Disclaimer: I do not own the mortal instruments or any of the characters (aside from the ones I create). Only the storyline. First fanfiction hope you like it!

Chapter One: Early Risers

(Clary POV)

My life may not be perfect. But hey, I'm not complaining. I have a mother and step father who I love dearly. My brother, Jonathan, is my rock though. Whatever I've gone through he went through with me. I'm content with my life, I'm never expecting it to get better than it already is, but I never expected it to get worse…

I wake up to the worst pain I've ever felt in my life. As I glance at the clock it reads 3:26am, I don't really register it though from the stabbing pain in the back of my head making all my thoughts feel scrambled and muffled like an out of tune radio. I put my head in my hands trying to numb the pain which obviously doesn't work, but does cause me to tumble out of my bed with a loud 'Thump' when my head hits the ground increasing the pain tenfold. There's nothing more for me to do than crawl into a fetal position and pray this pain goes away. I don't notice my screaming until my brother, Jonathan , barges into the room looking frantic. His face is blurry as my sight keeps going in and out of focus As lights start to turn on in our small house, making my already terrible headache worse, I see my mom and Luke run in. there is a similar concerned look on Luke's face while my mother is going borderline insane. They're talking in fast frantic voices where I can just make out some of their conversation.

"We need to take her to the hospital" I hear Jonathan say, his voice raised above Mom and Luke's.

I want to say I'm fine but all I can make out is a soft grunt . Jonathan hugs me closer to him on his lap making sure to be gentle like I'm his most prized possession. I feel myself slipping.

"No, it'll take too long, call an ambulance" My mom says already searching for a phone. Her voice sounds muffled in my ears from a ringing sound in my head.

" Oh god she's bleeding. hurry!" I hear Jon yell. Looking down on me with an expression so crushed. He's always felt everything bad that has ever happened to me is somehow his fault. Although I've never seen him this broken, bringing a new kind of pain deep in my heart from seeing him this despaired.

I have just enough energy to lift my hand to feel something uncomfortably warm cover my fingers just under my nose. I lift my hand to see my fingers covered in my own blood. Making me feel even more lightheaded. All I can do is let my head slump back and hang limply in my brother's arms as he carries me downstairs to a blur of flashing lights. There are unfamiliar voices talking over each other. I'm gently placed onto this white bed as people start to examine me, taking my vitals, temperature and other things I'm too exhausted to recognize. One of the doctors, however, isn't even in a uniform… but pajamas. He reminds me of my next-door neighbor who just moved in a couple of months ago with his wife and kids. Whatever I think, after the doctors finish scribbling notes around me they leave me alone to talk to my mom and Luke.

Finally I think, there is nothing more that I want to do than sleep. Unfortunately though, the headache is relentless sending salty tears streaming down my face, making it even harder for me to breathe. Paramedics I'm guessing, seem to notice and quickly place me into the ambulance and start giving me oxygen through a mask.

Oh no I think to myself.

This isn't like any normal headache I've had in the past; even through my muddled thoughts I could figure this out. Especially by the way Jon's acting, he looks livid, the only things keeping him from running to me are Luke and another paramedic holding him back. When we make eye contact his crushed look is back as he whispers 'I'm sorry', still struggling to get to me. I feel my tears falling harder as the paramedics close the ambulance doors

I'm scared.

My breathing is getting even more ragged than it was as my headache starts to get worse(if that's even possible). I could see my reflection in the insanely clean windows surrounding me in the ambulance, my entire 4 foot 11 inch self. My curly, fiery red hair going in all directions; I guess when you wake up in an intense amount of pain you wouldn't think of running a brush through your hair a couple of times. My bright green eyes glossy from unshed tears. I'm a mess. I want my mom, I want Luke, I want my Jon. I feel the ambulance start to move and I see my brother trying to run after it. he's always been a good runner, I think, he is the co-captain of the high school football team, the youngest one they've ever had. he eventually falls to his knees in the middle of the street putting his head in his hands. Mom and Luke are still on the lawn by our house, my mom raking with sobs into Luke's shoulder.

It's hard to believe just hours ago I was doing my two favorite things; drawing and singing in my room thinking about such mundane things, like how I'm going to get through my first school year without Simon by my side. If HE will ever find us again. Or who those new kids are next door? But now I'm here, probably about to die from god knows what and I haven't even gotten to say goodbye to anyone I love. I guess that's what death is usually like though, unexpected.

A lack of oxygen, even with the mask around my mouth, is starting to affect me more. Uncontrollable coughing spams start happening spontaneously, until blood isn't only coming from my nose but from my mouth too. The nasty metallic taste filling my mouth with every cough little by nurse next to me in the back of the ambulance notices and gets to work taking out different bottles, tubes and syringes setting up and IV and filling it with a clear liquid. I barely feel it when the needle connected to the IV is plunged into my wrist, I'm already really out of it. The mysterious liquid immediately takes affect making me feel lighter, I like it. The world is swimming around me and all of a sudden the car hits a speed bump which I happen to find hilarious at that moment when I burst out laughing, in turn, causing another fit of coughing. The car (and probably the drugs, too) start to lull me to sleep as I drive to an uncertain future.

The last thing I see before the drugs take over is the soft strands of golden blonde hair being tousled by the wind as the ambulance speeds by.

3 years later…

AN: Thank you guys so much for reading my first fanfic I had so much fun writing the first chapter and I hope you all enjoyed! Please enjoy these virtual waffles as a token of my gratitude. ###

R & R

XOXO

Erin