If only that was all the trauma I'd endured, my life prior to meeting Steven was just as horrific. Born to a Schizophrenic mother who suffered with daily delusions, and an alcoholic father, it was lucky that they had no other children. I longed to be normal, like my classmates. Isolated and miserable, school was my only escape, yet I never really had friends. Everyone knew about my parents, so they gave me a wide berth.
Each morning I would walk with my head low and my feet dragging on the floor, it made me far more clumsy than I already was. I spent my nights, locked in my room, listening to my parents fight. I'd hear the screams and the sound of a fist connecting to a face, I would cover my ears with my pillow to drown out the noises. I barely slept, barely ate. I ached to flee, but I had nowhere to go.
My grandparents died when I was little, my mother had no siblings and my fathers sister was just as damaged as he was. My father left when I was nine, moved in with a woman who had six kids. I felt sorry for him, he wasn't a bad man, he just couldn't handle my mother. After he left, my life became worse. My mother was convinced I wasn't her child, she'd rant and rave that I'd been swapped at birth. While her words wounded me deeply, I learned to block them out.
By the time I entered secondary school, I was in the bottom class for all my subjects. I wasn't thick, but due to my home life I never could focus on school. I dreaded each time I had to go home, knowing my mother would be there, in her crazed state.
'Get out, imposter! You're not my child, begone from my sight!' She would scream. I would flee to my room, tears running down my face. I would pray to God every night, to save me from this cursed life. Sometimes I would dream, that she was right, that I had been swapped at birth. I'd imagine my real parents coming for me, taking me away from this awful place. It was just a fantasy I knew, but that didn't stop me wanting it to be true.
It wasn't until I left school and got a job at my local shop, that my life took a happy turn. I still lived at home, but I was saving to move out. I was seventeen when I first saw him, baby blue-eyed, tall, sexy and charming. That was my Steven, he played for our local football team and would often come into the shop covered in mud, buying a few snacks for the lads.
'Oh crap, I'm so sorry I've gotten mud all over your clean floor,' he said apologetically.
I smiled, feeling my cheeks go red. From the moment I laid eyes on him, I knew I liked him. It was hard not to, he was cheerful, happy and so very handsome.
'Don't worry, I'll clean it up in a minute,' I replied smiling shyly. 'Don't be daft, give me the mop and I'll take care of it,' he told me.
True to his word, he mopped up the mud and even went over the entire floor for me. I couldn't help but stare at his backside as he cleaned the floor.
'Thanks, you're a lifesaver,' I smiled.
'No problem darlin, see you tomorrow, I'm off to give the lads their food,' he laughed as went out the door. From that moment on he came in twice a week, it took him a good two months to ask me out. I gladly accepted, and since then we were inseparable. Six months on, we moved in together. Eighteen months after that, we married.
I had always longed for a normal life, and Steven gave me so much more than I could have asked for. He was loving, kind, and gentle. It was until after a few years together I finally told him about my parents. He didn't judge or look at me any different, he simply held me in his arms and told me it would all be okay.
A year after we got married, my mother died. I had not seen her since leaving home, but I organised her funeral. I had to, she had no other friends or family to do it for her. As I stood at her graveside, I didn't cry, or feel even the tiniest bit sad that I'd cut her out of my life.
Once she passed away, I visited my father. I had not seen him since he left, eleven years ago. He was a changed man, his new wife had straightened him out. She was a kind woman, but she took charge of her household.
My father was well groomed, well fed and definitely more well mannered. He cried as he held me in his arms, and for six months we kept in touch. I visited him regularly and he and Steven got on brilliantly.
Yet after finally becoming close to him, God took him away from me. He was diagnosed with terminal cancer, a brain tumour. He died in his bed, with his wife Anne, his step children and me by his side. I still remember him holding my hands and talking to me one last time.
'I'm sorry I couldn't be there. But I'm so proud of you, you've become so beautiful, so loving and kind. Dads can only dream, of having a woman like you for a daughter,' he said as he took his last breath.
