Hannah Everett's Story

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The morning sky was painted with soft, colorful pastels, as the sun started it's descent from behind the horizon line and into the sky. A few clouds were scattered here and there, blotting out some of the stunning sunrise, but they only increased it's beauty. If you listened closely, some birds were chattering constantly, getting roused from their nests in the scarce trees on the block. The pink and orange hues of the sunrise would soon disintegrate, leaving the sun to take over and make the sky a brilliant blue. Against the tri-colored rainbow sky, trees, powerlines, and the roofs of houses were like shadows. These were the moments that made Skylar love her name.

The sky. It was a part of her, well, a part of her name. It meant so much more than just that to her though. The sky was brilliant, lovely, and warm, and she paled so much in comparison with it. Yet, her mother had still decided to name her after it. Every now and then she wondered why for hours and hours, but sometimes she just accepted the fact that there was no way for her to know why, or even get close. She never dared to ever to think she could even compare to it, since that was impossible. Who would be able to compare to such a beautiful thing?

Upon the small porch of Carol and William's house, Skylar was sitting at the top of the steps. Leaning against one of the side railings, she was curled up in a small ball. A quilt and her own black hair draped around her shoulders and pajamas, fending off the very same frigid early September air that was nipping at her bare toes. She wasn't paying attention to this though, instead, her eyes were locked on solely one thing; the sunrise. Admiration, adoration, and awe gleamed in the reflective surface of her bright green eyes, at the sight of the unfolding sunrise before her.
It was around eight in the morning, maybe fifteen minutes before. Skylar had been out here ever since five though, sitting on the porch in solitude with only the quilt from her bed to keep her warm. As her mother had used to say, 'Skylar rose with the morning sky'. Of course, this wasn't true; it was only because of her insomnia and deathly fears of nighttime and sleeping that she never slept in like normal teenagers, and her other siblings. Sometimes she wondered if all of these would truly go away after she got the cure, since the scientists said anything like fears and worries would go away after the procedure, and she'd be happy for the rest of her life.

Breathing out, the black-haired girl watched as her breath formed what looked like a puffy little cloud. After two or three seconds, it faded away into the crisp air of the early Saturday morning, and Skylar did it all over again. She loved doing this; sitting on the porch to watch the sunrise, and watching her breath float through the air. It was one of her favorite parts of the day, and even though she did it over, and over, and over again, she never once had gotten bored of it. It calmed her down. It surrounded her with a peculiar warmth that drowned away all the tiresome frights from the horrid night before. It reminded her of her mother.

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A tiny black-haired girl with bright green eyes sat on the porch, staring out at twisting sea of colors before her. She was dressed in only her pajamas, and had nothing to keep her warm from the chills that pressed and poked at her visible skin. She didn't notice this though, even though the surface of her skin was as cold as icicles in Winter. She probably wouldn't even have noticed if she had developed hypothermia by now.

"Lala, what're you doing out here?" The familiar voice came floating out from the direction of the door, and the sound of it closing followed it. The girl's mother was now standing on the porch, watching her little five year old black-haired daughter stare out across the sky. She had been talking to some of her other children, when she noticed the absence of one little optimistic girl.

The girl's bright green eyes specked with gold turned to reveal themselves to her mother, the girl having to twist her body a bit to do so. "Watching the sun come out," she said simply, wondering why her mother wasn't doing the same. "Doesn't everybody watch it?"

Her mother raised an eyebrow slightly, before laughing softly and walking over to sit down next to her feeble daughter on the porch, "Well, not everybody, but it sure is beautiful." Wrapping her arms around the pale body of her daughter, she almost pulled back as quick as she had hugged her. Her skin was freezing cold, you could even call it snow with it's pale complexion and freezing surface. A look of worry crossed her face, and she stared down at her daughter, hoping she wouldn't have a fever later, or maybe even the flu.
"Aren't you cold," she asked, before adding, "and tired?"

Confusion shone through Skylar's eyes as she blinked up at her mother, wondering why she even thought such a thing. Shaking her head, she pointed out towards the sunrise, silently wishing she could be closer to it, be surrounded and embraced by it's majestic appearance and colors. "No, it's morning, so doesn't that mean everybody's supposed to wake up?" she said. "And the fire's warming be up. Isn't it warming you up too?"

For a brief second, her mother wondered what she meant by 'the fire'. Realization hit her as quick as the question did, however, and she smiled softly as she glanced at the brilliant sunrise, drowning the town of Portland in colors of orange, red, yellow, and pink. "Just because it's morning doesn't mean you have to wake up, Sky..." she said softly, staring out at the sun as it inched it's way into the sky before turning her attention back to her daughter. "And the fire's very, very warm, and beautiful... But I don't think it'll keep you completely warm."

Skylar frowned a tiny bit, obvious disappointment showing through her expression. What did her mother mean the fire wouldn't keep her warm? It confused her greatly, but then again, she didn't even know that it wasn't a fire in the first place. "What do you mean?"

"Well," her mother started to say, but soon trailed off. She didn't want to say that it wasn't a fire, like how she didn't ever want to say she was infected with the deliria. It was better to let her daughter, and the rest of her children, stay happy for as long as they could. Of course, the truth would soon backfire at some point, but they were all so young. Theo had ever started to tell her that what she was doing was wrong, even though he was only five.
"Never mind. It's a secret." Smiling again, she leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose. "I'll tell you sometime."

