Chapter Two

After closing shop I headed up the narrow staircase to my apartment at the back of the building and pulled out my keys. My mind still reeling from what had happened down in the cafe. Closing the door and tossing my keys and bag on the counter to my left. I walked over to my tiny apartment fridge and grabbed a bottle of water and an apple. Went into my bedroom to sit since I don't have a table or chairs or any livingroom furniture. Plopping down on my bed and settling back against the wall I opened my water and took a huge swallow. Looking around at my room while I ate my apple I note the small fold out chair that I use as a dresser with all my folded laundry laying on it. The walls are a light gray, which actually now that I think about it I think all the walls in this apartment are that color. Well except the bathroom. It's a weird green. Not entirely pleasing on the eye, but the room serves its purpose with a small sink and counter, off white toilet and an actually decent size stand up shower. Which is my next stop now since my apple is finished.

I don't eat much. I buy what I can afford and sometimes I will splurge here and there, but still it's on the necessities. Like, I bought a brand name shampoo and conditioner and did the same for some body wash and lotion. Off brand pretty much with everything else. Which in some cases the off brand is just as good if not better. Learned that from my Mom too.

Stripping down my clothes and stepping into the steaming water I let it just cascade down my back and just absorb the heat. I'm usually always cold and theres nothing better than a hot shower and even a warm blanket fresh out of the dryer to help you relax and feel safe. I miss when my Mom did that for me sometimes.

After scrubbing and shaving I hop out of the shower and grab one of my two towels I own and start to dry off. Cleaning off the steamed up mirror and allowing myself to stare for a moment. I don't usually look at myself, its weird. I don't know. It's like I see me, but it's not me. It's always been like that. I don't see what others see and sometimes I would like to get a glimpse of that person and maybe be able to smile at her in the mirror, but no. Grabbing my toothbrush and toothpaste I make a quick job of brushing my teeth and then brush out my hair and tie in up into a quick messy bun and head off to bed. 

Setting my alarm and snuggling in, sleep finds me quickly and so does the nightmare. This one automatically felt different. I was down stairs pouring myself a glass of water like I usally do before bed. Thats when I heard a loud sound coming from the door. Next thing I know two men came into my house and looked straight at me. Screaming I took off into a dead run up the stairs and hide in my bedroom closet. Yeah, I know how much of a failing job that is, I've seen the movies, but still, where else was I supposed to go? They were  stomping up the stairs behind me and the next thing I know they were in my room. My Dad is the first to get to my room after hearing my screams. He was blocking blows and taking hits from one man and my Mom comes in second later taking a hard hit to the face by the other intruder. The one with my dad pulls out a knife and thats when it all becomes a blur. In what seems like a blink of an eye, I see my father fall down to the floor and a terrifying scream ripped into the night from my mothers mouth. A scream that is seared into my head and will haunt me forever. She lunged at the man in black and she is whipped around to have her back against his chest and he places the blade against her throat thats still dripping with my fathers blood. He towers over my mom while she stands there weak in the knees staring down at my fathers lifeless body.

"I told you, Marissa! I fucking told you both what was expected and you didn't listen did you! Did you!?!!" he screams. Tears falling from my mother eyes, she nodded her head no and the looked up into the closet right where I was standing. In what seemed like an answer to him and her saying to me "I'm so sorry. I am so, so sorry.''

With that he quickly slices the blade across her neck and she falls to the floor, Her life force pooling into my fathers on the floor.

"Damn it! This wasn't suppose to go down like this, Dave! This was supposed to be an in and out job. Now look at this." The second man says.

"They fought and they weren't suppossed to fight. Boss said what he said and you know thats law!"

The second man sighs and rubs his hand on the back of his neck. "We're gonna have to call him. Noone was supposed to die. We had strick orders to bring the girl in and noone is the be harmed. Now we have two dead parents on our hands."

"Like I said, they weren't supposed to fight. They knew those risks as soon as Nathan threw that first blow. They did this to themselves. End of story. Now, stay here while I go out and make that call."

I just stand there behind the closet door listening and trying to hold back the sob thats strong in my throat. What the hell is going on? Did I hear right? Where they supposed to take me? While I send a silent prayer up I pray that I'm just imagining this all and that I'll wake up and this all will be just a dream.

The first man, Dave. Came back into the room and tells the second man their new orders. "He is fucking pissed."

"I told you. I fucking told you, man!! You fucked up!"

'Shut the hell up and listen! We need to take care of her and leave. He'll keep watch from now on.'' They nod to each other and walked over to the closet. One opens the door while the other lunges for me. I start screaming bloody murder and trying to excape the arms coming quick towards me. I failed. Intruder Dave pulls me in and holds me facing away from him. Just like he did my mom. Oh please God no! Then the other steps up in front of me and looks me deep in the eyes and speaks. I blacked out. The next thing I know is that I am woke up by pounding at the front door and a splitting headache. I sit up and reality hit me full force. My parents are laying on the floor dead. I run. I run and scream down the stairs and through the entry way to the front door. Pulling it open and crashing into a police officer, I collapse. I woke up in an ambulance sitting in my driveway. The back doors are open and I see some of my neighbors standing around. Shock and sympathy are all over their faces. I turn my head to face the EMT to my side. 

"Where are my parents?" I croak out. I needed water and an answer.

The EMT looked down at me and his eyes were nothing but kind. "You're awake. Just give me a moment sweetie and I'll get you someone you can talk to."

I nod my head knowing I won't be getting answers here. I turned my head away, closed my eyes and prayed it wasn't real. Waking up and seeing the terror that it was on my bedroom floor was nothing but a figment of my imagination.