"Aili, what should we do?" Miara whispered in Ailianna's ear. Ailianna whispered back "Go back up the stairs, lock yourself in my room, and call the police. I'll take care of everything else."

"Are you sure you're fine by yourself? I can come with you …"

"No, you just stay in my room. I'll be fine."

Miara hurried up the stairs as quietly as she could, and shut the door loud enough to try and make the intruder think they were in Ailianna's room.

Ailianna crouched low, and scurried across the carpet toward the kitchen. The house was still fairly new, so the floorboards didn't squeak.

She went around the marble and wooden counter island in the middle of the kitchen, and reached up and got a sharp, shiny butchers knife.

She went to the door frame that opened up the kitchen to the living room, and crept across the wooden floor, and hid herself behind the oversized easy chair.

She slowly raised herself up, and peered around the living room. She saw no one, so she started to creep around the chair.

She heard a slight sound from behind her, but as she turned she felt a warm hand cover her mouth, muffling her startled scream. She struggled, swinging the knife around.

One hand kept her mouth muffled, and the other grabbed her arm which held the knife, and knocked it against the top of the chair.

Her hand released its grip on the knife, and it fell harmlessly onto the seat cushion below. She was tossed onto the floor, with her arm painfully wrenched behind her.

She felt a heavy weight press against her back, and could hear someone breathing, light enough she hadn't heard it before, but heavy enough to move her hair away from her ear.

She tried to scream, but the person kept her mouth covered with their hand, and had gotten some kind of cloth, and shoved it in her mouth as a gag.

Five low words were whispered, "Why did you leave me?" softly in her ear. She tried to speak, but only muffled noises leaked out from her gag.

She tried to move her arms and legs, but they were kept immobile by the person on top of her. An arm snaked around and went up her shirt.

Tears came to her eyes, as she desperately tried to wiggle her way out. She moved her head to the side, and looked at the chair with the knife.

Help... Help me. Were the words echoing in her head. If only I could get the knife…