A huff came in return to her mother's teasing, and Skylar stuck out her lower lip in a pout as she crossed her arms. This earned a bright laugh from her mom, which made her smile a bit again. "Promise?" she asked, not wanting to have to wait to know the secret.

"Promise."

At some point, her mother would tell Skylar the truth about the sunrise. Just like at some point, she would tell all her children about how infected she was. She wished she could just keep all these secrets locked up in a little box, and toss it into the ocean, freeing her children of all worries and cares. In this world, there was no possible way though, not even through the cure.
For now, she just had to continue smiling, even if all the smiles concealed drops of sadness.

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Drowsily, Sylar's eyes fluttered open, consciousness slowly starting to come back to her. For a few seconds, she just remained there, leaning against the railing, wanting to sink back into a world of happy, yet saddening memories. There was a loud creaking sound filling her ears, along with what sounded like footsteps. Her mother, her mother, was she heading down the stairs of the porch in the night that she left? Was she maybe still alive, and coming up the stairs to sweep Skylar up in her arms? No... that wasn't the sound. Awareness then slapped Skylar in the face, and she sat up abruptly, glancing around with wide eyes. Aunt Carol was heading down the stairs inside the house, and, even from out on the porch, the sound echoed throughout the air.

She must've drifted off for a few minutes, as much as it horrified her. Pictures, thoughts, memories, and the sound of her mother's voice lingered in her mind, refusing to budge, and a fleeting forlorn look showed in her eyes. Push the thoughts away, push them away. she willed herself, tears threatening to fall. To her relief, Aunt Carol's voice then came to her rescue, distracting her to keep the memories from flooding over her.

"Skylar!" A muffled click followed the familiar call, and the sound of a window sliding open. Carol was already in the kitchen, probably preparing breakfast. It must be a pain to have to cook for eight people every single day, Skylar would think ever now and then. Then again, Carol hadn't offered to take care of the six siblings out of care or love, it was simply out of responsibility and family duty.
"If you get sick from being out there in the cold every single morning, don't expect to get any special treatment from me or William," Carol said, narrowing her eyes at Skylar. Skylar knew Carol never liked her habit of coming out here on the porch in the morning, especially since she always would come out before Carol was awake. This was almost just as bad as breaking curfew, in Carol's point of view. As Skylar looked backed at her aunt, she caught a look at the clock inside. Eight o'clock. She must've drifted off for only fifteen or ten minutes, which was a slight relief.

For the first month when the Everetts moved in with Aunt Carol and Uncle William, almost every single night, Skylar would come out onto the porch once Carol had fallen asleep, and would sleep out on the small bench, curled up in the thickest quilt she could manage to find. These nights were usually spent sobbing, and hiding in her little mass of blankets whenever she heard regulators pass by, hoping they wouldn't see her. Luckily, the regulators had never noticed her cowering on the porch, but Carol certainly had. She had been scolded countless times in that month, and at some point, she gave in. It was then that she started to climb out of the window in the bedroom she shared with Theo and Fishi, to crawl up onto the roof and sleep up there under the stars, and even now, she still does it sometimes.

"I know," Skylar said, her voice soft and honey-like, yet quiet, like if she spoke too loud she'd ruin the beautiful sunrise. To look at her aunt, she had to adjust herself a bit, despite the fact that she hadn't wanted to move from her comfy spot. "I've been making sure to bring the thickest blanket I can find out with me every morning, and I'll start to wear my coat as it gets colder." Of course, she'd probably get sick at some point, even with the coat, but she didn't care. As long as there was a time when the sun came up, lighting up the sky and ridding the town of nighttime, even if just for a bit, Skylar would be happy.

A tsk came from Carol's direction, and as she closed the window to keep the cool air from drifting in, Skylar heard her mumble something about how one day the regulators will probably get mad at her for being out on the porch so early. She simply disregarded this though, and turned her attention back to observe how much the scene of the sunrise had changed. The sky now looked like a sea of cotton candy, drizzled with many layers of honey. It brought a small giggle to Skylar's mouth, at the thought of what such a thing would taste like. Cotton candy and honey would probably taste gross. She'd have to try it sometime.

The little amount of sleep Skylar had gotten the night before now was taking it's toll, and Skylar's face turned tired. Nosing back up against the railing, she pulled the quilt tighter around herself, wondering if any of her other siblings had woken up by now. Maybe she would be able to go and pester Theo to give her a piggy back ride? Well, she'd go inside to see if he and the rest of her siblings were awake later, for right now, she just wanted to remain out on the porch, watching the sun's never ending climb. Anyways, if anyone needed her, they'd know where to find her. She wished she could just watch the sunrise forever though, the very same sunrise that washed away every worry in the world. Of course, she knew it could never last forever. There was always a beginning, and an end. Like life and death. Like when you are born, and when you get the cure.

I shouldn't even think of things like that... she thought, shaking her head as if it would literally shake away the thoughts. Standing up, she held the quilt around her shoulders as she went inside, rubbing her eyes to try and get rid of the tiredness.

