Chapter 1

BANG!

BANG!

We froze at the sound of a gun shot coming from the living room.

"Search for the others!" I heard a loud unfamiliar male voice, making my heart pound.

"Find them!" Another unfamiliar voice said.

The thought of my dad being shot out there terrorized me as I made steps towards the kitchen entrance door but I got grabbed back instantly by my mum.

She tossed me in Annamarie's arm, my nanny who held me.

"Take her with you. Use the back door. Go now," mum ordered, facing the kitchen entrance.

"Yes, ma'am. Come on, child" Annamarie said, dragging me along.

"No. Mum, I am not leaving without you," I almost cried, walking towards my mum but she pushed me back to Annamarie.

"Take her away I say. Go right now!" She yelled in whisper, making tears roll down my eyes as Annamarie took me outside through the back door.

We ran, heading towards the woods.

BOOM!

A loud bomb blast stopped us on our tracks, making me turn around.

Our house was on fire.

My heart sank into my belly.

"Mum!" I screamed, taking fast and weak steps towards the house, but nana caught me.

"Child, no."

"Mum!" I cried, falling on my knees.

Nana held me as I cried bitterly.

"We have to keep going, child."

I shook my head. "No. My parents. My dad! Mum!" I cried, looking at my home.

It is in flames!

Who would do this for us?

Who are those men?!

Why did they do this to us?!

"Let's go. This place is dangerous. We have to get you to safety. Your mother wants you to be safe. We have to respect her last wishes."

My heart tightened as I sobbed.

"Come on, child." Nana said, helping me up, and we headed into the woods.

We walked deep into the woods for what felt like an hour without her letting go of my hand.

Not long later, we got to a strange cabin. She let go of my hand and took out a key from her pocket, making me furrow my brows.

She unlocked the cabin and turned to me. She extended her hand to me. I placed my hand on hers regardless and followed her into the cabin.

The place was dark and creepy. It smells of wood and dust. Nana put on some candles that ignited the entire room, giving me a view of a typical old and abandoned place.

I saw an old couch, a little table, old white curtains on the windows and a bull's head on the wall.

The place looks like someone hasn't been here in a while. Nana walked towards me with one of the candlesticks, getting my attention.

"Come on, child. Let me take you to the room." she said, placing her hand on my shoulder and leading the way to an inner room.

Getting to the room, I saw a well-dressed bunk bed with a white sheet on it. My eyes roamed the rest of the room. There is a chair next to the bed, a nightstand, another bull's head on the wall, which I find very creepy, and a white worn out curtain on the window.

"Take a seat, dear." Nana said, making me sit on the bed. The bed made a weak sound after I sat on it, as I looked at the bed and rubbed my palms on it. I placed my hand on my bare thighs as a tear rolled down and dropped on my hand. My heart ached severely, making more tears flow.

"Here's something for the cold." Nana said, handing me a black blanket.

"Thank you," I barely whispered, taking the blanket from her. The cold wind hit my skin, making me look at the window.

The wind was blowing the curtain through the window.

"The window is broken. But the blanket will prevent you from catching a cold," Nana said.

I nodded, dropping my gaze.

"Oh, dear," she said, sitting next to me. She placed her hand on my shoulder.

"My parents are dead, nana." I sobbed. My heart broke continuously.

She moved me closer, and I placed my head on her shoulder.

"I am sorry, sweetie." She said, caressing my hair softly.

I let out sob after sob as I thought of my parents.

My dad. He got shot twice.

My mum had to go after him and got burnt in the house. I can't believe all this is happening to me.

"Who were those heartless people, nana? What did we do to them?" I sobbed.

"I am as confused as you are, child. I don't know who they are. You know, wealthy people have enemies." She said, making me withdraw my head from her shoulder and look at her.

She is looking at me with worry.

"What do you mean? Does dad have enemies?"

She shrugged. "That's the only explanation for this, child." She said, moving the strand of my hair behind my ear.

"But, dad is a sweet person. He...he is a good man. We are good people. Why would someone want to hurt us?"

"Child," she called, placing her hand on mine. "No matter how good a person is, people can still hate him. Didn't it occur to you that there would be jealous people out there, who are envious of how wealthy and sophisticated your family are?"

"That's unfair. My parents worked so hard to get to where they are now. Why would anyone kill them because of their achievements? I don't understand." my heart clenched as I spoke.

"I don't get it, Nana. This is inhumane. My parents are dead. My parents are dead, Nana!" I cried.

"Shh, sweetie," she cooed, placing my head on her shoulders and she hugged me.

"How could someone with a heart do this to us? Why, nana? Why? This is so unfair," I sobbed bitterly as I held Nana's hand. Flashes of my dad's smiling face filled my head.

My mum's smiles too. We were supposed to serve him dessert in the living room. We were going to have a chat. Tonight was supposed to go like every other night.

Why did this happen?

Why?

"You need to get some sleep, sweetie. Here, lay down." Nana said, moving me a bit.

I lay at my side, sniffling as she covered me with the blanket. She leaned closer and placed a kiss on my temples.

She took steps towards the door.

"Nana?"

"Yes, sweetie?" She answered, turning to me.

"Please, stay with me. I don't want to be alone,"

"I am with you, child. I will be in the living room. I will be checking up on you every ten minutes, okay?"

I nodded slightly.

"Now, get some sleep, okay?"

I rested my head as she walked out of the room.

I lay on my back, looking at the old ceiling that was filled with cobwebs.

I thought about my parents, making my heart tighten.

I can't believe I am an orphan now.

In just one night!

My parents are gone.

God, it can't be. This is not happening to me.

My heart ached severely as I lay on my side. I clenched the blanket tightly, sobbing silently.

Dad, mum. Tell me, this is a nightmare.

Tell me I will wake up soon and see you both.

Oh God.

I closed my eyes as the sound of the gunshots repeated in my ear. My mum forced me to go with nana. Only for her to get killed too.

The blast of the fire made me flinch.

God, why?!

Why did you let this happen to us? To me?!

How am I supposed to live without them?!

How?!

A light touched my face through the window. I looked in the direction and I saw the full moon.

More tears flowed down my eyes as I withdrew my gaze from the moon. I closed my eyes and not long later, sleep took me away.

********

I opened my eyes to the cold wind coming in through the window. It makes me shiver.

I looked around me and recognized my environment instantly. My heart tightened at the fact that everything was not a nightmare. I am still in the cabin and my parents are really dead.

I sat up, earning a weak sound from the bed. My face is filled with dried tears thanks to the wind.

I got on my feet and walked towards the window, ignoring the cold. I opened the curtains and I realized that the window was fully exposed.

The curtain is the only thing covering the window. No glass or wood. This place is ancient.

I heaved a sigh as I looked at the moon. I held my pendant, recalling how my mum gave it to me on my birthday as a tear rolled down my eyes.

A door-cracking sound took my attention towards the door.

I took quiet steps towards the door and looked at the living room. I saw nana standing in front of the opened entrance door, and it looked like she was talking to someone.

I furrowed my brows.

Who is she talking to?

I can't see the person clearly.

"Where is she?"

My heart skipped at the sound of a familiar male voice.

Where did I hear it from?

Oh God.

It's the same voice from our house. The man that shot my dad.