Never Alone - Chapter one

The winds grew stronger and the sound of rain which viciously pounded on the windows consumed the silence. Frightened, she clutched the bed sheet as if they holding on for dear life. She knew the thin fabric was no match for the shadows that tauntingly danced upon her bedroom walls. Logically, Julia knew that the shadows would not harm her but if she boldly watched them glide across the room, she could see outlines of an expression on each one. The bellowing winds only contributed further to her imagination. Desperately, Julia longed to be cradled within the strong toned arms of her father but that was unfortunately no longer possible. He didn't reside in the household any longer. This thought never failed to bring tears to her eyes despite all the attempts her brother made to soothe her uneasy thoughts.

In the room adjacent to hers, Nick, her older brother, stumbled out of bed. The raging storm has been going on for hours and its menacing force which shook the house prevented him from receiving another night of a much-needed slumber. The roaring thunder and blinding flashes of light kept Nick tossing and turning all night. Irritated, he begrudgingly closed his curtains and made his way to Julia's room. As expected, he finds her huddled under her covers. Silently, he crept towards her bed.

"Julia? Are you still afraid of rain? It's just a small thunderstorm; it's truly nothing to worry about." Hesitantly, she peeked out from underneath her barrier of covers. Then, swiftly, she threw her fragile four-year old little body into his arms. Tears streamed from her honey brown eyes and spilled onto Nick's naked chest. He, in turn, encircled his arms around her in hope of easing her trembling self.

The heart-shaped night-light located at the end of Julia's twin bed began to flicker, so Nick gently eased out of his sister's grip and stood up. His body towered over her. He always appeared to be a giant when compared to her but he was tall and built for a boy of seventeen years old.

In barely a whisper, Julia questioned, "Where are you going?"
Reassuringly, he replied, "I am going to search for a few candles before the lights give out. Just stay put. I won't take long. "

Julia let her gaze fall upon a picture of her parents then warned, "Please be very careful. Bad things always happen in the rain." Nick leaned towards her and lightly kissed her forehead. The moment their eyes met, the atmosphere grew tense.

"I promise that no matter what, I will always be here." Without another word he left the room. Julia knew he never broke a promise. They were sacred and not made lightly. The knowledge of knowing he would shortly return sent a wave of relief through her.

Nick in turn was not at all relieved but rather on edge. He had a strong feeling that something was going to occur. It brought a sense of dread and darkness over him. Shivering, Nick pushed the thought away. He refused to acknowledge that he felt the same thing the night his real parents died. After all, it was his denial that got him through the year, well that and the responsibility of masking his emotions for the sake of his sister. She was simply too kind-hearted to endure the sorrows that weighed upon his soul. He had withheld many deep and dark secrets from Julia but he knew she was not ready to know about the lurking darkness that threatened to seep back into their lives. It was this very darkness that took his parents and striped his innocence away. With great effort, he inhaled deeply and shook his head in attempt to rid himself of his thoughts.

The hardwood floor, which groaned softly beneath him, felt cold and... wet? Puzzled, he slowly navigated himself down the hall while following the small puddles of water, as if they were bread crumbs. Occasionally, a flash of lightning would cause his surroundings to momentarily become visible then, just as suddenly, fall back into the shadows. This allowed him to see the faint track of mud leading towards the room of his seven-year old sister, Isabelle. Knowingly, he smiled. Isabelle loved animals so of course she would have, Max, their dog, snuggled up in bed. His theory was confirmed when he silently eased her bedroom door open. Isabelle was peacefully sleeping with her arm looped around Max's belly. Nick had to fight the chuckle rising in his throat. Just picturing Isabelle, clad in her pink nightgown and her camouflaged boots sneaking out to untie the dog seemed rather entertaining. Ever since she could walk, she was always doing reckless things without considering her own safety. Despite how hard he tried to remind her not to do so, she never seemed to listen. Yes, she knew what she sometimes did was bad but all she had to do was bat her long lashed and bring out those big puppy dog eyes of hers. Sighing, Nick shut the door and returned to the task of looking for the candles he mentioned to Julia while mentally noting to clean of the slippery hallway in the morning.

