Reed (Protection #1)

1. Prologue

Prologue

The soft click of my door being opened breaks the silence. I'm supposed to be asleep already, but no matter how hard I try, I can't. I'm too excited for the first day of third grade, which happens to be tomorrow. Mommy even rubbed the lotion that smelled like flowers over my skin tonight to help me sleep. Then Daddy read me an extra bedtime story, but I still can’t fall asleep. I can't wait to see Marissa and show her the pretty dress Daddy bought me today at the mall. It's blue with white butterflies on it, she will be so jealous. She says blue is her favorite color, so it can't be mine.

After Mommy and Daddy tucked me in, I snuck out of bed and changed from my pajamas into my dress. When they find out in the morning, they will be upset, but I know they won't yell at me. They never yell at me like other kids' parents. But sometimes, I hear them yelling at night when I can't sleep. Like now, but something is different about tonight. The loud voice coming from below my room doesn't sound like Daddy.

"Sissy, are you awake?" Caleb, my older brother, asks from behind me.

"No," I say, not wanting to get in trouble.

The sound of something crashing downstairs filters through the house, making me jump and turn around. Caleb runs from the door and lands on my bed beside me. I scoot closer to him and let him wrap his arms around me. Caleb is twelve, while I'm eight. He isn't like other brothers. He plays with me and allows me to follow him around. He's my best friend, besides Marissa. We even have our own secret handshake.

"What's going on, Caleb? I'm scared," I whisper into his shoulder as another loud crash comes from below, followed by a scream echoing up the stairs.

Something isn't right. I don't like how my stomach feels heavy or how my nose itches like I'm about to cry. The sound of someone running up the stairs makes Caleb jump off my bed toward my door. I don't understand what he's doing. The door flies open, and Mommy stumbles through. Her shirt is torn, and there is blood streaming down her face. Her blonde hair is the same shade as mine but it’s now dark. I've never liked the sight of blood. It always makes me feel funny, and then my mind gets fuzzy.

"Mom." Caleb's voice is shaky like it gets when he's scared. This only happens when we watch movies that get him into trouble because Daddy says we are too young to watch them.

"Shh, baby. Grab your sister and follow me. Hurry," Mommy says, looking behind her into the hall. The yelling is getting louder, and my body is starting to shake.

Caleb grabs my hand, pulling me off the bed, and I feel his hand shaking. Mommy grabs Caleb's other hand and pulls us into the hallway. Out here, I hear the angry voices clearer. "Wait, where did the bitch go?"

Mommy is pulling us down the hallway toward her and Daddy's room. There is a loud scream from downstairs, followed by the sound of someone walking up the stairs. I slap my hand over my mouth to stop the scream that tears at my throat. Once inside, Mommy slams the door shut and motions for us to help her push the dresser in front of it. It's too heavy for me, but I try. My little arms and legs strain as I try to help Caleb pull. The footsteps are getting louder, meaning someone is getting closer to us. Finally, the door is blocked, and Mommy turns to us.

"Come on, my babies," she whispers. She moves to the wall by the closet and removes the floor-to-ceiling mirror. Behind it is the old waiter elevator we got in trouble for playing in when we first moved in. She pushes the metal door up and helps Caleb inside. Then, they both help me get in. It's a tight squeeze since we are both bigger now. Someone starts banging on the door, yelling at Mommy to let him in, and then saying he found her. She kisses us both before whispering, "Whatever happens, you do not come out. Promise me."

"We promise," Caleb says, his voice breaking.

Mommy pushes the mirror back, and Caleb tries to close the door, but there is a loud crash. Caleb freezes, and I bite my lip to keep quiet. A man's voice fills the air, making my skin feel like ants are crawling all over me. "There you are. Now, where were we? Oh yeah, I was about to rip that sweet pussy apart."

