Silent Witness

Chapter 1

The beginning..Detroit Michigan

Ryder

I woke up it was dark, I checked the house and mommy was gone again. I don't understand why she is always gone, I am alone and hungry, and I am scared. I am too short to reach the light so I am letting my eyes adjust as I make my way to the fridge. There is not much for food, but I find some bread, I also find jam and put it on. I used my hands because I can't reach anything else. It isn't the best and it tastes funny, but it is the only thing I have for right now. I wonder where mommy is and if she is coming back soon, I want her too I miss her. I don't know what time it is but it is dark so I decided to go back to sleep. I curled into a ball in my bed, I have been wearing the same clothes for a few days now. I am dirty and I cry myself to sleep, I am still really little and I don't understand. Is this normal? Do all children go through this? Where is my mommy?

Narrator (~)

Ryder was alone for 2 days before his mother came back and she was not in her best state of mind when she came home. She was oblivious to the fact that Ryder was even there, she was young and naive and was not ready for a baby to begin with. She didn't have the heart to give him up though so she kept him and not a lot of people even knew he existed she kept him a secret. Raya was not the best mom and she was caught in the drug business and she new she messed up big time. Drake Hunter was a hard man to please, and she made a huge mistake when she took something of his. She regretted it but she couldn't take it back now, she hoped she could hide out before he found her. She grabbed her things and looked at her son who was currently staring at her with tears in his eyes. She felt extremely guilty in this moment because he was so innocent and she knew he was to young to understand. Raya kneeled down to his level and hugged him when she heard them at her door. "Hide baby" Raya said before the door was kicked in.

Ryder

Mommy came home finally she didn't see me at first, she had a suitcase where was she going? Was she taking me with her? I didn't understand and I just wanted her to love me. I started to cry and she finally looked at me. I could see her get sad as she knelt down to my level and hugged me tight. It felt nice and she smelled like vanilla, mixed with something yucky but it was mommies smell. Then I heard it noises at the door, mommy looked scared, and she said "hide baby" before the door was kicked in. I ran to hide, but I watched as 2 men came into the room. They had guns and I was afraid again, I was afraid for mommy. One of the men spoke, "Raya Jones did you really think that was smart?" Tyler said, "I am sorry Tyler , I didn't know" mommy said back to him. "Bullshit!" the biggest one said he scared me the most. "Drake sir I am so sorry please forgive me" mommy said. "I wish that I could do that but you know my rules, and when one steals from me I take from them" Drake said. "Please you can't, I will do anything" mommy said. "I wish I could believe that Raya but your days are numbered in fact its time you learned a little lesson in how I do things" Drake said. "Please" mommy said as I watched in horror from my current hiding spot. I was in the closet but it had a small peephole and I watched as the big man mommy called Drake grab her by the hair and pull her to her feet. "I will not ever be disrespected by people I thought I could trust Raya and you stole from me, took my hard earned cash right from under me. You will serve your sentence and that will be that problem solved. People will know to never do me wrong again" Drake said. I heard mommy start to cry, "Ryder" she said and I didn't know why she called my name. "Ryder who is that?" Tyler asked, "no one" mommy said and this made me sad. I think she said it to protect me though I had no idea what was going to happen next and the man called Drake lifted his gun and pointed it at mommy, "no please" mommy said.

Then he shot her and I screamed and I realized that was a mistake pretty quickly as the closet door swung open. I heard the gun fire one more time as they shot mommy again, "Ryder I take it?" the one called Tyler said. I tried to hide further into the closet and make myself small, I didn't want him to hurt me. "Boss, she has a kid" Tyler said, "leave him, burn the house" Drake said as they both left. I didn't know what they meant by burn the house but I didn't think it was a good thing. I ran out of the closet and tried to wake mommy up, there was a lot of blood. I cried "mommy, mommy don't leave me" I said as I shook her. She didn't wake up and I was alone again but I hugged her. I didn't know what just happened but it wasn't good, I saw those men and they know I did but they didn't hurt me. I watched them as they killed mommy but they still left me why? Then I heard someone coming, I was scared I needed to get out or hide, yeah maybe hiding was good.