After making a quick search, he returned to Julia's room. Unfortunately, there weren't any more candles in the garage but that no longer mattered since, when he returned to Julia's room, she was asleep. Aw filled Nick's heart. She looked so much like his mother with her curly brown mop of hair and small frame. The resemblance nearly brought tears to his eyes. He missed his mom so much. Nick remembered how she was always in paint covered overalls with chopsticks in her hair. Whenever she couldn't sleep, she was up in her studio, working on her latest painting. When she wasn't, she was cutting the crust off peanut butter sandwiches for the girls or making a bottle for Kyle. Those were the memories he would always cherish and often share with his sibling. They were so young that they probably couldn't even recall how she always smelled of Jasmine or how she was constantly fluttering from one hobby to the next.

Nick was still reminiscing about his past when he lay down in his bed that night. His last memory before sleep took him was his mothers' heartfelt smile as she walked out the front door.

Ann looked at the beautifully inscribed gold letters. (The sorrows of the heart imprint upon the soul). Never before has she been quoted yet to have her favorite quote engraved upon her diary meant the world to her. The diary had been a gift from her mother on her fourteenth birthday. Every day, she would gaze aimlessly at the night sky and reflect upon the jewels that shined. Thoughts would race across her mind and memories would come seize her. A raging storm of emotions consumed her and a sea of words would float across her paper. It was the same routine. She would open herself up to the underlying secrets within her that stirred restlessly in desperate need of being released. Only when she emptied herself of her inner turmoil, would she be at peace. Writing has forever been a passion of hers but the death of her parents created chaos. Ann rarely had time to write anymore. It was no longer a priority. All that mattered now, was helping Nick with the young ones and trying to live as close to a normal life as possible. It proved to be much more difficult than anticipated. They were always late for school, practice, or in trouble. Ann admired her older brother Nick for his strong personality. Since their parents died in a fatal car accident, he resumed the role as the man of the house. Not once had he shed a tear or discussed how he felt. It was like he turned to stone on the inside. The only affection he showed was the love he had for his siblings and concern for their now-legal guardian. A few days after the accident, their mom's sister, Tina, gained custody of all five of the children. She has always played a big part in their lives but sometimes it was too much.

Tina, herself, was recently divorced with a child on the way. She couldn't cook to save her life or even support the family by herself. This is where Nick stepped in. He miraculously managed to attend high school, get top of the line grades, and participate in community projects .Not to mention, he also worked at a local convenient store all week and deliver pizzas on the weekend. He did all this without complaining or cracking under the pressure. The only time he ever had to himself was when he went jogging. He did so at dawn before anyone woke up. It gave him a piece of mind. It allowed him to mentally prepare himself for the day's events. So it didn't surprise Ann when she glanced out the window and found Nick nearing the front porch, drenched in sweat. As predicted, he was wearing his beaten up running shoes, black basketball shorts and a gray muscle shirt that emphasized his thickly muscled arms. He was physically fit and built but that was due to his addiction to working out. Ann figured he found solace in the routine of a workout just as she found comfort in writing.

Ann continued to watch him as he whipped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. Immediately, when he reached the front gate he checked his watch. This caused him to break out into a grin. This typically meant he probably broke his record. Cheerfully, he made his way into the house. There was nothing like the joy he felt after breaking a personal record.

The house was in full swing upon his arrival. The dog was running around the house, tracking mud in his wake and Isabelle was energetically chasing after him. His aunt was bouncing a wailing Kyle on her hip as she tried to mop up the mud which proved to be a wasted effort since the dog was still running around inside. Ready to take charge, Nick firmly commanded, "Max, halt!"

