Dawn

1

My life was basic.

I adored my family; my little sister, Sydney, was my closest friend. She came to me with all her worries, and never failed to trust me with a secret. At the age of nine, her maturity surprised me every day. Sid was wise beyond her years, and gave me advice that I could never receive from an adult, let alone one of my school friends. I hoped with all my heart that she would stay that way, that she would never let go of the innocence and love that drove her personality.

I couldn't express in words how much I appreciated my parents. Everything about them was comforting, and they were always there to guide me, to support me, to love me. I had been reassured all through my life that they would be there as a pillar to hold me up and keep me going, no matter the path in life that I chose to take.

Then there was my brother Ryan, only a year my junior at fifteen. We didn't have the best relationship...but then again, what brother and sister did? With such a small age gap, we couldn't help but fight and disagree on the smallest of things. Nevertheless, he was my family, and despite our rocky relationship, there were moments— no matter how small and private —where he would treat me with respect and care, providing me with support in the times that I needed it most.

Our dog, Roxy, was also a member of our seemingly perfect family. I spent countless hours playing with her, watching her, caring for her. She was there to cheer all of us up in the circumstances that brought us down.

Next came my friends. Caitlyn was my best friend— I didn't share as much with her as I did with my baby sister, but I always came to her if I needed a shoulder to cry on. She was there if I couldn't go to my family, and regardless of the time— even if it was vastly inconvenient —she would be there for me.

Indie, Macy, Amy and Sheila were also part of our little group of girls; we were all extremely close and we relied heavily on one another. Indie was authoritative a lot of the time but she would often listen quietly to our worries and offer solid advice. Macy had a fiery streak to match her ginger hair, and didn't seem to have a filter. Amy was quiet and appreciated solitude— but could make me laugh like no other. Finally, Sheila was a gossipy, headstrong princess who could cheer anybody up in less than a second.

To an outsider... To even myself, my life, my world, seemed perfect. My home in Norfolk, South-East England, was comfortable and buried in the outskirts of a small village, Wolferton. We hadn't always lived so secludedly: once we were located in the centre of London. But that didn't suit us. In the Lumley family, we always managed to find our way, to find the place that matched us.

Everything was going my way.

And then suddenly, abruptly, frighteningly, everything I knew was exposed as giant bundle of lies.

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The Christmas Holidays were over. Today was Monday.

It was a new year, a brand new beginning for me. As I felt with every new year that came along, I knew there was something to look forward to, something that would make the year memorable. Even if it would be a single day filled with happy times to make for happy memories.

Unfortunately, today was not one of those days.

"Ryan!" I screamed hoarsely up the stairs, making Mum wince beside me. Mum was a naturally quiet woman, but at the end of the day, she could draw tears out of a grown man if somebody messed with her.

Beside me, Sydney held my hand tightly in her Hello Kitty mitten, her neck wrapped up tightly in a matching scarf. Her green eyes stared up at me worriedly, glancing at the front door as if concerned. Out of all of us kids, she was the only one to inherit both my fathers bright eyes and his light brown hair.