"Mum!" It pretty strange not hearing her footsteps all over the place like every other morning, especially today of all days.

My parents, siblings and I are to travel to Fairhope, AL today for mine and Liam's 18th birthday. That is, about 161 miles and approximately a 3-hour drive from French Quarters. We have been planning this trip for months and mom being the perfectionist she is, should be up to make sure everything is in order. That woman puts the control in control freak.

"Daddy! Liam?!" Where the fuck are they? I check every room in this big ass house. The perks of owning a chain of hotels across the country.

I go outside to check, maybe they went over to the neighbors, even though that is highly unlikely. Our neighbors have to be the most snobbish people on this planet. Imagine ignoring me because I wasn't wearing designers. Okay, maybe a teeny bit too exaggerated.

You think? my inner pain in the ass, sorry, my inner voice says.

Knocking on their unnecessarily large double doors, I wait shuffling between my feet to pass the time. We lived in an estate so I guess there was really no need for gates between houses.

Knock! no response.

Hmmph! I'm about to start a knock song, you know, when you continuously knock just to piss off the house owner?
Mrs. Van Helsing kills the fun by opening the doors and I immediately plaster a smile, feeling my cheeks burn from just how much I am forcing them to go against my mind's true reaction.

The strawberry blonde middle aged woman opens the door. Cat-like eyes scan through m-my outfit and her upturn lips downs in a grimace. Beats me how she looks so toned and without wrinkles considering a smile from her comes every blood moon. From the slight opening of her mouth, I assume she wants to say something but decides against it and probably let the fact that I'm in just my Pjs slide.

"Hi, Mrs. Van Helsing, sorry to disturb but have you seen my mom or dad today?" Making sure my voice sounded as polite as possible but I'm sure it just sound so sickeningly sweet that I can bet my family fortune, pretty much anyone can tell the sweetness is fake.

Everyone knows she only tolerates my family because we are rich as well, even though it's not Helsing-rich but rich enough that my parents refuse to let me get a job till I am 21 and choose to give me a $1000 weekly allowance instead.

I was too focused on processing the reasons why I disliked her that I didn't notice her expression morphed into one of pure shock, "Oh dear! Leo," I cringe at her use of my nickname, Only my family gets to use that name. "What are you still doing here?! your parents left five hours ago!"

Wait, what?! how?! I am the celebrant for Pete's sake!

How come Liam didn't bother to wake me and why did little Christiana's cries not wake me? I am about to head back home but a thought crosses my mind.

"What time is it?" I ask looking in her direction.

She checks her watch that probably costs thousands of dollars,"Why, its 1:30 pm." she says and my eyeballs almost leave their sockets.

Fuck! this is not good, why would they leave me? I get I'm a deep sleeper but mom always has a way to get me to wake up.
I thank her and go back home to try getting in touch with mom.

Martha here, sorry I can't come to the phone right now, call later? Thanks.

I end the call and try again.

'Martha her-', I get desperate and try dad's number and it goes straight to voicemail.

Argh! this doesn't make any sense, mom or dad or even Liam would have at least left me a text or something or called by now.

I keep trying to make sense of everything but after 20 minutes of thinking, still nothing. I get frustrated and decide to take a shower, it usually refreshes my mind.

I step out of the shower, water - from my still wet Raven black hair - dripping down my legs. I decide not thinking is probably better right now. I have a mind that tends to go too far with the assumptions if I think too much.

I get dressed in white sweat pants and a dark grey tee finally deciding to just watch TV till I get a call from one of them. Mom's battery is probably dead and there's no network at their present location, that makes sense right?

I make myself comfortable on one of the couches chipping a nail while stuffing one of the pillows at the edge of the couch. I need to get my nails done.

Putting on the television, I let out a groan almost immediately at the site of rolling credits from Lucifer. Ah shit! I missed it! I thought I'd at least get something good to watch to keep me distracted.

I walk to our open, spacious kitchen that is more burgundy than white and sit directly opposite our spacious living room. Opening the fridge which stands at the left corner of the kitchen, right next to the marble counter which is half the fridge's height, I search for my daily dose of vitamin C. I pull out a carton of orange juice and I'm about to take a drink when I see it; thank God! A sticky note. I hop on the counter, dropping the carton to my side.

So sorry we had to leave you behind Leo, something urgent came up with the arrangements and we had to go earlier than planned. We tried waking you but for some reason, you just wouldn't budge.

A taxi would be there to pick you up by 2:30pm. It's already paid for and I gave him some extra change since your father decided to freeze your cards for the 'naked boy in your room incident'. He will only give it to you if you say you forgive me though.
Me too! I see scrunched in the chicken scratch handwriting that could only belong to one person, my twin.
Get anything you want. Don't worry, we won't start anything without you.

Love,
Mom.

I immediately feel myself relax. They're okay. I stick the note on the carton and take the carton with me, a spring in my steps. Knowing my mom, I'd finally be able to afford a well deserved meal at el Chante, they serve only the best of the best cuisines ever created.

Jumping on the couch from behind. I start flipping from channel to channel, sipping from the carton. What I see next makes me stop abruptly, dropping the carton and messing up the white couch and spilling juice all over the just waxed floor in the process.

This can't be real, can it? There on the Tv screen are pictures of my parents and both my siblings enlisted as victims of a car accident?! this cant be, it just can't. This disfigured brunette looks nothing like my mum, none of them looks like my family. I would know, I have lived with them all my life dammit. This is not my family!

I increase the volume and I feel like I've been knocked in the gut, everything stops. This can't be true, this can't be true, it can't be, noooo! God no! it can't be them.

I don't realize I'm screaming until two pairs of hands start lifting me from the ground.

I look up to see Mr. and Mrs. Van Helsing with looks of pity on their faces giving me the idea they have seen the news. I refuse to believe any of it until I see them with my eyes, I need to see them.

This has to be a sick joke.

Just in time I hear the honk of a car. Must be the taxi. Good thing too because I don't think I can even get myself to the front door.

The Van Helsings must have read my mind because I catch a paper being handed to me from my peripheral vision. I take it, mumbling a thank you and head outside. I leave the door unlocked and just hop into the taxi. I hear him greet but I didn't bother answering, I just hand him the paper. I'm not even sure if it was the right address.

The only thought running through my mind is, please don't be true.

† † † † † †

Okay, that's it, my first chapter. I know this started out sorta like a lot of books we've seen here on wattpad but give it some time and trust me you won't regret it.

Please, leave your comments and try to be nice, it's my first book.
Well not my first exactly, just the first I've decided to share, so, your opinions would really help make this book better.

Now if you would like to see real life representations of the main characters, a cast list has been created as at 11th July, 2020). Table of content should make it easier to access.

DISCLAIMER: None of the pictures used in this book are mine and so, all credit goes to the rightful owners of the pictures which I repeat, ISN'T ME.

Don't forget share, comment and vote vote vote✅✅
#Little Star at the bottom

XOXO❤
Nita.