Caught In A Web

Prologue

It's the year 2005. I am nine years old at the time and all is well, so far. I sit in the living room of my house with my parents and siblings. I have two younger sisters, Sophia and Lisa are twins, and a big brother, Jonathan (I like to call him Johnny).

We all sit on the L shaped couch huddled together and watching Mom's favorite movie, The Notebook. It's movie night and it was my turn to pick the movie, but since it's Mom's birthday she got to choose.

"I barely understand this movie," I say aloud.

"Aslyn, darling, please quiet down. This is your mother's favorite movie," my Dad whispers as he ruffles my hair.

On the other side of my mother comes the voice of my brother, "Dad, she likes to be called Lyn."

Mom shushes us and we all go back to watching the movie. We get to the part where the two people are arguing when everything goes down hill. All of the sudden the front door is kicked down and five guys with guns and masks come into the room shouting at us to, "GET DOWN ON THE GROUND!!!!"

Sophia and Lisa start to scream and cry as mom grabs them and and tries to protect them on the floor. They lay down on their stomachs as mom tries to shush them. Dad and Johnny kneel over the others to protect them as I just jump under the couch and hide. Four of the men aim their guns at my family and my sisters' cries get louder. They are only three.

The fifth man walks around the couch and sits down right next to the bowl of popcorn. Right above me. I look out under the couch at my family as the man begins to speak, "We're going to play a game, but first we have to have all the right players," turning to his minions, or whoever, the man says, "kill the two little girls."

My mother screams out in protest as two men come up and drag my sisters to the far wall. Dad stands to try to save them but third man hits my father with the butt of his gun. Dad falls to the floor when I hear two gun shots. Looking over to the far wall and see my sisters' bodies slump to the floor with a pool of blood beginning to form.

I cover my mouth as not to cry aloud as the man begins to speak again, "now that that's out of the way let's begin. How about you, sunny boy? Got any tricks up your sleeve?"

"We don't know what you're talking about," Dad yells at the man.

He has a smirk in his voice as he replies, "oh, but your wife does. She knows all about what I'm talking about. Don't ya, Vanessa?"

"What is he talking about?" Dad turns to Mom.

"Ron, I-I-" Mom starts, but Dad cuts her off with his screams of question.

He stands and starts to stalk towards her in an angry rage. He doesn't get to far as the fourth man shoots him down. He falls and my mother screams again.

"This has been boring. Is your son able to shift or not." He asks in a maniacal tone.

"No, just please let him live." My mother pleads for his life.

The man leans in and says, "he is no longer of use to me. I have no choice but to kill him."

He pulls out a handgun and shoots Johnny right between the eyes. By now I have tears streaming down my face and I struggle to be quiet. The man then, seeing there is no more family, points the gun at my mother and shoots. Before he does though, my mother catches sight of me and mouths the words that will haunt me for the rest of my life, "I love you. Be strong and nothing can defeat you."

The men all get up and leave. I continue to hide there until the cops show up. When they are looking around for clues one of them sees me under the couch. I am then taken to the precinct for questioning. I am placed under the care of my Grandmother, but before they could ship me off to her I run away.

At this memory I wake from my sleep crying. I continue to lay here crying until I fall back to sleep.