Times have changed.

ONE

" Summer wake up!...Summer you need to wake up and get your brother!" I faintly hear my mother say, fear in her words. 

"Mama what's happening? Where is dad?" I ask while getting out of bed trying to wake up. 

"There's no time to ask questions" she grabs my hand and bends down so our eyes can meet. She places her warm hands on my cheeks.  "Sweetheart, you need to listen to me very carefully. I need you to take your brother and go down in the basement. Do you remember the hiding place Dad showed you when you were younger?" 

I nod my head softly. I see a tear run down my mama's cheeks.  "Mama, why are you crying?" I ask while wiping the tear away from her soft rosie cheeks. My mother swiftly brings me into a tender hug." I love you so much sweetheart okay.  Just remember that. Remember that your mama loves you, OK?"

 "Mama what's happening?  You're scaring me." She looks at me with sadness and pain in her eyes. She was about to tell me something when we heard someone banging on the front door. 

"OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!" 

"Sweetheart you need to go get your brother right now and no matter what happens, no matter what you hear do NOT come back upstairs. Do you understand me?"

 "Mama?" 

"GO NOW!"  

Still confused I do as I'm told. When I get to my brothers room, he's fast asleep. I hurry and wake him up. Grabbing his hand, we head down to the hiding spot. 

"Summer what's happening? Where's mom and dad?"

"...I don't know."

Silence

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. More of a creepy silence fills the air

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.

Then out of nowhere we hear the front door SLAM open. I can see that Jacob is starting to get scared.  I go over and hold onto him, so he knows it'll be okay and that I'm here . For what seemed like forever, all we could hear was a storm happening up stairs.... just like that the storm ends with thunder. Then silence starts up again.

.

I begin to head up the stairs, when I feel something pulling me down. Looking down I see my little brother begging me to stay with him. 

"Jacob go back to the hiding spot."

 "Please don't leave me." he sounds so scared. I grab his hand. 

"Look, I will never leave you, but I need to go find mom and dad okay? I will be right back." 

As I let go of his hand, I head up the stairs to the first floor. "Mama?" I whisper...no answer. I start walking blindly threw the darkness, reaching my hand up to the light-switch... weird... the lights aren't working. I slowly walk away from the wall trying to find my way threw the house when I trip and fall into something wet. "What the hell?" I whisper to myself. 

"S s s Summer..." I hear faintly. " Summer " I hear again. 

"Mama, Mama is that you?" Out of nowhere I feel someone grab my hand and pull me towards them. Then that's when I see the  red covering my arm. That's what I must have fallen into, but what was it? Out of the corner of my eye I see the woman I call mama covered in dark red. Looking into her eyes all I see are tears filled with sadness and fear 

"Mama...Mama what's happening?" She squeezes my hand 

"h..h..Honey, I need you to listen to me okay? I need you to to be s.s..s...strong okay baby? You need to be strong not just for yourself but also f..f..for your brother okay? He needs you and you need him. Promise me Summer." 

"Mama what are you talking about you're not go..." 

"SUMMER! Promise me!" "I PROMISE okay," I say with fear in my voice and just then I realize that my mom's grip around my hand was gone. Her hand had slipped off my hand and onto the stained red floor.

"Mama!" I cry out.

nothing

"MAMA!!"

"MAMA WAKE UP!"

"I'M NOT STRONG MAMA, PLEASE I STILL NEED YOU!"

"MAMA!"
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"SUMMER"
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"MAMA PLEASE" 
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"SUMMER WAKE UP"

I fling up from my bed with heavy breathing looking around wondering where I was, when I see my brother on the edge of my bed looking concerned. He grabs my shoulders trying to calm me down. 

"HEY HEY it's okay.. it was just a nightmare Summer. It's not real you're safe."

 "That's the thing J.." taking a minute to calm myself down. Looking up to the soft eyes of my brothers. 

"I lived through this nightmare already."