her dream job.

She'd be an assistant to some big-shot reporter, a gopher really, but Callie didn't mind as long as she was allowed to tag along to the headline stories. She got the job because her English professor saw a spark of talent in her that was seriously lacking in her classmates, so he had recommended her for the position.

"Cal, come on! Get your butt in gear. You have to leave in like an hour!" Adie continued to pound on the door until Callie finally threw the duvet off and got out of bed, staggering on her way to open the door.

Adie took in the dishevelled appearance of her sister. From her ebony hair, normally glossy in slight, sleek waves, now looked like something a crow would use for a nest. Her shortie P.J's had ridden up and were presently poking out of Callie's backside.

"Oh my God!" Adie chuckled. "Look at the state of your hair. Get in the shower and I'll put breakfast out, then I'll fix it for you. Do you even know what you're wearing yet?"

"Chill I've got it sorted," Callie reassured her. "I'm wearing the red pant suit. I even had it pressed at Steamers yesterday." She motioned over her shoulder in the general direction of the wardrobe. "And I'm borrowing your red, kitten heels," she added, quickly running down the hall to the bathroom as Adie spied them amongst the clutter and discarded clothing strewn around the room. Polished and gleaming on the floor under the hanging suit, the shoes were a perfect colour match and a surprisingly sensible choice of footwear.

Adie sighed, looking at the chaos in the room Callie seemed unable to keep clean and tidy, but she couldn't bring herself to chastise her for it. She caught sight of her disappearing into the bathroom. Mum and Dad would be so proud of you, she thought. I wish they could see you now; you've really come out of your shell this past year.

When Adie confided in a work colleague about the abuse she and her sister had suffered growing up, Mandy had suggested counselling for them both. Callie refused, wanting to deal with it her own way. She'd been quiet and withdrawn for so long that Adie could barely remember the vibrant bubbly child who used to get them both into mischief.

"Hopefully this will be a new start for both of us," Adie breathed fervently, in a voice too low for her sister to hear.

Callie washed first then turned the shower on boost and leant against the cool, cream tiles of the wall. The pulsing water sluiced over her body, rinsing away any remaining sleep and the nightmare that came with it. She washed her hair and left the conditioner in for a few minutes to help with the tangles, then rinsed. Feeling the silky strands fall straight down her back to touch the dimple at the base of her spine, she reluctantly turned off the glorious hot water and reached for the fluffy towel Adie had thoughtfully left out for her.

Adie, the best sister a girl could have, worked every shift she could get at the hospital where she worked as a trainee nurse. She paid all the bills including topping up Callie's college fund when the money they inherited after their parents' death had all but run out. The house they shared had been paid off by the life insurance, and the car Adie drove to work was their mother's - it had sat in the garage untouched the entire time George had lived there, only because he wouldn't drive a pink Mini. From today, Callie would be contributing to the upkeep of their home and able to take some of the financial burden from her sister.

A new dawn, a new day and a new start, Callie chanted in her mind, practically dancing down the stairs in her dressing gown and slippers, her hair wrapped in a towel.

The rich tang of freshly brewed coffee assaulted her, closely followed by the mouth-watering aroma of grilled bacon, as she entered the kitchen. Her stomach growled in anticipation of the treat.

"You're spoiling me," Callie mock-complained, snatching toast from the plate and stuffing it in her mouth while she filled a mug from the carafe. "Have you been home long?"

"Got in just after six, the traffic was bad this morning. According to the radio, a young girl was abducted from her back yard just outside the village. Police were stopping traffic and checking the cars."

"Another one?" Callie gasped. "Wasn't there one last week too?"

"Uh huh, and several before that. This one apparently went out to get her doll from the playhouse in the garden and didn't come back inside. The mother raised the alarm immediately but they haven't found her yet."

"That's so sad. Who would do something like that?" she mused. "How old was this one?"

"Five."

"Jeez. Have they found any of the others? How many have there been anyway?"

"Callie, you are about to go work for the biggest newspaper in Ulster and you're asking me about stuff that's been in the headlines for months now! Seriously, did you do any prep for the job?" Adie chastised, adding, "This makes nine and no, none of the others have turned up yet."

Callie had the sense to look embarrassed. "I know I should have, but that stuff brings back too many memories I really don't want to drag up."

"Yeah I know, sorry... Eat up, it's getting cold."

They spent the next ten minutes catching up on other more mundane topics around mouthfuls of the deliciously tender bacon and buttery toast Adie had made for them.

"Come up to my room when you're finished eating? I'll do your hair, there's more space and less clutter." Adie joked, picking up her own plate and setting it in the dishwasher. "Stack your plate and turn it on before you come up?"

After listening to Callie's complaints that her hair got in her way, Adie dried her sister's hair straight and put it in a bun. She pushed the last pin in place and stepped back to admire her handiwork.

With only minutes before the taxi was due, Callie finally got dressed. She loved the suit she'd chosen to wear, the cut emphasised every curve just right. A power suit, Adie called it. It made her feel more confident, like she was worth something. Not at all like the useless piece of trash George claimed her to be.

Honking outside told her the taxi was here, its driver getting impatient.

"Just be yourself," Adie advised, feeling a flash of nerves through their bond. "They're gonna love you."

Hugging her in thanks, Callie ran out the door. "Straight to bed for you. I'll see you later," she called over her shoulder.

She sat in the back seat, looking out the side window at the city traffic as it struggled to gain a few feet before the traffic lights changed. The people on the footpath made better headway.

"I'll just walk the rest of the way," she said to the driver when he stopped at the lights. "It's not far from here." She handed him a twenty for fare and tip.

Lost in her excited thoughts of what the day would bring, she didn't see the guy barrelling towards her. Nor did she see the knife he was carrying. She felt it though as it pierced her stomach and ripped down toward her hip.

The guy had been tackled from behind just as he passed her, causing his arm to dart out in an attempt to save himself. He stabbed her in the process.

With wide eyes and gaping mouth, Callie collapsed to the ground. Staring and frightened faces of the crowd, who gathered around her as she lay on the footpath, began to swirl and fade to darkness.