102

Dane woke up with a start. He looked around his dark room but couldn't see anything before he turned on his bedside lamp. 

He touched the space Natalie was supposed to be sleeping on but it was cold. He had no idea how long she had been gone but the coldness was there.

His heart hammered in his chest, beating against his ribcage as he got out of bed. It was 4 am and she wasn't supposed to be anywhere but on the bed, beside him.

When he left his room and headed down the stairs, he turned on the light in the sitting room and was startled at what he had seen.

Noah and Natalie were wrapped around each other streaks of dried tears on their faces. 

What had happened? He shuddered to think that just maybe Sean had laid a hand on Natalie but then that would spell doom for him.

Noah stirred awake, his hands on his sister's hair that was placed on his chest. He was twelve but he was