The History: Prologue

She looked down the hall and saw her parents smiling at each other. Her mom looked tired her father looked worn. She looked, loved. Her short red hair was brushed she was happy.

"Time for bed 'Drey," her dad said.

"How many days now Daddy?"

"A whole week thanks to you Drey." He grinned.

"Good job Daddy you can do it I have faith in you."

"I'm pretty sure that's all I need." He smiled.

"I love you Daddy."

"And I love you!" He spun her around and pulled the covers over her.

Her father turned out the lights and then she waited. She knew what would happen next.

She heard a small scream come from her next door neighbor's house. It was a shriek and then a sob and then nothing.  She looked out her window trying to see what went on in the darkened windows of that house she lived by. She wanted to know who that shriek belonged to and why every night the shriek would cry.  She didn't know that tomorrow, the first day of third grade, she would find out.

. . .

He pulled the long sleeved shirt over his bruised shoulders. His brother's had broken two ribs. Two ribs he set himself. He was upset and scared. He didn't know if he'd done it right as he'd tried to use one of his dad's pediatrics books. His father and mother had been asleep when they'd done it. When they were asleep they slept like rocks and couldn't hear anything Bret or Chet did to him.

His mother's aunt was a businesswoman. She was VERY successful. She used to make dresses out of the fluff of Trufula Trees before her factory polluted the area and killed all the trees.

She now ran the factory just outside of town and made the dresses out of normal materials. She was still successful but the dresses weren't NEARLY as colorful or as soft. He knew even silk couldn't compare to the feel of a Trufula Tree dress.

He looked in the mirror and realized his chest had a huge visible bruise on it so he quickly buttoned his shirt. He coughed into his arm.

It says that happens when the ribs are set wrong. The voice in his head warned.

Shut up. I'm fine. No one's going to notice I'll be fine. He thought back.

He ran a hand through his messy black hair. He blinked back at the reflection in the mirror. He pulled on jeans and then threw a vest over the long sleeved white shirt. It was going to be okay. He grinned checking to make sure no bruises were visible.

Today might actually be okay. I'll be fine. Nothing to worry about.

Today would be okay. It wouldn't be great. What day was? However, today, just one day might actually be okay. He was going to be in first grade. He would be in school with the older kids now. He smiled, today would be okay.