In her haste, Mommy wasn't able to push the mirror all the way back, leaving a small gap. We watch as Mommy falls to the floor with a man on top of her. The last thing I see is her trying to fight him off and him ripping her shirt before my face is pressed into Caleb's chest. Mommy's screams are muffled when Caleb's hands cover my ears. I don't know how long we stay here hidden. All I can focus on is the feel of Caleb's chest moving under my cheek and the tears running down my face.

Until the air becomes thick with smoke, and it starts to get hotter. Caleb removes his hands and reaches out to push the mirror. It falls with a crash, and I close my eyes. "Mommy said not to come out," I say, grabbing his arm.

"The house is on fire. We have to get out, or we are going to die," Caleb says, jumping down and turning around to wrap his hands around my waist. When my feet hit the soft carpet, I open my eyes and try to step around him, but he doesn't let me. "Close your eyes," he orders, sounding just like Daddy.

"Why?"

"Because I'm your big brother, and I said so." I listen to him and slam my eyes shut. Caleb picks me up. I wrap my arms and legs around him, hoping he doesn't drop me. I try to keep my eyes shut, but I fail. I open them right as Caleb opens the bedroom door. Instantly, my eyes land on Mommy. She is lying on the floor naked. There is blood all over her, and her neck is bent weirdly, but it's her eyes that I can't look away from. They are open and staring right at me.

"Mommy," I say, my voice catching on a sob.

"Don't look, Sissy. Don't look." Caleb's arms tighten around me.

"Is she…" A sob cuts off my question.

"Yeah," he says, not making me say the word.

The further down the hall we get, the hotter and thicker the air around us becomes. Black smoke is everywhere, filling my lungs and causing me to cough loudly.

"I'm scared," I admit.

"Me too, but I won't let anything bad happen to you. I promise," Caleb replies, pausing at the stairs. "Shit."

"Drake! I thought you said there was no one else in the house," a male voice shouts, causing me to flinch.

Caleb starts running. I bounce in his arms but keep my mouth shut. He runs into his room at the other end of the hall. He drops me and locks his door. "The window. Go." His voice is shaky and makes me want to cry.

We race to the window and open it. It's a long way down, and I'm scared of heights. "I can't," I say, shaking my head and trying to step back, but Caleb doesn't let me.

"You have to. They're coming." He's right. I can hear two men arguing in the hallway. "Here," Caleb says, picking up and tossing his oversized bean bag chair out the window. "I'm going to drop you on that. Once you hit the ground, start running. I'll be right behind you."

"No, Caleb. I can't. I'm scared." I'm crying hard, snot is coming out of my nose, and I can't breathe.

"You can. You are the bravest girl I know. I'll keep you safe." He leans forward and kisses my forehead like Daddy does when I have a headache. "I love you forever, Sissy."

"I love you too, Bubba." He helps me climb up to the window and grabs my arms. He starts to lower me down, his hands slipping up my arms to my hands.

The sound of his door being broken fills the air. An intense heat hits my legs as the fire from downstairs breaks the window and fans out. Pain shoots up my legs, and I stifle a scream.

"Grab him, and let's go. The house is about to go up in flames."

"Run. Don't look back. I love you," Caleb whispers and lets go of me. A scream falls from my mouth as I fall toward the ground.

My body jerks forward, and the thin, dirty sheet falls away from my chest, pooling at my waist. My body is sweaty, and I'm trembling like a leaf in the wind. My heart is racing, and tears are pouring down my cheeks. I close my eyes and rub my legs through the sheet. I feel the rough, scarred skin from where the fire burned my legs that night. The small alarm clock on the floor next to my twin mattress starts to beep, and I hurry to shut it up.

It's been twelve years since the night someone broke into my childhood home. Twelve long years since they butchered my father, raped and killed my mother. All before setting the house on fire, thinking no one else was inside. Twelve years since I watched my older brother's lifeless body fall from his window while I hid behind the big oak tree that sat in our side yard. That night changed my life, and nothing has been the same since.