"Skylar, breakfast should be ready in around ten minutes. Go wake up everybody else," Carol said, "William plans to head to the Stop-N-Save after breakfast, so he's already awake."

Skylar grabbed the quilt in one of her hands, and let it fall to the ground. A yawn escaped her parted lips, and she stretched her arms above her head, before replying to what Carol told her to do. "Alright," she mumbled, heading through the tiny living room before starting her trek up the creaky stairs. Hopefully Theo would carry her back down the stairs, since she really didn’t want to have to walk all the way back down the stairs.

"Theo, Fishi!” she hollered, finally reaching the top of the 'mountain', getting an irritated call from her aunt downstairs at the racket. "Tux, Hannah, Lulu! Dinner- Wait, wait… breakfast! Breakfeast's ready! Well, soon to be ready!”

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Hannah did indeed hear her name called. Skylar, she could tell. She'd already been awake for a while, studying busily. She couldn't go to college without the cure, and being as responsible as she was, she wasn't about to fall behind. She sat at an old wooden desk in her room, three books laid open, various lessons and chapters open. She leaned her arm on one in particular, the one she was making notes of as the others rushed to breakfast.

It wasn't like her to be flustered. No, she was always organised. Whether it was her room or her head. But something was troubling her that morning that she couldn't figure out from her books. She sighed, dropping the pencil and burying her face in her hands. She rubbed at her eyes, and straightened her back again. Taking a deep breath, she tried to relax, and lean back in her chair. A cold breeze was coming through the slightly opened window, and Hannah could hear the birds chirping. It was times like these cluttered moments when she wondered if birds themselves could fall in love.

Love. That was forbidden. Hannah didn't even know what to think of it. But then again, she wasn't supposed to think of it. Her cure was in 52 days. Her evaluation was in two days. 48 hours. 2880 minutes. 172800 seconds. Not that she was counting.. 172799 seconds.. But she was worried. Scared even. Ever since their mother's death she's tried to take over the role as much as she can. She knows she won't ever be who her mother was, and her siblings probably won't think of her that way, but taking care of others had become so easy for her, it wasn't a chore it was a lifestyle that she enjoyed.

But what had been troubling her most, even more than love, was a recurring dream she'd been having. It wouldn't happen every night, but sometimes different parts of the dream would play in her mind while she slept, and she'd put them together later. She'd found that the worst is when you remember the whole dream the second you wake up, then everything goes blank. You can't even put the idea into words. Because of that, she has a journal beside her bed, where she can quickly write down thoughts to help her remember. But the dream itself, was truly puzzling.

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It's a sunset. That's all you can see for miles. The land is flat, barren. There's a woman in front of her, but her back is to her. In the dream Hannah knows she is to follow the woman. But she doesn't know who it is. As the woman walks, she follows behind. The same distance she started, not any faster or slower. She can't change her pace, and she must keep in rhythm with the woman.

The woman is wearing a long gown. It's black, and so is the veil that covers the back of her head, as well as the front. She doesn't speak, but Hannah knows she is to follow. The dream usually continues, and she eventually comes to a bridge. It is twilight now, but Hannah hadn't noticed the change in the colors of the sky, nor did she see a bridge as they approached until now. The woman stops in the middle of the bridge, and begins to weep. Hannah, suddenly shocked, wants to reach over and touch her, ask her if she's alright. But her arms are like like steal against her side, weighing her down. Her mouth becomes dry, and no sound will come out. The longer the woman cries, her moans of sorrow begin to echo.

Her tears become a flow off either side of the bridge, and soon they create a river. Though Hannah feels that she has not been standing there long, the river rushes in either direction. Suddenly the crying stops, but the river still bubbles. The woman begins to turn around. Facing Hannah, she can still reveal nothing of who she is, but the woman begins to lift over the veil.

She only reaches just above her mouth before she vanishes, but the small smile is something Hannah couldn't forget. The smile is so familiar, but also so distant. And suddenly, she's in the woods. Noises overtake her, ever snap of a twig and leaf rustling stirs her attention, she whips in any and every direction. There's a man who rushes at her, but she's too late to turn around. Her takes her hand and runs, leading her through the woods quickly.

Though she doesn't remember ever meeting the man, he is safe. She knows he wants to help her. She can hear shouting in the distance behind her, as the rush and dodge trees. They come to the brink of the forest, and they abruptly stop. He walks now, and drops her hand. As before, she follows. They come to the same bridge, but in her dream she does not recognise it as the one the woman cried on. The river is still flowing two directions, but it is night now, and the stars brightly show. The man doesn't cry though, her pulls out a single, white rose, and places it where the woman had been standing. As he turns to stand up, the dream always ends. Hannah wakes up dazed and confused.

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Frustrated Hannah makes her way downstairs, knowing she should see that everyone is alright. She smiled at the twins as she passed, ruffling both of their hair as she passed, out of affection rather than ignorance. "Goodmorning, you two." she says cheerfully with a caringly kind smile. Her eyes soften as she looks at them, then continues into the kitchen. Like every morning, she and Finn help set up. Sometimes when Hannah wakes up early enough, she does the cooking to give her aunt a break. This morning hadn't turned out like that.

"Goodmorning Finn, Carol." She greeted them both.

