How to Save a Life

Prologue ~ Living Hell Returns (Cailin)

The short two months of peace vanished like the sun at dusk.

I had no choice but to return to the place of pain, where I wasn't allowed to feel, to breathe, to be happy.

Everyone else there had a life of perfection, or at least that's what they wanted to believe. They are so caught up in their lives that they seemed to forget I'm here. I am existing like the elements on the periodic table, no matter how incredibly nerd-like that sounds.

I kept quiet as I usually did while driving my sister Tari to school with me. Her first day of grade nine today, August 31st. She didn't know what was on my mind, and I wasn't going to tell her.

Tari turned her fair freckled face from the window to look at me with her hazel eyes. "Are you going to join cross-country this year Cailin?"

I turned my head to look at her, still keeping my eyes on the road. "I was planning on it. Why?"

"I was wondering if maybe I can volunteer at the meets; if I could give out water and stuff."

"Yeah," I smiled. "Of course you can."

The silence fell over us again, but comfortably this time. We were in the school parking lot within five minutes.

"Thanks, Cailin, for giving me a ride." Tari came and hugged me, easily putting her thin, pale arms around my slim structure. We then grabbed her supplies and entered my very much alive nightmare.