Adwin sighed. That was a really close call. That guy... Did he do that on purpose?

"Adwin, Adwin, we're hungry!" Adeline yelled.

Adwin walked into the room next to the kitchen to see the four children trying to get to the top shelf, where the pancake mix was. Lilly was on top since she was the smallest, and Erik was on the bottom since he was the strongest. The children tumbled. Thinking quickly, Adwin pulled the pillows off the couch and threw them under the children. 

"That was cool!" Adeline said. Lilly just shook. She had turned pale. Gene gently rubbed her back to calm her down as Adeline talked about how cool that was. Erik, on the other hand, was just laying on the pillows, eyes wide and breathing heavily.

Adwin groaned. "Sis, you're gonna give me grey hairs at twenty five..."

Adeline giggled. "Sorry!" Gene raised an eyebrow. 

"Where are your parents? I mean, I never see 'em, so it's kinda strange, don'tcha think?"

Adwin froze. "Ah... It's a long story."

"Tell us!" Erik and Adeline said at the same time. Gene shrugged. "We have time." Lilly nodded, adjusting her glasses.

"Fine..."

Seven years ago...

Marigold and Jack were driving home from the school with Adwin. Hail was hitting the roof of the car. Adwin wrote a poem as the hail hit.

Pop,pop,pop,

The weather is angry.

Hail, hail, hail,

Wind throws it right at me.

Freezing biting cold, 

The crystals nip my nose.

Pop, pop, pop,

From the noise a song arose.

Adwin smiled at his work. It was for his final project in Writing. Of course it could be better, which was why he started now rather than later. Suddenly, hewas thrown against his seat belt, hitting his head against the chair in front of him. His vision turned dark.

One week later...

Adwin groaned as he woke up. He was in the hospital. Suddenly, he jumped up. "Hey!" He got the attention of a nurse. The nurse looked over.

"Where's Mom and Dad?"

The nurse frowned. "I'm so sorry, sweetie, they died."

Adwin's eyes widened in shock.

"There was a car crash, likely due to a drunk driver."

Adwin couldn't hear anything. He couldn't feel anything. He was just...

Numb.

Hail, hail, hail,

The ice crystals make you numb.

Freezing biting cold, 

You feel nothing as ice takes it's hold.

Back to the present...

Adwin sighed. "They died in a car crash, because of a drunk driver. Adeline never got to know them. I took care of her, because if I didn't, she would be in afoster home with strangers, and I would probably never have seen her again."

Gene nodded. "I'm sorry."

Adwin sighed again. "The past is the past. I made dinner, by the way. It's in the fridge."

Adeline smiled. "Yay! Come on, guys, let's eat!"

Alora, looking from around the corner, had heard the story. She walked upstairs.

"I have an idea for a new story."

She typed into her computer, carefully writing a sad story.

Once, there was a family driving home from school...

Meanwhile, the man was watching from the street, waiting for her to be alone. "I need to get her back where she belongs. This time, she will not escape."