Chapter 1

June awoke to the sound of the rain on her window. She just woke up from a terrible dream and could feel the wind coming in through her open window. The chill wind made her feel cold . June slipped off her sheets and quickly walked towards the window.It was raining heavily and the night sky was even darker than usual, with the wind howling mightily and the occasional flashes of light being the lightning visible through her window. She shut it and drew her curtains closed. Her room instantly became warm and dark. She carefully made her way back across the room towards her bed.

Her room was spacious and she could walk ten steps without bumping into anything, but yet she moved cautiously in her now dark room. Maybe it was because her dream made her wary.

She got to her bedside and felt for her lamp on her bedside table and turned it on. Her room was instantly bathed in the warm green glow of her lamp. She sat on her bed and mused on her dream. The thoughts incited by her dream weren't pleasant. She couldn't imagine anything bad happening to her family.

She decided to chase the bad thoughts away with one of her favourite books. The bookshelf close to the door of her room was home to many books she loved She glanced through the titles and found it on the top part of her shelf. She loved arranging her book neatly on her shelf. Her mom, Valencia, usually teased her for being extremely organised with her books. She had that much respect for books.

June went back to her bed and tried visiting the most interesting parts of the book. But now and again her thoughts kept wandering back to her dream where she saw her parents in danger, where she saw them scared. There were never scared in real life, their work proved that much.

June shook her head as if to clear it of the thoughts. She couldn't understand why this dream bothered her so much .She had never dreamt of something like this concerning her parents.

She moved on with her book only to feel that sense of dread accompanying the remembrance of her disturbing dream. She could wake Helene up. Helene would understand. She was relieved that somebody who she could talk to was present. Her parents were away from the country on a business trip. It was probably night time where they were. It wouldn't do to wake them up just to tell them she was terribly scared of a dream.

She moved silently toward her door and opened it and shut it behind her. Helene's room was next door. The unlocked door swung open as she turned the knob and found Helene watching the rain through her own window. She was partly relieved Helene was not asleep.

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Helene had been thirteen when she was brought home by June's parents one day to come live with them. She had been living on the streets by stealing. She had had to find shelter at night on the streets to avoid running into thieves.

On one of June's parents' trips, June's dad, Julius, had been taking a stroll and walked in on a group of people surrounding a little haggard- looking girl with bony hands and feet. They claimed she had stolen their goods numerous times and they were going to punish her by flogging till she fainted. Julius had pleaded with them and paid them for their stolen goods before they reluctantly agreed to let her go. Julius had felt sorry for the girl and bought her food and asked for her name. The girl had offered to work for Julius for free in his home, provided she had a roof on her head. She had been tired of living on the streets.Julius had asked her how she knew she could trust him, and the girl had replied that if he were a bad person, he wouldn't have cared about her life .She had told Julius how she had lost her parents before she ever knew them, and how the only grandmother she knew had died two years back and she had had to fend for herself with no one else to care for her.

Julius had pitied her and brought her to meet his wife in their hotel suite. Helene had been legally adopted and brought home to live with the Dans.

June had been surprised. That was the first time her parents ever brought someone home from their trip. Her dad had told her that things were changing and people needed to do more good.

June had been told to get along with Helene and since then, they had become sisters in more ways than one.

That had been three years ago,when June had been fifteen. Helene had been such a sweet girl and June never failed to curse everyone who had ever done Helene wrong since they met. They had gotten along and had fun and done things together even at school.They had kept each other company while their parents were away doing work. Helene had become June's rock and they hardly ever fought.

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"Helene" June called out, "you're awake"

"Hey June" Helene said

"You couldn't sleep?" June asked

"I just woke up and I felt like watching the rain".

June was still standing at Helene's door. She moved towards Helene's soft bed and sat on it. Helene left the window side and sat beside June. They were quiet for a long moment before Helene spoke.

"June, am worried"

"About what?" June asked, trying to make her voice sound normal. If they were both having bad feelings about their parents, it wasn't a good thing.

