• Chapter One: Changes

    I waited by the alcove in the hallway by the stair case. Shouts in a different language unknown to me, drifted up the stairs to my ears. I growled softly, fighting again I see, I thought to myself as the screams became loud crashing noises from the third floor living room. I sighed softly but silently as I made my way back down the long corridor toward my room, where my sisters laid in wait. As soon as I was through the door Mystic jumped up and walked over to me. Mystic had long brunette hair, unlike my short and spiky raven black hair or Summer's curly bouncy blond, hers was straight as a rod and bland but she liked it. Mystic asked questions first.

    "What is the fight about this time?" Mystic asked in a soft but dark laced voice. I looked at my older sister doubtfully. "You really think I know?" I replied. Mystic sighed and sat back down by Summer once again. Summer rolled her eyes at her two older sisters, Mystic and I, Fallen. She twisted several stands of her bouncy, curly, blond hair in her fingers and sighed softly. "I bet it's about Mystic nearly burning the house down last week." She said and looked to our eldest sister with a mocking smile. Summer's voice was bright and amazingly preppy. Mystic growled. "That wasn't intentional!" She nearly screamed, clearly she didn't like being blamed for the feud between our parents.

    We all three sighed and then two of us jumped when Mystic's twin brother Daven entered the room. Daven grinned at us. "Miss me?" He asked in a teasing voice. Mystic jumped with a start when she heard his voice, he was different. She got up and went over to him. He was the eldest of them all. She bowed slightly and smiled sweetly at her twin. "Hello, Daven." Her eyes were a light purple and swirled with black. She hugged Daven gently and led him over to the bed. "Do you know what they are fighting about this time?" She asked in the same voice she used with me. Daven chuckled, "Us naturally." He said his voice dark and mysterious not at all soft and sweet like our voices.

    The clock struck midnight and all four of them fell silent waiting for the fighting to intensify instead, all was quiet. I looked at my siblings in shock then I went over to the door and listened. Silence. I turned back to my siblings. Daven chuckled. “It’s a sign of the apocalypse.” He said in a joking voice even though he was half serious. Mystic hit him hard on the arm. “Ouch.” He said and started rubbing his arm. Mystic laughed softly and went over to the door. She pushed me out of the way and pressed her ear to the door.

    I sighed and sat on the bed next to Summer. Summer looked at me and said, “Fallen, do you think she’ll ever stop being mean?” She asked in a soft whisper. I shrugged. “It’s possible but I doubt she will.” I said in a gentle voice. Summer sighed and shook her head slightly. Daven sat on the toy box by my window. Mystic jumped back from the door and raced back over to sit by me. The door opened suddenly. Our father, Arrik poked his head in and sighed. “Off to bed all of you.” He said in a dark and commanding voice that was hard to say no to. Mystic and Daven got up and left. Summer went off into the bathroom attached to my room. And I went to my closet to search for clothes.

    I took a shower and dressed in sweat pants and an old t-shirt. Summer was already in bed. I tiptoed through my room to my bed and laid down. I didn’t worry about my hair it would dry quickly. I walked to my closet which was full of all goth clothing. I picked something quickly and put it on my toy box for the next morning. It was the first day of summer tomorrow and I could hardly wait. I climbed into bed and I fell, quickly, asleep.


    First Day Of Summer: Seven Years Later....

    I awoke from my bed my long raven black hair a total disaster. "Ugh..." I groaned as I watched myself in the mirror. I left my restroom and sighed softly as I walked to the end of the hall and descended the stairs. As I wandered down the long iron stairwell in the nearly dead silence of the late morning, I thought to myself 'The 'rents aren't home... at work... as usual.' I continued down the stairs till I reached my sister, Mystic's, room a light snore could be heard through the thick wooden door. I nodded to myself and shrugged lightly as I continued down the next flight of stairs. The light from a third story window shined right in my eyes. I growled softly and hurried down the stairs.

    I found myself in front of Summer's bright pink door listening as her gentle snore filled me with an almost uncanny happiness. I shrugged it off and walked down even more stairs to the main floor where a loud and almost disturbing sound could be heard. I jumped then realized that it was only my brother, Daven's, obnoxious snore. I sighed and continued on to the kitchen. I walked up to the fridge and grabbed the apple juice carton out of the door and poured some into a waiting cup on the counter. I downed it then washed the cup out and set it back into the cupboard. I walked to the main floor bathroom and pulled my brush out of my robe, starting to work on the disaster that was my hair. After about an hour of combing and styling I walked all the way back upstairs to get dressed.

    After trying on about thirty different halter tops, jackets, jeans, and shoes, I was finally ready to start my day dressed in black cut off jeans, flip-flops, and a bright crimson halter top. I smiled to my reflection in the mirror. Then I heard a stirring down in the kitchen, I had always had great hearing. I grinned and grabbed a black Gothic style purse and started down the stairs. Summer was awake and she was getting cereal. I watched her as I rounded the corner into the kitchen. As soon as she saw me she gave me a bright, "Good afternoon, Fallen!" She smiled brightly at me and I smiled back bleakly, replying with, "Afternoon, sis." I said in my thickly accented transylvanian voice. 'None of the others have odd accents like I do', I thought to my self, 'how unfair.' She assessed me under a light gaze. She was dressed in a pink robe and a black night gown. She sighed softly and started to eat not bothering to comment on my obvious preference of Gothic clothing.

    I shrugged not bothering to grab something to eat. I headed out the door and walked slowly down the long drive. The heat of the day hardly touching me as I drifted off in thought. I brought my long black hair over my right shoulder even though it was up. I wandered over to Loretta's house. When I got there I just let myself in, like I was part of her foster family. I called out, "Loretta? Are you home?" Loretta walked down the stairs a smile a light on her face. "Fallen. Hi." Loretta said in slight surprise to see her best friend up this early in the day. It was after noon but it was a shock to see Fallen around. I shrugged my shoulders not worried about it. "I was awakened by Daven's horrific snoring." I joked. Loretta laughed and blushed slightly, Fallen knew she had liked her brother since they first moved in down the road but she would never ask him out. She was too shy. I sighed as Loretta lead me up to her blue bed room.

    After a while of watching people pass by on the streets below I sighed as I waited for one particular person to pass. Alec. He was my brother's friend but did I care? Heck no. I smiled when I saw him and left Loretta to sit there and watch. Alec was surprised to see me. "Hey." He said in a deep velvet smooth voice. I stopped a few feet from him and answered, "Hey. Just passing by? Or are you meeting someone?" I asked the tone was rude but Alec didn't notice. He simply said, "Passing by." Then he left on his way. I sighed as I stared after him. I looked up to the second story window where Loretta looked down on me. I waved bye to her then left back to my house. When I got there Summer was gone and my other two siblings, Daven and Mystic, sat on the couch talking.

    I closed the door loudly behind me so I wouldn't be able to startle them. Mystic got up and looked at me. She apparently knew something I did not. I looked at her oddly then I noticed the white energy swirling around her. I gasped softly in shock. Mystic advanced on me as the energy around her solidified into one line of lightening. I stood there not able to move. What is this family?! I asked myself really not wanting to make the discovery I was already about to. Lightening flew from her hand to my chest. My body just absorbed the energy and altered it into the fire that came from my hand. The fire singed her top and managed to make her fly back ten feet into the wall. My dad heard the loud crash and came running. He looked at me and smiled. Mystic got up, clearly not hurt and started laughing. I looked at them confused. Daven was the only one who had sympathy for me. He knew what was coming better than anyone.