Clutching my sketchbook in my hand, I make my way up to the bedroom I was assigned. I open the sketchbook, gently applying pressure on the paper. The hours tick by and I'm totally absorbed, thinking of nothing but the drawing and to get it finished. I haven't drawn since The Accident, so I've forgotten the peace and the sense of belonging it brings me. I'm no longer at war with the world, I'm just another normal girl doing something she loves. When I finally finish and sit up properly, rubbing the solid cramp in my neck, my eyes widen as I realise what I've drawn.

It's Mom and Dad... their last attempt at unity. I let the sketchbook rest on the bed and stand up. The pencil rolls off the bed but I don't notice; I'm too busy staring at the picture and wondering why I didn't realise what I was sketching before now. I wipe a tear away and then flip the sketchbook closed, unable to set eyes upon the drawing anymore. I knew it was a bad idea to touch a sketchpad.

Aunt walks in and spots the closed sketchbook, "Hey, can I see that?"

"No!" I blurt but she's already opened it.

The smile slowly evaporates from her face and she looks up eventually from the painting, "The accident?"

"I didn't notice what I was drawing. I was too absorbed in it. I didn't know what I was drawing until I saw it myself. It was a mistake; I should never have picked a pencil up." I snatch the sketchbook away.

Aunt puts her hand on my shoulder in a supportive manner, "It's okay. We all have our own ways of dealing with death. These drawings are your personal remedies. If you ever want to talk, remember I am here for you." She turns on her heel and leaves. I look down at the drawing in my hand and sigh. Ready to turn in for the night, I change and immediately surrender myself to the nightmare that is sure to come...

"Come down for breakfast, please, Nikki." Aunt says from outside my door. I stand up from the window seat I've taken to sitting at every morning this past week. I wrench open the door and thud down the stairs, slouching at my seat like I usually do. I forcefully make myself eat the omelette put in front of me and then retire to the living room to sit, staring into space silently, just the way I like it. At twelve thirty pm, Shaun walks in, dressed in a casual button down shirt and jeans. I roll my eyes and purposefully turn away from him.

Aunt clears her throat, "Off you go, Nikki."

"'I'd rather stay home today, Aunt." I reply stonily, looking down at my un-manicured nails.

"I'd rather you didn't. It's your first day of school next week and you need supplies. Now off you go." Aunt has started to be more firm with me nowadays, as Lisa has advised to her on her last visit.

Thanks a bunch, Lisa.

I sigh and get up, pulling my jacket on. Shaun leads the way on to the truck and I dump myself in the passenger seat, staring passively out of the window. "Why don't you like me?" Shaun asks on impulse.

I turn to look at him, frowning, "What?"

"You heard me." He repeats.

I snort and look out of the window so he doesn't see the smug look on my face, "It's not that I don't like you. I don't like people in general. The reason being they don't understand me any more, they don't know who I am and I don't want to deal with that."

"If you tell them who you are, maybe they will know who you are. People in this village aren't psychic, Nikki." Shaun points out.

"Yeah, but, if they really want to know, they'll try to figure it out themselves. I won't have to tell them." I clasp my hands together, presuming this is the end of the conversation.

"Maybe they want you to actually talk and interact with them. They want you to tell them how you really feel because they don't have superhuman mind-reading abilities."

"Please, just please. I have enough of this with Lisa, my psychiatrist. I don't need this from you. Can you please get on with this so I can get back to my Aunt's house?" I ask impatiently.

"Okay, whatever you want, Nikki." Shaun says as we turn a corner.

Six days later and Aunt and Uncle decide to let me in on a little family secret. There's a room in the house that is forbidden to everyone. No one is permitted to go in there, it's simply out of bounds. This makes me curious. As soon as someone tells me not to do something, I just have to do it. It's one of the two things about me that hasn't changed since... The Accident. The other thing? My love for my parents.

That night, at precisely three am, I sneak out of my room and head to the door leading up to the room. I slowly push the door open and pick my way up the creaky, narrow stairs. There's another door at the top of the staircase, the one that leads into the so-called forbidden room. Cautiously, I look around myself, making sure no-one can see me, even though the only people in the house apart from me are Aunt and Uncle and I know they're sleeping soundly in their haven of a bedroom. Assured I'm alone, I slowly turn the knob, my heart throbbing against my ribcage like a bird desperately attempting to free itself from it's cage.

I let myself into the room and then close it with a soundless squeak behind me. I look around myself, my eyes drinking in the detail... or the lack of it. The room's bare; empty walls, wooden floorboards, there's not even dust bunnies gathered in the corners. Apart from one thing. There's just a bed in the far corner, beside the slit of a window.

What's so special about this room? There isn't anything valuable in it, unless you count a bed as something extremely valuable and I seriously doubt that. Mind twisted with confusion, I go over and sit on the bed, feeling the mattress sink beneath my weight.

