Spencer Finally Catches a Break

Chapter 1

       Sweat dripped down the faces of three people in the Mowan home, but two were not because of the sweltering Florida summer nights. Mr. Franklin and Mrs. Lyra Mowan felt rope pull on their wrists that kept them to the chair, as they both silently prayed not to hear the noise of the car their daughter was being brought home in. 

       The Mowans could feel the floor shift in weight as the man in front of them paced, twiddling a six-inch hunting knife between his hands. The couple glanced at each other, and understood what the other was trying to say; he can't know about our daughter if he doesn't already.

       "What are you doing here?" Mr. Mowan questioned angrily, although his wife saw a flash of fear go through his eyes. The man stopped suddenly. Mr. Mowan's breath hitched noticeably as the man walked over to him, the floorboards creaking ominously. Mrs. Mowan started sobbing, wailing words of mercy as the man gripped his knife with an unrelenting hand. 

      Mr. Mowan could feel the knife stab him in his stomach. Warm, sticky blood seeped from the wound onto the man's hand, spilling over the handle of the blade, which had been twisted into the skin to inflict maximum pain. Mrs. Mowan had stopped screaming and was deathly silent, her face still, and as white as a fresh sheet of snow as her husband started shrieking in pain. 

       The man bent down, relishing every moment of pain as he pulled the knife from the man and shoved it in another section of Mr. Mowan's stomach, again and again until he was almost dead. Mrs. Mowan let out a yell when the man turned around to face her. He approached her, but made no distinct moves to suggest he would stab her. Mr. Mowan made a low, disturbing, groan swinging his head on the back of his chair to face his wife.

       "I-," Mr. Mowan moaned, trying to get the words across to his wife, "I, I love you - Lyra, I love you so much," Mr. Mowan coughed up blood while looking at his wife lovingly. Mrs. Mowan glanced back, sobbing, "I love you too. I love how amazing you are. I'm here with you," she stuttered. They both smiled at each other. It was a sad smile, a smile that said they had been to the stretches of the desert, the depths of the ocean, the peaks of mountains, the deepest canyons, and the ends of the Earth to end up at this moment in time. The end of their time.

       They both turned turned their heads when they heard the cluttering of objects, their heads shaking all the while.

       They both gasped, their lungs filling with so much air they thought they would burst. There were just two items on the table. A pack of matches and a red canister of gasoline. 

       The man sauntered up to the table and grabbed the gas, throwing it violently everywhere he could. The walls were dripping with the deadly liquid. He glanced at his work, nodding appreciating it with a criminal smile.

       He struck a match, the fire glinting in his dark eyes, shadowing his silhouette. The flame danced fearfully in the eyes of the Mowans, begging whoever may listen for mercy. The flame flickered as the man breathed, but didn't go out. The man positions the match next the the bookshelf, and drops it on the second-highest shelf. he flame devoured the shelf, and lit the books aflame. 

       The man dashed out the door, leaving the flames to envelope the Mowans, and all their worldly possessions.

                                                                    *********

       Adelaide Mowan had spent three weeks at her Gramma's in the summer for the two camps she had enrolled in. Both the camps were in Bradenton where her Gramma lived, when she herself lived with her parents in Sarasota. Adelaide had begged her mom to enlist her in the theatre and chess camps, but her mom only relented when her Gramma offered to board her while in the camps. 

       Ada had waken up later in the morning on her last day of her stay with Gramma, and had lazily gotten everything prepared for her trip home. Her Gramma hadn't gotten the memo apparently, since she was still in her pajamas, and drinking hot chocolate. 

       "Morning Ada!" Her Gramma chuckled cheerily. "You want some cocoa? I've got a thing of coffee for you too, if you still want it, you coffeeholic," her Gramma always teased her for being the only person in the family who liked coffee.

       It was a sleepy morning of television, coffee, cocoa, and relaxation. Her Gramma said that they could leave later, after dinner. It was a hour and a half trek back to her parents, so they'd probably be home at ten o'clock.

       The day passed in a haze, from lunch, to pool time, then dinner, and then the ride home. It was a long car ride, and Ada fell asleep in the front seat. She woke up to the shriek of sirens whoosh past her in the car. A firetruck and two police cars whizzed pass as she placed her head back on the headrest.  They continued on their route.

       They saw smoke before they entered the neighborhood.

       Gramma's eyes flashed as she increased the speed of the car by the slightest bit. When they got to the house and saw the smoldering ashes and support beams, Ada stifled a scream. Her Gramma ran into the house ablaze, screaming about her babies.  Adelaide screamed at the police and firefighters to stop her, to save her Gramma, but a support beam had already collapsed. 

       The air left Adelaide's body. It was as if a giant balloon was inflating itself using her air without her permission. She was so very confused, which didn't happen often, and she didn't enjoy the feeling. She was numb. She couldn't believe this. 

       Everything was overloading her senses. Where were her parents? Everything is so loud. The police are approaching her. Is her family dead? What's going to happen to her? Where will she get the money for her parents and Gramma's funeral? Are they okay? Please be okay.

       Without realizing it fully, she started crying. Little tears first. Slowly, and quietly. Then she started sobbing. Racking up breathes like they would never come to her again. She's alone now. Realization panged in her chest. 

       She started hyperventilating, thinking of everything that's going to happen to her, everything that happened to her parents and Gramma, she cried for them. She had felt the paramedics surround her before, but when she felt them push her to the ambulance she started crying harder. She saw three black SUV's pull up, and the people inside got out. 

       That was her trigger. She stopped letting the paramedics lead her to the ambulance, and sat down, shaking. She let out a loud, unholy yell. It was a sad, lonely cry for help. 

       Then, she abruptly saw black, and passed out where she sat.

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Hi! This is my first story, it'll be coming along soon! I'm hoping to update regularly, so you don't have to wait too long! Have a lovely morning/day/night!! xoxo