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It wasn't usually normal for Klein to sleep in the way he was - no, he was normally up just perfectly on time, which was right after the other two had left. Some always were confused as to how he could pull it off, for his days were spent going to class, keeping the family in line, and catching up on all the work he had missed from not paying attention during the night. No wonder the guy was always tired - his habits weren't in the best interest of sleep. Nonetheless, it was these habits that he had come to get used to, and Klein was sure that he didn't plan on giving them up any time soon.

However, this morning, Klein awoke a little after he normally would, and immediately started coughing. It wasn't a light cough, one that signified a cold was looming in the future: these were deep, and always ended with something being spat up. Klein instantly grabbed for his cloth, which sat on his night table, as the coughing got worse. He hated those little coughing fits he had, for they were getting harder and harder to conceal behind 'just feeling under the weather'. Recently, Klein had begun to doubt whether or not he was catching a cold, but he instantly dismissed the idea: it was thoughts like those that made him feel sorry for himself, and Klein hated self-pity.

So, after the blood began to soak into the cloth, Klein stood up, and started his morning like any other - Yoga. Klein had started back when he turned 11, since Mother's death hadn't gotten off of his mind yet. He was constantly on edge, and couldn't think of any way to release all of his pent up frustration. He didn't want to be like Theo, who pulled himself in and became more violent, and he knew he couldn't feel music as well as his younger brother Finny. So instead, Klein took up the practice of meditation and yoga, which worked wonders. As Klein moved through each and every one of the posses, gracefully lifting himself into the air and lowering himself back down, his mind wandered on the day. However, as soon as he did, his thoughts were immediately turned to that one girl, and his brow furrowed. He couldn't get that girl out of his head, for the uncertain hatred he felt towards her was curious. Klein knew though, that for yoga to be efficient, he needed to clear his mind.

Until he heard a holler from Sky.

Klein sighed when his sister yelled up to all the rest of the Everetts, chuckling lightly as he returned himself to resting position, and then sat down. She was an oddball, but one that was cute enough to get under your skin and make you love her anyway. She reminded Klein of a kitten in an odd way.

So, while the rest of the family slowly trudged their way downstairs, Klein sat on his mat still, meditating for a bit longer. As much as he normally kept a schedule, he knew he would have to cut his meditation short for the day, else he would miss breakfast. With that thought, he changed into his standard dress - for he really only had one type of clothing... - and slung his jacket over his shoulder. With everything prepared for him to head downstairs, he did just that, and was greeted by Uncle William and Aunt Carol, to whom he gave a smile. As he passed Sky at the bottom of the stairs -he had to duck so that his head didn't hit the door frame - he gave her a pat on the head and smiled. "Morning Sky, or is it evening? I cannot tell." He joked at her confusing the time period. Klein wasn't one for always making jokes, since most of his humor was those kind of jokes that made people go 'True enough'.

Ignoring his attempt at light humor, he gave a simple nod and muttered "Morning Theodin. before sitting down at the table to address the rest. "Morning Finny, HanHan. He gave a smirk at calling his big sister by a name not many really called her by. He wasn't sure if it was because it didn't stick, or because she didn't like it: regardless, Klein always got a smile from it.

Once he noticed that Lucy wasn't among any of them, e simply sat there and watched them go about their business. He rubbed his eyes once, since the lack of sleep always got to him in the morning - Klein wasn't sure why, but he couldn't sleep in to save his life.

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"Lucy."
The two year old turned around at the sound of her mother's voice. She smiled happily at her mother, waiting for her to continue her sentence. When her mother did not continue to speak, Lucy bounded over to her, nearly stumbling over her own feet on the way, to which her mother chuckled. She picked the little girl up in her arms, before placing her upon her lap.

"Lucy, Lucy, Lucy.." she murmured, humor in her voice. "What have you done to yourself?"
Lucy didn't respond, not sure what the question was. She hadn't done anything wrong, had she? She glanced down at her dress, only now noticing the large, purple stain that covered the floral print. She blushed slightly, before putting a hand to her hair, which she could tell was wild.

"I.. I dunno, Mama," the little girl admitted, blushing. Her mother smiled warmly at her, shaking her head slightly. Her smile didn't reach her eyes, though, which were filled with sadness. Lucy took no notice of this, though, as she chewed the end of her sleeve.

Her mother gently pulled the little girl's hand away from her mouth. "Just remember, Lucy, that I-"

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The sound of her sister's voice awoke her from her slumber.
Lucy opened her deep blue eyes, wincing at the sudden change of lighting. The rays of the rising sun shone through a crack in the curtain. She slipped out from under the green duvet cover before making her bed drowsily.

She blinked away the sleep from her eyes as she got undressed, and into some sweats and a loose tank. She knew Carol and William would most likely be annoyed that she looked a mess, but she didn't really care. She wasn't really bothered to dress up, and hopefully she could just stay inside all day. She grabbed a dark jacket before sluggishly heading downstairs.

Her dream still rocked around her head, unsure what to think. She had these dreams often, but didn't tell anyone. They were just dreams, after all. She was having a hard time deciphering what was imagination and what was memory.

When the fifteen year old entered the dining room, she wasn't surprised to see that she was the last one there. Lucy wasn't known for being an early bird, and she certainly wasn't a morning person. She sluggishly shuffled into the dining room, smiling sleepily.

