Steeling himself, Edward slowly and carefully went into the house. Since it was morning time, the light from the sun lit up the front of warm blue house and white kitchen through their windows, so there was no need to turn on the lights. The thick smell of iron hit him in the face like a train. Covering his nose from the pungent overwhelming smell, he made his way through the cold kitchen. The comfortable sunshine beamed through the windows and onto the soft wooden table, specks of dust danced in the light of the sun. The only sound being heard was the dripping water from the fossett into the bottom of the sink. The soft echo that rang through the kitchen due to the slow dripping of the fossett was becoming a bit eerie.
Edward noticed that an open cart of brown eggs were left on the counter and most of the eggs were missing, some were cracked open onto the floor but most had seem to vanish into thin air. Some of the yoke slowly ran down on the side of the counter onto the floors. A frying pan was turned over on its face, near the table's leg and there was some blood on the bottom of the pan.
Becoming panicked, he ran into the living room and turned on the light. To his horror, he saw on the floor, Walter and Ruth laying there dead, covered in blood that wasn't very dry nor very wet. They looked almost unrecognizable from how badly beat they were, their faces were caved in and their hands and feet had been severed. From the looks of it, it looked like her father was trying to protect her mother from whoever attacked them. Walter's lifeless arms were around Ruth's dead body. Their ears had been cut off as well and they looked like they had been stabbed multiple times.
Edward felt sick to his stomach, his mouth filled with saliva and his ears started ringing. Feeling a rush of heat, he slowly leaned his weight against the wall. He trying to calm down, to slow his racing heart, to get his head together so he could now look for Kamaria.
He snap backed into reality when he heard a soft hiccup coming from the rug, a few ways away from her parents' dead bodies. He rushed over to it and pulled the rug back, seeing a small handle, he yanked it open to find Kamaria, curled in a ball, sobbing and shaking.
She looked up fast and saw that Edward was above with a relieved look on his face. She jumped up the wooden stairs and lunged herself at him, practically climbing on him. He caught her as she jumped in his arms and held her close, she sobbed onto his chest. Repeating the phrase over and over "They killed mama and papa".
Edward planted a kiss on her forehead then slowly backed out of the room with his shaken girlfriend in his arms. Shielding her eyes so she wouldn't see her dead parents' bodies. Going out the back door, he then picked Kamaria up into his arms and ran as fast as he could into the woods, to the shed hideout he had made so long ago. Once he got into the shed, he blocked the doorway with a shelf. He gently and carefully picked her up and went down into the cellar and sat her on the bed. His head was spinning, the images of her beaten parents burned into his mind. But he couldn't let that consume him. He had to stay strong for her.
"Now, Kamaria, sweetie. I am going to need to you to recall everything. Who did this? What happened?" Edward gently took her hands in his and stared into her eyes.
"M-Men! Three...I-I do not know. They were white men with scary voices! Mama...mama was cooking in the kitchen when the door was being pounded on! Papa hid me in the underground storage were you found me...I heard the door open and screaming and fighting. The m-men telling mama and papa that they were good for nothing niggers." She spoke between her tears before continuing as he listened to her with sorrow in his eyes. "They did not know I was there, they thought I had hurried off to school but I was running late this morning. Lately I leave the house an hour before I go to you.." She hiccuped hard, trying to keep another episode of tears down inside her.
Edward kissed her knuckles and laid with her on the soft bed, she used his chest as a pillow.
"Can't we call the police?"
"Calling them will do no good. They do not care about people like me."
"Shit, I apologize.." he ran his hand over his face.
"You said you have been leaving your house lately before you come to me. Why is that?"
"I was making a yarn blanket as a surprise for mama and..and," her already swollen eyes filled up with tears. "and papa!" She wailed.
"I apologize deeply. I wasn't there to protect them.." tears fell down his face. Shaking her head, she gently pressed her forehead against his, stroking her fingers on his warm, wet cheeks.
"This is not your doing Edward, it was not your fault." She kisses him softly, allowing her tears to fall freely once more. "I'm glad that you found me."
"And I will never let you go again." His arms snaked around her small frame. "I will protect you with my life. You are my world." He kissed her deeply and rested his cheek on her head. Sleep soon washed over Kamaria hard. Edward stared at her as she slept. She looked so peaceful, he laid her down on the bed and tucked her in before silently leaving the room and shed. 15 minutes, that's how long it would take Edward to run back to her house. 25 minutes to get her things together for her. He did not want her coming with him in fear that the men would be back waiting on her or running the risk of seeing her dead parents.
Sprinting through the woods, Edward cut his arms a bit on the ragged branches that poked out from the Swamp White Oaks within the forest. 10 minutes. It only took 10 minutes this time to arrive to her house. He carefully went back inside, avoiding looking at Walter and Ruth. He looked around as he walked down the hallways, photos of Kamaria and her parents were on the walls. Edward took them off the walls and came to a room with a soft pink door. He opened it to find it was indeed Kamaria's room. Edward stared at her room, smiling softly, thinking of all the good times she must have had in it. He quickly rathered her clothes. He blushed softly when he had to grab her bras and underwear. Laying them gently in one of the bags. He then grabbed books and the stuffed animal and doll are parents got her. Placing all of her items and the picture of her and her parents into two bags. He sprang to his feet and left the house as quickly as he came. 20 minutes. He felt himself starting to panic as he ran through the forest. He did not want her to wake up without him being there. He ran as fast as he could with two good sized bags that slowed him down. Panting hard, his throat was on fire, with each breath he took, the air seemed to burn his esophagus. 35 minutes. He stubbled into the shed and shut the door behind him, re blocked the doorway with the shelf and hobbled down to the cellar. She was still fast asleep. He sighed in relief and set the bags down, which surprisingly, woke her up.
"Ed?" She brought her hands up to her eyes, rubbing them softly. He quickly was by her side, his right hand on her back, with his left, he held the stuffed animal.
"I went back to your house to rather your clothes and items." He tried not to think about her bras and panties, feeling heat rise to his ears and cheeks. He knew by the soft smile on her face, that he was turning red. Her fingers slowly intertwined with his. Using her other hand she softly took the stuffed toy from him.
"Thank you for going back there for me Edward." She pecked his still red cheek.
"But please be careful...someone could think it was you!" Her voice began to crack. His lips met her's. He distracted her wondering mind with his shower of kisses. Gently, he laid her down and slowly got over her, he broke the kiss session to bury his face in her neck. Edward himself was struggling with the picture of Ruth's and Walter's bloodied bodies in his mind. He glanced up at her, feeling her arms wrap around his body. He didn't notice that he was shaking.
"I will always be here for Edward." Kamaria ran her fingers through his hair. "Thank you for not letting me see their bodies. And I'm so sad you had to see that." She squeezed her eyes shut to keep her tears from flowing. Edward wrapped his arms around her waist and rolled so that she was on top of him now.
"Let's live down here together. Forever." Closing his eyes, he imagined what a life with Kamaria would be like. He pictured having children with her and protecting his family with his life because he knew it was illegal but he didn't give a damn. He wanted to love her and she wanted to love him.
"Forever." She smiled as she and him both slipped into sleep. Today was the worse day of Kamaria's life and she felt that she was almost at rock bottom. The only thing keeping her from falling apart was Edward Masen. And the only thing keeping Edward together was Kamaria Evans. But their horror movie of a life was far from over—.
