Ten, Nine, Eight...

To Feel Safe

A high toned scream from the mother filled the house, waking her husband. Panicking, he ran down the stairs to aid her. He saw her, hunched up in a ball, clinging on to the white paper. Lovingly, he cradled her in his arms, reading the letter over her shoulder. He to, was horrified to find that someone wanted to get them. The someone was most likely the person who brutally murdered their first born daughter.

Anger filled his veins. Falling from his fists where tiny pieces of the ripped up note, that he took his anger it on. Still cradling his beloved wife, he whispered calming sentences to her, and when she was eventually strong enough, he took her up to bed to rest.

But rest they did not. Thoughts of that note filled their heads, leaving hem tossing and turning in the bed. In the middle of the night, their second child crept into their room. She said she "heard mummy scream".Lovingly, her parents made space for their child to rest in their bed for the night.

The following morning the family got up and ate breakfast. Silently, they all sat around the table. None of them dared to discuss the events that occurred in the night.

The mother's words broke the silence. She was weeping into the telephone, pleading for the police to do something. She only wanted to feel safe. For her whole family to feel safe. But to her utter distraught, the police claimed they could do nothing. Her husband consoled her and helplessly tried to calm her down, even though on the inside, he too was completely terrified.