The first sign

Johnny was supposed to go to school at that church!? I was thinking so hard about the story that I didn't realize Johnny was going to be in the same room that mom was chained down and tortured in! Everybody knew what went down and still trusted their kids to be taught there!?

I stood up and decided to knock on Dad's door.

Once he opened the door I saw that he had just changed into his pajamas. He was looking down and was about to say something until he looked at me. His eyes grew wide as he looked me up and down, "Um..bunny, what happened to you?" I'm guessing he was talking about my red puffy face and bloodshot eyes, but I ignored him and walked in.

"Dad I came to ask about that...program that you want to enter Johnny in? I don't think he should go." I pulled a chair from the desk in his room and sat down. His room was a mess. Clothes and papers were everywhere. I could see that he was stressed.

Dad furrowed his eyebrows, but then looked like he realized something. "I think I know what you're worried about. Nina told me that she told you about what happened with your mom here." He sat down on his bed so we were leveled.

I looked down and spoke quietly, "yeah...yeah she did."

He bit his lips and nodded his head, "I know. It was terrible what he did to her, but that was quite a few years ago. There's a different priest now and the one that hurt your mother is long gone. According to Nina, it took everyone years to finally start gaining faith in the church again. They're still not fully trusted but the pastor's wife is trying to make a good name for them and that's why she started the program. I think Johnny should be fine. There's nothing to worry about."

Nothing to worry about? My mother was chained and tortured in that place, how could I let Johnathon walk in there? There was no way I'm going to let that happen! He felt the energy just as bad as I did. He obviously didn't like it there.

"I'm still worried about it." I fiddled with my fingers.

Dad stood up and walked over to me. He rubbed my shoulder and looked sincere, "I promise you it's going to be fine. Everything is going to be okay."

I know that we were talking about Johnny, but I couldn't help but to think he was talking about something else. It felt like he was trying to comfort me on something else that he knew was on my mind.

After some talking, Dad and I agreed to let Johnathon do three days in the program and if he feels fine after that three days then he would continue going to the church. I didn't like the idea of him walking in there at all, but it was nice that Dad compromised.

I walked out of his room and started walking towards the bathroom. I needed to go downstairs to get Johnny, but I think Roger is down there and I didn't want him to see me this way. I checked my watch and saw that it was 10:02 p.m. I had to make sure Johnny took a bath and took his medicine before he went to sleep.

As I was about to open the bathroom door, Roger came out with a towel in his hands. I can tell that he had just gotten out of the shower because of the steam that was escaping from behind him. His t-shirt exposed his fit body and he was also wearing basket ball shorts. I was so distracted by him that I didn't notice the way he was staring at me. He looked at me with the same wide-eyed look that Dad did. Yeah I get it! I'm a mess, but stop looking at me like that!

"Uhhh.....Hey, Vic you good?" Roger looked me up and down.

My eyes shot up to him. Did he just call me Vic? Is that a nickname? No one has ever called me that before. "Um, yeah I'm fine. J..just wanted to use the bathroom."

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's all yours. I just finished up, but look...If you need anyone to talk to just remember I'm right across the hall." He was staring at me like I was some type of foreign creature that he's never seen before.

I looked down and tried to hide my face, "Yeah, thanks."

He then slowly walked past me without looking away. The moment he was out of the door frame I ran into the bathroom and shut the door. That was embarrassing. I wonder how many more embarrassing moments I have to go through with him before I die of embarrassment.

I finger combed through my hair and splashed my face with cold water. After looking in the mirror I realized why they were looking at me like that. I really was a train wreck, but I'm used to seeing myself like this. I've been used to it since my mom died. Crying so much that my face became unrecognizable.

Once I finally got myself cleaned up I walked downstairs to find Johnny drinking a large strawberry milk shake at the bar. Who in the world said he could have that before bed? I walked up to him and slowly slid the glass away from him and he pouted.

(Sign) "You know you're not supposed to have sweets before bed."

(sign) "Aunt Nina gave it to me."

I need to tell to explain Johnny's ground rules to Aunt Nina.

"Okay well it's time to take your medicine and get ready for bed. But first you're taking a bath." I looked at him as I spoke so he could read my lips. I had to explain this to Aunt Nina. I had to tell her that if she looked at him while she spoke then he should be able to understanding everything she's saying.

Johnny rolled his eyes. We both got up and I led him up the stairs. I ran a bath for Johnny and poured bubble solution in it. While I gave him his medicine I asked him how he felt about going to the church for school. He didn't say anything he just shook his head and looked scared. I saw the look of real fear in his eyes. He really didn't want to go, but Dad and I already went over it and there's nothing I can say to convince him otherwise.

I asked him why as the water ran. We were sitting in his room.

(sign) "It is very bad there."

I nodded my head and looked him in his eyes, "Don't worry. Dad said the bad is gone now." I stood and went to go turn off the faucet while Johnny followed.

As he played around in the bathtub, I started reading a book that I found in my nightstand.

It was a romance about a girl who ran the mafia of her city. She met this guy who didn't know about her secret life. After a few pages I got pretty invested. That was until I felt something shake. It was the entire cafe. It was vibrating.

I glanced at the lamp on my nightstand and saw it tremble. After a few seconds the shaking got more violent and I got up and stumbled my way towards the bathroom. I needed to get Johnathon. As I made my way down the hall I heard things fall and glass break. I struggled to stand up straight as I opened the bathroom door and saw Johnny who was holding on to the edge of the tub while the water rocked back and forth splashing everywhere. There were bottles all over the floor and the mirror had broken. Johnny looked at me as he started crying. He reached out to grab me but missed once the cafe started shaking harder.

I grabbed a towel off the towel rack and walked towards him, careful to keep my balance so the movement of the building didn't cause me to fall.The paint on the walls started to crack and then, as I was about to grab Johnny, the lights flickered before going out. Crap.

I blindly grabbed johnny with the towel and held him because I didn't want him to get glass in his feet. I heard Dad screaming from the hallway, but I couldn't see him.

"Kids!? Victoria where are you!"

I then heard Roger's voice follow, "MOM! Mr. Avasanta!?" I heard them say some more things, but it was muffled. I was too busy holding onto Johnathon and I didn't care about anything else except making sure he didn't get hurt. I tried to make my way out the door but the movement of the building caused me to fall to my knees, so I held Johnathon tightly and scooted my way into a corner while keeping him close to my chest. His tears made my hair to stick to his face and I felt him softly cry against my neck, and soon I started crying too.

My mind muffled out all the screaming of everybody else in the cafe and it muffled out all of the sounds of things falling and breaking. I just sat there silently weeping while rocking my terrified brother.