Loved & Loyal | 1

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I could see Abby running towards me. It was too dark to see anything around us but I saw her pale face, frantic expression, and tousled hair running towards me. I knew something was wrong but couldn't figure out what.

I could faintly hear her screaming at me, telling me to run, to leave her behind. But I knew I couldn't do that. I had to protect her from this unknown danger.

I took in my positioning, realizing I was urging her forward, to fun faster, urgently beckoning with my hand. My body was tense and my feet were spread in a balanced stance.

All of a sudden, I was hit with sounds. I heard Abby's pleas and cries, the pounding of her feet in time with my heart, and the sounds of gunfire, ricocheting off of the walls of black around us. Then I heard his voice, and for some reason, it shook me down to my bones. It was Dad's voice, pleading. He was begging for his life. And not only his, but Mom's, John's, Nikole's, Abby's, and mine.

I could see him now, as the blackness seeped away, exposing a circle of light. My father was on his knees, looking up into the darkness, his hands held in front of him like he was praying. Then, I felt Abby grab on to my arm, and we took off running. But not before I heard the sound of a gunshot and saw Dad crumple to his side.

"NO!" I tried to yell, but it felt like my tongue weighed more than lead and my lips were glued shut. I looked at Abby and saw tears running down her face almost as fast as her feet were going. My instincts kicked in and I started to sprint alongside her.

The tears wouldn't come as I pictured the image of my dad's lifeless body crumpling to the floor. A white hot rage exploded in me and I stopped running. The darkness still surrounded us and I had no idea which direction to go to get back to Dad. I felt my arm being yanked as Abby frantically tried to get me to move.

NO. I wanted revenge.

I turned around and started walking in what I hoped was the way we had come. I let go of Abby's hand.

"Keep going. I have to kill him."

As I started jogging, the darkness drifted apart, revealing pieces of the area. I recognized it as the neighbourhood park at night. In these holes in the dark, I saw people running and screaming from the direction I was going but continued on anyway. I passed a few bodies lying, dead on the floor but I kept going. I needed to get to where Dad was shot.

I reached the spot, but didn't find his body. Instead, there was a note.

Benjamin. Pity you had to come back for Daddy Dearest. I have the girl, and you won't get her back.

My heart stopped in my chest. I dropped the letter in shock, watching as it fluttered down to the ground. When it hit, I snapped out of my trance and started to run. Everything was black now. The ground, above me, around me. I couldn't see a thing. All I knew was that I had left Abby when she needed me and now I might never hold her again and hear her say my name.

I was running so fast, I tripped. I just about kept going when I realized it wasn't that I tripped because I was running so fast. I tripped because there was a body on the ground in front of me. The darkness had cleared completely and I was surrounded by the trees on the edge of the park as I knelt on the grass in the middle of the soccer field.

I turned the body so I could see the face. Staring up at me was Nikole. Abby's mom. A sob escaped me as I saw the look of horror etched on her pale face.

I looked around me and realized she wasn't the only one. Littered around the park were multiple bodies. Most I recognized. I saw the guys from the hockey team, some of Abby's volleyball team, and I saw our parents.