Run

Ekho

"Run!" Mamma yelled. She was standing by the door yelling to get mine and my siblings attention.

They were standing, stock still, by the stairs with confusion written in giant letters all over their faces.

"Mum? Why?" they whispered, as though someone was listening in on them. "They're

coming..." But she was cut short of her reply as a knock sounded on the door.

"Who?" We stood, all

of us, as Mamma edged closer and reached for the handle. "Someone," Mamma said as I held my

breath "Who could it be?" The door opened with a creak and a man stood on the other side,

wrapped in a crimson, blood-like coat, like it was stripped from an animal's skin.

Mamma pulled me away from him (or it, I didn't really know at the time) and knelt down beside me. She began whispering so quietly that I had to move my ear closer to her lips and even then her words were
mumbled, "Ekho, take Gwydion and Miracle with you. Leave me, save yourselves. Go...GO!!!"

"But Mum..."she silenced me with a quick motion, "Do it," she begged and began pulling me away by

the wrist; I moaned and tried to break free from her powerful grip but nothing could break her
determination, "Go." She yelled again and again begging me, screaming at me. I screamed too, not
understanding why, and then I brought myself back to reality and ran.

My mind was racing. Will I

ever see her again; I didn't want to think of the answer. I ran and ran, calling my siblings as I fled into
darkness, daring not look back, having no idea what could be happening to Mamma. I could hear my siblings' pants behind me and their eyes filled up with tears of fright. I hear a scream, a cry and a door slam shut. The silenced that followed was deafening.

Risking a glance back I realised no

one was standing by the door, they had gone. I ran out into the garden, hoping to see them, and in

minutes, the house was swallowed up, swallowed from the ground like the Earth ate it whole.

I continued to run, emotions dragging me to the pit of nothingness. "Help me," I prayed silently...

I ran, oblivious to where I was going, checking once or twice if Gwydion and Miracle were still behind, following, alive.

We were running but at a slow pace. To slow to be exact... Miracle could
barely keep upright but Gwydion was still by my side. She was only ten and had never had to run for her life before. I silently prayed to God to help these poor children if not me then them at least.

Please I prayed, over and over again, muttering under my breath.

"Ekho," It was just a whisper, barely audible over our heavy breaths. I turned to face Miracle, she
was panting so heavily and there were cuts and bruises all over her face. "Ekho," she repeated,

saying it about three or four times. I stopped walking and knelt down beside her.

When doing so, Gwydion stopped to face me, "No," he argued, but I managed to persuade him to stop. I wanted to continue, but I knew it would result on me or my sister getting hurt or killed; knowing that this act would lead to something far worse I stopped. I couldn't leave her in this state; her arms were bloody
and cut: she looked like a corpse (not to be rude at all). "We'll rest," I declared, reluctantly. I was still
nervous about what would happen but I led her further on into the night, looking for a safe place that would do for the night.