Chapter One

The windows are rattling, the house is shaking. We all know what is coming; we all know that soon our house, our possessions, and our life as we know it will be changed forever by the wind's rage. I hold my girlfriend Skyler close to me. It has always been her and I against the world as long as I can remember. Her being from an abusive step dad and an alcoholic mom and me losing my dad at a young age and having a hard working mom. We never had people who actually loved us until we found each other. "It's starting to get really cold baby." Skyler said to me. "I'll try starting a fire again and I'll get some blankets because there is no way we are getting out of here, tonight." I told her. I got up and walked across our abandoned house that we had turned into our hide out. I always kept spare fire wood hidden in the closet for the nights that her mom drank too much. I grabbed an arm full and loaded the fire place before lighting it. The burning flames instantly pushed heat across the room. "Thank you so much, now please come lay with me." Skyler told me. I grabbed our blanket that we had brought there when we first found our hide out. We cuddled up under it and lay in front of the hot fire while the wind was getting stronger by the minute. We knew that soon our nightmare would come true, Hurricane Zeus would soon hit us with power like we had never seen before. "Hurricane Zeus is getting worse and everyone needs to get to their cellars!" bellowed the radio speakers. "Baby!" shrieked Skyler as the window next to us shot glass all over us. We quickly got up and ran to the back, and then crawled into the corner and completely covered ourselves with the blanket. "The storm is getting worse and this is only the beginning baby." I told Skyler. We sat there holding on to each other, the only people we truly loved; listening to the sounds that Hurricane Zeus sung. The pouring rain hit the roof like bullets, the thunder was so loud the house shook, and the lightning lit up the sky like the fourth of July. It was all like a terrible nightmare but in my heart I knew this was one dream I couldn't snap us out of. As we lay there hiding from the world's wrath, we heard a loud bang. I quickly jump up to run back to the living room to see that a log has rolled out of the fireplace and onto the floor. I rush to grab it carefully and throw it out the already shattered window. After it rolls out into the street I stand there and begin to think our lives will never be the same. In a way our lives were like the window. Though it has always been cracked it has always held together, but now it has been shattered from the storm's rage. ""Joey!" Skyler screamed and I snapped back to reality and ran back to her. "Baby, I heard someone scream and I thought something happened to you." Skyler cried. I looked at her with gentle eyes as I walked to her to hold her closely to my chest. "Baby, I'm fine. It's all going to be okay." I said to her and then leaned to kiss her head gently. "Baby it's just...I'm just...I'm scared babe." She cried. "I know you are boo, but it's all going to be okay. I promise you that." I said while lifting her head so she could stare into my eyes. "I love you babe." I said to her before kissing her. I held her tight wanting her to know I was keeping her safe, but deep in my heart I knew this was going to be an obstacle beyond anything we had ever faced before. Skyler slowly drifted off to sleep in my arms. I carefully carried her to the basement and wrapped her tight in a blanket. She looked so peaceful while she was sleeping. I sat next to her and started thinking. I really did love her; she had been through so much and had such a hard life which is a rare occurrence on "the beautiful island of Niihau," as the tourists called it. They never saw some of the challenges that a lot of us faced though. Such as Skyler, her mom was always drinking even though no one knew. Her mom always put on an act in front of everyone, so everyone would think they had the 'perfect' family. Skyler and I were the only ones that knew that her mom would drink just so she didn't have to deal with her abusive boyfriend. He would beat Skyler whenever he felt the need though. Last week that all changed when her step-dad tried hitting her in front of me. I tackled him to the ground before he could lay a hand on her and I just punched him over and over again, I just couldn't stop, I couldn't help but get vengeance for every time he hit Skyler. My Skyler. His face was covered in blood by the time Skyler was able to pull me off of him. Her mom kicked her out right away and called the cops. We ran from the house together and had been hiding out here ever since. "Baby?" Mumbles Skyler. "Yeah babe?" I say coming back to reality. "I had a dream about my dad...my real dad." said Skyler while moving into my arms, trying to be close to me. "Do you remember the dream baby?" I asked her. "Sorry but no....I just want to sleep babe." She told me while falling back to sleep in my arms. Skyler's dad was a rich contractor who left her mom