Birthday Nightmare

September 1, 2006 - My 9th Birthday

"Happy Birthday Jungkookie!"

When I woke up and tiredly went downstairs, my brother and parents were waiting, standing at the foot of the steps, smiling up at me and happily cheering. I ran over to our mom and dad and hugged them tightly.

"Aye! No hug for me?" said Jimin with his arms open and letting out fake sobs.

"Of course hyung! A big hug just for you!" I replied as I ran over to him and attacked him with a giant bear hug. He pretended to be hurt and fell over.

"You're turning nine today, you're a big boy now," said my mother.

"And so that's why your mother and I decided to get you this," added my father as he came back in with a big red box, which had a giant white bow on it. He gently set it down.

"Now son be careful opening it," said my mother.

I went over to it and heard soft yipping from inside, I opened the top and out jumped a black labrador retriever puppy. He had an adorable tiny black nose and when he walked or jumped up his ears would flop.

"He's so cute!" I screeched and picked up the squirming puppy and hugged it. "I love him so much!"

"What do you want to name him?" asked my father.

"Jimin!" I replied happily.

I looked over at Jimin who was now frowning at me.

"Fine. How about, something like, Hansel!"

"Good choice," replied Jimin. "Can we eat now?"

"Yes Jimin we can eat now," replied our father, mocking Jimin.

We gathered at the breakfast table and started eating. Pancakes and bacon. Delicious.

"Mom, can I go out with my friends?" asked Jimin.

"Jimin, it's your brother's birthday. That would be rude," she replied.

"But mom, I made these plans a long time ago, way before there were any plans about celebrating his birthday," replied Jimin.

"No. I'm sorry Jimin but you can't," she said shaking her head.

"Dad? You understand, right?" Jimin asked.

"Jimin, if your mother said no than the answer is no," he replied.

"FINE! I HATE YOU ALL!" Yelled Jimin as he stormed off up to his bedroom.

All of a sudden the whole room went completely silent.

"I'm sorry Jungkook. I didn't want any of this to happen today. I wanted you to have a great birthday," said my mother. "I'm going to go talk to him."

"No, please don't. If hyung is angry we should just let him be," I quickly said.

"Alright son whatever you say," she replied smiling at me as she reached out and ruffled my hair.

"Can we go to the zoo?" I asked excited.

"Sure son."

We went out to the car and got in and drove away. I endured thirty minutes of my father cursing and honking at people around us on the highway. When we finally arrived I jumped out of the car and was so pumped that I didn't really know where I was going, I lost my parents for a split second and then found them again.

"Jungkook, please stay close to us," said my father.

"Okay, daddy!" I replied happily smiling.

We entered. The first animals we saw were the monkeys. I was so immersed in them that at first I didn't notice anything was off. Then we went to the reptile house, that's where I first saw him. I didn't think it was anything bad, so I didn't say anything, but then throughout the rest of the day I saw him everywhere.

"Mommy," I pulled tightly on her sleeve.

"Yes Jungkook?" she looked down at me.

"There's a man that I keep seeing around, I think he's been following us, can we please leave?"

"Of course we can, next time you think that tell me or your father immediately, okay?" I nodded and held onto her as we headed for the car.

When my father unlocked the car and we were about to get in, the man grabbed me and held a knife to my throat. I let out a small screech before he covered my mouth. My mother looked behind her to see me and screamed.

"No, please don't hurt my baby!" she begged, tears were piling in her eyes.

"Shut up and get in the car," replied the man.

We did what he asked.

"Look kid, you can take whatever you want, just don't hurt our son. Please," said my father.

"Shut up and drive," replied the man.

My parents obeyed and the man sat with me, the knife still to my neck.

We finally got back home and got out of the car and went up the porch steps.

"Unlock the door and get in," said the man.

"Look if you let us go, we swear we won't tell anyone," cried my mother.

"Just be quiet and get in the goddamn house!" yelled the man.

"Now tie your husband's hands together," said the man throwing my mother a rope. He then told me to tie my mother's hands together. I had no other choice but to obey.

The man let go of me for a minute.

"Jungkook! Run!" screamed my mom, tears in her eyes and flowing down her cheeks. "I love you!"

"Damn it! Shut up!" Screamed the man putting duct tape over her mouth.

My dad didn't try to do anything to help. He stood there silent. But I didn't have time to wonder. I did as I was told, I ran. I ran and hid in the one place I could think of, the place where no one could ever find me when we played hide and seek. The screams of my parents echoed through the house and rang in my ears. I covered my ears and squeezed my eyes shut. One minute my parents were screaming, the next it went completely silent. I sat there and didn't move for what seemed like days but was just a few hours. I didn't move until I heard the bloodcurdling scream of Jimin. He must've snuck out and just gotten back. I ran out.

"Jimin!" I screamed out.

"What the hell happened?!" yelled Jimin confused.

"Mom- dad- man- blood-" I ran over and cried into his arms.

"Why are you covered in blood?!" he asked.

"The man let go of me for a minute and so mom told me to run. Then the man killed mom and dad. That's the last thing I remember." I stared at him blankly.

"Jungkook, what the hell happened?" He asked looking at me worried.

"I don't remember, all I know is he destroyed our family," I replied.

"I have to call the police." He ran to the kitchen and grabbed the phone from its cradle and dialed 911.

Within minutes we heard sirens coming closer to us, and then loud knocking. Jimin ran to the door and let the officers come in.

"Can you tell me about what happened?" asked the first officer.

"Actually I wasn't here. My younger brother was," replied Jimin pointing over at me.

The other officer came over to me.

"Son, can you tell me what happened?"

I nodded. "Uhuh."

"Mom, dad and I were going to go out to the car to go to the zoo to celebrate my birthday but then a big man grabbed me and told my parents he would kill me if they didn't listen to what he wanted," I replied. "And then he made me tie up my mother's hands." I started to cry.

"Can you tell me how you got all that blood on you?"

"When the man let me go for a minute, my mother told me to run. I ran and hid. I don't remember anything."

One of the CSI people came over and pulled one of the officers away. They were quietly talking to one another and then nodding to one another and at one point they even glanced over at me.

"But Lee, these fingerprints match the kid's. He killed this man," said the CSI person.

"That's impossible, the kid is only nine. He couldn't have taken down a grown man," replied officer Lee.

"No, not him, the other boy. His older brother," said the CSI person.

"Son, do you have any relatives you could stay with?" asked the other officer.

"We have an aunt and uncle that live across town," replied Jimin.

"Okay, I'll have one of the officers escort you over there. Another will bring you your belongings."

I grabbed Hansel and we got into one of the police cars and the officer drove us all the way to our aunt and uncle's home. When we arrived they were surprised to see us, but also confused. We waited by the car as the police officer went over to explain the situation. I looked over at our aunt and uncle who were now in tears.

"Our life sucks," said Jimin.

"Don't say that, please. Things could get better for all we know, we could have the best life ever," I replied trying to sound optimistic.

Jimin looked over at me. "I don't understand how you could be like this."

"Because eventually we're going to have to live our own lives, we won't forget about mom and dad but we should be able to move on with our lives," I replied blankly.

Jimin burst out crying. "The last thing I said to them was I hate you, why would I say that?"

"I'm sure they knew that you loved them," I said hugging him tightly.

The once innocent happy little boys known as Jeon Jungkook and Park Jimin would never be the same after that horrific day.

Yes, happy birthday to Jungkook. The day his thirst for killing was unleashed.