"Moooorrnniiing!" Lucy said, her tired voice still louder than comfortable. She sat down in her usual chair, so short her feet could barely touch the ground, Though Lucy was fifteen, she could be mistaken for a twelve year old.

She ran a hand through her wild hair, then realizing what a complete mess it was, tried to tame it, but to no avail. She finally sighed and grabbed a hair tie from around her wrist, tying it in a messy bun.

"Hello, my dearest siblings," she said cheerfully, before chuckling. She sat and waited for breakfast.

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Skylar yawned as she listened to her siblings starting to wake up, and get ready for the day ahead of them. She was wondering if Hannah was nervous, with her evaluation only being two days from now. She would definitely be if she was her. After all, Evaluation Day was said to be the road to happiness.
When one of her siblings finally came out into the hallway, which happened to be Fishi, a bright smile lit up Skylar's face. As he asked her if she was a time traveler, her grin only grew.

"Of course," she exclaimed, crossing her arms and making a face as if he should've known this already. "I thought everybody knew this?" After he had entered the hallway, intimidating a fish on the way, she giggled as she watched him mess around, starting to fully wake up after two hours of already being awake. She always enjoyed being with her siblings, no matter what time it was. They always somehow managed to cheer her up after anything. Listening to him talk about walking up everybody else, and what was for breakfast, she watched as he headed off down the stairs to help Aunt Carol. Hopefully she wouldn't have too much trouble with everyone waking up... She knew what bad mornings were like for the household, and she always tried to avoid them, no matter what.

The next to come out was no other than Theo, her own twin. Instead of giving her a bright morning saying, he let out a slight huff and told her she would catch a cold from being out on the porch every morning. A pang of guilt filled her, and it obviously shone through her expression as she looked down at her feet, shuffling them back and forth some. "I just can't help it..." she muttered, avoiding his gaze as she looked up from the ground, to the hallway walls, and then the ceiling. "The sunrise is just so beautiful," Before she knew it, a smile replaced the guilty look, and she finally faced him once again, "You should come out and watch it with me some time! I promise that I'll start wearing coats and bring out the best blanket I can find!"

Before he had time to reply, she headed off down the hallway towards the bedroom she shared with Fishi and Theo, passing by Klein and Hannah on the way again as they said good morning. With a bright reply, she disappeared beyond the door, so that she could change. The first thing she did was head to the closet, obviously, but when she opened it, for a second, the paintings that tumbled out of it caught her attention. If Aunt Carol sees these... she thought, biting her lip and glancing over at the door. She finally threw a thin blanket from one of the lone corners in the closet on top of them, and shoved them into the most hidden place she could think off in the stuffed closet.
With that out of her way, she grabbed one of her favorite outfits; a frilly white spaghetti strap top, along with some bright orange jean shorts, and took off her pajamas to throw them into her little section of the closet. The good thing about sharing a bedroom with two boys was that it was definitely easy to know where her stuff was, and she would never get clothes mixed up. And, they knew not to touch her stuff, because they knew what happened when you dared to touch a girl's clothing.

Slipping the top over her head, before putting on some black tights and the shorts, she went over to the little desk with a mirror she had convinced Carol to put in the room. Observing her long messy hair, she grabbed the small brush on the counter top and brushed her hair until it was close enough to being straight. Grabbing a black ribbon off of the countertop next, she managed to put her long hair up into a high ponytail, before tying the bow in a ribbon around the hairband.

"I think I'm going to help Uncle William in the Stop-N-Save today," Skylar said, practically skipping out of the bedroom with her long black hair swinging behind her after shutting the closet and heading over to Theo. "You should come with me. Maybe we could stop and get some hot cocoa downtown, or stop by one of the beaches for a few seconds."

Completely disregarding her earlier thought of convincing Theo to carry her down the stairs, she stumbled down them herself, almost slipping because of the tights and her clumsiness. She quickly caught her balance though, and tripped her way down the remaining steps. Sliding around on the hardwood floor, she slipped and slid her way into the kitchen, seeing that breakfast was almost ready. It was then that Lucy, the youngest and last of the siblings to wake up, came into the kitchen, saying a loud good morning as she did so.

"Good morning you all," Aunt Carol said, not looking up from the food she was in the middle of making. "Just to warn you all, there's a dangerous storm said to be coming tonight, around eight, so don't be deceived by the clear sky, or the warm weather,"

For a second or two, Skylar took this in, grabbing an apple from one of the countertops and taking a bite out of it as she thought it over. The sky had looked perfectly clear when she had watched the sunrise. Maybe the clouds were just late on their schedule or something?

"I want you all to be home before eight, since me and your Uncle have a big day today, so we're also planning to head to bed by then. Be in your rooms, or at least inside. Skylar, that means no watching the sunset,"

Skylar rolled her eyes a bit, and huffed. The sunset was pretty, but not as pretty as the sunrise. It also meant that night was approaching, so why did people think it was so great? Night was so horrible, so scary... And just so dark! The stars were nice and all, along with the moon, but just... She couldn't even explain it. It was just plain out horrifying.
"I only like watching sunrises, not sunsets," she replied stubbornly, which earned a sharp glance from her Aunt. She quietly just shut up by then though, sticking her tongue out to herself when Carol turned away and heading over to sit down at the table.

