As most of the characters are more clearly introduced in the next couple chapters, I'll be posting a character list below this to help you know who the characters are. The prelude goes from family member to family member in a scene-by-scene sequence, although it cuts off right now in the middle of the second family member's scene.

I started writing this story in April or May of 2008; this part was written in January of 2009 (I don't write chapters in order, I write them as ideas come to me and fit them all together later on). Right now I'm trying to decide whether I should work with what I have on the prelude, or if I should just scrap it and start over.

Characters:

Leah Morro: white-blonde hair, ice grey eyes, mother of Callie & biological birth mother of Mia, legally adopted Alexis, married to Shayla.

Shayla Zantaris: raven black hair, bright green eyes, mother of Alexis & biological mother of Mia, legally adopted Callie, married to Leah.

Callie Morro: honey-blonde hair, sleet grey eyes, daughter of Leah, older sister to Alexis & Mia, oldest child, very serious.

Alexis Zantaris: dark mahogany hair, dark blue eyes, daughter of Shayla & Scott, sister to Callie & Mia, second oldest child, very outgoing.

Mia Morro: raven black hair, ice grey eyes, daughter of Shayla & Leah, sister to Callie & Alexis, youngest child, very serious and shy.

Kayla Brooks: medium brown hair, hazel eyes, girlfriend of Callie, “adopted” into the Morro / Zantaris family.

Story

No Way Out Prelude: The End of the Beginning

Leah leaned with her elbows propped up against the concrete slab that kept people, such as herself, from falling into the churning waters of the river below her. Rain was blown hard by the incessant wind, stinging her cheeks and neck, but she ignored those minor pains as she did the cold surrounding her. When she left, she hadn't thought to bring a jacket, but that was okay; she really didn't care.

Closing her eyes as if against the pain, she let her thoughts run loose, her pain consume her. So many things...and yet none of them could save her now. Never could broken glass be mended, but it might be melted down and re-blown so that it appeared the same as before, and that was the way she felt with herself. So many times a few little words could have set things right again for her, but not once did she ever hear them. She was still that tainted, shattered pile of blood-soaked glass, something that was considered less worthless by all those surrounding it.

She let herself feel, truly feel, for the first time since it all went so horribly wrong. The pain felt unbearable, as though it was going to crush her and drag her into the depths of that horrible betrayal. She almost wished someone would simply run her through with a knife, put an end to it, for surely it couldn't hurt worse than this. Despite her pain, however, the only visible evidence were the tears cascading down her cheeks, and they could have been written off as raindrops running down her pale, angelic face if not for all the pain etched so deeply into it.

The memories began to flood her. She saw herself in high school, the outcast and the loner and she saw that fateful day she met Shayla Zantaris. She saw everyone's disapproval and utter shock as they all learned that she loved her best friend enough to forsake not only tradition, but also her strict upbringing. She felt again the pain of having to leave all that was comfortable to follow her heart though the fires of pain, and heard the jeers from those her feared and misunderstood her. She recalled nights spent in Shayla's arms, feeling safe and secure as though no harm could ever truly come to her, and she recalled those horrible night she had spent alone and unwanted.

Again Leah felt the intolerable pain of rejection, of betrayal, and the tidal wave of worthlessness and guilt that came with again. Over and over again she heard those words, "I don't know...I don't know...I don't know..." until she was sure that they were forever etched in her brain. Then the sobs came and they hurt horribly.

Yet, in their pain, she found comfort. This was it.

-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-

Callie hugged her books closer to her chest, shivering slightly as the cold wind bit through her thin sweatshirt. She was leaning up against the brick wall of the high school waiting for Kayla to come out so that they could walk home together. Her sleet grey eyes stared off into space as she thought about their plans for the weekend and she began to contemplate whether or not she should invite Allie along or not. As much as she loved her sister, she was torn between hanging out with her and spending some time alone with Kayla.

“Hey Callie!”

Callie spun away from the wall to see Allie bounding towards her.
“Hey, what’re you doing tonight, Allie? Want to come hang out at the mall or something with Kayla and I?” she asked without even really thinking.

Allie’s face fell slightly, then she said, “Nah, I have to go home to keep an eye on Squirt. I promised her we’d go for a bike ride tonight.”

Squirt was the family’s nickname for Mia, the youngest of the three girls. The two older girls usually took turns watching her whenever their parents weren’t going to be home in time to watch her themselves. The 10-year-old, although tending to be shy and reserved around others, was outgoing and energetic around her family.

Callie smiled, imagining their little sister racing off on her small bike and Allie trying to keep up with that endless reservoir of energy they all called Mia.

“Have fun with her!” she said with a grin, watching as Allie headed off for the student parking lot across the street.


Thoughts?