Chapter 1

Stepping off the school bus, a teen boy covered his eyes to block the sun, as the wind blew his mid-night black hair back and fourth. His pale white skin gleamed in the sun light as he walked toward their mail box. Grabbing the mail, he started walking up the side-walk toward his house, getting under the little roofing just as the sky broke out into a light drizzle of rain. He stepped inside and pushed the door shut. He had started walking up the stairs when he heard a voice call his name.
“Kieran is that you honey?“
“Yeah Mom, I’m going to my room” Kieran said rolling his eyes.
“Kieran you get your a*s in here now!” shouted a gruff man’s voice.
Moving back down the stairs, Kieran set the mail on the front room table and entered the kitchen . Stopping at the door way, Kieran waited for a while before speaking up.
“You called me Thomas?”
Thomas looked up at him, before taking a sip of his Budweiser.
“Don’t get that tone with me boy. I’m missing hundred-fifty dollars you know anything about that?“
“No I don’t, you probably spent it on beer.“ Kieran replied.
Stepping over with hatred in his eyes, Thomas reached out and back-handed Kieran across the face.
“Don’t you lie to me boy!” Thomas yelled angrily.
Kieran Staggered into the front room, before falling to the ground. His mom was at his side in a second. Kieran could feel her placing her soft hand on his left cheek.
“Damn it Sara, if you baby the boy he’ll never learn, now get in here and finish cooking.”
Kieran looked at his Mom with puppy-dog eyes, begging her not to go, but Sara just let out a deep breath before heading back into the kitchen. Jumping up, Kieran took off for the stairs, running down the hallway before stopping at the last door on the left. Opening the door and slamming it shut, he heard Thomas yelling at him, but he didn’t care about the threats. He flopped down on his bed and stuck his hand under his pillow, fishing out his Mp3 player. Sticking the head-phones into his ears, he got up and headed over toward his computer. After switching it on, he sat back in his chair listening to his music, waiting for the computer to boot up. A sudden knock at his door made him jump. As it opened, a mid-age woman peeked her head in. Her beauty, shined like a rose in the light, as she pushed a strand of bleach blond hair out of her eyes.
“Honey, do you mind if I come in?”
Taking out the head-phones as he looked at the door.
“Not at all Mom.” Kieran replied, with a sigh of relief that it wasn’t Thomas coming to yell at him again.
Taking a seat on her son’s bed Sara looked over at him, and signaled for him to come closer. Rolling the computer chair over to his mom, he stopped just shy of hitting her feet with the wheels.
“Kieran, I know it’s hard right now, but I promise it will get better soon.”
“I know Mom, but I just wish it didn’t have to be this way.”
“It will all be different tomorrow, but will you do me this one favor? Please sweetie?”
Blushing at the sound of his Mom calling him sweetie, Kieran looked up at her.
“Mom, will you not call me that? I’m almost sixteen years old now.” he said while trying to hide the sly little grin he had.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know my baby boy was so grown up!” She said, tickling him under his arms, which made him laugh like a mad man.
“Ok-Ok! I’ll do what you want if you just stop! Please!” Kieran said still laughing.
“Good! I need you to put your little brothers in the bath and watch them, while Thomas and I go out for a second.”
“Oh, Mom, I was just getting ready to talk to David.” Kieran replied, saddened at the mere thought of having to watch his brothers.
“It will only be for a hour.”
“Oh, alright…”
Smiling down at her son, she wrapped him in a hug, before kissing him on the top of the head.
“Sara, lets go!” Thomas yelled from downstairs.
Winking at Kieran before getting up, Sara headed out the door and down the hallway to the stairs before vanishing out of sight.
Scooting back over to his computer, Kieran quickly signed onto MSN before getting up and heading to get his little brothers. Upon entering their room, Kieran found the two little chips locked in an a wrestling match. Standing at the door, Kieran found himself laughing as the fight continued with both boys rolling over and over on top of each other before finally, one pinned the other, grabbing hold of a pair of batman undies and yanking up. Knocking on the door like he hadn’t seen anything, he caught both of the boys off guard.