"About mom and dad. I don't know June, I just woke up thinking about them and having this sense of unease"Helene replied

" come here " June said, indicating that Helene should rest her head on her lap.

Helene shifted closer to her and did. June stroked her hair softly.

"Am worried too Hel, but you know what they are going to be alright. It doesn't matter that they are always doing good, trying to make things better in the country and people hate them for it. They are going to be fine"June said

The silence continued, but it wasn't awkward. Helene and June never felt awkward around each other.

"They're going to be fine" June said again, to convince herself as much as to convince her sister .June knew her parents' work was dangerous . The country was filled with corrupt leaders and her parents were putting in their lives to change the way things worked, the way people lived .

But she wouldn't want her parents being in danger .

"You've said that before" Helene said

"Hmm?" June replied, confused. Helene raised her head from June's lap. She turned on her own lamp and June saw an amused expression on her face.

" You already told me they were alright , but you just said it again. It was almost as if you don't quite believe your own words.Are you also worried June?"

Helene knew her well, June thought.

June sighed." it's just that I had a bad dream concerning mom and dad"

" Tell me about it, June" Helene said before resting her head once more on June's thighs.

June thought of where to start with her story. She absent mindedly continued stroking Helene's soft hair and she could hear the sound of the rain in her thoughts. Helene's window was only partly opened fresh air waltzed into the room.

"June" Helene prompted

June startled back to reality.

"In the dream, me, you, mom and dad all went fishing. The sky was bright and the weather was sunny. We were having a nice time joking and laughing. Dad suddenly decided that we should take a ride on our boat. We were sailing close to the middle of the sea when suddenly the clouds darkened. It started to rain heavily and a storm was fast approaching. I looked up at the sky and looked back down only to find that our boat had hit a rock and was beginning to sink. I couldn't find you but I saw mom and dad. I saw fear in mom's eyes. The storm came and swept at us wildly. The boat almost capsided. Mom and dad fell into the water while I held on in the sinking boat. They were beginning to drown. The wind swept them farther from me and they struggled to stay above water. I screamed and shouted till my voice became hoarse. I begged for them to come back but still they were carried away. High waves of water swept once more at the boat and I fell off into the water . I found myself under water and couldn't breathe, couldn't drag air into my lungs. Mom and dad were nowhere to be found. I couldn't imagine how a perfectly normal day turned so disastrous . It felt too real. And as I shut my eyes under the sea , the storm calmed . It was like it had been waiting for our absence beforw it calmed. I felt like I was falling deep into an abyss I might never return from. The last thing I remembered was mom's voice in my head telling me to be strong".

The silence stretched out and June could hear that the noise of the rain outside had lessened. Helene sighed.

"That's terrible June. But it's just a dream .Mom and Dad will come home to us, just like they've always done. By the way, they wouldn't miss your birthday, which is just two days away, for anything in the world. They will be here before then" .

June silently prayed that her parents would be safe .

" I can't believe I'll be turning eighteen "

"You had better believe it. Mom will bake you a chocolate cake as usual and it will be like all other times we've celebrated birthdays".

June chuckled, remembering how her mom always made her eat cake till she was full. They usually competed on who could eat more cakes. Her dad always won .

"I am beating y'all this year" June said

"Wishful thinking. You never did know how to stuff yourself with food" Helene replied.

" Don't underestimate my abilities Hel"

" Am not " Helene replied, "I just know you have several abilities, but eating to death isn't one of them"

" Okay I agree Hel, you make a good make point" June conceded, smiling.

She was sure Helene could hear the smile in her voice.

"Let's go to sleep June. It's already two hours past midnight . You"ll stay with me right?" Helene asked.

" I will ". June replied.

And so they went to sleep and June pulled the covers on them and they huddled against each other. June felt better after talking with her sister. She reached a hand out towards the bedstand and turned off the light.

The room became dark. And soon they both fell asleep listening to each other's breathing.