Chapter 1

I walked through the streets that were so familiar to me with an ache in my heart.

I had just walked out of the house after a row with my mother. She'd been drinking again. She was out all night with Daryl- third time this week and it was only Friday. The only reason she didn't go out on Wednesday was that her hangover had been so bad that she couldn't get out of bed for the whole day. She'd been out on Monday, Tuesday, last night and was probably already on her way to the local pub now.

I suppose I'd better get back and look after my twin sisters. I shouldn't leave them alone; it's not their fault that they didn't know their family was crumbling to the ground. Mum hadn't even told them that social services were coming to pick them up the day after next and give them to a family who can actually love them. I had only found out about this yesterday but if Mum had had her way then I wouldn't know at all.

But I knew that there was nothing I could do. I wouldn't even be able to stay with my five year old siblings because I was eighteen, had been for a couple of months now, and I would have to register for an apartment.

You see, my dad died when I was eight and Mum never got over it. Back then she used to wake up screaming when she had a nightmare about his death. My dad was murdered. We don't know who by but my mum came home from work and there was blood splattered all over the walls. There was also a message left in his blood. It said: We know...we're coming back. But no matter where we looked we couldn't find his body. The closest the police got to finding it was a blood trail to a river and a fresh pool of blood on the banks. But that's not all. There was also a hand that had had a key shape carved into the flesh.

I wasn't allowed to see the pictures but I found Mum looking at them and I saw. She still doesn't know that I saw them.

And now, ten years later, it was up to me to keep the family together, making it seem smooth and happy to people on the outside but really knowing that it'll never last.

It can seriously mess with your head.

And do you know what? I blamed myself for everything. Even the little things like letting Mum have that one more beer when I knew that it would make her hangover in the morning just that little bit worse. Even when I knew she would force me to take time off my job to look after the twins.

I blamed myself for only being able to work at Tescos on Saturday and then in a coffee shop on Sunday which paid £5 an hour at each. I blamed myself for not being able to work a couple more days at each because I had college thanks to my scholarship. I blamed myself for practically everything without realising that none of it was my fault or that I couldn't have prevented anything. If I had then maybe my mum wouldn't be as unbalanced as she is and maybe I wouldn't be depressed all the time.

The only thing that made my day just that little bit brighter was him. They guy that everybody loved but no one wanted. No one except me. He was the one who made me feel tingly inside with just one glance, the one who could make me smile and laugh without a care in the world. But he didn't even know. And that was another thing to add to the list where I blamed myself for all the things on it.

Sighing, I turned my attention to my surroundings. The only noise on the deserted street that I walked through was my light footsteps, making their way down the street with each passing second.

But then there was another sound. A scraping sound- as if someone was walking but not quite managing to pick their feet up.

Yet when I looked around all I could see was shadows and darkness. Well it was eleven at night.

Suddenly there was an arm looping itself around my waist and dragging me into the darkness of an alley.

When I tried to scream I found another arm snaking in front of my face and the hand attached to it covering my mouth.

'If you struggle you're gunna' make it worse.'

I felt something cold at my throat and then something wet making its way towards my collarbone.

Oh my God! Oh my God! That's blood...I'm bleeding...because there's a...a knife...at my neck...

I was finding it hard to take everything in at once as it was happening so fast.

I could feel my heart thudding in my chest, making the blood pump around my body faster than ever, but all I could think about was the fact that some of that blood was now dripping on to my shoulder as my head was tilted from trying to avoid the knife.

I strained away from the body behind me, but all I succeeded in doing was making the pressure of the knife at my skin increase.

'Don't even think about moving or I'll slit your pretty little throat!'

The voice was definitely that of a man and I could feel his hands roaming over my body to find pockets or hidden places in my clothes. He was probably searching for money or jewellery.

I'm going to die...oh my God! I'm eighteen years old with a screwed up life and I'm going to die!

'Damn you! You don't have it!' His voice was laced with hatred and venom as he spoke the words that- to me- signalled the end of my life.

A few seconds went by before I felt the pain.

Blood slid down my neck and stained my clothes as I fell to the floor. It was also sliding down my windpipe and into my lungs.

I was choking on my own blood while my killer was stabbing me repeatedly. The excruciating pain heightened when my hand was detached from my body.

Why the hell would he want my hand? Why the hell did he want to kill me?

My breaths coming short and fast I opened my eyes dizzily and looked around to where the killer was carving something onto my severed hand.

At the same moment when I realised that this man was the man who had also murdered my father the shadows darkened.

They darkened and darkened until finally everything was black.

I thought that the pain would never end but I didn't know that this was just the beginning.

AN: sorry it's short but I just wanted to introduce the main character and set the scene for chp 2!

p.s. chapter 10 of captured by love should be out soon- sorry for the long wait!