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Theo grit his teeth together and said nothing as his eldest sister, Hannah, ruffled his hair. All it did was remind him of their mother, which only mad him seeth with anger. Klein passed, and made his way downstairs with a simple 'good morning', and he stood, stoic and silent as the others made their own way to the table. He sighed as he listened to his twin babble on about sunrises, and raised an eyebrow when she said something about him joining her. Before he could even so much as reply, she had bounded, and nearly fell, down the set of stairs, slipping through the house to the dinning area.

Shaking his head, Theodin slowly followed after her, and sat down just as his Aunt said something about wanting them all in before eight that night. Theodin stared down at his plate. A storm then? Storms usually meant scavengers and Invalids would be cropping up in town, wanting to get supplies so they could survive the storm. Which also meant a perfect opportunity for him to lurk around the fence, and prey upon those unwise enough to enter in daylight. Or he could slip over into the Wilds and do some hunting there, plenty of the weaker ones who would be left behind. To top it off, both his Aunt and Unlce would be out for most of the day. So long as he could slip away from his other siblings he would be just fine. Now all he had to do was formulate a plan.

He had said not a word to anyone since sitting down, instead staring intently at his food, deep in thought. He hadn't touched the food either. Anything said in his directions was either ignored or brushed off with a mumble.

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After helping set up for breakfast, Hannah took her normal seat at the table. The Everett children began to file in and take their own seats, talking to one another like what they were, a big happy family. It was times like these when no one seemed to be fighting that Hannah thought their mother would be proud. In their family it seemed their parent's deaths had brought everyone closer, which was a good thing, at times like those you need people to rely on.

Everyone was saying their goodmornings, and Hannah returned the favor, until one particular goodmorning stuck out. Klein's. "Morning Finny, HanHan." he'd said. She rolled her eyes at him, but couldn't help the smile that spread onto her lips. Sometimes when you're really close to someone, they can make fun of you a lot and get away with it. But they sort of poke you in all of the right places. Klein you could say was her best friend. She wasn't out of the house too often now, only for runs or errands, and though he was her brother they'd always been close.

Him being the second oldest was probably why. He was the first child she was able to get close to. They grew up together, and when their mother was busy having more kids they had each other. Because the twins came along next, who were of course close on their own level, Hannah and Klein spent most of their time together. Speaking more in the present though, there was a bit of an unspoken bond. They knew they both were there for the other, and he was someone she'd probably go to confide in. She'd had many long talks with him about the cure, which he strongly believes in, but Hannah's not too sure.

Just after their mother died Hannah was truly a mess. He was one of the people she wanted to be strong for, and he helped her grow as a person and become that. Though she'd probably never voice her view of him to anyone, if asked she'd tell you he was he favorite person in the world. Not that it mattered, she cared for her whole family, especially when they were like this, all together.

Slowly, but surely, the thought of the cure creeped back into her mind. 52 days. Her evaluation was in two days. 47 hours. 2820 minutes. 17190 seconds. She knew she probably wouldn't be sleeping well until after the cure. If she took it or not that is. What was love anyway. Why was it so bad? Had she experienced it before? She didn't really know. A small frown appeared on her face, she hated being in a confused state like this.

---

---

"Good morning you all," said Aunt Carol, not bothering to glance up as she spoke. Lucy didn't bother with a response, just waited for Carol to finish her sentence. "Just to warn you all, there's a dangerous storm said to be coming tonight, around eight, so don't be deceived by the clear sky, or the warm weather." Ooh, dangerous storm. How exciting. Lucy smiled silently to herself as she listened to her Aunt, not really thinking about her words.
"I want you all to be home before eight, since me and your Uncle have a big day today, so we're also planning to head to bed by then. " This wasn't a problem, at least not for Lucy.

"Be in your rooms, or at least inside. Skylar, that means no watching the sunset."
This comment seemed to annoy her sister, who huffed with annoyance.
"I only like watching sunrises, not sunsets," Skylar replied. Lucy knew better than to ask the question she was thinking, which was, What's the difference? Skylar stuck her tongue out when Carol turned away, making Lucy giggle slightly, before Skylar sat down at the table.

"Hi," Lucy said, a slight greeting to her older, yet shorter sister. She traced little drawings with her finger on the table as she continued. "Err, what are you planning to do today?" she continued, awkwardly trying to make conversation. As stated before, Lucy as definitely not a morning person. This was her least favourite time of day, when her mind wasn't woken up yet, so she couldn't even have a proper conversation without seeming strange.

