𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐥 | ✎

prologue

Annalise
Age 12

I shot up to the sound of yelling as I feverishly looked around my bedroom. My room was pitch black besides the small yellow fairy light that sat on the dresser across from my bed. A loud crash made my whole body jolt as I started to push the covers off my body, shivering from the cold. I tiptoed across my carpeted floor, wrapping my arms around myself. As I neared the door I suddenly heard a loud cry.

"No no! Don't do this!"Tears welled up in my eyes as I realized it was my mother's voice. I had never heard her sound so scared. I didn't even think before I rushed over to the door, ripping it open with an urgency I had never felt before. I sprinted out the door frantically looking for her. I quickly rushed to her bedroom in hopes that she was in there.

"Mommy?" I called into the darkness. I began to reach for the light switch, when someone abruptly grabbed me. I tried to jerk away from the hold they had around me, clawing at their arms. "Let me go!" I repeatedly screamed, only hearing a deep chuckle in response.

The person carried me out of the room keeping their tight grip around my midsection. I continued to panic as they started to carry me down the stairs. Squinting I looked at the bottom of the stairs and saw a body laying near the bottom. A deep chill ran through my body as I remembered my mothers screaming.

"No no no." I yelled as we neared the body. I didn't want to see it, I didn't even want to know if it was her. I shielded my eyes as the person carrying me reached the bottom of the stairs. They continued walking, ignoring the body completely.

"Look who we have here." The man carrying me said with a sinister smile. I tried again to escape his clutch, when he unexpectedly threw me away from him. I harshly slammed onto the ground, a cry escaping past my lips. I curled up into a ball trying to ease the pain that was spreading through my body.

"Let her go!" My mom's voice suddenly went through the room, followed by a loud smack. My head shot up at hearing my mother. She was on her knees surrounded by a bunch of men in dark suits, with large guns. Her eyes were red and puffy and she looked like she was shaking.

"Shut up! I told you to keep quiet, one more word out of you and your kid dies. You hear me?"My mother quickly nodded, releasing a loud sob. My own eyes started watering as I saw the fear and sadness coming from her. She looked up at me holding eye contact as she mouthed 'it's okay.'

I refused to break my stare from hers as the men around us began to talk quickly to each other. I didn't understand most of it because they spoke in a different language, but my mom seemed to understand perfectly. Tears rapidly streamed down her face as she looked over my face, as if memorizing it.

I broke eye contact with her when a man with a small gun began to approach her. I looked between him and my mom, confused as to what was happening. The man began to raise the gun towards the side of her head.

"No Mommy!" I screamed and tried to rush over to her. I had almost reached her when hands roughly grabbed me. I continued to yell, my voice getting hoarse as I continued to scream and try to get to my mom. "Mommy!" I clawed, I shoved, I screamed, but I couldn't get out of their hold.

My mom looked at me and smiled sadly "look away." She announced loudly. "I need you to look away honey."

"No mommy" I cried out not wanting to break eye contact. Her lip started to quiver as the man shoved the gun into the side of her head. Panic suddenly filled her eyes.

"Annalise, look away!" She yelled, making me flinch in response. She had never yelled at me before. I could taste the salt from my tears, as they continued to fall from my eyes.

"Mommy," I whispered one last time, not knowing what was really happening. There was so much fear running through my body. I just wanted to hug my mom, and have her whisper in my ear how much she loved me.

"I love you" She spoke to only me, as her warm chocolate brown eyes gazed into my matching ones. "Look away honey."

I began to turn my head, afraid of what was to come. Just as I had begun to turn, a hand roughly grabbed my chin and forced my face back towards her.

"NO!" My mom screamed as she started to struggle. Arms held her down as she continued to shout. "Don't make her see this!"She tried to make eye contact with the man with the gun, but his face only held a dark smile.

"This is for my son." He declared harshly.

The gun suddenly cocked and my body went completely still. I wanted so badly to turn away but I couldn't move. My whole body was so paralyzed with fear, that I couldn't even close my eyes. My mom looked at me, and gave me one last smile.

A loud bang filled the room.

a/n:

This story is going through some major editing so I'll be reposting chapters

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed :)

-Syd