New Haven: Awakening

CHAPTER ONE. New Haven

“Mom?" I whispered. Holding my breath, I tried to listen to footsteps that were getting closer. I held onto Mr. Peterson, my teddy bear, for dear life. I was paralyzed by fear when I saw a man dressed in black from head to toe, walking into my room. He looked around for a short while before his eyes shifted to my closet. My hiding place. Shoot. He must have heard me breathing.

He marched over and swung the doors open. I screamed as loud as I could when he yanked me out. He pulled me to my feet. That evil grin on his face made me uneasy.

I grind my teeth as his fingernails sunk their way into my skin. I fought to get free. He shook me hard but I continued to fight. It seemed to really tick him off.  He shook me harder this time. I spat in his face. His face twisted into a nasty sneer. I smirked. He threw me against the wall at the far right corner of my closet. I hissed in pain when my back hit the wall. I struggled to get up. I failed a few times before I was able to sit up.

I looked up at him. A breath got caught in my throat as I watched him unbuckling his jean." Now, be a good girl—"

"Dev, wake up." Lucas said. He shook me gently. I opened my eyes and looked into his pretty baby blue eyes. The memories of that faithful night bursted through my brain. I sobbed. He pulled me into my arms and hugged me tight. 

"Are you still having that bad dream?" He asked. I nodded. I buried my face in his nap and hugged him tighter." Me too. Every time I close my eyes I see his face....his blood...mom." He whispered, softly.

It has been almost a year since that night and it was still so fresh in our minds. 

It was a cold December night, when my twin, Lucas, and I  were walking home from practice, him track and I soccer. It was close to six-thirty. We were doing what we normally did on a Friday night, groaning and moaning about all the homework we have to do over the weekend and the day's daily gossip. About ten minutes into our half hour walk home, we realized there was a car driving slowly behind us. Weather or not the car was following us, we'll never know and we sure as heaven weren't going to wait to find out. We took a shortcut where we knew that a vehicle of any sort couldn't fit through it. 

When we got home we told our mother what had happened, but when dinner was on the table we completely forgot about the whole thing. 

Our father came home an hour after dinner. The four of us watched NCIS until we couldn't stay awake for one more episode then......well let's say we didn't have any sweet dreams that night. 

Mom woke me up and dragged me to my closet, telling me not come out until she or dad came to get me. Little did I know that would be the last conversation I'll ever have with her. 

And I was soon to know the reason why she told me to stay inside of my closet. Our house was being robbed. I was safe until one of the five men came into my room and tried to rape me. If it wasn't for Lucas...I would have been raped or....dead.  Lucas hit the man with a lamp, man turned around and shoves Lucas into my vanity 'knocking him out'. The man turns his attention back to me, as soon as the man turned his back to Lucas, Lucas grabs a big piece of the broken lamp and stabs the man with it repeatedly. In tears Lucas told me that man had shot our father and mother. Unfortunately, my mother was dead way before the  paramedics came.

After that night, none of us were ever the same. More so Lucas. We both have night terrors but his were far more worst than mine. But their better now that he's been going to therapy. 

But me on the other hand I rather not dig up the past so I took up reading to escape my reality.

I pulled away and wiped my face. I looked around and realized we were still in the car." Where's dad?" I asked.

He pointed to the window. I looked and saw small store that dad was just coming out of with two paper full bags in hand. I turned my attention back to Lucas. I stared at his striking features.  He has our father's extremely defined jaw line, his baby blue eyes, our mother's smooth dark brown skin and small straight nose. His dark hair was in a massive puff with the side shaved close to his scalp. He wore a his grey leather jacket with his black hoodie beneath and dark Levi's. 

Dad hops in then turns and looks back at me." You ok, love-bug?" He asks.

"Yeah. Are we in Washington yet?" 

"Yes, five minutes away from New Haven." He replied. He turns in his seat to get a better look at Lucas and I. His baby blue eyes had lost their sparkle. He grew out his beard but cut his hair close to his scalp. His skin was a tad lighter than Lucas'." I know, this year has been hard for us all but New Haven......I want New Haven to be the place that gives us a chance to bring some normality back into our lives again," he stated," this isn't going to work if you two don't try. Luke try taking up running again like Dr. Louis said."

Lucas nodded." I will, dad." 

Dad's eyes shifted to me." Devin...promise me...you won't push anyone else away."  I looked away and looked at the geometric patterns on my jeans." Devin."

