Prologue
It was late.
I heard the front door open.
My dad was out of town.
He was not supposed to back home for another week.
Mom was in bed, wasn't she?
Sadie was away at camp.
The clock said it was 2:30.
Maybe dad is back.
Maybe…
The fifth stepped creaked like it always did.
Something was wrong.
Usually we just keep going up the stairs but it stopped.
No more movement.
Someone was cautious.
People aren't cautious in their own home.
I stayed in bed and closed my eyes.
Please go away, please go away.
The door to my room open.
Please go away, please go away.
The intruder walked in my room.
Please go away, please go away.
The intruder was right by my bed.
Please go away, please go away.
The intruder left my room.
Mom!
I pushed myself out of bed and grabbed my phone.
I stopped.
Maybe dad is back early.
He was checking up on me.
Right?
I kept the phone with me and walked outside my room.
There was a figure in front of my mom's room.
It was too big to be dad.
To big
It opened the door.
Quietly
Cautiously
I froze
I pushed the numbers
9
1
1
The operator answered
"Please help me." I pleaded. "There is someone in the house, I think he's dangerous."
I told them the address
They would be here right away.
I stepped forward towards my mother's room
I heard something fall
I froze
Deadly silence
Then a scream
My mom's scream
I ran into the room and there was my mom on the ground
A man on top of her
With a knife
She looked at me.
"Run sweetie, run!"
He slit her throat
She was drowning in her own blood
I stood motionless
He looked at me and smiled
Cruelly
Inhumanely
Maliciously
He raised a finger to his lips
I stepped back
He stood up
And started walking towards me
I ran
Down the stairs
He was after me
Through the front door
He was after me
Into the arms of a policeman
He was after me
A shot rang
He was dead
I woke up with a startled jolt. I was lying in bed breathing in concise, uneven breaths. My body was shaking horribly. I tried, forced myself to breathe normally but it was impossible. All I saw was my mom drowning in her own blood. All I saw were those dark eyes, that atrocious man.
"Jude."
I looked up at my father.
"Come on get ready for school." He said giving me a kiss on the cheek. "Don't want to be late at a new school."
I nodded weakly. I took a shower and got ready. I put a little effort into myself. It was my first day at a new school. I wanted this year to be better, I needed it to be, I do not think I could handle it if it was not better.
I think I would stop trying.
I think I would give up.