Azrael

Chapter One

Its like a dream. A nightmare really. But when a nightmare becomes reality, the word "nightmare" is reduced to dust. Why were so many mysterious men chasing us? No idea. Where was I even going? No idea. Whats left of my life? When can I go home? Can I go home at all? Why wont my parents say anything? 

I don't know.

Until this afternoon my life was perfect. Perfectly normal. It was a beautiful Sunday with the sun shining down. Dad was even cooking lunch today. His special pasta. We were at the dining table, eating laughing and pulling my little brother Luke's leg. That's when the loud crashing noise came from the living room.

First we thought it was the cat that comes into our house every now and then, curls up in a corner for a while then goes away. Mom went out to check. I expected her to get back and say the cat had toppled over something but all I heard was shrill screams.

'They're here! ' she screamed frighteningly, ' Take them and run Carson' she told my dad when she hurried into the dining room with the look of pure terror on her face as if she'd seen a ghost.

My dad picked up my brother, grabbed my arm and dragged us out the back door. We headed towards the garage for the car but the tires had been slashed. So we just ran down the back road which was mostly covered by trees and there wasn't much of a path there. It simply went downhill. I ran as fast as my legs could carry, following my dad, ignoring the blood rush through my body. I could hear it, the blood pumping through, in my ears. I could feel my heart beating against its cage like it wanted out. 

I couldn't stop to think or process. All we did was run.

Neverthless my brain didnt really stop pondering over everything. I never saw the attackers but one look at mom and I knew they were dangerous. She'd said "They're here" which means she knew who they were and Dad did too. Thats when I stopped running. Mom. She didnt come with us. Where was she? Why didnt she run with us? Did they do something to her? 

My Dad turned around and yelled at me, ' Zara dont stop keep going! ' 

' But what about mom?! ' I yelled back, tears welling up in my eyes. Thats when my dad put down Luke, came to me and put his sturdy hands on my shoulders. 

' Youre mother will be fine, I promise you. Its not her that they want. Its you. And thats why its important that we run as far from them as possible' he said looking me in the eye.

'Me? But I dont even..' I started but Dad hushed me.

'I'll tell you everything when I can, lets go for now' he said and picked up Luke again. We hiked down somehow and made it to a road. I knew this road. I usually took this road to school. Ofcourse I'd start from the main road out front from my house and take a bus from a little further.

I heard a call from up ahead, something that sounded like an eagle to me. This seemed to worry Dad, as he increased his pace. Why would dad be worried about eagles?

'Hurry up I know of a safe place where we can go' Dad said over his shoulder and kept on half-running and half-jogging. 

Finally when it was almost sundown we reached this tiny shack-like house a little into the forest. It was hidden by trees and bushes so you could pass right off without noticing a thing. I had been extremely worried when dad started walking off the road and straight into the forest. But then in a situation like this I wasn’t about to question him.

 Inside this place seemed just as god-forbidden as on the outside. The paint on the walls were cracking, there was dust everywhere, the floorboards creaked every time I took a step forward and the lights were so dim there had might as well be no lights at all. A muddy green colored sofa sat in the middle of the hall with a round glass coffee table in front and an open kitchen behind it. There seemed to be a staircase on the right leading to the top floor. If it were me I’d be afraid to use those looking at the condition of the house. Nobody had been here for a long time it seemed.