|Your soul touched mine
From a million miles away
It shone so bright;
My heart knew it'd stay.

In your hopeful eyes
And thoughtful gait
That I grew to love
And find refuge in
T'was a spark, a gem of kindness that
I thought was long extinct
Thank you for becoming
Who you are because,
Had I not met you,
I'd probably be lost

In this world full of darkness
One could barely see ahead
You shone
From a million miles away.|

Monday|

"No! No! My dad's still inside!" Dante's haunting screams pierced my ears, shocking me out of my sleep. I turned to him, the dark of the night unable to mask his fragile frame shaking, his sallow eyes sobbing uncontrollably. My heart pounded violently, threatening to burst out of my chest. I bolted out of my bed, hurriedly tiptoeing toward my brother, careful not to make a sound.

"Shh you're gonna wake mom!" I strained a whisper whilst holding him tightly in my arms, attempting to coax him. My head spun in clockwise circles, and my will to stay lucid was slipping away quick. No. You have to calm Dante. I cradled him in my arms, his choked whimpers and stifled tears burning a hole in my heart. I couldn't bear to see him in this state. His lack of feeling in the day and flood of emotion during nighttime were driving him to the brink of insanity.

It was tearing me apart. 

And there was nothing I could do; should Mom find out, the strings holding what was left of my family were going to break. She was deeper in the tunnel of despair; stillwater above a churning hurricane. One more trigger and she was really going to lose it.

I was truly exasperated, and in this time of haplessness, instinctly started to pray.

Dear Lord,  I pray this silent prayer
Throughout the tranquil night
That you will heal the fragile souls
The world blatantly crushed

Bring hope to those with stifled sobs
And worn smiles on their faces
I pray that you will save the hearts
That have been going places

Dear Lord, I beg, please my hear my pleas
And bring the hurting comfort
No matter where no matter who
Please give them healing love;
As with me.

Amen.

Dante seemed to breathe more calmly, no longer gasping through tears. As his eyes slowly dulled with fatigue, I gently lay him on his back, pulling the covers over him.

Wearily, I dragged myself back to my bed, catching a glimpse of the moonlight bouncing off my clock.

4.26am.

I had to wake up in a half hour, for the first day at Connor Sanders High School. Dread filled me in the gaps that were not already spilling with hurt, and I found myself unable to fall back asleep.

If only Kylar were here.

The sheer ludicrousness of this thought startled me; why was I missing her presence? We only met twice, and although she was perfect in so many ways, it was bitterly foolish to yearn for her; my emotional baggage would cast even more burdens upon her already weighted shoulders.

I tossed in bed, trying to get some last few moments of rest in vain. Turning towards the smallish, stained rectangle of a window beside me, the faintest ray of light shone from behind the magnificent skyscrapers adorning the vast city. Slowly, gracefully, streaks of gold rose higher and higher; an air of majesty about their grandious ascend. I closed my eyes, and tried to transport myself back to when the days were cold, but my heart warmer than the August sun. It didn't work.

I was going to start school life, here in this sterile, frigid city, which had all of the sun but none of its warmth. I didn't expect much from it.

Nevertheless, I propped myself out of bed, and readied myself for this new beginning.