Divided Memories

Chapter 12

Trigger warning: Kidnapping, murder, violence, physical abuse, creepy customers, and mistreatment of children. 

The dreadful sent of smoke and the crashing noise brought concern to young twelve year old as she quietly pushed away her blankets off. Once she's out of her bed, Julia quietly, but cautiously made her way towards the bedroom door. The ruckus from the other end grew louder, which arose the children in the room with her from their slumber. 

One of the preteens asked Julia what the noise was, but the raven-haired girl can only put her index finger to her lips, signaling them to keep quiet. Thankfully everyone in the bedroom complied without question as the horrible noise started to make them feel fearful. 

With a shaky breath escaped from the girl's lips, Julia lifted her shaken hand towards the door handle. Despite the intense anxiety, Julia slowly brought the nub of the door handle down as to not make a lot of noise. She then slowly opened the door wide enough to stick her head out of the bedroom. The left side down the hall is practically normal, but as soon as Julia turned to her right, her stomach dropped at the sight of smoke rising from the first floor. Is there a fire going on!?

"AHHHHH!" 

A horrifying screamed shook Julia to her core. She knew to be one of the caretakers. But why? What in the world is going on here?

Suddenly, voices were heard. Not only that, running footsteps. Loud multiple and heavy booming footsteps that don't belong to any of the caretakers are making their way upstairs!

Julia quickly closed the door and locked it immediately in a panic. The children were beginning to panic as well. Some sobbed uncontrollably while others were paralyzed with fear and not say a single word. Just shaking with sweat running down their foreheads. 

"O-Oh god!" Jimmy breathed out "What's happening!?" 

"Who cares!?" Dexter replied with a shaken voice "We need to get out of here!" 

Nobody knows what happened to the caretakers downstairs, and there's no way in absolute hell that they're going to stick around and wait to find out. The loud and rough voices were all male, and are practically getting closer.

"The window!" One of the children said.

Jimmy nodded and quickly made his way to the large windows. Dexter had to help the older boy pry the window open as Julia ushered the children towards it. They all followed after her closely as the two boys manage to get them open. The rainstorm outside continued to rage furiously as the strong wind blew the white curtains, flailing them around with large raindrops showering inside the bedroom.

Right before anyone can make a move to climb on the edge of the window to escape into the freezing rainstorm, a gunshot stopped them in their tracks. Julia whipped her attention to the bedroom door she locked to see it being busted down. The gunshot is responsible for destroying the doorknob, and immediately came six older looking men barreling themselves into the bedroom with their firearms drawn.

One of the scruffy men pointed his revolver to Julia and the children standing behind her "You brats better not move a muscle, or you'll have your brains splattered!"

Too fearful to move or say anything, the children did as they were told. This gave the dirty looking men an easy opportunity to snatch the children, dragging them out of the bedroom with firearms pointing directly at their head. 

Despite the pain of being roughly manhandled by those monstrous crooks, nobody dare to move or resist against them. Especially since they are threatening to take their life in a second with a single bullet to their head if they even try to fight back. However, the children could not hold in their tears or screams of agony when they were being thrown into iron cages and get locked up like animals.