'Oh dad, please, please don't go,' I wept over his lifeless body.
'I'm sorry, he's gone,' Anne told me sadly.
'He really was proud of you, he spoke about you all the time,' he stepson Greg informed me.
'Thank you,' I replied tearfully.
Nothing in my life, had ever been easy. Any happiness I got, seemed to be short-lived. If it wasn't for Steven, who knows where I would have ended up.
'Brooke, you alright? You look half-asleep,' Frankie said softly.
'Sorry, yeah I was just in a world of my own,' I replied smiling.
'What do you think about the plan?' Jade asked gently.
'Erm, sorry, what plan? I was miles away,' I said embarrassed.
'The plan to go to Halifax, to gather some more supplies,' Delilah told me. They briefly went over the plan again, just for my benefit. I thought it over for a few minutes, it was a good idea but I wanted to stay behind. My health wasn't great, and I didn't want to put the group in danger. I felt too tired, even after a few decent nights sleep and some good meals in me. I was still weak, and if I could avoid going out into the world and having to fight the dead, I would.
'I think you should all go, I'd like to stay behind,' I told them.
'That's absolutely fine, would you mind taking care of Violet?' Dom asked kindly.
'Sure, I love kids. Though its been a while since I looked after one,' I smiled. After what happened at the school, it made me happy to see a relatively normal child, she was a pretty, quiet little girl who had taken an instant liking to Dom. It was hard not to, he was such a kind and happy man. Even I couldn't help but laugh at his jokes, I could tell he had feelings for Jade though, I clocked him a few times looking at her fondly. I smiled thinking that like me, Jade had been through so much with losing her children. Maggie and Tamara were gone, and even Rowena being here could not take away the pain. Though it renew Jade's hope, she seemed more like the happy, loving women I'd known at Sanctuary since finding Rowena.
'Thanks,' Dom replied happily.
'So, when are we going on this mission?' Finn wondered.
'You're not going,' Morgan told him sternly.
'Mum, I'll be fine. I'll have Jade and everyone looking out for me, I can take care of myself,' he said confidently.
'I promise, we'll bring him back in one piece,' Frankie chimed in.
'If he gets out of line, we'll drag his ass back here,' Delilah piped up laughing. I laughed a little too, Delilah was another one who could make you laugh and smile. I admired her strength and compassion, it was hard to find people who still had both of those qualities in this world.
'See mum, I'll be perfectly safe,' he told her. 'Alright fine, but if you come back with so much as a scratch on you, you'll be stuck in the lab until your thirty,' she joked.
As I looked around at the others, I saw them for what they were, a family. Though they were not bonded by blood or even circumstance as many people were nowadays, they were bonded by their love, loyalty and kindness.
I wasn't one for talking much, I kept most of my thoughts to myself. So I spent a lot of time observing them, I couldn't help but think of how we'd all changed since I'd met them. When everyone but Frankie had first come to Sanctuary, you could tell they'd been through a lot.
Jade and Maggie had been held captive by not just one group of slavers but two! I could not begin to imagine the horror they must have faced, yet still Jade was a kind soul. Delilah was a wild child,
but had so much potential in her, Jensen was a kid who'd lost the woman he loved to another woman. Tessa was always strong and fierce, but back home she tended to go along with what her dad wanted. When Frankie had first arrived, she was a quiet, broken girl who'd lost her girlfriend to the slavers.
When we'd lost Sanctuary we were all broken down in our own way, well everyone except Frankie. She lead us through the hardest times, she stayed strong. I knew that if it hadn't been for her, we would not have made this far. I made a mental note to thank her, for such a young woman she was so incredibly strong, brave and fearless.
