1 Chapter one

My name is Anastasia Holdbrook and I live with my younger sister and my parents in a forest after our town was destroyed by a hurricane.Eventhough some of it was built back,my parents decided that we move here.

The weather is cold and freezing.A carpet of snow has covered up the green fresh grass we used to sit on during picnics and the leaves of the the huge forest trees are covered with snow.The place is quiet except for our house.

The cries of my baby sister floods the house as my mother rushes to her room.

She is lying on the hard wooden floor shaking.My mother picks her up.

"Albert!Albert!"She calls my father and she tells me to close the windows.The room is still cold eventhough the windows are closed.

My father comes into this room with a worried face.He touches the forehead of my little baby sister who is still shaking.

"She's  doing it again Albert.She's doing it again"My mother turns to face my father who looks worried.

Laura Holdbrook is my sister.She is two years old but I still consider her as a baby.She had long brunette hair but her head is now bald because all her hair fell off.

Weird right.Thats what I think too.Weird.How can someone's hair just fall of one at a time till her head becomes bald.She shakes a lot when no one is around her so we don't exactly know why she does that.Eventhough she can't properly talk she still communicates with us. 

Albert Holdbrook is my loving father.He is a tall not- too- muscular man who works really hard to see us happy.He has brown hair and brown sparkling eyes.

Marie Holdbrook is my mother.She is very sweet like her delicious apple pie she makes.She is a blondie with blue eyes and thick eyebrows.She had the pinkest mouth I have ever seen. Or maybe that's what I think since we are barely out of the forest.

Anyways,I kinda love it here.The birds will be chirping at dusk till dawn and the faint sound of the swaying leaves and branches of trees are pleasant to hear.Every morning is like waking up in Heaven.

"I'll be right back"my father walks as fast as he can and a few minutes later he brings a pan of hot steaming water,a towel and a jar.

My mother slumps on the floor with my baby sister in her hand and  takes the towel from my father's shoulders before dipping it in the steaming water.She places it on her forehead and my father hands over the jar to my mother.

My mother holds my sisters cheeks tightly between her thumb and index finger to create a small opening in my sisters mouth to pour the green thick liquid.

I stand beside her as my eyes followed the path of the green liquid,down  into her mouth.

My sister stops shivering and opens her eyes slightly.

"M-mom,d-d-dad did i-t ha-open ag-ga-gain" she stammers as she touches my mother's smooth face.

"Yes Laura but you'll be fine"

"Yo-you pro-mi-mise"

"Yes we promise"My mother and father say as they stare at her.

We sit in the wooden chairs around a table.My mother puts a huge bowl of spicy chicken on the wooden table as she shares the plates among us.

She gives each of is a huge slice of chicken as we eat it n silence.

"Mom-my th-the chi-chicken is-ver- ry hot"She tells my mother.

"Anastasia please me some water"

I rise from seat and fetch some water from our pot.

"Mom here"I give the water to her and take my seat.

She feeds the water to my sister.

One thing I like about my family is the way we care for ourselves and that we are all alive eventhough we have difficulties. 

My father is a hunter.He hunts for meat with his old gun.Any meat he gets, he brings home and sells the rest in the city so we can get money to buy things.He mostly returns hone very late at night when we are all asleep because of the long ride to the city.

My mother on the other hand is a baker.She bakes in a baking factory in our former town.She makes very delicious cakes,pie and cookies.There is nothing she can't do if you give her flour,butter,honey and eggs.She'll make something right away.

I work in a grocery across my mother's work place on weekends.Those are the days when mom and dad are at home and can look after my sister.The owner of the store Mr.Donaldson is a very nice man.He lost his wife and kids when the hurricane attacked.

Sometimes I'm just grateful that our family survived that natural disaster.

When all of us are too busy,Laura is sent to a daycare in our town and my mother picks her up after she's done with her work.Its absolutely free with great care.The caretakers are paid by the Mayor.  

I attend  a very good school in our town.It is highly modernised and very expensive.But lucky me-I don't pay a coin since my father gives the CEO of the school some of his catch for the day befote he leaves for the city and my mother gives her some of her delicious pastries after she picks up my sister.

I also love it when my mother brings some of her pastries from work.We eat some at home and save some for our snack for school. 

I don't know why dad made us move here, but I know it's for the best.Besides I like it here.When you wake up early in the morning, enjoying the cool breeze and watching the birds chirp.Enjoying the cool breeze mingling with the warm sunlight at day.And there's nothing more relaxing than watching the animals - especially  deers- running around.

This evening, my mom, I and my sister go out to watch the stars. The beautiful twinkling stars, dancing around the lit moon.

"Mo-mo-mom is it tr-true that the stars grant our wishes" She stammers and looks at my mother who is looking at the skies.

She laughs  a little and averts her gaze to my sister.

"They do.But even the stars don't last.They go and come.But mum loves you.The kind of love that will never fade.Like the bright scorching sun at day"

I listen to all this whilst I still look into the skies.

My mom goes inside and returns with a locket with an azure stone in the middle. She gives my sister a headband. We watch the stars and return to our bedrooms to have a good night sleep.