CHAPTER ONE

RAIN'S POV.

I stared at the bodies of my mother and father for one last time, everything seemed so surreal, so vague, so hazy. I had gone to school that day as always, hoping to come back to the cheesecake mom had promised me before I left. The hours passed by slowly and I kept stealing glances at the clock on the wall of my classroom. I kept shaking with excitement and was barely listening to Mrs Hannah's constant rambling while teaching algebra, she must have noticed my disposition and proceeded to ask me a question I'm sure she knew I had no answer to. "Rain" she called out softly, I was startled by her low yet stern voice, I shifted my gaze to meet her eyes and she squinted her's while staring at me. " Can you come up here and tell us why you have been distracted since I stepped into this class?" She asked while folding her hands, I stood up at once and started fidgeting with the hem of my skirt as I did not know what to say, I did not like Mrs Hannah very much, tho she looked gentle, she was very stern and cold hearted, she never raised her voice too high but was sure to invoke fear when she spoke for her gentle tone was not devoid of authority. "I'm sorry ma'am" I muttered, I did not know what to say other than that, I silently prayed that she would let the matter go as I was in no mood for detention. She lifted an eye brow and sized me up one last time before letting me off with a warning. I sighed in relief and took my sit.

Cassidy, who had been my best friend since kindergarten and who sat next to me nudged me with his elbow, "what's getting you so riled up? " he whispered. I didn't give him a reply, I only smiled and focused my attention on the teacher infront of me in order not to get into any more trouble.

As the bell went off for the end of the last period, the excitement I felt was apparent on my face. I and Cassidy usually walked together back home as our houses were relatively close to each other's. I was waiting outside the gate of the school for him as he greeted his friends and fans before coming to meet me. He was the Jock of WoodBridge High. I sighed in exasperation, being the best friend to the most popular kid In high school came with its troubles , I was beautiful, just not enough to have heads turn when they see me, i had a great personality but that seemed to have been overshadowed by Cassidy's. I did not mind that though, I was quiet and did not need unnecessary attention.

I was beginning to get restless as I waited for Cassidy who was obviously trying to woe some girl he had been eyeing for sometime, Taking out my phone, I sent him a text saying I could not wait any longer and I was heading home. Sliding the phone into the pocket of my skirt, I started walking home briskly, "I wonder if she is back from the bakery by now" I thought, my mom told me she would get the cake fresh for me and ensure it would still be hot when I got home, I walked briskly along the side walk leading to my house and just when my neighborhood came into sight,the scene that lay before me was that of havoc and chaos, a whole bunch of police vans, an ambulance and well the whole neighborhood crowded just outside my house, I was confused, my heart began to beat so fast it threatened to burst out of my chest. I ran towards the commotion and pushed through the crowd. Just then, what I saw made my head spin and my eyes water, my house was up in flames. I did not understand, "what happened? And where are my parents?" I was confused and frightened, I began to scream at the top of my lungs "where are my parents?! Where is mom where is dad and where is hamster?!" I searched the crowd frantically for my parents and that is when a neighbor pulled me into her embrace, I struggled violently as all I could think of was my Mother and Father who I was yet to see, I shouted bitterly for her to let me go but she wouldn't, I had left mom and dad at home, dad was on annual leave and mom was a remote worker so she barley ever left the house except to get groceries, I cried, shouted and struggled in the hands of Miss Claire as she kept whispering into my ears. "it's Okay child, you are okay, God knows why this had to happen, it's okay my child" why ,what had to happened? I thought, what is going on and why is no one answering my questions,where were my parents and our dog. From a corner of my eye, I could see the firmen tirelessly trying to put out the fire and I kept struggling to be free from Miss Claire's embrace. "Let go of me please, please" I muttered between sobs. "Listen child, it's you against the world now, it's you against the world, they are gone child, your parents are gone, the fire service weren't fast enough, by the time they got here it was too late, they are gone" she said amidst her own sobs. My mind drew a blank, what does she mean by they are gone, what does that mean. Suddenly, my head became light, my vision became fuggy and my legs gave way. I fainted.

As I stared at my mother and father, in the white coffin they lay, I wondered what life had in store for me next. It was decided that I was going to live with my aunt Sheryl back at Chicago since she was the closest kin to my father, I had cried till there were no more tears, the fire service concluded that it was a house fire and an accident, something told me it wasn't, something told me it was no accident. How come my mother and father were both locked in their room which prevented them from escaping, how come the cooker had been left on for close to two hours and they did not notice a smell, I sighed in resignation.

"This life is not our own, and at anytime He wishes, the Creator can call us home…" I stared blankly into space as the preacher spoke solemnly before the coffin was lowered, in that moment, I knew that it was all over, I did not cry nor did I scream, I continued to stare blankly into space and I wondered what my life would be like moving foward.