I crumbled more than anyone, I knew I muttered in my sleep, I lost so much weight. Even though I had the others, I'd lost my husband, the one person who'd been in my life the longest. I didn't know how to cope without his guiding hand, his loving arms. Even now I wasn't sure. Jade became so cold and distant, Tessa went too quiet. Troy, well he was a moody bastard even on a normal day, but losing our home, our friends had really done a number on him.
Yet now I look at them and see, we're not just survivor's or people forced together, we're a family. I felt proud to be a part of this group, the moment Violet came into the lab they unanimously decided she could stay. Dom had taken to caring for her, I think being a dad suited him. Another day had passed, we were alive, we were well fed and most of all we had one thing that other people in this world could only dream off; hope, for the future.
Chapter 10
Jade
It had been four days since Violet had joined us, it was now Friday 1stApril 2016, it felt so strange to know the date let alone the day. Back in the old world, my Friday's were spent cleaning and preparing for Rowena and Amber to get home.
Even though Rowena was nineteen and had a full time job, she still lived at home. Amber was seventeen and went to college, Daniel was already away at university. Cameron was working, he'd be home by three though as Friday's he always finished early.
I shook my head at the memories, there was no sense dwelling on my past. Not when my daughter sat here in front of me, I still had not asked her what happened to Daniel. I didn't know whether he died recently, or if it was years ago. I told her about Amber, we'd visited her and Tom's grave when we went to the summer house. We both mourned for her, and I grieved for Tom as well.
I had not gotten to say goodbye to either of them, Tom had died before I could see him again. I missed the old git, I missed his rough yet kind nature. I'd give anything to see both him and Amber one last time.
'You alright mum?' Rowena asked gently.
'Yeah, I'm just thinking about Amber and Daniel,' I replied sadly. I saw her bright beaming face change, I could see that talking about Daniel was hard on her. His death must have happened recently, but I needed to know. How he died, and how she'd ended up at the lab. We were sat alone in our room, so now was as good a time as any to find the answers.
'I wondered when you would ask about him,' she said quietly.
'I hate to make you talk about it, but I need to know,' I told her softly.
She took a deep breath and moved a strand of her reddish brown hair out of her face.
'I found him, in Leeds. The university quickly became overrun, it wasn't long before slavers took the city over and cordoned it off,' she said quietly.
I sat and stared for a moment, my heart beating furiously. Please Goddess, don't let my daughter have fallen victim to those awful people.
'You didn't, get caught did you?' I asked fearfully.
She shook her head, I breathed a sigh of relief. 'Daniel and I stayed in the woods, but we were trapped. They patrolled the outer city, and we couldn't leave without being caught. We eventually found a group of survivor's who were staying in Pontefract, but the leader was really strict,' she told me.
'How so?'
'Once you were in, you were in for good. He wouldn't let us leave, we tried to tell him we needed to get home but it was no use. We were trapped for years in that place, it was awful. After four years of being trapped there, the slavers from Leeds came and destroyed the place. Daniel and I barely made it out, and yet again we were forced to live in the woods,' her voice grew quieter, I sensed she was close to talking about Daniels death.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.
'It's alright, take your time,' I smiled gently at her.
'After we left the woods, we finally got back home. But you were already gone, if it wasn't for the note you left in your drawers we wouldn't have known where to look for you,' she smiled.
'I forgot about that, I didn't even tell the others I'd left a note,' I replied.
'So we set off for Scotland, but when we got round here, we got surrounded. Finn and Faye showed up and saved our butts, but it was too late. Daniel had been bitten, I-I killed him,' she stammered.
'It's okay, you did what you had to,' I put my arms around her as she wept.
'He told me to tell you something,' she said sadly.
'What did he say?' I asked still holding her.
She laughed and wiped away her tears.
'He told me to tell you, he got an A+ on his last exam,' she told me smiling.
Neither of us could help it, we just burst out laughing. That was typical of my Daniel, he would still, even in a world as dire as this, want me to be proud of him.
