I Didn't Know; Part I

It was a late December night. The roads were icy and the air was freezing cold. The street lights flickered causing dark ominous shadows. I walked down the dimly lit alley despite the nagging feeling that resided inside of me.

That night you could hear everything. A car engine starting, the laughter coming from the apartments that surrounded the area and the piercing cries of newborn children.
You could hear the animals that roamed in the darkness and those with lost souls, who always wandered aimlessly. You could even hear the footsteps that seemed to follow you.

You could hear the sound of crunching snow behind you, the sound of shoes slipping on the thin ice.

I didn't know.

My breathing hitched and goosebumps formed on my ice cold skin. I wasn't used to being out so late. I continued down the trash filled alley, cold and alone.

The foul stench of rotting garbage and leaking gasses filled the air. I choked and held my breath, hoping to just make it home.

I was a bit on edge, I'll admit, but when I heard the footsteps panic took control, much like an animal's instincts. That's all it was, instincts. I could feel someone close behind me, almost too close. I was overreacting, I was just scared. You have to understand that! I wasn't thinking straight and I needed to act fast.

I didn't know.

The person behind me sped up. I could almost feel their thick, warm breath on my neck. My heart rate sped up, growing faster and faster every second. It beat so hard I thought it would burst out of my chest. My hands shook and chills ran down my spine. This was bad, very bad. Just as I steadied my pace someone grabbed onto me and shoved me to the ground. 

I screamed, the sound of terror ripping through my throat. I thrashed around looking for something, anything to defend myself.
My hand came across a hard rock and without hesitation I brought it up as high as I could and slammed it down onto my attackers head. They rolled off me and landed on the ground in a heap. Blood spilled across the cold ice and almost immediately froze. It splattered on my coat and poured into the shimmering pale white snow. It all happened so fast. I rushed over to inspect my damage when I saw the person's face.

The blood in my veins ran cold.

I didn't know.

I screamed, shock coursed through my body temporarily paralyzing me to the spot in which I stood. "Don't look again, don't look!", I told myself but I couldn't help it and looked just once more.

The blood poured from my sister's skull like a river that runs into a waterfall.

I didn't know...