Chapter One

"Karissa, Karissa dear wake up" Leandra, Karissa's mother said as she shook her severally.

"Karissa wake up!" she said as Karissa slowly opened her eyes.

"mummy what's the problem?" she said as she sat up.

"there's no time, we need to leave now!" Karissa's mother said.

"but mum..." "no buts! not this time, we have to leave immediately!" she said as she pulled her out of bed.

"mummy where are we going? why are you in such a hurry? where's daddy?" she said as her mother took her belongings and headed down the stairs with Karissa.

"daddy!" Karissa said as she ran excitedly into her father's arms. "Karissa" Mr. Moore said as he embraced Karissa.

"daddy what's going on?" Karissa said as her dad carried her.

"we have to go now dear and mummy and daddy are in a hurry" he said as he stroked her cheeks.

"now go stay with your mother, daddy needs to make some calls" he said and he dropped Karissa.

~bang~

Karissa and her mother turned suddenly as Mr. Moore dropped dead on the ground.

"daddy!" Karissa screamed as she saw her father fall to the floor.

"mummy! mummy! what's wrong with daddy?" she sobbed.

Karissa's mother dropped her on the floor as she walked towards her dead husband, "honey?" she said as she turned her husband over.

"oh my goodness" she said as she collapsed on the floor holding her husband in her arms.

"mummy what's wrong with daddy?" Karissa said as she started crying. "mummy there's blood, there's blood coming from daddy's chest" she said crying.

"oh dear, don't cry, don't you like my little present" a deep voice said and man dressed nicely in a suit slowly walked in.

Karissa stepped back frightened.

"who's that?" Leandra, Karissa's mother quickly pushed Karissa behind her as she stood up.

"who are you?" she asked as she slowly retreated.

"oh! my love, don't be frightened" he said as she grabbed her swiftly.

"oh! I've longed to have you in my arms" he said as she stroked her cheeks and pushed her hair behind her ears.

"don't struggle too much with me, we don't want any other casualties happening now do we? "he said as he chuckled.

"Ar... Ar... Ardin?" she stuttered "yes my love, it is I!" he said as he chuckled.

"what have you done!" she said as she started sobbing "you... you killed my husband" Leandra screamed hitting Ardin aggressively.

"oh dear! you're still a fighter" he said as he quickly reached out for Karissa and pointed the pistol at her head.

"what are you doing? Ardin stop please!" she said trying to calm him down.

"finally you've come back to your senses" he said smirking and let go of Karissa.

"mummy!" she said as she ran into her mother's arms crying loudly.

"you're despicable, how can you do this to a child, she's only four, how can you point a pistol at her" Leandra yelled as tears ran down her cheeks.

"let's make this easy for all of us here" Ardin said in a very serious harsh tone as he bent over to Mr. Moore's dead body.

"call the ambulance now" he said pointing the landline phone to her, "tell them your husband has been shot and needs immediate medical care".

He watched her carefully while she did what he asked her to do.

"lovely!" he said as he carefully returned the pistol to his suit jacket.

"now before they arrive let's go" he said as he walks towards the door.

"go?!" Leandra asked.

"but we just called the ambulance sho...."

"no! we aren't waiting we are leaving right now, don't even bother about your things, I will get new ones for you" he said.

Leandra picked up Karissa and left with Ardin.

"mummy?" Karissa asked softly . "yes dear" "where are we going?" "I'm sorry dear, mummy doesn't know."