LOOK AT ME

Prologue

After tying my hair into a bun, I ran downstairs to eat breakfast before taking Aurora to school but on my way down, I paused inhaling smoke. Shaking my head, I continued going down, scrunching my noise up in disgust.

"Mom! You know what Dad said about trying new recipes withou--" I stopped speaking when I turned the corner.

In the kitchen, next to the refrigerator stood a tall soldier. He was dressed head to toe in black combat gear including gloves, goggles and a ski mask. Not a single inch of skin was exposed, making the pale blonde in his arms stand out like the moon in the night sky. I stood frozen, watching as he carried her lifeless body out the back door. It took forever for me to realize that the dead woman was my mother.

The air grew thicker from the smoke and my lack of oxygen seemed to have woken me out of my daze as I stumbled back upstairs to find my sister still in her room. She was wearing light blue jeans and a faded grey shirt, her hair still dripping from her shower. I walked toward calling her name in between coughs yet she didn't move. Her gaze was fixated on something outside of the window. Looking out I saw more of them, all in combat gear, carelessly tossing people into piles.

"Come on Rory, we need get away from the window. We don't want them to see us." I said with a shaky voice.

"Rory, why are you still looking at them, come on."

I pulled her away from the window, but her eyes were still trained on it.

"Rory!" I snapped my fingers in front of her face, finally getting her attention. Her pupils were wide, the color drained from her face.

"Okay Ror. It's okay. It's all gonna be okay. Come on."

I shoved her in the closet and climbed in after. Moments later, we heard heavy boots ascending the stairs agonizingly slowly---one...two...one...two... My heart raced as I covered my mouth and closed my eyes, willing my tears and the man away. I counted the seconds until the footsteps stopped right outside. I pushed Aurora as far behind me as I could before the door opened and I was face to face with the man that was standing in the kitchen earlier.

He reached forward, and I shrunk back shaking my head; tears flowing freely down my face. I heard a thud. I whipped my head around to find Aurora slumped over, her eyes closed. The man looked around me and started moving closer.

I turned toward him and yelled "No!"

He flinched. "Stay away from her!"

I got up and threw myself at him. He stumbled back, and reached for my arms which were currently pounding into his chest. He easily got a hold of them, causing me to switch to my legs and feet. I repeatedly kicked him in his crotch before he let go of me completely and doubled over. His breathing got louder, but he recovered quickly, shoving me into the wall, pinning my wrists to my chest and trapping my legs between his.

"Look at me! Look at ME!" He roared, his voice demanding.

Reaching up with one hand, he pointed at his eyes but they were hidden behind his goggles. As if releasing this, he went to take them off, and I took the opportunity to push to the left, and run around him. I ran to Rory's desk and grabbed the scissors before turning around to face him. He was still standing by the wall watching me, the goggles dangling between his fingertips. His eyes were wide and pleading, the blue-green orbs darting back and forth between my own. Suddenly, my vision blurred and I lost my grip on the scissors and they fell to the floor; the thud echoing in my ears. He took a few steps forward, and I tried backing up but collapsed instead.

"So strong." The man whispered, and that was the last thing I heard before everything went black.