1 You owe me a barbeque

Year 2XXX - Lyssandra age 9

"I came first place in the test again today, my teacher even told me that I'm going to have to take the same tests as the older students soon!" The little girl bragged animatedly, as she sat in the backseat of her father's dark grey Ford Focus.

She was holding up her test filled with bright red ticks and the number '100' with 'excellent work!' written at the top, to the two people in the front seats, who chuckled at their daughter's cuteness.

The young girl was excited to have both her parents pick her up from school today, instead of the family friend that usually picked her up along with her friend. She knew that her parents were always busy, working as officers in the violent crimes police department, so it always made her young heart excited whenever she saw both of them waiting for her at the school gates.

"That's my girl!" The father, Vincent Cane, grinned as he glanced at his daughter in the rearview mirror. Her smile was filling him with energy, after spending an exhausting day at work.

"My baby girl is a genius, of course you'll get full marks on your tests," His wife, Lydia Cane, exclaimed, turning in her seat to look at the giddy girl behind her with a proud smile. "Let's have your favourite barbecue for dinner tonight to celebrate!"

Although Lydia held a smile on her face, and was genuinely happy for her daughter, she couldn't help but be reminded of a certain boy involved in the case that kept them so busy.

The young girl laughed happily as she received her parents praise and nodded eagerly at her mother's suggestion. She always did her best at school in order to make them as proud of her as she was of them. They were her role models, her hero's, her beloved parents.

Although she would often feel lonely without them at home, and with her older sister studying at a police academy with boarding, she knew that they were working hard to make the world a safer place.

"I can't wait to call Leah and tell her," Lyssandra sighed in anticipation for her sister's reaction, making her mother chuckle.

"I'm sure she'll be just as proud of you as we are," Lydia told her daughter, patting her leg as a ringtone sounded from Vincent's phone.

He glanced at the caller ID and frowned, sharing a look with his wife before answering the phone. They had barely managed to get the afternoon off to spend with their daughter after days of overtime, but he couldn't ignore the call.

A solemn voice could be heard through the car's speakers, and the corners of Lyssandra's mouth dropped into a pout knowing that the call most likely meant her anticipated afternoon with her parents was about to be interrupted.

"You're on speaker and my daughter is in the car," Vincent warned the person on the other line as soon as the call connected. "What's up?"

The other line paused for a moment before sighing,

"The chief wants the both of you on the scene down by Orion Bay. It looks like the boys we've been looking for have shown up again, and it isn't pretty. They're not happy that you've interfered. I'll send you the address, so come as quick as you can.

"Sorry Lyssandra, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to take your parents away again tonight." The voice of their colleague coughed awkwardly after addressing the young girl, who just turned her head to look out the window.

"It's okay, but you owe me a barbecue, uncle Ryder," she said, loud enough to be heard and it was clear she was disappointed but trying not to get upset.

Lydia's heart ached at the sight of her youngest daughter trying not to get in the way of their work. She knew that their job meant their daughters had to grow up very quickly, and it pained her that she wasn't able to be there to see them grow up most of the time.

"I'm so sorry, baby girl. We promise that we'll get some barbecue to celebrate your results soon, okay?" Lydia's voice was almost pleading as she spoke to Lyssandra, who faced her with a small smile.

"You promise?" She asked, her wide doe eyes glistening with tears the young girl was desperately trying to blink back.

"I promise," Lydia replied, holding out her pinky for them to pinky promise. Lyssandra twisted her cute lips to the side, before leaning forward and wrapping her tiny pinky with her mother's, doing the same with her father as he drove.

"I've sent you the address," the voice on the phone spoke again, as the notification popped up on the screen. Vincent hummed a response as he checked the address and how long it would take for them to get there once they dropped Lyssandra off at home.

"We'll get there in forty-five. Tell chief that we're dropping Lyssandra home first before heading to the location," he told them, before cutting the line and glancing at his daughter through the mirror again.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'll send you some money to order some food tonight, and try not to go to bed too late tonight. It's Saturday tomorrow but you still need your beauty sleep," Vincent tried to comfort his daughter as he drove home. Lyssandra nodded silently as she looked down at her hands in her lap, fiddling with her fingers.

She was used to the disappointment, but she had no other choice but to accept it.

"I'll go to bed after eating and calling Leah then," she replied softly, her long, dark hair hiding her face from her parent's view.

The two shared a helpless look as they watched their daughter, when suddenly, Lydia was blinded by the headlights of a black SUV that was driving straight towards her husband's side of the car.

With wide eyes, she yelled out to Vincent, who turned to see the SUV just a second too late. The SUV crashed head first into the side of their car, crushing Vincent's body before sending the vehicle flying across the busy road.

Lydia was thrown against the window, smashing her head against the glass and imbedding it into her skin.

Lyssandra's vision was blurred as her small body rocked in all directions while the car tumbled in the air, the seatbelt choking her as she was smashed against the inside of the tattered vehicle.

Her ears were ringing as spots darkened her vision, her breath ragged and her small body numb from the pain.

"Mummy? Daddy?" Lyssandra sobbed, her voice cracked and she was barely able to lift her head, as she hung suspended from her seatbelt in the now upside down car.

Lyssandra could barely register the muffled screaming around her as she searched for her parents through her hazy vision and pounding head.

Warm liquid flowed down her temple as she extended her arms towards the unmoving bodies in the front seats.

"Mum! Dad!" She cried out again and again, praying for them to move and open their eyes.

But they weren't moving. Their limp bodies hung from their seatbelt as the dark red blood mixed in with the bright bruises that were already forming from the impact.

Lyssandra wailed desperately, begging her parents to wake up, to be okay, not even noticing the strangers that had surrounded the wreck and yelling.

All she could do was weakly extend her small, slashed up hand towards her father across from her, as the door beside her was pried open and she was released from the seatbelt. The strangers dragged her battered body out of the wreck as Lyssandra kept screaming for her parents, her eyes never leaving their crumpled bodies, even after being carried far away from the now burning remains of her father's prized car.

A piercing ringing echoed around her, as if she was submerged in water, as her own hoarse screams were drowned out. Her arm was still outstretched towards her parents bodies, when the car suddenly exploded, throwing the strangers that were trying to save her parents onto the pavement, and sending burning shrapnel shooting in all different directions.

Balls of flame were launched into the air as people screamed.

"NO!" Lyssandra bawled. Her parents were still in there!

Another stranger had wrapped themselves around her to protect her from the blaze, but she still tried to crawl towards to inferno that held her parents captive.

"You can't," the stranger holding her yelled, preventing her from getting any closer to the incident, while trying to console the girl and her gut wrenching cries.

"It's too late, I'm so sorry," the stranger mourned for the poor child's parents. It was a miracle they had barely managed to get Lyssandra out before the car exploded.

The stranger cradled Lyssandra's fragile body in their strong arms as she howled, more in pain from seeing her parents burning inside the flames than the injuries on her body, until her vision went dark and the small girl went limp in the stranger's arms.