The dog came to an abrupt stop just seconds before stepping on the hall rug which caused Isabelle to nearly collide into the wall. Nick looked at his watch and cursed under his breath. The school bus was to arrive in twenty minutes and by the looks of it, none of the kids were dressed or fed. Sternly, he spoke to Isabelle, "Go to your room and change into the outfit Tina picked out for you last night. If you hurry, I will make you some waffles while Ann does your hair. Deal? "

Isabelle eagerly nodded her head and ran up the stairs. The dog looked like he was going to make a break for it so Nick reflexively grabbed him by his newly bedazzled collar. His nails were painted pink and he was wearing a matching tutu. Nick raked his fingers through his rugged fur and laughed. The girls definitely had a way with dogs.

After opening the back door for Max, Nick went into the kitchen where Tina was desperately trying to get Kyle to stop crying. At the sound of Nick's approach, she turned around with a grateful smile. "I was wondering when you would rescue me. Kyle has been crying for the past thirty minutes and I have no idea why. I did everything. I changed his diaper, tried feeding him, and gave him some ora-jel in case he was teething but nothing worked. I...," Tina pressed a hand to her belly and grimaced.

Nick took Kyle into his arms while carefully watching his aunt. Her hair was a mess, clothes stained with Kyle's drool and her eyes had bag beneath him. Worriedly, he steered her to the nearest chair and questioned, "Has the baby been kicking up a storm? It looks like you haven't slept in ages."

"Yeah, he has been moving so much lately. He even digs into my ribs. What if something is wrong? Maybe something bad...,"
Nick interrupted, "Stop worrying. I am sure nothing is wrong. Kyle was exactly the same way with my mom. Babies just like to wiggle a lot. Take it easy."
"It's hard to when I have Kyle to worry about. He just cries so much lately. Do you think he is sick?"

"Nah, he just misses my dad, that's all. " Without another word, Nick smiled at Kyle and joked, "You just love to give everyone a hard time don't you? " As if in response, Kyle laughed and began pulling at Nick's shirt. Tina watched in silence. Of course, It would only make sense that Kyle would stop crying the moment Nick held him. He was a spit image of his dad so Kyle probably thought he was. Nick even had to same deep laughter and contagious smile. Sighing, Tina stood up and headed upstairs. The girls needed to finish getting ready for school and it was her job to be sure they are on time.

Nick was just finishing up the waffles when all three girls came trooping into the kitchen with Tina following suit. He was grateful that they all looked decent thanks to Ann, who did their hair and Tina who got them dressed. It often worried him that it was all too much. Tina was eight months pregnant. She needed her rest more than ever. Nick didn't like seeing her all stressed but he was trying his best. Every chance he got, he took care of the kids while she rested but there was only so much he could do. Ann, on the other hand, dedicated herself to helping out. She practically gave up her childhood.

While everyone ate, Nick showered and changed into some faded jeans and tight green shirt. All his clothes lately have been fitting tight because of his muscles. He didn't have money to spend on clothes when he had bills to worry about and lunches to make. For now, his clothes would just have to wait. This reminded him, he had to talk to Ann. If he wanted to catch her before she caught the bus he had to hurry. The bus was just pulling up when he reached her. "Ann!"

She turned around, confused. "What is it?"
Pulling out his wallet he handed her some money. Ann was already shaking her head. "No, I am good. Save the money for something important. "
"You are important. Besides, I noticed how all the girls at your school are wearing that new jacket. Just take the money. I won't make it home before the mall closes but I can give you and your friends a ride to the mall after school. I can send Tina to pick you up later."

Smiling, Ann took the money. "Thank you so much. As for the ride, don't worry. I can ask one of the girls to take me home afterwards." Then just like that, she was gone.
Nick knew they didn't have money to be spending but he couldn't help it. Ann deserved so much. If he had to make due without lunch money just to make her day, then so be it. He would gladly do so just to see her smile. The moment the bus was out of sight he went back inside. If he wanted to clean the house a bit he had to do it now or he would be late for school. Beds needed to be made and the kitchen had yet to be clean.