1 Chapter 1

Alice peered out of her second-story bedroom window, examining her birthday party below. Her dark curls bounced from side to side as she tossed her head. 'Mom really overdid it this time' Alice thought with an annoyed expression on her angelic face. This was her 15th birthday after all. She didn't want all this childish stuff at her party. Hideous balloons painted pink and gold with sparkles covering them. A small bounce house for ages 12 and under that she couldn't even use. Even the cake was grotesque, with its globs of pink icing and sprinkles even gold letter spelling out 'happy birthday baby!'. Alice sighed. She knew her mom would attempt to make this celebration about herself rather than what Alice wanted. Her mother, Liz, was obviously over celebrating because she was still grieving for Alice's elder brother, Max, whom had died a year ago.

'She can't help it' Alice's father, Steven, would say, trying to convince Alice to let her mother be. Steven always tried to take her mother's side, yet Alice couldn't understand why. She heard them fighting all the time. It being plain to see to anyone that other things were going on, but Alice was grieving as well. She desperately wished to have her brother back. Yet her pain was cast aside by her family. Just as she remembered her father's words, there was a knock at her bedroom door.

"Bunny? May I come in?" It was her father, Steven. He walked in slowly, not knowing what to expect. Alice couldn't be upset at his cautiousness. She had been acting out for the last few months. She glance at him from her post by the window with an annoyed look on her face. She took a moment to study her father, His hair had grayed more sense Max's death. He also had wrinkles all over his face like deep cuts grooved into his skin. She noticed he seemed tense, a little off.

'more than usual' Alice reflected as she stood moving to the bed to face her father.

"Dad, I don't want to go down there. All this stuff is for kids. None of my friends are here and I'm not a child anymore!" She glared at her father, daring him to speak. Her brow furrowed and her green eyes pierced through Stevens soul. He took a deep breath,

"I get it bunny," a nickname he has called her sense birth, "but your mother worked particularly hard on this party and I guess it's her way of savoring the last few moments of her little girl being a child. Give it a chance for me, bunny. She needs this." He looked away now nervously. She knew this was still a difficult time for them all. Especially her father. He had been with Max in his last moments before he died. Alice sometimes felt that her mother treated her father poorly because Alice would never say mean things to him like she would to her mother. Alice liked to pick fights with her mother as most teenage girls do. However, Alice couldn't help feel pity and sadness for her father. He watched her brother bleed out in his very own arms. How could she Treat him poorly after he went through something like that? She touched her father's hand tenderly,

"Okay dad... I guess I can make it work this one last time." She mustered up a smile to her father, attempting to show her own maturity. She wanted to be treated like an adult. She knew that acting out would not help that. He smiled back, but it wasn't genuine. She knew that all well. Max was the apple of her father's eye. Now he's not here anymore. She could never fill that void in her father's life, even though she desperately wanted to be closer to him. She stood from the bed they had been sitting on, her father stood with her. They shared a moment of silence. As if acknowledging all the pain they both felt. Alice wanted him to hug her tightly, but she knew he wouldn't. Nowadays, he acted as if she was so frail she might break if he held her too tight. They walked down to the party, both wishing one of them would've taken the first step to hug it out.

Alice stood at the sliding glass door, taking a deep breath. 'This one last time,' she said, playing it in her head like music to remind herself that she won't ever have another childish party again if she got through this one. Her mother Liz waved her over to a crowd of adults eagerly awaiting the birthday girl. As her mother introduced some of them to her, uncles, aunts, cousins and some of her mother's own friends, Alice's eyes glimpsed her aunt Claire. Claire was an admirable woman, professional, skilled, ran her own business and made lots of money. She was also a big fan of hiking and camping, which are Alice's favorite things to do. Claire was standing away from the crowd, looking rather nervous. This was unusual. Alice knew her mother and her aunt had a fight recently. However, Alice was unaware what the fight was about. Claire just stopped coming around as much after that. Alice thought because of Max's death, her aunt was grieving too and that caused such an uproar. Alice pulled away from her mother the first chance she got, running to where Claire was sitting.

"Aunt Claire!" She exclaimed, waving her hand to get her aunt's attention.

"Ah, theirs my beautiful niece!" Claire flashed a big smile, as she hugged Alice close to her breast. Alice let her warm embrace linger for as long as possible. She took in her aunts scent. She wanted to remember because she knew she might not see her aunt for long during this visit, just like last time.