"You should not be here." The voice is deep and gruff, as if unused for years. I jump, startled and turn around. Sitting on the window ledge is a boy, around fourteen years of age. He has brown ringlets of hair, watery blue eyes and colourless lips.

He jumps off the ledge and I wince but there's no sound as he lands lightly and gracefully on his small feet. "You should not be here." He repeats.

"So? You shouldn't be here either. Who are you?" I shrug plaintively.

"I am Trevor." Trevor sits down beside me, "Who are you?"

"I'm Nikki." I say, "I live here now." Trevor regards me silently for a moment, his watery blue eyes taking me in. Then be blinks, as if absorbing my words, "Why? Are you their child?" He folds his arms indignantly.

I shake my head, "Nope. I'm their niece. My parents died so..."

Trevor swallows, "Sorry. No one really comes up here at all. I get very lonely, you see. I do not get visitors coming."

"Visitors?" My stomach clenches, "You mean... You're up here all the time?" Trevor nods, looking straight at me, his watery eyes darkening, "I cannot leave here. I have to stay with them."

"Them? Who's them?" I ask him, "Aunt and Uncle?"

Trevor doesn't answer my question, instead he leans in and whispers, "I do not like it up here alone. Will you come again tomorrow to see me? Please?" I blink, my heart twisting strangely for this poor kid.

"Okay." I hear myself agreeing with Trevor, "I'll come again tomorrow. Trevor, what do you actually do up here then?"

"I while away time." Trevor tells me, "I try to get out of here, but it is not possible. I just cannot leave." I want to comfort the kid, but something in my gut stops me.

I smile and put on a cheery face, "You don't need to feel lonely any more. You're my special friend now, Trevor."

Trevor's face lights up as he says, "I am your friend?"

"No."

Trevor's smile dissipates.

"You're my special friend. Did you not hear me the first time?" I say.

Trevor smiles, showing deep-set dimples, "I did, but I did not think I heard you right."

I tilt my head at him and ask, "Why not?"

Trevor shrugs, his nose scrunching up, "I am not exactly a 'people' person."

"Hey, neither am I." I say, "No wonder we're friends."

Trevor nods and then looks at me closely, "You seem very tired. You should go."

"Really? Will you be okay?" I stand up reluctantly. Trevor nods. I get up and leave, slithering down the stairs and into my room.

The next morning, I see Aunt and Uncle in a new light. Why are they hiding Trevor away? Who is Trevor to the two of them? I slouch further into my seat as Shaun enters. He's the last person I want to see right now.

Shaun sits down opposite me, "Good morning, Harry. Delilah. Nikki." I just look at him steadily, not saying anything, just acknowledging his presence.

"Nikki, Shaun said something." Aunt raises an eyebrow expectantly, waiting.

I sigh, "Morning."

Shaun smiles politely and nods, "You ready to go?"

"Where?" I ask, looking at Aunt.

Aunt rolls her eyes and then - rather helpfully - points out, "First day of school, Nikki?"

"Oh." I recall it now, "I knew that. Of course I did. School. Wow."

"Exactly. Shaun is going to be in all of your classes so he will also be showing you around the school." Uncle says, folding his newspaper and putting it down to rest on the table.

"Oh, great, I have a chauffeur wherever I go." Sarcasm drips from my voice.

Aunt sighs irritably and looks at me, "The least you could do is be grateful. Shaun has been tolerating your behaviour for the past two weeks. Any other person would have put you in your place!"

"And where exactly is my place?" I ask indignantly. Who is she to speak to me like that? Aunt is fuming, "Well, for one thing, it is-" Aunt Delilah cuts off her sentence.

"What?" I snap, "Say it. Go ahead. Say it. See if I care!"

"With your mother!" She shrieks and then covers her mouth with her hand.

I get up, my heart beat thudding in my ears, "Excuse me, I'll be in the transport."

I storm out of the house and slam the door, locking myself in the truck.

Shaun sits in the truck, starting it up, "She didn't mean it."

"She doesn't need to be justified. She can speak for herself, like she did inside. It's just great when you find how much your so-called family really cares for you, isn't it?" I grin sardonically in Shaun's direction.

"Why are you so hell-bent on trying to make sure you're never happy, Nikki?"

"Well, I'm not happy. So why should I try to be something I'm not?" I ask Shaun.

Shaun looks across at me, "Because it might make some people happy to see you happy, Nikki. Have you ever thought about that?"

"I don't need this from you, Shaun." I declare, "I'm fine the way I am. You don't need to be involved in any of this."

"Fine. Whatever." Shaun pulls into a parking lot, "Just remember. If you need to talk..."

"You're there for me, right?" I smile, "But you're not, are you? No one is there for me, not any more."