BLACK RAYS

CHAPTER 1:TWO BULLETS,TWO LIVES

“Monica, you need to finish up what you are doing and go to bed, it is late already”
“Yes mom, but it could have been easier if Ivy had offered to help me out” I called back dipping all the dishes in the sink at once.
“Come on, you don’t need Ivy’s help you can do it all by yourself
“Okay, I was just mentioning, it didn’t have to raise an argument, mother” I said dismissively
“Good then, finish up my smart kid then you…” a short cracked in the silent house that left mother shrieking and gasping “James…my dear hu… husband!”
I frowned fear sipping into my veins that my blood turned cold, I suddenly could not stand properly I leaned against the sink swallowing hard I begun sweating and shaking. What just happened, where did the shot come from? Is it mom? Dad? Oh God no! This is not happening not my parents
I scrambled towards our room, Ivy was sitting on the bed wide eyed, and I jumped out of the room following the short corridor leading to my parent’s bedroom. I froze my eyes wide open-almost popping out of their sockets. I slumped against the wall tears leaking from my eyes.
“Dad…ma…
Mom was sitting on the floor crying, father’s head was resting on her laps -eyes closed. He was in his pyjamas and a red patch of blood soiled his pyjamas on his heart region. I could see the hole the bullet had gone through. Next to my mother was a man in a Halloween mask, he was holding a gun in his left hand. A sudden rush of fury engulfed me…this is the man who has taken my father’s life. He still has the guts to stare down at my grieving mother. You will pay for this, idiot I swore wiping my eyes. I balled my fist glaring at the satanic man. I charged towards him and gave him a thick kick on his side. He groaned turning to look at me with bloodshot eyes.
“You really have a lot of confidence in your little self, ha? You haven’t seen the last of me kid, if I were you I would have run away and never came back” he spat sarcastically.
“What the hell are you telling me you beast, who do you think you are to advise me after taking my father’s life?” I sneered preparing to punch him on the face.
As I raised my hand to give him a blow, he grabbed my small wrist and twisted it to my back. I stumped on his foot, he groaned and I took the chance to grab the gun from his hands. I pointed it at him with my shaking hands sniffing and tearing like crazy.
“So you thought, ha? Now it is your tur to meet your creator, go to hell” I said with a trembling tone.
“Oh kid, you are surely very furious. Come down…”
“Shut your mouth or I will pull the trigger!”
“You are not going to do that sweetheart, you are going to give me the gun so I can send you off so you can accompany your pathetic father to hell” he was too calm as if he was very sure I wouldn’t pull the trigger at him.
“I will do it then you will really understand that am no kid” as if I knew how a gun even works. I tried as much as I could to pull the trigger but nothing happened. Like the wind, the gun was yanked out of my hands and a heavy blow landed at the back of my head. Everything stopped and begun dissolving into nothingness. I could barely see or think of anything, darkness engulfed me and I went down on my knees. I heard a roaring laughter as an agonized cry escaped my lips.
From the very back where there was a little light, I could hear the muffled cry of my mother and Ivy…ivy! Ivy was here, no God no! She can’t get hurt. I forced my eyes to open and saw her squeezed in a corned crying.
“Go…go away, please leave and never think of coming back here” I begged her through my pain and agony. She didn’t give me an eye, and she has never. She had the wildest attitude towards me which I disliked but could do nothing about it.
“Dear madam hero am sorry but you didn’t make it” the sarcasm in his tone made me want to tear him into tiny pieces.
“You devil!” I spat then another blow landed on the same spot as before blood become leaking into my clothes slowly. Darkness opened its arms wide to embrace me, no am not dying till I revenge my father’s death.
“Ma mooom!” I called helplessly
“Sorry boo, you are dying so young” he clicked his tongue “you are dying so young, I wish I could spare you but you seriously provoked me you interfered with my mission. What am I going to do other than to eliminate you?” I felt the barrel of the gun resting at the back of my head.
Yeah sure, am dying too young but what choice do I have, and Ivy is not the kind who would risk his life for me.
“Any last wish baby doll you should have some words at least” he blat out again.
Last wish? Did I have one? Maybe for mom and ivy to escape and live a better life afterwards. That was it, now I could accompany daddy to his creator. I waited to be shot dead, I was pushed then a shot blasted loudly before everything went dead silent. I opened my eyes and lifted myself off the ground into a sitting position. I first noticed the murderer was missing and Ivy was at the same corner I had left her crying with agony. My mom was not where I do left her, father was lying all alone in cold blood. From behind someone grabbed my shirt I turned around quickly to find mother there. She was lying on her side a bullet hole on her neck and blood was leaking from it. It must have shattered the jugular vein. I placed her head on my lap tears spilling from my eyes like new springs.
“No mother…no! Why did you do this? Mother!”
She gave me a bitter smile, “so you can live my daughter, your life is far much precious than mine”
“That’s a lie mom, your life is more precious, and why did you do this to me?” I felt numb and helpless, my strength completely drained away.
“Monica…you’re alive, thank God for that”
“No, not when you are lying in cold blood, what is there to be grateful for” I sniffed “please mother stay with me, don’t leave us!” I begged as her body slowly lost its warmth. I took off my shirt and covered her “here mom, this will keep you warm”
“My inside is cold too, this can’t save me! Please, take care of your sister wen am gone!”
“You’re going nowhere, I won’t allow you to, you are staying with me” I told her angrily
“Listen Monica, this is not a choice, it is going to happen am leaving you both…” a cry escaped my mouth unknowingly “come close…the man is gone, your dad and I are also leaving you, but there is something you need to protect when we are gone”
“What is that mom?” I asked in a whisper as she was
“The documents in my room. They are in the small drawer…keep them safe and out of everyone’s reach…they mean the world to your father and me…
“Mom…mom, you can’t seriously do this, mom. Stop the act mother I know you’re alive. You are strong you can’t die you are a fighter mother, you can’t leave us…” when her hands slid off my own I knew I was talking to myself and she was long gone. “Ma…
She was dead, gone from our sight and reach forever and we were alone. I buried my face in her bosoms and cried my heart out, when I could cry no more I kissed her forehead reached for my dad and took off his bracelet. We are orphans!
I looked at my sister who was giving me an accusing look then I noticed the small crowd that had gathered in the small corridor with fascinated looks on their faces.
“What are you looking at? What the hell do you want here when they are already dead? Where were you when that beastly man was taking away their lives with no mercy? Now you have come here to give testimonies ha?”
“Please come down Monica, what really happened? We heard gunshots and decided to call the police” an old man tried to explain.
“Gunshots, then my parents are dead, so what more do you want to know? Thanks anyway for calling the cops to take my dead parents away” I pushed through the crowd and walked out of the hose. I wasn’t ready to see my dear parents wrapped up in plastic bags and pilled in a police car. Worse I wasn’t ready to answer the cops as if I would bring my parents to live afterward as I answer the questions. I ran off as fast as I could, sirens of police cars approaching clouding my mind, I could barely see where I was going. I staggered stumbled kicked myself as I ran away from reality. My hurting neck was no better, it hurt like a mother and the bleeding was draining away my energy. Everything was suddenly dark and I was falling off the edge of consciousness into an open hollow pit of darkness. I was luckily received by feminine hands I had no idea whom they belonged to. Then I heard her calling me.
“Hey girl, can you hear me? Stay with me try to focus don’t close your eyes!” it was too late I couldn’t hold. I fell unconscious.