Death Knock

Have you ever imagined your world turning upside down without you expecting it? Does it ever happen to you that the happiest day of your life turns into the most painful and unforgettable day?

Well... This is what happened to me.

I was so happy and excited for my parent's wedding anniversary, I wore eyeliner, and light makeup, I was never a heavy make-up kind of a girl, not that it is a bad thing, it is just what goes with my personality, besides, mom says just the eyeliner looks good on my big blue eyes.

This is crazy by the way, I am the only one in my family who has blue eyes, my father, mother, and my brother Brian have brown eyes, and brown hair, but me? I have blue eyes… blue as the ocean!

Anyways! I was getting ready to go to the artist, I was saving to order a portrait of my parents, this was the first ever thing I was going to gift them with my own money, the money I earned since my 15th birthday with hard work, and by hard work, I mean giving tuition to my class fellows.

So I brushed my long white hair and glanced at my overall appearance last time before I leave, twisting my frock back and forth.

I walked with alacrity all the way to Elizabeth… Oh, I forgot! She is the one who made a portrait for my parents "This is so beautiful Elizabeth!!!" I hopped on my toes while my hands held together under my chin.

My heartbeats were raising, and I could not wait to show my parents what I got for them, I was a little confused though, "Should I show them the portrait just when I get home? Or should I wait till the cake-cutting ceremony?"

Anyways! I somehow got it to the home, It was not so big, so I easily carried it, "Mom! Dad! Look what I got you!" I placed the painting against my chest and stood there still as my parents walked down the few steps from Brian's room.

"Oh my God this is so beautiful sweetie" My mom rushed toward me I quickly placed the painting on the table because I was going to get a very emotional and tight hug from my parents so they both came and hugged me, meanwhile Brian was looking at me with an embarrassed smile on his face, he is a year older than me, but we are best friends.

And I know exactly why he is looking at me like that, he has been having a hard time fitting in with his new class fellows, he left our school and moved to another one.

He was in a fight and he has been charged a fine for it, so he was looking at me like that because he could not get anything for their anniversary.

"This is from me and Brian!" I smiled, and Brian scratched his neck.

They both extended their hand toward Brian as he got close and now we were group hugging.

Our family was perfect, we were always there for each other and always supported each other for whatever our interests were, whether it is about studying or love life.

Speaking of… I had not met anyone who would catch my attention the way Sarah caught Brian's besides, I thought I was too young for it.

So well the day went exactly like the way we planned, like every year we were going to have a movie night, a pizza to share, soft drinks, popcorn, and just the four of us.

No party nothing, actually my father stays so busy so we always spend this one day altogether.

Brian decorated everything and my parents sliced the cake, we were prepared for our movie but there was only one thing left… "Pizza!"

So when we prepared the table and tv and everything, Brian decided to go to the kitchen to get popcorn and drinks, just then the doorbell rang.

"It must be Pizza! Zee, can you get that?" Brian called out to me, I got off the sofa and rushed to the door.

I opened the door with excitement but what I saw in front of me blew away all my happiness and excitement at the same time.

There was a boy standing in front of me, he had white hair and golden eyes, and he had a gun in his hand.

I did not say it but God knows how scared I was, I was shaking when he spoke "Get your father," He said, his voice was heavy, not so much but it was heavy for at least a guy of his age.

"Who are you?" I asked, and I think I should not have asked it because the anger in his eyes started burning more as if he would kill anyone who comes in his way.

"I said get your father!" He growled with anger, while his jaws stiffed.

I was scared to call my dad, I had a strange and bad feeling that was stopping me to call him but as they say, what is written in the stars happens no matter how hard you try to stop it.

While I was trying to make him go my father came to the door from inside "Who is it Zinnia?" He asked but when he saw that guy standing with a gun he turned pale "What are you doing here?" He asked.

But then he realized I was still there, so he looked at me, his eyes were strangely empty, but they also had tears "Go inside" He told me to leave but I insisted to stay by his side "I promise he won't hurt me… just go!" He insisted and somehow I convinced myself to leave him.

I rushed to Brian and mom, and we stayed in the kitchen holding each other's hands, their voices were not so clear but we were able to hear a few things.

"How could you do that to me? I trusted you!" The boy was yelling crazily.

"Listen, boy… listen to me… put the gun down and let us get out of here so we can talk about it!" My dad insisted but he was not ready to hear anything.

"Why? So you can push me into the dark again? I won't go anywhere with you!" He growled.

"Just listen to my side of the story… then you can say whatever you want." Dad insisted again and the boy agreed.

Within the next few seconds, we heard the sound of the door opening and locking, by their accents we assumed that maybe things got better between them but just then a gunshot was heard and we were proven wrong, we rushed to the door just to find it locked from the outside, Brian had to break the lock.

When we headed out it felt as if someone pulled the ground from under my feet, dad lying on the ground with his shoulder bleeding, I stumbled by his side when he extended his hand toward my face.

He was alive but barely breathing, I held his hand as I cried while Brian called the ambulance.

When we were taking him to the hospital he held my hand and shook his head gently to get me closer, I brought my ear closer to his mouth to listen to what he had to say.

"Do not report this to the police, please… Whatever happened, that was not Liam's fault" He spoke when he was losing his breath.

"What? I do not understand?" I cried when he pulled me close again.

"He is your brother… he always protected you… now, this is time for you to protect him!" He took his last breath as his hand slipped away from mine.

"Dad! Dad!! No…." I screamed and the last thing I remember was that I fainted.

I never imagined I would lose my father, he was close to me, and I think I will never be able to move on from it so the least I could do was to fulfill his last wish.

As the sheriff investigated the crime scene, he reached us to record what we had to say

"Can anyone tell me what exactly happened?" He asked.

Before anyone could do anything I approached him "We were getting inside our home when a thief tried to snatch my phone from my hand, and when my father tried to defend me the thief shot him and ran away." I lied, even though I hated myself for lying but I had no choice.

Brian and mom were looking at me in shock, with their eyes full of tears, they did not say anything but they were screaming inside "Why did you do that? How could you defend your dad's murder?"

And to be honest, I was asking these questions to myself.

"Did you see his face?" He asked.

"No, He was wearing a mask! Like robbers usually wear" I wiped my tears.

"You can go now!" He waved his hand and we left.

Brian's eyes were pricking me all the way from the rare mirror of our car, mom was staring out of the window, she could not stop crying, not even for a minute.

There was a rule in our family that if we disagree on something, we talk about it at home, no fighting… especially not in public.

So that rule also broke that night, right when we entered our home, there were too many questions that night that mom and Brian kept asking me, and Brian yelled at me… for the first time! Meanwhile mom? She tried to reach me gently but even that was of no use anymore.

I felt as if I am dead, I was on the sofa, crying the flood but my mouth was sealed shut, and my tongue felt heavier.

And of course… how could I give something I did not have? I had no answers to their questions or my own.

And that was the day when not just I lost my father but also… I lost my home, it was just a building made of bricks and within those walls were living three strangers.

We stopped eating together, whenever I used to sit at the table Brian would take his dish to his own room.

Did it hurt me? Hell yeah! The pain was unbearable but everything does not stay the same forever just like our house, once there used to be waves of laughter echoing inside these walls, and now?

Now there was just painful silence, but within that silence was a lot of noise, the noise of unanswered questions, the noise of pain and sorrows, the noise of broken hearts.

I am Zinnia James Paragon, and this is how our story began.