Yeah, yeah, I know I said I was going on hiatus! Give me a break! Later that night I came up with what to type next and then Keyboarding was so boring and...Yeah. I doubt you guys are complaining. My keyboarding teacher, on the other hand...

The first 3 groups of lyrics used in this chapter are from the song Wasted Years by the band Cold. The others are from the song Black Sunday, also by Cold.

Enjoy!

"Raven!" Joseph pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly. "I've been so worried about you? Where have you been? Jay and I searched the whole forest! May, too, when she was sober enough!"

I pushed away from Joseph slightly, trying to catch my breath. He looked me up and down. "By the heavens…what happened to you?" I looked up at him, at a loss for words; what was I supposed to tell him? Huge, evil robotic aliens abducted me and dropped me in an ice hole and nearly killed me on several occasions, until one rescued me and brought me home?

"I got caught in a landslide out there. That's probably why you couldn't find me." I lied, feeling my stomach drop; I hated lying to Joseph.

"You poor thing," Joseph hugged me again. "Dad and the others are out for the night. Why don't you go take a nice, warm bath and clean up? I'll get some bandages from the emergency kit." I nodded and headed past him for the stairs, dreaming of a nice, hot bath already. I heard Joseph rush away into the basement to gather up the old bandages that had been collecting dust over the past few years.

Up the stairs, past my sisters room, into the bathroom. I shut the door and thought of locking it, but decided not to. Joseph would freak out if he couldn't reach me. I turned the tap and stuck my hand under the water. It ran icy cold at first, but nothing compared to the snow of the North Pole. After a minute it warmed up, and then became hot. I flipped the small lever that shut off the drain and turned away, allowing the bathtub to fill. I turned to the mirror and finally got to look at my face.

I was pale; paler than normal, at least. My eyes were sunken into my face, and my hair was stringy and dirty. Several cuts and bruises covered my cheeks and surrounded my eyes. Slowly, unwillingly, I carefully pulled my tank top over my head and let it drop to the floor.

My chest and stomach were worse. I had several long scratches going up my stomach to my chest, and several more on my arms. There were very large, ugly bruises on both my sides, from where Cyclonus had held me, no doubt. My shoulder also had a small bruise from landing on it one to many times. I pulled off my jeans and inspected my legs. They weren't too bad, seeing how they had been covered by a strong material the whole time; nothing like my upper body.

By this time the bath had finished filling. I turned off the tap and shed my underwear, then stepped in. The water was bitingly hot, just how I wanted it. Carefully, I lowered myself down into the water, wincing as the hot fluid touched my cuts and scraps. I pressed on, however, and finally laid back fully in the tub. It was an old house, and an even older bathroom, so the tub was nice and long, big enough for me to stretch out in. My back lay against the sloping back edge, keeping my head above the water, but dousing the rest of me.

"Raven?" Joseph asked, rapping on the door. I kept my eyes shut and sighed.

"Yes?" I replied with a sigh, sinking down farther into the water and letting my black hair float around my face.

"How are you doing?" He asked.

"Fine. Did you find the bandages?" I might as well get the focus of the chat off of me.

"Yeah, and an old nightgown of Mays. Can I come in and put them on the counter?"

"Hold on a sec." I sat up straighter and pulled the flowery shower curtain closed. "Okay, come in."

The door, its doorknob replaced, cracked open. I could see Josephs shadow moving around on the other side of the curtain. He set down a second shadow on the counter and caught something that rolled off.

"Thank you." I said softly as he turned to go, sensing that I wanted to be alone for a little while longer.

"No problem, sis. I'll be in the guest room across from here if you need me." He answered before shutting the door. I sunk back down into the warm water and relaxed, mind swirling. After a few moments of trying to sort out my thoughts, however, I realized it was hopeless and focused on clearing my mind.

