Chapter One
It was a Thursday night, about 6:30 or 7:00. I was in my room trying to watch a movie, but I couldn't seem to focus on it. It was boring and something didn't feel right. Everyone was slightly tense, but no one else seemed to notice or care. My brother, Zephry was making annoying commentary on the characters, his eyes glued to the fuzzy TV screen. My parents were fighting down the hall, in the kitchen, while making dinner. Usually I would go out there and try to make them stop, but lately that's been getting me in trouble. Apparently parents don't like it when their fifteen year old daughter's right and they are wrong. I heard glass shatter –the window. All I could manage to think was what the heck?
"Where is your daughter, Maximum Ride?" A deep male voice demanded. I froze and quieted Gazzy (Zephry's nickname). I reached for the remote and muted the TV. More yelling followed. I waited a second before I grabbing my brother's arm, and cautiously running down the hall to the back door. I opened it slowly, silently preying it didn't creak. I pushed Gazzy out first. I could hear my mom lie that I wasn't home and man ask where I was. After my dad said that I was at a friend's house and he didn't know where it was, there were gunshots. Two gunshots to be exact; they rang throughout the house and someone thudded to the ground.
I could hear my dad sobbing and saying my mom's name over and over. The gunshots left my ears ringing, but soon enough there was another and it was silent again. I forced myself to walk out the door instead of turning around, and Gazzy and I ran on the edge of the road. I didn't have half a mind to do anything logical now, so we were just running to get as far as we could from the house. All was quiet except for the beating of Zephry and my shoes hitting the concrete sidewalk. Overhead there was rumbling and I knew it would start raining soon. Dark, dreary clouds blocked the sky. You couldn't see anything but the moon that was bright and glowing slightly from its hiding spot. Who knew it was so hard to find the police station at 7:30 at night from some random street. After running and walking for about an hour we decided to sit and rest for a few minutes before making a plan.
I had never really been the type of person that cries a lot, but now was an exception, because Zephry and I were sobbing like there was no end. Like nothing could stop the salty tears from trespassing onto our checks and cascading down our faces.
I felt bad for Gazzy. My feet had grown tired. My legs were sore from walking and my shoes scuffed the muddy road with each step on the pavement. He wasn't even nine years old yet, it was 8:00 at night and our situation couldn't get much worse. I sat down on the next bench and Gazzy sat down next to me leaning his head on my upper arm. Now I had time to think of what really just happened.
1.) We had listened to our parents fighting when someone broke in and are probably dead, but it's not confirmed 2.) We couldn't find the police station, 3.) It's late and we have nowhere to go, 4.) We haven't eaten yet and it's cold outside 5.) We don't have any of our things except what were wearing. I didn't take anything except Gazzy. With all the luck I've had so far, I also managed to forget my jacket. It was on my desk next to my phone –a phone! How could I have been so stupid to forget about calling the police? After a minute of talking and thinking to myself, I realized just sitting here isn't going to help right now. I sat up from my slouched position on the bench and shook Gazzy until he was awake. (When did he fall asleep?) I pulled him up so he was looking at me.
"We need to go back into town and find a phone to call the police." I told him, my voice quiet and raspy from crying. He nodded and brushed the dirt on his jeans off. We hadn't told anyone about what happened because I was worried that someone would know who I was, and take me and possibly Gazzy like the man that broke in tried to.
"Are Mom and Dad gone, Max?" He asked me his eyes sad.
"I'm not sure, Zeph (A/N: pronounced Zef), but I think they're dead." I whispered the last word, like if I said it too loud I would have to face the fact that it's true. He sniffled and gave a curt nod and we left to find a working phone.