Hunting Season

My mother slowly thanked him as he turned and continued organizing his area. I saw tears in her eyes as she split the sandwich in two and gave me half. I couldn't remember the last time I tasted food so good and continued digging in as she bit into hers.

I looked up as I heard hurrying feet and saw everyone packing up their stuff and hiding their valuables. I looked at my mother in confusion as she called to the man beside us. 

Margret: What's going on? Why is everyone in such a hurry?

Stranger: It's the lurkers, they come down here and rob us of anything we have that seems valuable. I suggest you hide anything you want to keep.

I turned to her as I grabbed my charm bracelet and slipped it into my pocket. A couple of feet away I heard a huge commotion as people were pulled from their tents and being searched. I saw a group of people with bats over their shoulders threatening to hit them if they didn't comply.

Lurker: What you got old man?

Man: Man I ain't got nothing, you guys stripped me clean the last time you came.

Lurker: You better be telling the truth, you know how we deal with liars.

Lurker: What about you?
He asked as he pointed the bat at my mother's head.

Margret: We don't have anything I swear, please just leave us alone.

Lurker: Sure about that? Pretty little necklace around your neck there, I want it.

Margret: What? No this is the only thing I have from my husband, please

Lurker: Well now I'm gonna have it.

He said as he leaned forward toward my mother, tightly gripped onto her jaw. My mother pushed him away, causing him to stumble to the ground. I looked from him to her as he got up and kicked her in the stomach, causing me to scream for him to stop.

Marget: No Harlow, run! Get outta here

Harlow: No! I'm not leaving you

As I said that images of my father's death replayed in my head as I gripped onto her.

I connected with the ground as he roughly pushed me away and punched my mother in the face, causing the necklace to fall off. I watched in horror as he picked up the bat and swung it across her head, going until it broke and creating a loud echo through the dark alley.

I felt as though my lungs would burst as I saw her fall lifelessly to the ground as blood began to stream from her head. I held my mouth as he spit on her body and walked away. Crawling to her body I held her head up as she stayed unmoving. 

My hands were stained with her blood as I held onto her hand, waiting for her to wake up. I picked up the necklace and opened it to see a picture of my parents laughing in a sunset.

Stranger: Listen, kid, you better get outta here

Harlow: I can't just leave her.

Stranger: Listen, they are gonna come back and you need to be gone before that happens now go.

I looked at him with little to no life as I got up and ran away, taking one glance back as I saw someone dragging her body away.