Chapter 1

Heaven Is Waiting

Age: Three months

The baby cries ring out, trying to get the attention of caring parents. Too bad she doesn't have anyone to answer the call. The baby lays in a small wicker basket, on an old pink blanket. She's only wearing a diaper and grey shirt. Her eyes are puffy with tears, cheeks red, and throat sore from crying.

The empty room's lone window shows a rainy forest that goes for miles, blocking anyone from hearing her, coming to rescue her. The girl's mother, Allison Uley, is laid out in the next room over, on a bare mattress in the middle of the floor. A half empty bottle of sleeping pills rest in one hand and an empty wine bottle in the other.

The girl's father, Joshua Uley, is sitting in the living room, TV speakers blasting at full volume, tuning out the baby's wails by the roar of football. He sits on an old recliner, a whisky bottle resting on his beer belly and a scowl plastered on his mouth, making his eyes look even darker and more menacing then normal.

Like clockwork, one minute and eight seconds after the school bus passes by the front of the house's long dirt driveway; a small boy walks up the porch steps and opens the front door slowly. He winces at the slight squeak it makes.

The boy, Samuel Uley, is only seven years old. His skin is darkly tanned, from the native American blood on his father's side of the family. His hair is cut short and is the same black as his father's. His eyes are also the same as his father's, only Sam's ones hold constant fear.

The boy tiptoes into the house, sighing in relief when he sees his father still staring at the TV. The boy sneaks down the short hallway, cringing as his baby sister's cries reach his ears. He enters the room as quickly as he can without slamming the door. Tossing his school bag aside, he goes to the basket, and pulls the crying baby into his arms, flinching slightly at how cold her skin is against his.

"It's okay, it's okay," he whispers in the baby's ear, bouncing her up and down slightly. The girl's cries soften slightly, as her small hands grip to the boy's shirt. "Please stop crying, everything's going to be alright. I'm going to get you food, and how 'bout a new diaper? Yeah, I think you really need one of them. You just have to work with me, okay? You have to be quiet."

The girl doesn't understand the words the boy speaks; all she knows is his voice means safety. All the other voices yell at her, but this one helps her. As though she understands his words' the crying stops. Turning to a sad whimper.

Age: Four Years

People slowly left the graveyard after saying their final farewells to Allison Uley. After the long service and burial, Joshua had abandoned his children to go to the local bar, hoping to score some free drinks to drown his fake sadness in. Some people from the community had offered Sam and his sister a ride home, but the boy declined their offers. Sam had wanted to get out of there as fast as possible, but he could see his sister needed some more time.

The small girl stared at the pile of dirt where their mother's body is buried. Fay had been the one to find Allison's body, after she had overdosed on prescription pills. Fay spent a whole day in the presence of her deceased mother whilst her father was out drinking, and brother at school. Sam had said goodbye to Allison that morning, she had just been sitting on the porch swing. When Sam thought back on that brisk morning he couldn't remember if his mother had responded. Could she have already been dead? The question tumbled around in his mind as he watched Fay tuck a stray curl of silky black hair back behind one ear.

Fay couldn't tell what emotion she showed when looking down at her mother's grave. Yes, she was sad the woman was dead… but she didn't feel any sadder than any other day. Not one tear left her eyes when she found out she would never see her mother again. Now she stared at her mother's eternal resting place; she still didn't feel any sadder. She could almost say she was relieved her mother was finally at peace. Now she wouldn't have to watch her being beaten, drowning her sorrows in wine bottle after wine bottle.

Fay looked back at her big brother. He had been staring at her - even though his eyes now face the ground - Fay had felt the holes his eyes had been burning in the back of her head. She took a step closer to her brother, reaching out and gently placing her small hand in his.

"Everything's going to be alright, Sam. Mum's in a better place, Daddy can't hurt her anymore." Sam squeezed Fay's hand in response.

"Are you okay though?" he asked. That's all he really cared about at the end of the day.

"Yeah Sam, I'm okay… Now let's go home. I think Mum deserves some peace and quiet," Fay said softly, the edges of her mouth tilting up slightly, in an almost smile.

Age: Seven Years

Two children, barely seven years of age, one a boy, the other a girl sat on the water's edge at First Beach. Small waves were lapping at their legs. Both children were dark in complexion, with copper skin, black hair, and brown eyes, all common features in their tribe.

The boy, Jacob Black, wore blue swimming trunks, and a red swimming shirt, with his shoulder-length hair up in a small ponytail.

The girl, Fay Uley, wore an old grey shirt and blue shorts that once belong to her brother. Her hair was too short to do anything with – less than an inch all over.

Fay held her legs close to her chest whilst Jacob leant back on his elbows. Both were watching the sunset, enjoying the silence since the last of their friends had left some time ago. Now they were left waiting for Jake's mother to show up and take them home.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" Her voice was small, merely a thoughtful whisper, yet he still heard it over the water's noise. Jake thought it strange Fay had asked such a question; she was one of few words, even fewer questions. If he really thought back through their lifetime of friendship, Jake could count the amount of questions Fay had asked him without an ulterior motive on one hand, once… now. Fay always had a reason for speaking, more than just making noise or friendly conversation. There was a reason for everything she did... The reason behind such a question was not yet known to him.

"I…" Jake thought on the question for several silent passing moments, looking for an answer. "I- maybe something to do with cars, they're interesting. D-Billy's-" Jake caught himself quickly on the word. He hated the way Fay would stiffen to the words Mum and Dad. Many wouldn't see the change in her, but he could tell when other kids mentioned their parents Fay tuned further out of the world around her. "-been showing me how engines, gears and how all those thingamajigs work and how to clean and change them. That type of stuff, and that's fun. So maybe a mechanic… that's if I don't become an astronaut or millionaire by age eighteen." He laughed, and out of the corner of his eye he saw the mere edges of Fay's lips twitch out of their normal straight line.

Fay enjoyed the way Jake knew her so well. She could be herself with him without awkward silences and bickering comments. He didn't push her to talk, and when she did talk, he would hang on to her every word. He didn't try and make her smile or laugh, like the others did, treating her like an English Guard. But when she couldn't hide the small shred of happiness hidden deep within her – one that only few could ever find – and let her lips twitch with happiness, his whole face would light up. Many moments passed before Jake got the courage to ask a question.

"Do you know what you want to be? Wh-when you grow up?" He was slightly nervous she would leave the words hanging in the air, never to be answered. He didn't expect her to answer straight away, if at all, but she did. One word meaning so much to some, so little to others, so thought through.

"Alive…"

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