Prologue

 

Prologue

The sun was retreating below the horizon, the last of its beams shining through the open window. I closed my eyes, the warmth on my face washing away the aggravation that I had felt from the past minutes. How much better my life would be if I were an only child. I relished the thought, but knew it was something that could never come true.

      “Sissy,” Whined the baby voice of my two-year-old sister. “It time to play,” Her small hand gripped my lavender blouse and began to tug and pull, her eyes glowing with excitement. “Play time sissy! Now! You play with me now!”

      I stared at her annoyed by the bossy demeanor that she had acquired at such a young age, and gave her my answer. “No,” I said, smiling at the frown that had appeared on her face. I turned my head back to the window and watched a fly buzz around through the autumn air.

      A throbbing pain issued on the side of my head making my gasp in pain. “What the?” I exclaimed. I looked at my lap finding the plastic corpse of a chewed up Barbie grinning up at me.

      “You play dollies with me now!”  Her sandaled feet began kicking furiously at the exposed skin of my legs.

      “Ok, fine you win I’ll play with you, just let me go to the bathroom,” I yelled raising my hands in surrender. I got up from the windows ledge, her angry face etched into my mind making me chuckle. I left the room that my sister and me used as our “playroom”, and descended the steps leading into the living room.

      “Hello Maura,” My mother said glancing in my direction before gluing her blue eyes back to the TV.

      “Hey mom,” I called over my shoulder before exiting the living room, and out into the open air of our backyard. “Brenna can occupy herself,” I muttered to myself leaning against the tall oak that overlooked our giant manor. 

      “Such a boring life I live,” I sighed.  My auburn hair striking my face as the breeze ran through it.  I could hear the distant laughs of my sister, apparently occupying herself with some stupid baby toy, and closed my eyes trying to tune everything out except the rushing river waters that lined the grounds of our estate. The peace and serenity I was able to feel for the tiniest fraction of a second was shattered by the unmistakable sound of something crashing.

      I opened my eyes alarmed and scanned the house in front of me for any sign of danger or injured bodies. I saw nothing, until my peripheral vision caught sight of something black and billowing climbing up the vines that grew up the front of the house. I could see the tin trashcans lying on their sides, rolling back and forth from the impact that they had made with the ground.

      My heartbeat quickened, terror clogging my mind. Someone is breaking into my house.I shook my head trying to make myself think straight, and ran towards the house. “Mom. Dad!” I screamed. “Someone’s...” But it was too late, the cloaked figure had already entered the house, using the open window of the playroom as its entrance. I single thought wailed in my mind making perspiration run down my temples. Brenna.  

      I crossed the grass hearing the sobbing screams of my mother pleading to take her instead. “Don’t worry honey you’re coming with me too,” said the deep voice of a man. “But I’m afraid your husband won’t be joining us,”

      As I opened the mahogany doors, an ear-splitting blast of a shotgun filled the air. No. I leapt up the stairs hoping that I wasn’t too late, and whatever awaited me in the next room wouldn’t be as bad as my intuition told me.

      "Hh-hel-lo-o?"I stuttered, stepping into the playroom, searching for any signs of my family or the intruder.“Mom dad, are you here?” I asked my voice barely above a whisper. A mound of fabric lie in the center of the room illuminated by the sick pasty color of the moon. I cautiously walked towards it hesitating whether to leave it or find out what treasure, if any, lie beneath it. I wonder what it is. I thought, curiosity getting the better of me, as I reached out my trembling hand. I pulled the cloth off the treasure, and was overwhelmed with what I saw before me. Hidden beneath the mound of fabric was the dead body of my father.

      “Dad!” I screamed, collapsing to my knees. This isn’t real. I thought shaking my head, tears flooding my face. All of this is just some horribly morbid dream that I won’t be able to remember in the morning. I placed my hands on my father’s blood drenched shoulders and began to shake them violently. “Wake up dad, wake up, please I need you,” I pleaded my voice faltering, tears streaming down my face and on to the blood stained floor. CPR, Mouth to mouth there must be something I can do. I thought, a flame of hope igniting inside me making me believe that a miracle would happen and I would be able to save my father.

      I placed my hands under his stomach and heaved upwards flipping him over so I could see his frontside. The flame extinguished as I stared horrified at the mangled remains of his once beautiful face.  Violent tremors rushed down my spine, the shock that I was experiencing numbed most of the pain and emotion I felt, but the sickening throb of my heart was strong and noticeable as the reality sunk in. He’s dead.

      I turned my head repulsed, spewing chunks all over the wooden floor merging with blood of my father, forming a chunky crimson goo. My hands wrapped around my legs, my green face placed upon my knees, thoughts swirling through my head like a deranged hurricane. I stared at my father remembering the man who had raised me through my childhood and encouraged me to reach my full potential in everything I did. All of this could have been stopped, my father would still be alive and my mother and sister would be safely at home watching television and eating ice cream, but I was too late, and now my family is gone forever.

My legs wobbled and shook beneath me as I rose from the ground, the cloth clutched in my fist. “I love you dad,” I whispered into the silence. I threw it over the body, the noise of my shoes rebounding off the walls as I walked out of the room. I have to do something. I thought. I will not rest peacefully until the murderer of my father is rotting in his grave. Anger overwhelmed me as I descended the stairs once again. This man shall pay, he will die, and I will make sure of it. Plots of revenge shined in my head like polished jewels, but one question remained. How do I find him?

Author's Note

PLease be truthful and tell me what you think!

Reviews

[Holly-Marie]

Powerful and intense. Ended on a note that makes you want to read more. Very well written and it read extremely well. I really enjoyed this and will definitely be reading more. I can see your love for Stephen King in this =)

[Frog Girl]

I am being truthful, u have TALENT!!!!