'What happened to dad?'' She asked softly. As I told her how he went to look for medicine, he found Frankie and saved her. I told Rowena how Frankie came to find us, and had looked after us in our darkest hours. In a way, Frankie was Cameron's last gift to us, and aside from my blood children she was the best gift I could have ever hoped for.
'That sounds like dad, always wanting to help people. But before then, you were in the house and you were somewhat happy?'
'Yes, we were. We just missed you and Daniel,' I smiled. Rowena sat up and just looked at me, with that smile so much like her dads. She looked very much like him, she had the same reddish brown hair, that flowed down her back. Her skin and eyes were like mine, but it was her facial expressions that were just like Cameron. Her slender frame had shocked me at first, but now I was used to it, I noticed the scar that ran down the left side of her face.
'Where did that scar come from?' I asked.
'When we got out of Pontefract, we fought a few of the slavers, bastards caught me with a knife,' she told me fiercely.
'I'm so glad you're back,' I said happily.
'So am I, when Finn and Faye told me about their friends who were coming, I knew it was you. I asked them not to say anything to you though, just in case,' she smiled.
'I just never thought I would see you again.'
'Me neither, but here we are. In a few months, we'll be travelling the country, saving people,' she replied in awe.
'It's amazing I know.'
A short while later Frankie came in, she looked happier than she had I a while. Then again, everyone did, being in the lab, with food, safety and security had done them all the world of good.
'Hey, you two alright?' She asked happily.
'Yeah, we're just catching up on things,' I told her.
'Want to come watch Dom try to train Violet,' she laughed.
Both Rowena and I laughed.
'Sure why not,' Rowena said cheerfully. We went outside to the field near the lab, where Violet's mum was buried, and stood watching as Dom tried to teach Violet how to fight. When her mother died, we all agreed instantly that she would stay with us. Dom had taken to caring for her, he made sure she was fed, clean and went to bed early. I was in awe of him, while I had taken on Frankie, Jensen and now Delilah as my own, I didn't know if I could raise a child in this world.
I felt a pang of sadness as I watched them, if only I could have saved Annabelle. I would have given anything to have her here, for her to have a chance at normalcy. It still hurt when I thought of her, I hadn't meant to kill her but that fact did nothing to ease my heartache.
'Why did you bring me here?' She asked Dom sounding like she was close to tear
s.
'Did your mummy ever tell you about heaven?' He answered.
'She told me it's a nice place that you go when you die,' she replied quietly.
'When people go to heaven they get to watch over those that are still here, which means that your mum is watching you right now,' he told her gently. 'You mean she can see me?' She asked excitedly. 'That's right, so I brought you here so that she can watch you learn how to fight and be proud of you,' he replied smiling.
Dom picked up a small branch that had fallen, and took all the little leaves off it then gave it to her. He got one for himself as well, and told her to stand a little way in front of him.
'Right now, I'm going to be gentle so don't worry but I want you to try and hit me with your stick,' he told her.
'Okay Dom,' she replied sounding more serious than a girl of her age should. My heart melted, he was so good with her. I knew Violet was in good hands, I looked at the others who all smiled softly. Morgan and Faye had stayed behind to work on the vaccine, Brooke had chosen to stay behind as well. Delilah and Finn laughed as they watched Violet try to fight. Rowena stood smiling, this must have reminded her of all the times she play fought with her siblings. Frankie looked like she wanted to cry, she held Jensen's hand as he kissed her.
I wondered if maybe someday, when we'd saved the world, if they would have kids. They'd both make great parents, something told me that if they had a girl, she'd have Jensen wrapped round her little finger. Turning my attention back to Dom and Violet, I was impressed at how quickly she learned to fight.
They worked at it for a good couple of hours and I had to admit, I was impressed that she got him a good few times. Unfortunately she hit Dom on his bad arm, I knew he'd fractured it a few years ago by jumping out of a first floor window trying to escape some dead heads, it had never properly healed and on occasion still caused him some grief.
Dead World Rising (Book 3): The Cure Page 10