I waited until the water, which was now tinted with pink and as dirty as mud, turned cold to get out of the bathtub. Joseph had set a fluffy white towel on top of the toilet. I picked it up and wedged my hand in between the folds; it was still a little warm. He had gotten it straight from the dryer. I quickly unfolded it all the way and wrapped it around myself; it was one of those extra large types of towel that could easily wrap around me twice. I snuggled down into it and then looked at the stuff sitting on the counter. There were several rolls of dusty bandages and a folded white cloth. I dried myself, then wrapped the towel around my hair and sat on the edge of the empty bathtub with the bandages. Carefully, and with some difficulty, I wrapped some around my chest, arms, and one around my head to keep my bangs out of my eyes. As soon as that was taken care of, I stood up and grabbed the white cloth. It unfolded into a long white flannel nightgown of Mays. It was very plain; no lace or buttons or anything. It was perfect. I pulled it on over my head and let it drop down to my ankles. Looking back into the mirror, I released my hair and grabbed my sister's brush. After quickly pulled it through my wet, black strands, I deemed myself worthy to go out and see my brother, ready for a tidal wave of questions. I opened the door and flipped off the light, then started across the hall to the half-open door leading into the guest room. I knocked softly, and got a snore in reply. Pushing the door the rest of the way open, I looked over to the bed. Joseph was lying back on a bunch of pillows, snoring to the heavens above.

Quiet as a mouse wearing clown shoes, I crept over, tripping over anything that got in my path on the way. I crawled onto the bed and stretched out beside him. He opened one eye and grinned at me.

"Have a nice bath." I gave a small nod. "Good." He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and squeezed it. "I'm glad that your back." He settled back into the pillows. "Now why don't we both get some rest?" I nodded as he scooted over and allowed me to curl up against his chest. He pulled a blanket over both of us. I gave a content sigh and was soon drifting off into the sweet, sweet realm of dreams.

There's a game life plays
Makes you think you're everything

They ever said you were

Like to take some time
Clear away everything I planned

"C'mon Raven!" Joseph shouted impatiently. I finished tying up my hair and rushed down the stairs. I was wearing an old pair of jeans and a red t-shirt that had darker sleeves than the main body did.

"I'm coming!" I shouted, bursting through the front door. My older brother was already in the truck, hand ready to beep the horn. My dad sat next to him, while Jay and May sat behind them. "Do you think there's room in there for me?"

Joseph looked back, a grin on his face. "Well, I'm not sure. Why don't you climb in to the bed and ride back there?"

"Really?" He nodded. "Yes! Thank you Joseph!" I ran around to the back wheel and climbed up into the back of the black truck. I sat on the pile of tarps next to the window leading into the cab and waited for the familiar jolt that signaled the truck starting. The engine purred and jumped to life and began to roll back out of the driveway. Soon we were on our way through the neighborhood, the wind yanking around at my head. It had been two weeks since Scavenger had returned me home. Most of my cuts were healed up, leaving behind only faint scars, and the bruises on my sides and cheeks had faded quite a bit. Joseph had finally deemed me healthy enough to visit the hospital with him and the others. Dad and May were amazingly sober, if for no other reason then they were visiting the hospital and didn't want to be drunk in public. Jay, who was a very light drinker because alcohol upset his stomach, hadn't had a drink in a week.

After nearly ten minutes of driving around the busy streets of Science City, we came to the general hospital. I jumped out of the truck as soon as Joseph stopped to let another truck back out and pass us. He shouted at me out of the window but I ignored him, running towards the entrance. I pushed my way into the hospital and rushed past the desk to the elevator. My mom was on the third floor; special cases. The elevator seemed slower than a slug as it trudged up towards the third floor, gears whirring. As soon as the door opened, I ducked under a doctor's arm, who had been trying to get on, and rushed down the hall to room 4C.

A nurse was standing in front of the door, arms crossed, daring anyone foolish enough to look her in the eye. I skidded to a stop in front of her.

"Excuse me; I need to get in there." I said politely, pointing to the door behind her. She shook her head.

"No one is allowed but doctors and immediate family." She said tiredly, as though this was a routine.

"I'm her daughter!"

The nurse looked down at me over her small glasses. "You are?"

"Yes! I'm her youngest daughter, Raven!"

The nurse picked a clipboard up off of a nearby table and looked down at it. "How old are you?"

"Fifteen."

"What grade?"

"Ninth."

"Hmm...Fine, you can go in, but be quiet." She said after a slight hesitation. Opening the door, she pointed. I nodded and crept in, pitying the rest of my family that would have to deal with the old crone.