---

---

Finnegan shuffled around the kitchen, passing plates along the table. He only momentarily stopped when he noticed Hannah gracefully shuffling down the stairs – sometimes, he wondered whether or not she was the only one capable of such a thing. They were a family of stomping feet, all moving forward, in different directions. He smiled gently, then idly waved, totting a fork between his knuckles. “Morning, Hannah.” He'd never given her a nickname because he liked the way her name sounded. It was bizarre, but it reminded him of his mother. Full of elegance, of peonies growing in a garden, or leaves crunching underfoot. It wasn't something that could be explained, but rather it could be felt in the pit of his stomach. She was light on her feet, quite graceful, and he imagined how well she might dance, given the opportunity. None of them danced, anymore. How could they? If they were caught doing anything out of the ordinary, then they'd fall apart. They'd be taken away to the Crypts, buried in governments beliefs, buried in silence, in darkness. Was she afraid? He was terrified for her, and it wasn't even happening to him. He had plenty of time. His fingers immediately twitched to his hair, combing through it's messy waves before settling against the back of his neck. He was already swimming in his thoughts. He'd wanted to approach her yesterday, sit her down, and see what she thought, or at least try to get her to talk about her – lighten the load, even if it wasn't enough. Instead, Finnegan only managed to lean against her door, racking his brain for proper words. Did she have bad dreams, too? Why was he in so much pain, watching her, seeing her like that, when the cure was supposed to be a good thing? Troublesome thoughts for a happy breakfast.

He'd have to talk to her later, if only for awhile. It almost felt like a final goodbye, a breathy, hoarse whisper before something terrible happened. Like letting go of someone's hand in a growing crowd and losing sight of them. A slight frown pulled the corner's of his lips before he turned towards Klein, tipping an imaginary hat and breathing out softly through his nose. “G'mornin', Fancy.” Fancy because he was classy. Because he managed to hold them altogether, while somehow remaining whole, untouched by the frantic, hair-pulling anxiety he was sure they all felt deep down. Even Theodin must have been affected when the lights went out, when they were supposed to be sleeping. Wasn't it eating him up inside, too? He'd realized it a long time ago, even before he understood how to weave words into poetry. How to express what he really felt. They were his truth, strength, hope – and he couldn't live without them. Like ink pressed to the folds of paper, composed of beautiful things: almost, but more permanent.

He shuffled through the cupboards, clinking glasses together, finally settling his fingertips against a particular mug. Finnegan gingerly tipped the pot he'd been watching, pouring something fragrant, and making a point to conceal it with his hand. It was almost funny. It was difficult to procure anything that wasn't regulated, that didn't fit into a particular family's habits. In all honesty, Finnegan hadn't come by the coffee by any conventional means. If anyone asked, then he would have told them that he'd bought it at the Stop 'n Save. He settled the mug in front of Klein, and grinned softly. “Might help a little, yeah?” Sleep marred Klein like bruises. It wasn't hard to see how exhausted he was, probably from trying to keep them together. To keep them from stumbling in opposite directions, like hardheaded kids.

“Mornin', Luce.” He blinked, once, then again. “And Luce's unmanageable hair.” Finnegan leaned against the counter until Aunt Carol shooed him away, waggling her fingers. He scooted away, hopping on his toes, before slumping in his own designated seat – because they all had their own sitting arrangements, unless Skylar was feeling particularly mischievous. Sometimes, Skylar and Theo switched, but they generally stayed the same. He leaned precariously in his seat, head listing over the back of his chair. He frowned thoughtfully at the window, towards the back of the porch. The sun was already creeping on the horizon, casting it's pastel colours against leaves, shingles, and streetlamps alike – never truly showing a distinction or preference because colours were as free as his words. She could light up the dark like that and make everything seem brighter, a little more hopeless. The tight knot braided across his chest, pushing against his heart, his lungs, came looser at the thought. He'd go see her. Hope to bump into her, or something. It was stupid, but necessary.

He'd be gone after breakfast. They were free from school – thankfully, because he was tired of defending himself. The fading splotches of yellow, sweltered beneath his left eye, was testament to his clumsy trips. Either way, if he said he was off for a run, then no one would suspect where he was really going.

To Shell Beach. To her, to her, to her.

---

---

Hannah's little eyeroll did make him chuckle, but it was Finny's little comment that made his day. G'mornin', Fancy and a tip of the hat was all Finny needed to have Klein shake his head and chuckle. Sure, he knew that he was at the but of many jokes for his own clothing selection, but Klein knew the rest of the family and their own little quirks. Finny, for example, had a very intricate way with words - almost borderline dangerous, if you asked Klein. The kid could weave oddly placed words together and make a very moving statement, even if all he was doing was ordering something to eat. It truly was something, but since Klein had no clue how to do it, the jokes didn't 'write themselves' as the old saying went. So when Lucy bound down the stairs as the late one, Klein gave a mock scowl at her and her extremely unruly hair. He made no comment as he simply just smiled - everybody knew that the youngest needed something to be done with her hair.

Regardless of this, the entire family sat down at the table. Sure, Skylar had run off to do whatever she did, and people were constantly moving around, but not after long the entire Everett Gang was seated nicely at the table. They didn't know it, but Klein treasured these precious little moments, where everything looked just like it did so long ago. Granted, everybody looked a lot older than when he was 6 - and most of them could now dress themselves - but it still made him somewhat nostalgic. Klein's thoughts slowly drifted away into different times - like when him and HanHan would have their little talks. Klein considered Hannah to be his best friend, even if they had some conflicting views. He could not penalize her on not sharing the same faith as he - very few did have such strong feelings for the Cure as he did, with the except of Theodin. Regardless, they confided in almost everything together, since as the oldest they looked out for the family the most. While Hannah was more of the friendly type - if it wasn't for her unheard of hair colour, she would be just like mother - Klein instead tried to keep the family from going astray, keeping them in line, getting them out of trouble, that sort of thing. It certainly wasn't easy - his sleep deprived body was a testimony to that. However, Klein didn't mind as long as the family survived and strived to be together.