"I didn't think you'd be able to make it, auntie," Alice. said with tears in her eyes. Her pursuit of maturity, Alice tried to hide her tears to the best of her abilities.

"I wouldn't miss my niece turning into a woman, now would I?" Claire gigged at Alice's flushed face. Claire loved to make her blush or tease her any chance she got. It was like having an older sister. For Alice, it was comforting, especially sense Max died.

"Besides, I knew your mother would throw some kiddy party like this, so I figured I'd come make it a little interesting" Claire eyed Alice's mother. Liz was watching silently as Claire and Alice spoke. Before max died, their relationship was great. Alice separately wanted to know what happened, but could never muster up the courage to ask anyone. They fought a lot and Alice barely saw her aunt sense then. Alice sat down on a bench placed near the bounce house. She placed her head in her palms and let it stay there. She felt uneasy every time her aunt and mother stared at each other like that.

'What is going on!?' Alice screamed in her mind. This was beyond frustrating for her. This was another reason she wanted to be treated like an adult, so she could know what was going on and not be left in the dark all the time.

"Alice, are you okay? Feeling too old for this junk, huh?" Claire had a hint of worry in her voice. It made Alice wonder why she seemed worried at a time like this. Alice was too emotionally exhausted to tell her aunt what was really going on inside her head.

"I'm fine, auntie, I just don't know what to do at this party. Most everything is for children, and I'm too old for it all. None of my friends are here either. Mom only invited family, of course she also made she to invite her own friends." Alice scoffed at this. She was extremely upset to see her mother's desperate attempt at convincing the world that they had a perfect little family that she let some words slip in front of Claire, "I just don't see why she has to be so desperate…" As soon as the words came out Alice instantly regretted them. Her fact flushed red, she slowly turned to her aunt who looked at her tenderly with understanding in her eyes. This surprised Alice. She expected her aunt to become furious, as her father did when Alice made those comments towards her mother.

Claire softly smiled though, she knew all too well how 'desperate' her sister could be, "I understand Hun, but at least indulge her for today, god knows she needs this..." Claire trailed off with her words, her gaze was fixed on Steven. Alice looked at her father too, in confusion. Claire brought her attention back to Alice. "I didn't mean that, I just mean... she's stressed, you know?" Alice nodded in acknowledgment but couldn't understand her aunt's bothersome behavior towards her father. Alice thought her aunt looked almost scared when Steven came out of the house, as if her aunt wasn't supposed to be in his presence. Claire stood quickly. She seemed a bit flustered now as she smoothed out her dress shirt. Alice figured her aunt wanted to end the conversation here. Once again, Alice was pushed to the side, even by her own aunt.

"Well, I guess I will go find something to do at this party." She smiled faintly at her aunt, but Claire wasn't even paying attention to her anymore. "Claire?" Alices voice was annoyed now.

"Oh, yes, that sounds good. I'll be over here…" without even a hug goodbye, Claire walked off towards her father Steven. She seemed to discuss something important with him. Alice watched as her mother couldn't take her eyes off them. She had a look on her face Alice. has never seen before, betrayal. Alice turned away, as if she knew what was happening, but facing that truth would be too much. She shrugged it off as miscommunication or paranoia. She just couldn't handle any more truth right now, even if she did really want to know. Before deciding to jump with the little kids in the bounce house, Alice noted her mother walking towards her father and Claire. A hate lingered in her eyes. Her mother reached them quickly. She seemed far more aggravated than Alice had ever seen her. A lingering feeling of hurt creeped up Alice's chest as she watched her mother say something stern to Claire, then grab Steven. She marched Steven into the house, closing the door behind them. Claire looked angry. She turned, noticing Alice staring. Alice felt that pain spread through her whole body as she saw a tear fall from Claire's eyes. Claire wiped her tear rushing off to mingle so Alice wouldn't try to ask what happened. Alice did her best to look away, distracting herself as must as possible, hoping no one else saw her family falling apart. She couldn't help but wonder if this had something to do with her. Was she just causing more problems in her family? If so, how could she go about fixing things? She let her thoughts run wild until some time later, Alice. heard her mother call out,

"ALICE, LETS DO THE CAKE!"

