When The Clock Strikes Twelve

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: This first chapter is really rough, so please read to the second chapter to get an accurate representation of the story. I plan on going back to rewrite it once I finish the entire story, but for now it sucks. I promise it gets better! 

Thanks for reading When The Clock Strikes Twelve!

Zaria smiled at the group in front of her. Children, from the ages of 3 to 7, were arranged around her in a semicircle, their eyes trained on her. She paused for a moment, for dramatic effect. "...Little Red realized that she was not looking at her grandma, but at a wolf!" The children gasped, their tiny bodies leaning forward excitedly. "And then the wolf gobbled her whole! Little Red felt herself sliding down the wolf's throat-" She saw some of the children wrinkle their noses. "-and with a great thump, Little Red landed in the wolfs stomach!" This disgusting image elicited an 'Eeeeewwwwwwww' from Anaya, but Zaria forged on with the story. "And guess who was in the stomach with Little Red?" The reply from the crowd of children was drowned out by a loud rap at the door.

Zaria glanced at the clock, which read 5:27. The parents' shift ended at 7:00, so it couldn't be them. So then who else? she thought to herself. She stood, the wooden chair under her creaking. "Hold on just a minute." she told the group of children. "I will be right back." She made her way to the door, her skirt swishing at her ankles. Zaria put on a smile and swung open the door.

Two people stood in front of her. A man and a woman.

Dressed identically.

Dressed in police uniforms.

Zaria's smile fell for a beat, but she forced it back quickly. "Hello." she greeted. The male officer, not bothering with manners, pushed past Zaria and into the house. Zaria stepped back a little, surprised, but let him through. It was wiser to just let him through. The officer went straight for the children. "Which one of you is Anaya Zareed?" he demanded stonily.

All of the children's heads swiveled to Anaya, who raised her hand shyly. The man grabbed her hand roughly and pulled her up off the floor. "You're coming with me." He stated. Not a question. An order. A pulse of anger went through Zaria, her fists clenching. "What? Why?" she asked the female officer, who was still standing in the entrance, watching the events unfold coolly. "She is being arrested for treason to her majesty, the queen." Another pulse of anger ran through her.

"She's just a child."

"She committed treason." the woman shot back.

The anger started to cloud Zaria's mind, building and building up inside her. "How," she demanded through clenched teeth "do you think that she, a four year old child, could have committed treason? She doesn't even know what treason is!"

The woman, sensing the hostility coming off of Zaria, reached for the gun holstered at her belt. "She committed treason." the woman repeated blankly, her fingers wrapping around the gun.

Zaria felt the blood pumping through her veins acutely, felt the room grow inexplicably hotter. "Dorian" she said, turning her head to face the oldest of the children. "Take everyone to the other room and play a board game. Dorian's eyes widened at the sudden responsibility, but he saw the look on her face and herded the rest of the children away. Once they were all out of the room, Zaria spun her head back around, looking at the woman.

"You can't do this." she told the woman. "She's only four years old."

The woman's eyes flashed, the first sign of emotion she'd seen from her. "Ma'am, if you get violent, I will shoot you."

Zaria flinched a little, but the fear of the gun didn't stop her from striding to where the man was holding Anaya, looking the man in the eye and demanding, her voice full of steel. "Let her go."

The man looked over her shoulder at the woman. "Restrain this woman, Officer Holmes. We'll take her in too."

"Yes, sir," Officer Holmes said, her voice emotionless. She slid the gun out of its holster and raised it at Zaria. "You're under arrest."

Zaria felt the anger in her stomach swell, until finally, it exploded. She screamed and kicked the man in the shin, then ducked immediately. She heard gunfire go off from Officer Holmes' direction, but she ignored it and dug her fingernails into the male officers hand. Surprised, he let go of Anaya, just as Zaria grabbed her hand and ran. She burst from the front door out into the deserted street. She took off running in the narrow gaps between all of the small houses. She heard the officers chasing her through the maze of streets. Her breaths came in short gasps. In her arms, Anaya began to cry, her eyes darting wildly around. Zaria ran faster, whirling around a corner...

Only to find herself face to face with Officer Holmes' gun. The officer fired. Anaya gasped and cried harder, her tears soaking into Zaria's shirt. Anaya whirled back around and ran in the opposite direction, thanking god that the woman hadn't hit her. Anaya's sobs started to fade, making way for pained whimpers. But the tears kept coming, soaking into Zaria's shirt. They kept coming... and coming... and coming. Her shirt was now thoroughly soaked with the warm, sticky tears.

Wait.

Sticky?

Zaria looked down at the now silent child.

Straight into the bullet hole in her shoulder.

Zaria gasped and nearly dropped her.

"Ohmygodohmygodohmygod" she whispered frantically, stopping and putting Anaya down on the hard floor. Zaria felt a headache build, tears threatening to spill. Her mind raced wildly as she took off her shirt and tried to tie it around Anaya's shoulder. It slid off. Zaria tried again, tying it tighter, but in her heart, she knew that it wouldn't work. She was no doctor, but she could tell. Anaya was as good as dead.

Trembling, Zaria whipped off her shirt, noting that the blood had soaked through her undershirt as well. She tried to tie the shirt around the child's shoulder, but her fingers were shaking so much she could barely even tie the knot. Anaya's ragged breathing was the only sound she could hear in the empty streets. She felt the child go still under her hands.

The breathing stopped.

Zaria froze, the tears finally falling from her eyes. She felt a wave of emotions crash over her, swallowing her whole. She remained still, kneeling over the dead girl, unable to move. Until...

Zaria heard footsteps. Heavy, thudding footsteps. Coming nearer. She snapped to her feet, adrenaline overpowering her grief. She felt her instincts take over as she dashed away from the footsteps like a wild animal spooked by a predator. She ran, leaving the dead girl lying in the alley. She ran, the blood of the girl drying on her shirt. She ran, the tears falling hard and fast.