“What are you to doing?”
“He gave me a wedgie first!” claimed one of the boys.
Laughing out loud, Kieran walked over to the boy and patted him on the head before moving over to the dresser and tossing them their PJ’s and clean undies.
“Bath time for the both of you.” Kieran said with a smirk still on his face. He led the boys out of the room and back down the to the bathroom. Kieran filled the bath up nice and warm so it wouldn’t burn the to little guys before having them strip, and get in. “Will you two be alright, for a few minutes?” Kieran asked apologetically.
“Yeah, well be fine. We‘re big boys!” The two said sticking their tongues out. He heard the boys playing in the water as he walked back into his room. He could hear a beeping sound coming from the computer as he walked in, so he sat down in the chair. Kieran brought up msn messenger, to see his friend David on.
“Hey Kieran are you there?” David had asked.
“Hey David, yeah I’m here,” Kieran typed back, bummed that he couldn’t talk to him longer. “I have to watch my little brothers for a bit so I might just make a quick stop over at your house later.”
“Oh, alright bud. I’ll be waiting for you, see you in a few.”
Closing out msn, Kieran rolled to his feet. Walking out of the room he headed back into the bathroom.
“Alright you two, let me shampoo your hair, and then you can get out.” Kieran said grabbing the shampoo bottle.
After shampooing both of their heads, he stuck his hands in the water to wash way the bubbles. Grabbing a cup they had in in the tub with them, Kieran looked at his brother to the right.
“Alright Joe, you’re first.”
After pouring water over the young boy’s head, he turned to his left.
“Sam your up.” Kieran said sticking his tongue out.
After they were all nice and clean, Kieran grabbed the plug and started to let the water out. Grabbing the towels, he moved back over to the tub.
“Alright you two, time to get out.”
While wrapping the boys in their towels, Kieran heard a car door slam. Looking down at his brothers, he said, “Hey you guys dry you selves off, I’m going to go see if Mom is back.”
Leaving the two to dry themselves off, he hurried to his room, going strait to the window. Looking at the car parked in the driveway, he watched as Thomas stepped out of the car, and then he noticed his mom in the passenger seat. Thomas moved swiftly around the car and opened the passenger door, looking around as he grabbed Sara’s body, dragging it out of the car, before quickly sticking his forty-five 1911 colt model pistol into his pants.
He started dragging the body toward the front door.
A look of horror, came across Kieran’s face as he raced from the window to get his little brothers out of the house. Tripping over his computer chair, Kieran hurried out of his bedroom, cutting across the hallway to the bathroom to find his brothers brushing their teeth.
“Alright you two, we’re going somewhere.” Kieran said, shaken.
“But we’re going somewhere with mommy!”
“I know. She just called and said she would pick you guys up at Tommy’s house.” Kieran lied.
Flipping off the sink water, Kieran rushed the two small boys back to their room, getting them dressed as fast as he could.
“Alright, grab your coats and let’s go.” Joe followed Sam to their closet and they picked out their coats, before they hurrying over to their beds and grabbing their teddy-bears. Seeing that they were ready, Kieran flipped the two back-packs he had packed of clothes over his shoulders and lead the twins down the stairs. Checking both ways at the bottom before coming out of the stairwell, Kieran signaled for the two to follow him, they all walked quietly toward the front door. Kieran picked up his Jacket and slid it on, before he twisted the door handle. As he opened the door, Thomas stepped into the doorway, his shirt covered in blood.
“Where the hell do you think you three are going?!” Thomas asked, outraged.
Kieran stared at the shirt, and with out thinking, lunged out with a front kick that caught Thomas straight in the family jewels. Slumping over against the house, Thomas let out a moan of pain. Kieran looked at Thomas then back at his brothers. He grabbed both of their hands and took off down the side walk at a run, looking both ways down the street before jetting across. Turning a corner, the three ran for a little longer before Kieran was too out of breath to run any farther. He slowed to a walk and looked at his little brothers, who where breathing just as hard as he was, and shivering because of the rain. Leading them off the main street and down an ally, he hurried past a few homeless people, and led them back out onto the side walk. They walked up to a stop light and Kieran pushed the cross walk button, waiting for the light to change. He watched the light as cars passed. Finally he saw that they could cross, and they all jogged across. Kieran let go of his brothers’ hands as they stopped in front of a apartment building. Ringing the button, they stood waiting for a reply.
