Hello, everyone. This is my first attempt at a Cirque Du Freak fan fiction story. So please go easy on me...LOL. I hope you enjoy it! Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Darren Shan Saga, just the ideas and other characters that are entirely my own.

Kira's Story: Tragedy and Tears

The world around her had become dark and silent. The only comfort was the dizzying screams that consumed her. A chill ran up her spine as she tried to deeply breathe in. She was instantly greeted with a sharp, aching pain that filled her lungs and ran wildly throughout her whole body. She touched a trembling right hand to her forehead and moaned in pain. She removed her hand and noticed that it was now covered with blood. She tried to move and push against the now crushed car door of the passenger seat as she yanked on the blood drenched seatbelt that held her captive. She fell with a painful thud that knocked the wind right out of her as she tried to climb out of the overturned car. She slowly crawled her way out of the back passenger window that had been open and felt an excruciating shock with every movement. She crawled to the front of the car and saw her parents hanging upside down still in their seatbelts. Her father had a massive wound to his forehead and the steering column had impaled his chest covering his light blue dress shirt with blood that saturated the seat . Her father was dead. Tears overcame her and she sobbed uncontrollably as she crawled around to the passenger side door. Her mother was still and silent without a sign of life left in her beautiful face. Kira's whole body shook as it wracked with sobs and responded to the chill of the cold winter night. She was all alone. Nothing would bring her parents back to her. Not even love would be enough.

Kira stumbled to her feet and pulled her shredded black pea coat closer to warm her body and keep out the chill of the icy, biting, wind. She wanted to forget everything. The pain was too great. The images played again and again in her head. She wanted so much to block them out. Her parents singing along to the radio as they drove along. Her mother's warm smile as she looked back at her. The sight of the silver car rushing toward them with its lights blinding her. their car being hit forcefully and spinning uncontrollably as it was knocked off the road. tasting blood in her mouth as the car flipped over and over until it struck a pine tree and came to a halt. then utter darkness followed.

Kira wiped tears from her eyes as she slowly walked and stumbled to the ground. She did not have the strength or the will to go on. She was giving up and did not even try to get to her feet. She just laid where she fell and hoped that the cold night would finish her off. Someone was slowly approaching her from behind. They seemed very light and agile on their feet as the gentle footsteps became closer. She did not really care if they were going to kill her. She already felt dead inside. She just stayed where she had fallen and breathed in a sigh as she braced for death to come. She invited it. She felt a cold hand touch her arm and she shivered from its touch but she did not open her eyes.

"Hello. Are you okay?" said the voice that belonged to the arm that now was touching her face.

"No, go away and leave me be. let me die here..." Kira moaned as she turned away from the stranger's voice. Her head throbbed as she moved and tried to swat the voice away. She slowly opened her silvery grey eyes and saw a blurry face above hers staring down at her with concern.

"What is your name?" the blurry face asked as she rubbed her head and felt a shiver overtake her body once again.

"Kira...Kira Winters...and...what...is...your n..a..m...e?" She said with a trembling voice.

"My name is Darren Shan." said the voice as he offered Kira a hand in order to stand on her feet.

Kira hesitated and then put out her right hand as she was pulled to her feet. She dusted off the clumps of grass that clung to her shredded clothes and groaned as she touched the gaping cut on her forehead.

"Thanks...Darren..." She said as her body swayed and was caught by Darren before she hit the ground. Her eyes were closed over and her breathing was shallow as her body twitched and shivered. Darren sighed and carried her back to his camp in the middle of the pitch black cold night.