Reconditioned...

Prologue

A/N Just a little something to wet your appetites. Please tap the star once and let me know what you think about the beginning!

Saturday 3rd February, 1990

To think, it had began as such a beautiful day. It was meant to be a memorable one from just the beauty of it alone;Kris' mom had taken her to the park and watched every move she'd made as she played with the other kids. Kris had caught her smiling and sometimes wiping her eyes. Then they'd go for ice cream but her mother never ate; she just watched her eight year old daughter eat to her heart's content. She appeared to enjoy it more than Kris her ice cream.

As cars zoomed by, they'd strolled; Kris swinging their hands and humming along with her mother. She'd stopped them and the distant look in her eyes made the little girl feel concern.

"Mommy what's wrong?" Kris finally asked when she saw the tears.

"You love balloons don't you Kristen?" Her mom asked; straining pass her tears.

"Yes ma'am..." The little girl replied; confused at her mother's change of mood.

"Okay, how about you take this and go get one for you and for mommy?" She asked as she placed two dollars in her hand.

Kris looked from it to her and then back at the party favors store behind her. Katelyn's lips twitched and quivered but she balled them in before her daughter could think anything of it. Seeing that she was not going to admit to anything being wrong, Kris turned away for the store, but stopped short as her mom embraced her from behind in her arms. She looked back at her mother; her smile so warm but her hurt pushing through.

"Mommy..."

"Sorry sweetheart, I just needed to hug you first. You can go now." She finally said and released her daughter. Kris beamed up at her mom. She loved her. She loved her so much. It was the worst feeling in the world to see her in pain, not know why or what was the cause of it and worse still, to not be able to do anything about it.

Wanting to hurry back, Kris told her mother she would return quickly and took off into the store. The clerk was a slinky young guy with red hair and honest to God freckles. He was adorable but to eight year old Kris he was nothing more than the man that sold the balloons. She placed her money on the counter top and with a glowing smile she asked for two big blue balloons.

"Two big ones?"

"Yeah the ones that floats too." She grinned. It was contagious and he found himself grinning as well.

"What if you float away?"

"Well one is for me and one is for mommy. I'll hold onto it and pass it to her before I float away."

He handed her two brilliantly blue balloons on a shimmering blue string and placed the money back in her hands. He explained that he had promised to give a gift to the prettiest girl that came into his store and Kris was by far the prettiest.

"Where is your mommy?"

"She's right outside in the pretty pink dress. See? We're matching." Kris spun in her dress as the man applauded her then looked outside to where her mother was.

She giggled; unaware of the reason he had stopped clapping. She didn't know what he was seeing was so horrible that it made him dash over the counter; scaring her. He shouted for someone to stop but all Kris heard was the wail of a very big horn, the screech of many tires and screams.