Annilova

Annilovian Blood

I had spent three hours reading in my room when dad called out for me.
"Noelle! Come here!"
Dad called out for me? Three options.
One: He wanted something to eat.
Two: Mum complained that I did something terrible.
Three: The deadliest of them; he knew something that I'd been hiding. And in that case, you seriously don't want to know what happened next.
My mind automatically replayed every mistake I had done in the past two years. Then, automatically made up an excuse for each one. Then, automatically wrote a speech about how sorry I was, just in case the excuse didn't work.
It seemed that my mind took so long to do all those tasks, that when I opened my room's door, dad was right in front of me with his arm stretched like he was just about to open the door himself.
"Didn't I call for you?", he said with an angry voice.
Dad wasn't a scary-looking man. He wasn't giant or anything, just 10 cm taller than me-I was 5'2 by the way-with a round face, smiling most of the time. That's why when he wasn't smiling, he turned into my worst nightmare. Well, anybody's worst nightmare.
"I was just marking the page in the book I was reading.", I said.
"When I call you, you leave whatever is in your hands and run to me.", he said as he bit his upper lip with his lower jaw.(he did that when he was super angry). "You understand?"
"Yes, dad."
"Now, go wait for me in the living room."
I sat on the couch for ten minutes, then he came and sat right next to me.
"Your mum told me that you want to go out this weekend.", he said raising an eye-brow.
"Yeah..."
"Where do you wanna go?"
"Ummm....we haven't decided, yet. But I.."
"Who's (we)?", he interrupted.
"My friends and I."
"Your friends and you aren't the ones who decide."
"I know that you have to approve but..."
"I decide AND approve, Noelle.", he interrupted again.
I rolled my eyes as I remembered how he hit the roof every time someone interrupted him. Yet, he interrupted everyone. Or maybe it was just Flora and I. He didn't consider us as people who had the right to talk or express an opinion.
"Fix your attitude!", he suddenly shouted.
"What have I done now?"
"Rolled your eyes. You don't roll your eyes in front of your parents!"
"Fine."
"It's SORRY, not FINE."
I kept silent. Noelle Gilbert wasn't the kind of girl who simply apologized. I only apologized when I felt terribly sorry. And well....that never happened.
"So, can I go out?", I asked forcing a smile on my face.
"No!"
"WHY ARE YOU RUINING MY LIFE, DAD?"
"WHY ARE YOU RAISING YOUR VOICE?"
"Because it's just unfair! What did I do?"
"When did I mention that you did anything?"
"So...why ain't I going out?"
"Because it's not safe. For the millionth time, Noelle; things are not the same anymore. Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
"Why is it suddenly not safe when it comes to hanging out with my friends? Is it safe when I go to school?"
"Stop arguing!"
"NO, DAD! TELL ME!!"
"What? You wanna quit school? Go ahead! I don't mind that. It's your mum's business."
"So....when will anything be MY business?"
"When you get married and have your own house."
"MY GOD! I CAN'T BELI...."
An extremely loud gun shot stopped me from completing my words. It sounded so close, like maybe in grandma's house.
We ran towards the window to see what was going on.
Of course, you're expecting me to describe something pretty mainstream; a fight, a robbery, or even a kidnap. But all I saw was simply a man.
Looking from the window of my house, his face couldn't be seen, only his back. But I could see that he was wearing all black, and that he had a knife in his right hand, and a paper covered in blood in his left.
The same gun shot was heard again. But this time, I saw the bullet make its way through his chest. I saw him as he fell slowly to the ground, and how everyone in the neighbourhood was watching but no one moved a muscle.
I saw how he raised up his left hand with the bloody paper in it, and how he kept it up till his last breath, till his last drop of blood was drained from his body. As if he wanted to deliver a message to us; the people watching him die.
I ran towards the door to go out and help him, but mum grabbed my arm to stop me.
"Let me go, mum. He's dying!"
"Do you want to die along with him? They'll kill anyone who sympathizes with him, or anyone like him."
"Who are They? Who's Him? Like him how?", I asked trying to free my arm from hers.
The moment I set my arm free and started for the door, she shouted: "THE ARMY!"
I froze as if the word grabbed me just like mum did minutes before.
The idea itself scared me better than any weapon they used, or any destruction they caused. The idea of having an army that attacks you instead of protecting you.
I walked back to the window to see if anyone helped him or anything.
But he wasn't even there....
All I saw was a street covered with blood instead of concrete. Not a single person to be seen.
"What the....? How could anyone take him to the hospital that fast?", I asked.
"You mean, how could the army cover up all the traces that fast?", said dad folding his arms.
"ALL the traces? They left the most important trace. Maybe a sea of fresh human blood?"
"Just give them 15 minutes and you won't even see one single drop."
"Why do they bother covering up traces of crimes anyway? They rule the island."
"Not yet. They cover them up to be able to rule the island later, so they'll have no crime record."
A knock at the door cut the conversation. A harsh knock, like someone slapping the door with both hands.
Flora looked through the hole in the door.
"It's an army soldier!", she whispered.