"I'll try." I give him a wary smile when he stoked my cheek. 

He glanced between the both of us before turning his attention to the front. He stared out into space for a while." To a new life." He whispered, five minutes later. He started the engine and pulled onto the main road. I laid my head on Lucas' shoulder. He pecked my forehead and we both sighed. 

I watched as the tree flew by and in five minute flat a huge sign that said 'Welcome to New Haven' appeared. The sign had mountains painted on it and a sun behind them. 

I sat up to get a better look at the builds as we passed by. Dad took a left turn at a post office then a right at an arcade. 

The town was almost picture perfect like what you would see on post cards. A group of teen came out of Starbucks,  smiling and having a good time. Their eyes followed us until we disappeared down the street. Lucas gave my knee a small squeeze. I covered his hand with both of mine. We turned into a street. With children playing hockey in the middle of it. 

They saw us and got out of the way. We took another right turn." Holy crap!" Lucas exclaimed. 

"Language Luke." Dad said.

"Whoa." I whispered.

"My thoughts exactly." Lucas said. We stared at the mansion at the middle of this neighborhood. It's beautiful and three stories high. The walls are mahogany with white pillars from top to bottom. The mansion was enclosed by a high black gate protecting its yard was at least a half an acre. The gate was almost invisible under the thick sheets of snow. The whole neighborhood was covered in snow but the mansion was more unkempt." Please tell me that's our new house."

"House? That's an understatement." I said. Dad chuckled." Dad, do you know who's place is that."

"Yes...the realtor told me...Russo..no...Rocco—del Rossi. That's it del Rossi." 

"Aww. I was hoping it was ours." Lucas said.

"Get a job and maybe you can buy it from the owners." Dad said.

I chuckled." Burn."

"This is us." Dad said. We pulled up in front of a two story house, which was right next to the del Rossi mansion. It was really nice. A big porch with a white swing chair. Dark blue walls and arched windows.

I opened my door and slide out. I looked around and saw five other identical houses like ours but in different shades of blues and greens. Two were green and the others blue. Within minutes a dozen of people came out of their houses with food in their hands. My stomach started to rumble. Just in time." Lucas put on your happy face." I teased.

"Why?" He asks." Oh." He said, then smiles. They formed a semi-circle around us.

"Hello my name is Marty Greenberg and allow me to be the first to say welcome you all to our neighborhood and New Haven." Said a short, overweight man dressed in a puke green sweater said. His cheek are red and fat. He has chocolate brown eyes and his brown hair was flatted down by his red beanie. He had the prettiest and brightest smile ever. I smiled at him. He's so adorable. I wanna pinch those cheeks. Dad stepped forward and shook Marty's hand.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Gr—"

"Call me Marty."

"Marty," he repeated," my name is Deaton Harper and these are my children. Devin and Lucas." Lucas and I waved when our names were called. Marty stepped forward and shook our hands.

"It's so nice to see you again and finally nice to meet your children." Said a woman in her late forties. She has a long, blonde hair, fishtail braid over her right shoulder. She had blue eyes and as tall was Lucas and he's 5 foot eleven.

"Likewise Claire." Dad smiled. He was drawing circles in his palms with his thumb. It was something he did when he's nervous. Oh he likes her, you get um dad. The whole neighborhood introduced them selves including the children. I completely zoned out when something moved at the corner of my eye. I looked over at the del Rossi house and saw the curtain move slightly. It was almost unnoticeable. 

"No one ever comes out of the del Rossi house." A voice said, scaring the schiznit out of me. I looked to where the voice came from. It was a girl around my age. Well, she was the only one standing there. I glanced over my shoulder back at my new house and saw people pouring inside." Rebecca Beaufort but you can call me Becca." She said, smiling. She's really pretty with long, wavy, brown hair, oval face, deep brown eyes. She had braces. She is five foot five, three inches taller than I am.

"Devin." I smiled back." And what do you mean no one comes out of the house."

"I mean no one." She said, looking at the house." I think the family moved out years before I was born but...who knows." 

"You're attending New Haven High right?" She  asked. 

"Yeah, last year?" I questioned.

"Yup. Oh! I wait to show you around. Come on let's go pick out your outfit for your first day!"

"But it's Friday." I whined, as she pulled me into the house.

"The more reason to plan ahead." She said. I chuckled.