Chapter 2: Pain's Birth

"BANGGG!"

A sudden, loud gunshot banged out of nowhere! It sounded like it was fired anywhere inside the house, but I just can't tell where. The next thing I know, my hands are tightly covering my ears, and my eyes are desperately shut!

All I could hear at the moment was my heart racing and the fast pace of my breathing.

I opened my eyes to find myself in darkness... I turned around multiple times until a wooden door suddenly appeared in front of me.

A dream? Tsk! Are we doing this again? Why do I keep reminding myself of that nightmare?

I remembered it again. I keep remembering that night over and over again...

"Ava! Ava! Listen to me! Hide! Make sure you hide just like what I taught you! Now!" Dad... Dad is making an anxious face while walking rapidly back and forth in the rooms looking for something. Then a loud kick from outside the door electrified me back to reality! Dad rushed to our front door and pushed it shut! He looked at me with gritted teeth, and with panic in his face, "Go!"

Everything felt slow... Everything is in slow motion from that moment on...

"I said go!" My dad shouted!

I did not understand why, but my feet ran upstairs anyway. I left my dad there while I heard strange men grunting loudly as they barged into our front door. I left him... I left him there alone!

I am scared... I am terrified! Should I keep running? Should I not stop? Should I go back? Those were the thoughts circling my head while peeking down the stairs. I want to go back, but I am scared!

Footsteps... Heavy footsteps ring in my ears like creepy bells. My dad! My dad... What are they doing to my dad? What...

"GO!" My father's scream made me jolt! All of the hair on my arms stood up! His scream brought terror and tingles through my bones! I ran desperately till I slipped and knee bumped on the floor! I got up quickly, and then I hid! I tightly muffled my mouth using my hand, restricting myself to breathing loudly. 

My vision started to get watery and blurry, and my cheeks were sticky and wet. I felt the strong jolt and trembling of my body as the sound of my dad in agony became louder! The footsteps! God, the footsteps are in this very room! My eyes can't help but shift everywhere!

But 'everywhere' is just so dark...

"Where is it?" A low, authoritative voice of a man I have never met before asked.

"I told you, I do not know what you are talking about!" Dad...

My body froze! What am I going to do?! My eyes are screaming in horror at what I see! My tears are racing down, blurring my vision! I need to stay quiet and stop crying!

No!

The big, rough hands that grabbed my father's hair, and the scratching sound of my dad being dragged around like a heavy wagon inside my room... lit my anger! I wanted to punch them! I WANT TO MAKE THEM STOP! But I can't with my trembling hands! The shivers in my body circulated into my system which paralyzed me! I can't- I can't move!

Oh, no! God, no! Please! I have... I have to move! Please! My cries... the emotional stress increases until it feels like an overflowing dam! What should I do...?

Their kicks and their punches are thrown to my dad like rain! Stop! Stop it! I want to say that! But my voice left me! My voice abandoned me, so does my strength, and all what my dad taught me... someone! Just someone do something! Please!

My mom's scream broke the noise of horror in this room just to make it louder! I can't see her, but another gun shot banged the whole room as the guy in front of me pointed the gun to the direction my room's door!

My mom's faint screams, my dad's raging grunts... broke me! "Don't hurt her!" My dad screamed!

Mom... no! Why isn't anyone coming?! Where is the police?! They should have heard the gunshots?! Anyone! Someone! Please!

I closed my eyes after the fourth gunshot... I bit my tongue and swallowed every sound... then my teeth began chattering and, and, and cries wants to break out from my mouth! I held in my voice, and everything I am feeling as hard as I could... but my tears keep falling like stream of water.

My vision blurs the longer I peek through the small opened space of the closet I hid from! The strength in my trembling hand completely died and banged the wood I am sitting on... It made a faint sound!

I'm going to die!

"What is that?! Check that closet! Now!"

Dad.... no, no, no...

I am going to die, like my father whom is in front of my eyes...

~*~

"Breaking News! A house in Geont Street was attacked in the middle of the night. Police suspects it to be a robbery gone wrong... The victims Mr. and Mrs... (inaudible)."