CHAPTER ONE

*WARNING* mentions of triggering content.

ANALEIGH'S POV.

I stare out of the window trying to tune out the argument currently going on between Dexter and Susan. Dad not so carefully took a right turn, the tires letting out a screech as they rubbed against the tarmacked road. Yeah he's really not the best driver. Mom is worse.

" You guys arguing again?" Mom's voice asks from the passenger's seat.

I internally rolled my eyes because when were they ever not?

Its not fair. If only dad had let us use the SUV then i wouldn't be sitting so close to these two dipshits ! All they've done since we started this drive is yell at each other or fight. Besides, that way there would be enough room and our luggage wouldn't be pressing so close to my neck as it currently is. My neck is cramping already.

Instead We're all crammed up in the backseat of an old grey beat up car. Worst of all is how we went overboard with the food during April holiday. We payed grandma a visit and lets just say she loves keeping all her babies fed up. She won't admit you're full till you're rolling on the floor with a tummy ache.

" You're such an ass Suzy" Dex yells and flicks her forehead.

" Your face is an ass," Suzy fires back and tries to grab his hand to do that finger bendy thingy where she grabs your pinky and index fingers and twists them way back till you cry out in pain.

Yep, been there countless times with the controller.

" Kids, language!!" Mom scolds.

" Marie,-" dad calls her attention away from us.

" You're such a brat Suzy" Dex says and pinches the tip of her ear. Warning, he pinches real hard. He takes the flesh between his hard hands and nails then twists. From the look of pain on Suzy's face I know he pinched her harder than usual.

For a moment i feel sympathy for her and might actually want to help her, but then i remember that that would seem like playing favorites and besides none of them are really worth it. So i curl in my jacket further and lean against the window pane, admiring how beautiful the setting sun rays look while piercing the tree leaves.

" Smelly Dex!" Suzy says as she tries to bite his arm off.

" Why can't you guys be more like Annie over there. She's calm and quiet," Mom complains.

Nope, I'm just used to raging on the inside.

I flash her an awkward yet shy smile and she 'aaw's . I hate it when she does that.

"Yeah, MoRe LiKe AnAlEiGh" Suzy sneers at me.

She sure is bratty. She hates it when mom complements someone other than her. But sadly for her i'm the favorite, i'm calm and collected, Dex is full of himself and Annie is just a brat.

" Shut your trap! Jealous narcissistic bitch!" Dexter smacks the back of her head sending her crashing against mom's seat.

" Your dick's the narcissistic bitch" she spits. Now you might be wondering who taught here these dirty words when the kid is literally twelve, but every family has their own secrets right?

" SUZANNE LEE MATTHEWS!!" Mom thunders from the front seat.

"You're so going to get it" Dexter does that ugly laughing thing that he's pausing in between laughs to take in air. Kind of sounding like a...

" Donkey!!" Suzy punches him.

" Suzanne your mother is talking to you!!" Dad says from the front seat trying to look like a good parent when we all know if we were alone he would've done nothing.

" Who the hell taught you these bad words? You're so....so..." mom trails off. She wants to say something but is holding back because it is something bad and will hurt Suzy.

Or so she thinks. Years have passed and the same little angels she left are not the same little angels anymore.

Suzy looks down, fumbling her hands on her lap, and i know for damn sure that there are tears in her eyes. At times like these one just feels like reaching over and patting her on the head. But because i know better, i visibly roll my eyes.

Here we go...

" Its just..... that Dexxy..."

She's not even done when dad thunders from the front seat. " AARON DEXTER MATTHEWS!!" I kind of wish he hadn't, i was quite into knowing what kind of sleazy lie Suzy was to come up with.

" WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN TEACHING THE KID!!" Dad bellows.

I feel sorry for Dexter. Dad has always been so hard on him out of everyone i know. Poor guy, i could see him visibly shaking while a thin sheet of cold sweat gathered on his forehead.

I know its dad who made us like this. He's always so careless with his speech and cusses lot. Especially when he is drunk.

" What the- N..n.No...I-" Dex stammers out and dad cuts him off again.

" What is it boy? Speak up like a man!" Dad was in the military so his behavior doesn't surprise me.

Even the night he was wasted past recognizing us and made us lay on the floor before whipping us with his belt for failing to do the dishes didn't really surprise me. I took the hits silently.

Suzy doesn't remember though. She doesn't remember much of her childhood. She has this crazy illusion of dad as the perfect father who loves his little monkey most.

Right now she's secretly sporting a sardonic grin as she listens to dad scolding Dex. Dad rants on and on until i get bored and stare out the window, thinking how crazy awesome it would be if i just jumped out and ended myself then.

Its about four hours to our destination and i'm way too tired for this shit. I just wish we get there quick and end this painful drive. Mom thinks its good that we're taking the long way there. Its family bonding time she says, it'll be fun she said. Well nothing fun has happened ever since we begun this trip.

Family bonding my ass. She only says that because she is so used to running away every time dad drinks too much and gets violent and hence missing out on our lives. She's only using this as an excuse to get to know us better, Her own damn family.

I hear Suzy start another argument. She's always searching for something to criticize or mock. For some sick twisted reason i feel like it makes her feel good about herself.

" Can the both of you just shut up for once! Honestly why can't you both be like Analeigh?" Mom says. You can clearly tell she's at her limit.

Suzy scoffs and rolls her eyes. Dexter knows of her jealousy for me, he might be full of himself and his brain just might've been washed away from all the swimming tournaments he's had but he can still read signs and that is why he snickered when she scoffs.

Suzy turns to me with a fake innocent look but i'm not really buying it. Dad really did a number on her. Every family has its own secrets. But one out of thirty families worldwide has that one deadly secret they don't wish to tell. It could be murder, corruption....or even sexual assault.

On that fateful day almost four years ago something really bad happened to Suzy. It took a lot of therapy to get her to talking again and somehow her childlike mind pushed the incident so far to the back of her mind that she just....somehow forgot.

But either way, she is still my little sister whom i love and adore. Though i would never tell her that.

Suzy's eyes twinkle with mischief and she sticks her tongue out at me, " Analeighleigh la cameleilei" She sings thinking its like some Spanish for Analeigh the Camel.

I don't pay her much attention and she starts wiggling in her seat, seeking it.

" Sit still Chubby!" Dex murmurs.

" You're the chubby one! Mr swimming star my ass!"

I ignored them since something mom says grabs my attention. I notice her leaning a bit towards dad before shrinking away, disgust all over her face.

" Mike! Have you....have you been drinking!" She said in a hushed tone not to raise alarm.

I tense in my seat and rise. As if my eyes are opened, i suddenly notice that we're going about 90km/h. Its a thin pathway and the sky had already darkened, it might be too hard to see front.

"What? You know i quit last year Marie! What...what are you even saying! Do you hear yourself?" Dad says taking an abrupt right turn making the tires screech again.

" That's what you said last time!" Mom shrieks.

" I know! I know but you've got to believe me!" He insistently says and turns his head to look at mom to see whether she believes him or not. And in those last few seconds that he turned his face from the road he did not see the light glow from away.

" Dad..." I say, ready to tell him to focus on the road but it was too late. The headlights came into our view.

They say that in a person's last moment their life flashes before their eyes either of the things they've done or those that they will never get to.

However, all i thought was...fuck you dad! You forgot to turn on the headlights.

And somehow i know that when the trailer hit, we were all staring at it. For the first time we had our view on a common thing. unfortunately it was in death....and i just don't know what to think of that.