As much as I have tried to suppress the memories of my past, I can't seem to escape them. My parents loved me. That I know for sure. I just don't understand why it had to hapen to me.
The night had started out lke any other night with my parents. I was only 6 years old.
I had begged my parents to play hide-and-seek with me for what felt like hours. I still remember the smiles on their faces when they gave in and decided to play with me.
"Bella, go and hide. Daddy and I will look for you first."
I smiled back, "Ok, mommy." My parents covered their eyes and went to cont while I ran to hide. I took my favorite place behind the couch.
After a few minutes, I heard my parents call for me.
"Bella!" my mom said, " Oh Bella. Where are you? Honey, I can't seem to find our precious Bella." The next thing I knew, she was in front of the couch.
"Oh Bella! Where are you?" I couldn't help but let out a small giggle. The next thing I knew, my mom was peering over me, smiling.
"There is my baby girl."
I beamed at her, "I'm right here, mommy."
"You go and count and your mother and I will go hide" my dad said.
"Ok daddy."
I counted and went to find my parents. I couldn't remember how long it went on for, but I can remember that I was having fun.
That's when the terror started.
I had gone to hide one last time. After running out of places to hide, I scrambled back behind the couch hoping my mom and dad wouldn't remember that I had a habit of repeating hiding places.
I remember that they started to look for me when there was a crash. One of the windows to the living room was broken. My mom ran to see what was going on. I decided that it might be a good idea that I say where I was.
I heard a snarl and peered around the edge of the couch. What I saw is an image that has been burned into my mind for all eternity. It was a woman. I knew it was a woman, but there was something about her that wasn't quite right. At the time, I couldn't put my finger on it.
She was terrifying, but beautiful at the same time. She was as pale as a ghost, but her eyes were a deep-red, a color I had never seen before in someones eyes. She had crazy-orange hair that was flailing in every possible direction. And she stood like she was ready to pounce on someone.
In fear, I turned around and tried to stay hidden.
The next thing I heard was the scream of my mother. I remember her crying out to stop. "Please, don't kill me." All I heard in reply was a laugh. Then, I smelled blood. The smell was making me sick.
I could hear the footsteps of my father running to save my mom. I wanted to cry out to my father and tell him to stay away. But I couldn't get myself to say the words. I was frozen from terror. I heard my father scream and then a loud snap. I didn't even want to see what happened because I could smell more blood.
Suddenly, everything was silent. It was deafening silence. The smell of blood started to fade away as I remained frozen in place. Suddenly, I felt a burning sensation on my back. I didn't dare go to see what it was. It felt like hours before I moved from behind the couch.
I saw my mother lying on the floor dead. She had slash marks across her body. She wasn't breathing.
"Mommy", I cried. "Mommy, please wake up." She wouldn't.
I ran to the phone and called Aunt Renee. She would know what to do. I don't even remember what she had said on the phone. I hung up and went to look for my dad. He was in the hallway. He had meet the same fate as my mother. Then, I remembered the burn across my lower back. I went to the mirror. There was a small burn in the shape of a sideways 'S' on my lower back. I didn't understand what was happening.
I fell to my knees crying. How could this happen to me? Who would do such a terrible thing? I was only a girl. Who was I going to live with with? What was I going to tell people?
My parents had been murdered and I had no idea what would happen with my life. All I knew was that I could never be the same. Whoever did this should pay for what they did, after all I was only a child. And the innocent life that I had led had been torn away from me. I knew my goal in life was revenge.