"Coming!" Alice replied, turning to the exit of the bounce house. She carefully avoided the smaller kids as she got out, slipping on her shoes. She started walking towards her mother. She knew she had to pull her thoughts together before standing before her family. Alice was at least happy her mother didn't kick her aunt out. 'Still desperate to keep up the image' She thought as she walked towards the eager faces waiting to sing to her. Before Alice reached her family, there was a loud crash from the front of the house. The sound of metal being smashed or torn echoed through the neighborhood, advancing over even the loud party music. A few kids screamed in alarm at the loud noise. Some parents grabbed their children to hold them close, soothing them. Alice felt her heart pounding in her chest as she saw a woman that her mother introduced to her earlier, named Nacey, grabbed her infant daughter, Rosie, out of her car seat in a swift movement to cease the babies crying. A few people she knew to be relatives ran up front to see what was going on. Then all that could be heard was screaming, bone chilling screams. People ran back, grabbing their families in a panic, fleeing the party. Within moments, everything was in chaos. People scrambled screaming, "MONSTERS! MONSTERS! RUN!" rushed in all directions. Alice's heart dropped in her chest as she saw Nacey fall to the ground, clutching her infant daughter. Everyone was trampling them. Alice was frozen in place, watching as Nacey reached out an arm to her, as if to plea for Alice to help. Alas, Alice could only watch as the last of the party guests paid no attention to Nacey's bleeding body, or her infants blood-curdling screams. Her eyes, wide open, still looking at Alice, now were caked in blood. Those damned pleading eyes. Alice couldn't break the gaze they shared. She watched the light leaving Nacey's eyes and her grip on her child loosen. Even from where Alice stood, she could hear the struggling infants last breaths. She watched its little chest rise and fall for the last time. Alice shook violently. She watched Nacey hoping, praying that she would get up, that all of this was just a bad dream or practical joke. This wasn't the case. Nacey's blood pooled around her and the child. Its dark red presences made Alice vomit not because she feared blood but at the sudden realization that she just witnessed someone die. Alice was so consumed with guilt and fear, she didn't see her father running up to her in a panic.

"Alice! Alice! Get into the house now!" Her father's voice was frantic, but she couldn't take her eyes off Nacey. She could have helped this frail woman. She could have saved two lives instead of being a bystander unable to move. This guilt pressed hard against her brain before settling its chill into her heart.

"Alice, please!" Steven was cut off before he could say anymore. He realized his daughter's eyes were full of tears. Her face was in utter shock and disbelief. Vomit was close to her feet. She seemed locked up in fear.

"Dad, they... they trampled her.. Rosie, Nacey... are they.." Alice couldn't even finish her sentence before bursting into tears, vomiting again. Steven glanced at what Alice was looking at. He saw the mangled body of his wife's friend Nacey and the child she held so closely to her limp breast. Both were covered in bruises and blood pooled around them. He shut his eyes, cursing under his breath. How could no one have helped that poor woman? There wasn't much to Nacey. She had been sick for years. Once her child was born, she got worse. Her already pale skin looked almost reflective against the dark blood and bruises cast on her body. Steven pieced together that Alice has witnessed the entire ordeal. He returned his attention to Alice, feeling pity and sorrow that his young daughter had to witness something so gruesome. Even more fearful about what more she might have to witness.

"Bunny, look at me." His voice was now calmer. He had to be strong for her.

Alice looked deep into her father's eyes. She was looking at him, but Steven knew she was actually looking through him. This was how he felt watching Max die in his arms, unable to help. He took a deep breath before he continued.

"I need you to go into the house, find your mother and aunt. Just run to the back door and don't look back. I will look after Nacey and Rosie. Alice nodded, but it took a push from her father to move her feet. Steven stood to gab a tablecloth, then walked towards the bodies. Alices heart pounded as she ran as fast as her legs would allow to the safety of the house. Once she got to the door, she stopped, taking a moment to look back at the scene that would forever be burned into her mind. Her heart sank. She saw her father covering Naceys and Rosie's body with a tablecloth. As the cloth fell over the bodies, it almost instantly became soaked in dark red blood. Alice felt her own blood run cold in her veins. She felt a single tear run down her cheek as a realization sank deep into her skin. She allowed her brain form the words deep into her memory one by one.

'They. Died. Because. Of. Me.'