Hide and seek

Happening- Ch.2

I remember it was a cold winter night when it happened. We were having Friday family film night; only tonight Dad was on a business trip to

"Sofia, Hun will you grab me a bowl for the popcorn?" Mom asked. I got the bowl and helped her empty the popcorn.

Mom asked as she turned to get cups for the drinks," you're excited for the movie? I know it was one you wanted to see." Before I could answer my sister, Emma, came in.

Emma was almost perfect in my eyes back then. She was tall, had sea blue eyes, and had an amazing smile. "Hey Siri, will you help me get some pillows for the couch?" she asked. My full name is Sofia Marie Collins, but I loved my nickname; she never called me Sofia because she said it was too stuck up. Mom was the only one who didn't call me Siri.

"Sure thing Emma!" I said as I raced off to help her. I always wanted her approval, adoration, and love. Normally I got it because I tried so hard.

When I got the pillow into the living room my brother, Noah, patted the couch next to him. I ran to sit with him, because like my feelings for Emma, I wanted his love. Noah and Emma were twins, yet I always thought they didn't look much alike. Noah had dark brown hair; he was tall and very muscular. He knew how to fight and would protect our family at all costs, and he tried.

I remember the happening like I remember the look of fear on my family's face. We had sat down for the movie and I was snuggled up between Noah and Mom. Emma was lying on the mattress on the floor. We were completely focused on the movie and that is the reason that we didn't notice the movement outside.

The man bursts though the window on the east side of the living room. That side was to my right. He got to my sister first. He grabbed her and threw her into the wall so hard that she fainted. Then it was like my Mom's mind went to work she yelled at me to get up and run to my room. She knew that I couldn't get to the door because the man blocked that side of the house.

I got up and did exactly like she told me. I also heard her yell to Noah to go with me. At the time I didn't know why, but seconds after that I felt Noah's hand on my back pushing me to run faster.

When we got to my room, Noah said for me to hide under the bed in the deepest corner, and if the man came into the room not to move. If I heard him say, "Ollie, Ollie oxen free" I was to get out from hiding and to open my window and throw myself out. Before he left to help Mom, he kissed my forehead and said, "If I die you have to know I love you with all my heart."

Then he ran. It felt like forever before I heard the final words my brother screamed, "Ollie, Ollie oxen free". Then I heard a sickening slashing noise and a splat. I got up and did like he told me. I jumped out my window and ran across the street. On my way there, I tripped and fell. Before I could get up the man was there. He looked down on me and smiled. He looked so scary. He had dark hair that was matted and bloody. He was big and tall.

He grabbed my hair and started to pull me back to my house. I screamed and kicked. I ended up grabbing a medium sized rock between my feet and chucked it at the neighbor's window. I hit my target and broke the window. When I did that he knew that he would get caught if he stayed.

Before he left, he took out his knife and stabbed it into my chest and pulled it down to my bellybutton. I thought I was going to die just like the rest of my family. I didn't realize someone was there until they started to try and help keep me from bleeding out. I was in so much pain I wish I had died. The last thing I remember was looking into the sky and swearing I saw my brother's face.

~ 2 days later~

I woke up in the hospital with my Dad holding my hand. He was crying. My father never cried. When he realized I had awaken he cried harder saying, "My baby girl's not dead. Oh! Thank God." he repeated this until the nurse came in. I had noticed that Hannah, the neighbor whom I owe my life, was there.

It took a few weeks before I got to go home. When I first stepped back into the house my heart started to race and I started to cry. In the hospital, I had forgotten that they had been killed; I thought it was a dilusion. They later told me that when the man had thrown Emma he snapped her neck with impact. Mom and Noah saved me. When Mom had gotten Noah and I to run, she threw herself at the man and distracted him. By doing so the only way to peel her off of him was to throw her into a wall. They didn't tell me, but I found out he had also slit her throat.

As for poor Noah, he put up the most fight. He came out and landed a few good hits but the man charged at him and crushed him against the wall and started to strangle him. The call of "Ollie, Ollie oxen free" made him so mad he smashed Noah's head into the tile floor.

It took weeks for Dad to find us a new place, but he did it for my sake. Even when we were out of our house, I would cry myself to sleep, and have nightmares of this man. It got worse a few weeks later when I got a letter in the mail that read:

Dear Sofia,

Run as fast as you can, I'll still get you. Hide in the darkest corner, I'll still find you.

You should protect your Dad; I'm coming for him. I'm going to kill him like I killed your brother. Then when you have a family, I'm going to kill them except for one child. Then I'll kidnap you both and let you watch me kill the child. Then I'll finish the job I started.

Now, he has done the first step to his plan.