when she was five. He wanted to take her but he had a violent side that wouldn't let him win custody. Even though he never hit her and never would. We always dreamt of leaving this island and flying back to the states to see him. He always told her that he would always have a room for her, but I don't know if we will be able to fill that space in his life. This storm might crush her dream like it is crushing this island. "I have to make your dream come true." I whisper to Skyler while rubbing her head. The wind was getting stronger and stronger by the minute and I knew that soon our world would come crashing down around us. I got up and went upstairs, by now the wind had shattered all the windows. The door was even hanging off one hinge. That's when I see him, a little boy, not much older than eight holding onto a pole, I knew in my heart he wouldn't last long. I ran to the basement and grabbed a rope we had. I went back upstairs and tied the rope around the base that went up through our living room. I tied the other half around my waist and stood at the door. The wind was blowing me as hard as it could trying to knock me down, but this was one fight I wasn't planning on losing. I used all my will power to take a step outside. I was instantly hit by the wind and the rain. Still I went step by step towards this boy. Suddenly a mail box was swept up by the wind and it was coming right at me. I tries my hardest to move, but I couldn't the win had my body paralyzed. Second by second the mail box came closer to me. I was paralyzed by fear, was this the end? Would I not be able to fulfill Skyler's dreams? He image flashed into my thoughts and I snapped back to reality. I had to survive, for her, she needed me. I let go of all my power and the wind pushed my entire body into a car's windshield as the mail box flew past. I instantly felt the pain as a piece of glass lodged itself in my rib. I felt the warm blood flow down my side. I got up and walked towards the kid. After about five minutes of what felt like pure torture I got to the pole. "Grab my hand!" I screamed over the roaring sound of the wind. He reached his hand out a little and I knew at his age that, that was going to be the farthest he could go. I stuck my hand out farther feeling the wind tearing the muscles in my arm but that's not what I was focused on. I grabbed his hand fast and quickly pulled us inside. I knew that another second in that would have done permanent damage to my arm. Once inside I grabbed the door and jammed it back in place. I took the kid down to the basement where Skyler was now lying awake crying. "Baby where did you go?" Skyler asked through the tears that were now dripping down her cheeks. "Baby, I'm sorry I went upstairs to check everything and I saw someone clinging to a pole and I had to help him. I explained while moving out of the way showing her the little boy. She instantly pulled him into her arms and checked him over. Skyler has always been good with kids; she had always loved them which is why I knew that she was going to be an amazing mother. She saw that he had no cuts and looked pleased. "What's your name little guy?" She asked in a gentle motherly voice. The little boy started looking down with tears forming in his eyes. "My name is Tristen." mumbled the boy. "Tristen? That's such a nice name. Are you hungry Tristen?" asked Skyler. Tristen nodded his head yes. "Babe do you mind going upstairs for food? I'm kind of hungry too." Skyler asked me. "No problem babe. I thin k we still have some canned goods upstairs I'll bring them down." I said as I turned toward the stairs. "Oh my god! You're bleeding baby!" shrieked Skyler. She jumped up and went to the back of the basement for the first aid kit that we had even though we never really needed it. "I'm fine babe. I really am." I pleaded. "Shut up and sit down." ordered Skyler. She had always been that way, so nice, but forceful when I needed. I sat down on a crate while she took the glass out and bandaged my side up. "Baby what happened? Please tell me." Skyler asked me. "I went to help Tristen and the wind knocked me into a car's windshield" I explained while she gave me a glare that told me she was mad because I wasn't more careful. Skyler got all the glass out of my cut then sat down talking to tristen while i went upstairs. I checked the cabinets and grabbed a few cans of raviolis and a can opener. While walking down the steps I heard skyler singing a lullaby, she had a beautiful voice that I always loved. I got to the bottom of the stairs and saw skyler and tristen laying together. Tristen had his head on her lap and was sleeping they looked so cute. " baby are you tired?" I asked " a little I just want you to lay with me, with us" said skyler while she rubbed tristen's headI put the food down and walked over and cuddled up by skyler, with her laying on my chest. I covered me tristen and skyler up with the blanket " i love you baby" i said as i kissed skyler " i love you too babe" she said as we drifted to sleep, tomorrow will be the start of a new life.