“Yes, can I helped you?” A lady’s voice asked.
“Hi Mrs. Smith, it’s Kieran. May we come up, please?” Kieran answered with chattering teeth.
Kieran stood there waiting for an answer, when the buzzer signaling the unlocking of the door rang. He pulled the door open, ushering his little brothers in before stepping in behind them and following them up to the third floor. Kieran came up behind his brothers just as they knocked on the first door they came to. He could hear little foot steps running toward the door, before it burst open.
“Joe! Sam! What are you guys doing here?!” A boy around their age asked.
“Hi Tommy, can we come in?” Kieran asked.
The little boy nodded energetically and stepped out of the way. The three entered the apartment, following Tommy to the front room, where five other people were sitting. They all looked up as they entered the room.
“Good heavens Kieran! What made you think to walk over here in a storm like that?” Cried Mrs. Smith as she jumped up from her chair.
Looking down at the floor, Kieran didn’t want to say a word, but he brought himself to look at Mrs. Smith and answer her question.
“I’m sorry ma’am, you see…” Was all he could get out before she interupted him.
“You can tell me the reason later, let’s get you into a nice hot shower before you catch a cold! David, take Kieran to your bathroom, and then put the other two in ours.” Mrs. Smith instructed her oldest son.
“Alright Mom.” David replied.
David stood up and lead his friend through the family room and down the hall to his parent’s bedroom, so they could put Joe and Sam back into a bath.
“Alright you two, if you need anything, just yell.” David said patting them both on there heads.
Shutting the bathroom door he walked out to find his friend crying on the floor next to his parent’s bed. Bending down next to his friend, David reached over and placed his hand under Kieran’s chin to lift his face so that they were looking at each other eye to eye.
“Come on Kieran, you can tell me what’s wrong while your in a nice hot bath.” he said and then pulled his friend to his feet.
He lead Kieran back down the hall to the second door on the right.
“Did you bring any clothes for yourself?” David asked.
“N-No I didn’t. I was just worried about getting Joe and Sam out of there as fast as possible.” Kieran replied, still shaking from the cold.
“Alright, I think I have something that should fit you, as long as you don’t mind wearing my clothes.” David said with a sly grin.
Kieran looked up at David and grinned weakly, before getting a face full of gym shorts. Moving the shorts from his head, Kieran caught a shirt in mid-air.
“Alright, I’ll be out in a few .” He said winking at David.
He grabbed the clothes and headed into bathroom. Kieran had just turned to shut the door, when David said,
“Oh, I forgot that I didn’t have any towels in there! Go ahead and hop in and I‘ll go get one for you!”
Kieran shut the door and turned to slide the shower curtain back. After flipping the water on to the right temperature, he grabbed the plug and pushed it into the drain. Standing back, he hooked the zipper of his soaking jacket between his thumb and fore-finger, dragging it down until he heard the zipper click off. He peeled the jacket off and dropped it onto the tile, then pulled his shirt off before unbuttoning his pants. Turning off the water, Kieran stood back sliding this thumbs inside his briefs and slid his pants and underwear down to his ankles. Stepping out he pushed them over towards his discarded shirt and jacket before stepping into the steaming water. He slid into the water before grabbing the curtain and pulling it closed. If felt good to just lay there with his head against the wall. He had just closed his eyes when the door was kicked open. Spinning around in the water Kieran came face to face with a forty-five Colt 1911 pistol. He looked up, shocked to see Thomas standing there.
“You thought you could get away from me?! I killed your b***h of a mother, and now I’m going to kill you!”
Kieran pushed himself up against the wall, as Thomas pulled the trigger. Sliding back down, Kieran looked up at Thomas to see him laughing. Hitting his head on the side of the tub, Kieran fell into darkness.