The room was dark, and the shades on the windows were drawn. I carefully walked over to the woman lying on the medical bed. She was very pale and had long, silky red hair that was cropped short so it wouldn't interfere with the wires hooked up to her. Her eyes were closed, but I knew they were a bright green. Below the sheet that was pulled up underneath her arms, I could still see her super-star figure. I could also see plenty of wires and tubes hooked up to her. A gentle beeping came from a nearby machine that had a green spiking line going across it.

I sat down in the seat closest to her side and reached out for her hand. I gently clasped my own around hers and watched her face. For a second, her lips curled up into a smile and her hand gave me a small squeeze, but that was the only reaction. I slumped back in my seat as the rest of my family filed in and took their spots. I chanced a glance over at my dad, who really did look worried for once. With a sigh, I looked back to my mom. We would stay here until the hospital threatened to send up the dogs. That's how it always went.

Was it life I betrayed
For the shape that I'm in?
It's not hard to fail
It's not easy to win
Did I drink too much?
Could I disappear?
And there's nothing that's left
But wasted years

Beep
...Beep
...Beep
...Beep
...Beep
...Beep
...Beep
...Beep
...Beep
...Beep

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

I jumped as the loud noise broke through my dream barriers. Joseph, the only one that had stayed with me, also jumped and shook his head to clear it. He looked to our mom and the little green screen. The line had gone flat. His eyes widened and he shot towards the door. Throwing it open, he bellowed out into the late night hall. "NURSE!"

There was an immediate commotion. Two nurses and a doctor rushed into the room. One of them, a younger, nicer nurse than the one I had previously encountered, moved me away from the bed, forcing me to let go of my mom's hand. I didn't want to let go of her, but the nurse was very persistent. She nearly picked me up and dragged me away! The doctor and other nurse were bent over my mom. They gave her a shot and then pulled out this small machine that they must have brought inside with them. The doctor set two pads down firmly on my mom's chest. A small shot of electricity ran through them and into her. For a second, the monitor jumped, and then became flat once more.

"Mom?" I asked quietly. Joseph moved around the room and took the nurses place, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

"Don't worry; she'll be alright." He comforted, though I could tell he was worried too. The doctor and nurse continued to try and zap the life back into my mom. After the fifth time, however, he paused, and sighed, shaking his head. Joseph shook his head slightly, looking down. I looked from him to the doctors.

"No..." I said quietly, realizing what had just happened in the flurry of activity. My mom had just died. I pushed away from Joseph and broke in between the two nurses, grabbing my moms hand tightly. She couldn't leave! She just couldn't. I stared at her face. "Mom, don't go!" I cried, feeling the tears rolling down my cheeks. The doctor and nurses nodded to each other and quietly left the room, leaving me with Joseph. "Mom! Mom! Don't leave! I need you!" I shouted, believing that she could hear me. Joseph came up behind me and gently placed his hands on my shoulders. I barely felt the touch, all of my focus on mom. "Mom, I love you! Please don't go!" I cried, feeling salty tears roll into my mouth as I sobbed.

"Raven..." Joseph said softly. "She's gone." He choked on his words, but kept his tears back, trying to stay strong. I ignored him and gave my moms hand a squeeze. I don't know how it happened, but her hand squeezed back. I blinked and looked at her face, then at the screen. There was nothing; she was still gone. A hand gently pried hers out of mine. I fell back against Joseph, who turned me around and wrapped his arms around me. I laid my head on his shoulder and softly let myself cry, soaking his shirt. So many things had already happened; why did this have to be one of them?

If I could change my life
Be a simple kind of man
Try to do the best I can
If I could see the signs
I'd derail every path I could
Now I'm about to die
Won't you clear away from me?
Give me strength to fly away

I stared blankly into the flames of the fireplace, ignoring my dads and brothers bickering. Joseph was going back to college tomorrow. Mom's funeral was done with, and daddy dearest was making up for all the beers he had missed. May was out with friends, as was my uncle, and Jay had already gone to bed, so they weren't there to witness what happened next. Behind me, something crashed. I winced; it had sounded semi-valuable.

"Look, while you live in my house, you live under my rules!" My father roared.

"Well then it's a good thing I'm leaving tomorrow!"

