Prologue
It was quiet, quieter than it had ever been. A lone cricket chirped somewhere in the overgrown weeds in the backyard. Isabella had never missed the sound of people so much in her life. Her ears strained to catch a hint of Charlie's muffled snores, the Cheney's Jack Russell terrier's incessant barking or the monotone beeping of the dryer. Instead the only sound was rain hitting the roof and the occasional loud, clap of thunder. Bella lay in her bed, facing the large bay window with the broken glass. Cracks crawled up the panes like spider webs, causing a creepy and daunting effect. Stars winked at her and the moon cast dank light onto the old, creaky floorboards. Charlie used to joke if any boy tried to sneak in her room, he would know. Those floorboards would get'em every time, he would say, his bushy mustache twitching as he flashed a close lipped smile. He wasn't around to crack jokes anymore, no one was.
Isabella fanned her fingertips out across her twin bed, searching for her younger sister's warm presence. She knew she would only find an empty bed, she always did. Angela used to slip into her room on nights like this. Lightning would flash illuminating Angela's frightened eyes and clammy skin. Isabella would usher her into bed and Angela would frantically bury herself under the thick comforter, pressing her cold toes to Isabella's legs. The two sisters would huddle together, whispering to each other or humming silly songs until they were lulled to sleep by the howling winds. Now only the occasional raindrop fell through the broken window wetting Isabella's feet that stuck out from the edge of her childhood bed. She remembered the day that it had all begun, clearly. It hadn't been that long ago, though it seemed like an eternity.