One Day, One Night

They say you can't build a city in a day, but a world can fall apart in a night. This story has no happy ending, but I need to make sure there is some record of what happened that night.

Tomorrow was supposed to be the best day ever. My family and I were going too go to San Francisco, like we do every year on Christmas. I had gone to sleep thinking of bright lights, hot cocoa, and the pier. Our 13th trip.

Sometime that night, I woke up with a feeling of dread. My wide open curtains showed me the pitch black sky with a full haunting moon. Normally, the moon was one of the most comforting sights for me. Tonight it mocked me, shining bright and happy.

Downstairs I heard a creek. Was my sister out of bed again? I wonder if she saw the present I – SMASH! Oh My God! What was that?!

I cautiously crept out of bed, pulling on a night gown against the cold night air, but barefoot so I made no noise. I slipped out of my room into the dark, foreboding hallway. I pressed my ear onto the door to my sister's room. Quiet calm breaths echoed back at me.

Looming down the hall was a dark opening in the wall, waiting to devour any unlucky person who dared venture near it. I shuffled over, half asleep, half awake with fear. Breathing deeply, I stuck my head through the darkness, the portal to my younger brother's room. To my sweet relief, I saw his chest rise and fall with each everlasting breath. I released the breath that had tightened my lungs when –

CREEK…

My heart skipped a beat when I heard the noise coming from the stairs. I froze in place, couldn't think, couldn't move. I looked around, trying to find an escape. I saw the bathroom door wide open. With a last sad, hopeless look at my poor 5 year old brother, I dashed in. Closing the door behind me, locking it against the world, got down on my knees, grabbed the pendant that I always wore, and I prayed. Prayed to anyone who would listen, begging that someone, anyone would keep my family safe.

There was a creek from my parent's room door. I froze, listening. I heard slashing, the noise that comes from metal against flesh. My eyes widened as realization set in. Shaking, I fell back to my knees. The creaking of my parent's room door filled the silent night again. Oh God No! Please, not my poor baby brother.

The whoosh of fast moving air swirled past the door. My heart hammered when the movement stopped in front of my brother's room. My brother emitted the tiniest of squeaks before the slash taunted me again with its outcome. I couldn't hold on anymore. I let the darkness sweep over me as the gut wrenching pain ebbed away.

Seconds, or was it years, later, I resurfaced from the darkness that enveloped me. Groggily, I sat up. No light crept in from the crack under the door. Was the person gone? Unsteadily, I sat up. Opening the door, I stumbled out. Holding onto the wall for support, I tried to take in my surroundings. Both my parents and my brother were dead. That leaves my sister.

Time stopped. I felt like I was trying to fight my way through molasses, the door at the end of the hallway didn't seem to come any closer. Finally, after a struggle that lasted a lifetime, I reached the door and pushed.

Moaning, the door opened, showing me a scene I had only envisioned in my nightmares. Before me lay my sister, someone who had always been there for me, helped me when I needed it most. My protector when I was young and my best friend as I grew. Her sheets were dark crimson, with drops falling, making a tiny puddle on the floor. I couldn't move my eyes from the sight. Something was choking me. My world had ended and I knew it.

Blinking, my eyes caught sight of three little words on the wall, written in dripping crimson that brought on fear and relief.

You're Next Mia

I turned around to face his cold, dead, crimson eyes.