Light At The End Of My Tunnel

Prologue

It was my birthday, my dad was far away, my mom had an important business to take care of. My brother and I were ready for school, he was 12 years old at that time. I just clocked 7, I was sad, dad wasn’t there, mum was about to leave. Just like every other morning, we had our breakfast. Mom drove off as my brother and I made our way to the school bus waving at her. Classes that day were just things I had to go through before getting home hoping to see my parents. There was no urge to learn, nothing. I got excited as classes were over, I remember I never gave my brother the chance to say his goodbyes to his friends, I just wanted to go home.

Finally, we were home, the house looked empty, no one was home. I sighed walking towards the stairs, and.i.saw.a.cake. My birthday cake! Mom probably dropped it off, I thought. I called out to my brother, we ate what we could till evening, then fell asleep after skipping happily to my room, same with my brother, except the skipping part. I had the most adorable dream ever, mom, dad, my brother and I laying on green fields, laughing, our smiles were so bright, happiness laid with us. I got thirsty. Yes, right. I had something baked so I should expect this. My cake, I should also have another bite, I thought. Don’t blame me, I was a kid, I should love something sweet.

It was 3am in the morning, mom and dad should be home, I thought. I walked down the stairs into the kitchen, I saw the cake still on the cabinet, I digged my hands into it forgetting the reason why I came to the kitchen in the first place. I was so into eating the cake that I kept staring around. That was where it all started! My hell.

I saw a pool of ‘something liquid’ coming from the other side of the central counter. Innocent me made my way to check what it was. It was my mom laying helplessly on the floor. That liquid was her blood! The cake with which I was stuffing my face with fell to the ground. What’s happening? I thought. I couldn’t even move my feet or hands. Is this a dream? I went over to my mom, touching her with tears forming at the corner of my eyes. “Mom” were the words I was about to say as I heard footsteps, fortunately they were not approaching me, each step sounded farther and farther. Peeping over the cabinet I saw three men, all dressed in black making their way out of the house. Immediately, I could feel tears rolling down my cheeks. ‘My brother, is he alright? I should go call him’ I thought. I looked at my mom in the pool of her blood, stared at the stairs, looked at my mom, stared at the stairs again, confused on what to do. I froze, my brain went blank, it was black out for me!

I woke up to everywhere all white and the faint beeping sounds of machine beside me, I prayed not to remember anything as I saw the plain white ceiling staring right back at me, but I did. Everything came at me once, the cake, my mom, blood, men in black. My breaths got shorter, I was struggling to breathe.

“Honey, I’m here. I’m here, honey…. Honey!” I heard my dad say as I collapsed again.

I woke up again, this time to my mom’s funeral. She’s gone.

With my PTSD getting serious as day passes, a lot of nightmares, locking myself up in the wardrobe, never sleeping with the lights off, crying at any slight happening, my dad had to get us another mom. Some adjustments were made, we were never left by ourselves ever again till my brother turned 20 and I was 15 years old.

PTSD: Post-traumatic stress disorder; mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it.

Now I’m 17 years old, with a new mom, a dad, a brother, a best friend and definitely still with my PTSD.

I would totally appreciate thoughts, feedbacks and reactions to this prologue, so please leave a comment if you enjoyed it :-) xoxo :-*

Rachel ❤️