A mug was placed in front of him and Klein shook himself out of his little daydream. He stared at the mug in front of him, puzzled, until Finny spoke. Might help a little, yeah? Klein smiled and turned his head up to see Finny, and simply nodded. Coffee didn't taste all that good to him, since he didn't drink it enough: apparently, it was an acquired taste. Instead, if he could, Klein would drink tea - but that stuff was highly limited. He savored every time he got tea, and always was at his second most happiest when he did. Seeing the family together was always number one.

However, everybody started rhyming off what they were going to do today, and Klein stopped all train of thought for one single one:Wait, what am I doing today...? His confused look was extremely obvious for the entire family, but not all together new. There were many times when Klein hadn't a clue what he was doing for a few days on end until somebody reminded him. If he recalled correctly, Klein was sure he was heading into town today, working on his homework, and then just going to the special spot on Coronado Beach to escape and meditate for a while. Maybe he might score some tea while in town.

As long as he didn't run into that woman, he would be fine.

---

---

The day had gone by quicker than she'd thought. She'd spent the day studying mostly, cleaning up casually around the house, daily chores. Though souding extremely boring, it was normal for Hannah and she tried to make the best of most things. It was about 7 in the evening, and she'd lost track of time. She'd planned on starting her run at 6, and be home by at most 7. Usually, she ran though a path in the woods, jogging nicely until she reached her usual stopping point by a spring. There she'd take a quick drink, and start to head back. As always today would be no different, because messing something up in her schedule may just give her a break down. Running gave her space to think, or to clear her head of pressing thoughts.

She leaned over her knee, her right foot up on her bed. She tied her laces of the shoe, then let her foot slide off the covers. She stood up straight and tall in front of a full length mirror. She wore her running shorts and tshirt. Her semi-old sneakers were still in pretty good shape, and her hair was pulled up into a pony tail, the tip just touching the back of her neck.

She left her room, closing the door lightly behind her. She gracefully made her way down the stairs, her hair lightly bouncing along with her. At the bottom she called for her Aunt, or anyone really, saying she was going on a run. No one responded that she heard, which she expected. She didn't give much time for an answer either, eager to leave. She slipped through the front door, shutting it behind her. There she stood outside of the house, stretching a bit before she began to jog down towards the trees.

~~

She was aware that there was a chance of rain, and she'd hoped she'd make him home before it would hit. It was around 7:40 when she'd felt a small drop of rain hit her cheek. She'd brushed it off, and decided she might want to pick up her pace. Though she thought she was making progress, it was pouring at 7:55. Drenched, soaked, tired, and somewhat breathless, she decided she should take some sort of shelter for the time being. She was blinded by darkness and water, but she could make out an overhang.

Once she'd entered, she pulled the tie out of her hair, and let her red locks fall. She was ringing the water out of her hair when she noticed she wasn't alone. From what she saw, he was male, taller than her, with dark hair. She started to say something, not knowing exactly what to say.

"Oh.. um. I didn't see you there.. I hope you don't mind I join you to take shelter.." she started and trailed off. He seemed deep in thought, and she felt a bit guilty for disrupting him. Just then a boom of thunder and a flash of lighting hit, making her jump a bit. Caught slightly off guard, she flinched, but luckily she wasn't very scared of storms, and it wouldn't be a huge problem.

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Paul glanced over at the girl who had joined him. He hadn't expected to see the face that looked over at him, nor the form that now stood only a few feet away. He couldn't put a name to her, though. He knew her only as the redheaded girl who went jogging around here regularly. Seeing her out in the midst of a storm this bad was...surprising. A sudden roar of thunder interrupted his train of thought, and he jumped before calming himself and answering her. "No, it's no trouble. But if this wind picks up we might need to find better shelter." He wasn't exaggerating; the rain was already moving sideways in odd drifts. If it got worse it might move objects, or even them! He looked through the rain, wondering if any buildings there were occupied. If they were not, they might be in luck. Of course, how could Paul know? Or more importantly, how could he figure out without betraying that he was not native to Portland? After all, the only other possibility was that he was an Invalid, and that would spell certain doom.

Paul, focus. You have to get to safety before you can worry about getting out of here. And don't forget Alva! Paul had to get his priorities in order. If worst came to worst he could stand being on the run for a while, and getting the hell out would be easy even with Regulators after him. He supposed. He hadn't had to evade pursuit before except from one or two Regulators; they would doubtlessly try harder to catch an Invalid, especially one who had been interacting with one who he presumed was unmarked! He couldn't see the Devil's Mark on her, but her hair covered the area where it would be anyhow. He supposed asking would be impolite, and so decided not to. Instead, he focused on more important issues. "I don't know this area of the city very well. I kind of got caught out here, and live...elsewhere." Technically not a lie. "I think we might want to find more...substantial shelter. You think we can get into any of these buildings?" He tried the door under the overhang; to his surprise it opened to reveal an empty room. Perhaps they had shelter after all. "Well, looks like we can get in here. Come on. The wind's picking up." Indeed, a sudden gust had blown by as he spoke.