Moving into a new place is hard for anyone. Rosaline never thought she'd have to do it without her mom and dad there to guide them. She had to do a double take every time she realized it was her brother, Xavier, in the front seat driving and not her dad. It wasn't just the fact that he resembled their father. It was also that she was so used to seeing him in that spot. Rose was in her usual position, curled up in the back of the car, head on a couple pillows with a large blanket covering most of her body. She had been peeking over the edge of the blanket, falling in and out of slumber often. She had been quiet the whole car ride, listening to the sound of the car beneath the seat. Normally she would call up impatiently to her parents if they were there yet or if they could stop somewhere for food.  Sometimes her dad would play I Spy with them on the highway when they were on road trips. They had done it since she could remember. Then mom would always get a headache because they got too loud over it. Rose giggled a little bit at the memory then realized her brother would probably wonder what she was randomly giggling about. 

Or maybe he'd worry she was going down the same path as Persephone. Rose let her gaze fall on her sister.  Though they were all different now, Persephone was the most different. With the death of parents, people were expected to be upset for a while. However, Persephone was completely losing it. She was admitted into some mental health facility not too long ago. Her and Xavier had to wait for her to come back before moving.  Rose wasn't sure how much it helped. She wasn't sure if Xavier knew either. Either way, Rose just hoped she could see her smile again. 

It was hard for even Rose to smile after what happened. Their parents hadn't just died-they'd been murdered. No one really thought Rose had seen anything like Persephone had. Persephone had been right there when they killed their parents and she herself had even been attacked. The poor girl was so traumatized after. Not only that, but she had scars across her body that could make people stare. Rose was worried kids were going to bully her about it. [i]No.[/i] She wouldn't let them do that. 

Truth be told, Rose had seen it all. She had been locked in what she had thought was the safety of the closet. When she cracked the closet door open just a little, she was greeted with the sight of her mother's throat being slit and her father's dead body laying in front of the closet. She had looked down and nearly screamed at the sight of her father's empty eyes. The sight was buried deep in her soul and she couldn't get rid of it. She saw it nearly every night and had night terrors all the time. Not to mention she hadn't been alone in that closet. Rose remembered being yanked backward by her waist into the depths of that closet only to be beaten until she was rendered unconscious.  

However, when Rose woke in the hospital and saw Persephone's condition, she knew she had to push away her own feelings of trauma and let them focus on her sister. Persephone needed all the help she could get. She knew deep down that Xavier was a bit closer with herself and was more prone to helping her than Persephone. If Rose acted like she was okay,  then Xavier would put all his efforts into Persephone. Rosaline wasn't so sure how much longer she could keep the strong, happy girl act up. She was beginning to feel dead inside. Every night she woke up and had to cover her mouth to keep from screaming. That was if she could even get herself to sleep in the first place. Sometimes, during the day, she'd see everything again and have to run out of the room to go cry in the bathroom.  Not to mention, everything startled her and she was as anxious and skittish as a kitten. The worst part was the horrible agony of missing them every day. She wasn't so sure how much longer she could keep this from them. 

[i]No I have to.[/i] She thought determinedly and sat up in the car seat, the blanket rolling off her body. After stretching her arms into the air and yawning as if she had been in a deep slumber, she smiled at Xavier through the front mirror. "Hey guys... Is this the town we're going to live in?"She looked out the window and watched the quaint little houses pass by. It was clear this wasn't the most wealthy neighborhood but it seemed safe at least. "I think we're going to like it here."