"You had no right to throw da beer!"

"Are you nuts? You're going to kill Raven, and then yourselves!"

"So? The little bitch deserves to die, just like her mother did!" He crowed. "That van was the best car I ever rented."

My brother and I gasped as one. I spun around on my knees and peered over the top of the couch. My dad was swaying drunkenly and grinning. "That's right! I killed that worthless bitch! She was having an affair with her secretary!" He laughed crazily.

"Mom didn't have a secretary!" Joseph said, staring at the man that he had once looked up to and gone fishing with every Friday night.

I can't breath at all
It hurts to think
That time could heal my wounds
Feeling I've been betrayed

"Says you!" Dad wheeled drunkenly and gave a loud, donkey sounding laugh. I felt a sudden rage boil up inside of me.

"HOW COULD YOU?" I screamed, leaping over the back of the couch. "Don't you know how precious life is? Once its gone it doesn't come back!"

My dad looked surprised that I was finally taking a stand against him. "You stay out of this, bitch." He said, wheeling again.

"No! You killed mom! You nearly killed me! If that guy hadn't saved me, you would have run me over with that horrible rental truck!" I screamed, slamming my foot down against the ground. Joseph nodded, moving so he was beside me.

"She's right!" He agreed, his eyes darting towards the phone in the kitchen. I followed them; this had gone to far. It was time for the police to interfere. "You're nothing but a stupid, drunk idiot!"

"What did you say?" My dad roared.

"That you're a stupid, drunk idiot that looks like a monkeys a—" His words were cut off as my father threw a punch at his face, leaving the way to the phone wide open for me. I sprinted past my dad and across the linoleum tiles to the old, tan phone. Pulling it off its receiver, I quickly dialed the number I should have a long time ago.

9-1-1

A female voice began to answer on the other side when something hard hit the back of my head. I crumpled, dropping the phone, which ended up hanging upside down on its curly cord. My father loomed over me, holding the baseball bat that I had previously been acquainted to. Joseph was lying across the room, blood seeping from his forehead. His eyes met mine, and he said one word.

"Scream."

I did so. I have never screamed for anyone in my life, but this time I thought it would be a good idea to listen to my older brother. All of the screams I had ever kept back; on the moon, at the artic, in my room after being beaten; all of them burst forth in one wild, insane howl. My father dropped the bat in surprise. I heard the woman on the phone shouting to someone else, and very faintly in the distance, as though it was coming through a window on the other side of the line, the sound of sirens.

"Run!" My brother now ordered as my dad staggered.

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine! I'll keep dad here! Run and hide in the woods! I'll get you once this is all over!" I nodded and got to my feet. A momentary wave of dizziness hit me, but I quickly shook it off. My dad was still rubbing his ears, which must have been ringing, and didn't try to stop me. I sprinted across the kitchen and slammed open the old screen door, knocking away one of its hinges. Looking sadly back at Joseph, I ran into the trees and hid.

Black Sunday still burns
You in my thoughts
I can't sleep at all
Now you're gone away
I can't fake this anymore
Guess I could blame it all
On God's game
Or explain what my life's for

Caught in a winters rain
I can't remember a word you said
Take away my fear please hold on to me
I'm falling
Falling

I will trade it all
For another day
Just to feel you and your warmth
But even pictures fade
Black Sunday still burns you in my thoughts
I can't see at all
Did you fly away
Did the stars shine bright for you
Guess I could blame it all
On God's game
It was fate that carried you

Wow...I typed all of this up in one day! It got to 7 pages! Alright! Well, please review! I will love you forever if you do!

Wheeee! I feel like being nice, so here's a preview for the next chapter:

I stared at the police cars that came up to my house. Several police officers ran up onto the porch. I heard the front door splinter and shuddered. My dad shouted and several gruff voices barked. A couple of police man also slipped into the backyard. I swallowed nervously and moved farther back. Unfortunately, the silver bracelet I had been wearing caught the light.

"Over there!"

"There's someone in the woods!"

"Get him!"

I gasped, turned, and ran for all I was worth, hoping to loose the men that I had no desire to talk to.

Woohoo! Now remember:

REVIEW!
E

V

I

E

W!