Crime (h.s. au)

Chapter Forty Two

Ava

"Get into the closet!" I hear my dad yell, my eyes releasing tears as I run frantically. My mom pushes me inside and I sit in her arms, hearing the front door breaking. I want to scream, but my mom covers my mouth with her hand. The small opening in the door is enough for me to see what's happening, but I'm so scared.

"You lost, Nicholas. You fucked up," I hear a man sneer, my eyes widening as three men walk into the house. My dad holds up his hands and tries to talk, but his face gets punched.

I cry harder, my mom holding me tighter. She's crying too, but it's because she's watching her husband's life crash down on him. We're both in fear, and I know my mom is trying to keep her composure for my sake.

"Where is it?!" one yells, and I feel my stomach turn. I'm scared they're going to hurt all of us. I'm scared I'm going to die.

"I don't have it!" my dad tries, but he's punched again.

"Fucking lies, Nicholas!" the same man yells, and my dad looks in pain. His face is bloody and I can only watch in horror as he's being attacked.

"Not here," my father struggles, and he's kicked in the gut. He groans and falls to the ground. I hear something break open and I cover my ears, my body shaking.

"Good fucking try," one of the men sneer, my lip bleeding with how hard I'm biting it. My father is going to get hurt. He's not going to be okay.

"There won't be a next time, dumb fuck," another spits, and then I see him holding the necklace my father had brought home only a few days ago.

"You're lucky," the one holding my father's neck says. My heart is hammering in my chest I'm scared these men will hear it. They're going to find me.

"We didn't bring guns, so you get to die slowly," he continues, and my father is punched again. One of the men looks directly towards us, and I swear he looked right into my eyes. But he doesn't say anything, or walk towards me.

My mother holds my body tightly as my father's yells fill the air. Then I hear grunts, my eyes shutting. It's not long until I hear nothing else, so I open my eyes. My father lies face down on the ground, blood beneath his head.

"Waste of fucking space," one says, spitting on my father. My body trembles and they walk towards the closet my mother and I are in. But they walk past, not saying a word.

"Evangeline," I hear my mother whisper, and I feel my body shake again. The only thing I want is my father. She tries to hold me but I rush out of the closet, crawling to him on the floor. The smell of blood fills my senses and I don't see him moving, his eyes parted so they're slightly open. My mouth opens and I try to scream, but nothing comes out. I'm petrified.

"Ava!" I hear, but I can't move. My father is dead; he died in front of me.

"No!" I scream, pushing my mother off me.

"Ava, listen to me!" I hear, but I try to break out of her grasp. I need to help him. He needs to live. I scream again when I try to push him, trying to get him to move.

"Ava, it's Harry!"

My eyes shoot open and I jolt up, gasping for air. I tumble out of bed and run into the wall, my back pressing to it, my chest heaving as I find it hard to breathe. I can't focus on anything, my skin covered in sweat.

Then I see Harry in front of me, his body keeping his distance. I tremble and I run my hand over my face, hiding the emotion that threatens to come over me. My body slides to the ground and I curl my knees to my chest, fighting the urge to cry. This is the third night in a row I've had the nightmare. I can't bear this anymore.