Chapter 3 Nightmare

Point Of View: Annie

I was sleeping soundly on my bed with my teddy bear in my arms when I heard the sound of gunshots.

I hastily opened my eyes and came out of my room with my teddy bear in my hands.

I was about to go downstairs when my mother came upstairs with a boy. He was about 9 or 10 years old.

I saw fear and worry on both of their faces.

I was about to say something when my mother gestured for me to be silent.

“Annie, baby I want you to go to your room and hide in the closet. And take him with you. Don’t come out until I say so. Understand?”

I nodded my head.

She took a deep breath and kissed me on my forehead.

“Always remember, mom and dad, love you a lot”.

After saying this, she hurriedly went downstairs where some noises of struggling and breaking things could be heard.

I took the boy’s hand before running towards my room. we entered my closet and tightly shut the door.

I was afraid and I could also see the fear in the boy’s ocean blue eyes.

But apart from that struggle and anger can be also seen on his face.

I was about to ask his name when I heard the gunshots. We looked at each other.

Instantly my heart sank when there was pin drop silence after the gunshots.

We looked at each other

After some time, I heard some hurried footsteps which were coming upstairs.

They came into my room and stopped there. We could easily see them from the closet they couldn’t see us.

“Where is the boy”? one of the men asked.

“Maybe that woman hide him somewhere.” The other man spoke while looking here and there.

Then another man came into the room and asked the first two men.

“Have you found him”?

Both men shook their heads.

“Stop wasting time then. They are coming and they will reach there soon. Set this house on fire and leave. If he is hiding somewhere in this house then he will burn into ashes with his house”.

Then all the men left while I was scared to death.

They were going to burn the house. What about my parents?

Where are they?

I was thinking all this with my eyes full of tears when that boy held my hand and gestured me to keep silent.

I stopped crying.

Then we went out of the closet tip-toeing toward the door. Fortunately, those men kept the door open. When we peeked through the door, We heard some sounds downstairs.

Then the air filled with the strong smell of gasoline.

They were really going to burn the house.

Then I heard the loud sound of closing the door.

It was sure that those men were gone. So, I ran downstairs to see the situation and my parents.

When I reached the last step, I halted. I saw my parents lying in their pool of blood.

I was about to scream when a hand reached to suppress my screams.