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Chapter 3

Ella

It’s been about 2 hours since I finished speaking with the Principal and was now sitting in the Office Lobby as I sat there waiting for the Police to show up. The events of everything still fresh within my mind.

I-I can’t believe it. My parents are gone. What am I supposed to do now? I’m all alone. Feeling tears start to rise I try to ease my mind, trying to sort through all of the emotions that I was currently feeling.

Lost in thought, I fail to notice as another figure moves to approach me. “Ms. Knight?” calls the voice which startles me.

“Y-Yes” I say, my focus now on the man dressed in blue and black.

“I’m Officer Riley, I’m here to escort you back home so you can gather what you need” says Officer Riley, trying to offer me some kind of comfort as he notices my red puffy eyes.

“T-Thank you” I mutter, moving to stand as I did. Grabbing my bag from the floor I move to follow him out, my gaze to the floor as I let my mind drift. My thoughts suddenly drifting to that of my step brothers.

Reece, Dylan and Caleb. Brothers by birth and the bane of my existence. For while they weren’t down right mean to me, they weren’t exactly approachable either. Remembering a time when I was 10 and the boys were newly 20, we were at a family gathering. Of course for reasons unknown, I was the only odd child present. So while my parents really tried to be mindful of me, I really didn’t have anyone my own age to play with so when I tried to spend time with either Dylan, Caleb or Reece they down right ignored me. To say the least I felt utterly alone back then.

Shaking my head, I try to clear those thoughts. Having not seen them other than holidays and special occasions they were never really around much. Not even when I was 8 and our parents finally married. They were apparently too busy with their college career to care.

So why should they care now? I muse as the Officer moves to lead me from the building. Guiding me over towards his cop car.

“Here we are,” says Officer Riley, as he moves to open the door to his backseat for me.

“Thank you” I say, moving to slide into the seat just as he moves to close the door behind me.

“Anytime” and with that he moves to close the door before moving to jump into the driver seat. “We'll be at the house in about 45 minutes, so please in the meantime use this time to rest. I’ll alert you when we arrive.”

Nodding my head, I move to lean against the seat of the car, letting everything from today’s events come rushing back to me.

I can’t believe they're truly gone, I think. Fighting to keep the tears at bay. My body numb as I try to relax in the back of the seat of the car, struggling to do so as I’m far too tense to care.

Knowing there would be funeral arrangements to make and family to call, I began to mentally prepare myself for all the things I would need to do before they could go wrong. For things always spiraled out of control and fast especially when you least expected them too.

45 minutes later…

“We’re here Ms.Knight” says Officer Riley, drawing my attention to my surroundings.

Blinking, I move to see my house. Half expecting this to be all a dream I move to wait until the car pulls up to the front of the house. Once we do, does the Officer move to put the car into park before moving to let me out.

“I’ll wait here. Please use this time to gather what you currently need for the journey, the rest you can come back for” is all he says as he moves to step aside, allowing me access to the house as I move to slowly enter. The door obviously unlocked as I moved to open the door. My breath hitched in the back of my throat as it did, half expecting my family to all jump out and yell surprise.

Easy there, nice and slow, I think to myself as I slowly move to enter. My house looked normal except for the fact my parents wouldn’t be here waiting for me. Nor would they be here ever again.

Glancing around the house, I can’t help but notice how eerie it was within it. No sound, no voices, no nothing. Creepy. Not wanting to stick around I quickly moved to head for my room, unaware of the dangers that lurked just beyond my reach.

Approaching my room, I pause. My door slightly ajar when I knew I closed it that morning when leaving for school. Scared, I slowly inch my way closer towards my room. The sound of shuffling could be heard the closer I got to it.

“Where is it? It’s gotta be here” grunts a voice as he continues to tear apart my room. Frightened, I continued to approach, the need to see who it was far greater than the need to run away.

Nudging the door open I freeze. For there standing within my room was none other than a man. Dressed in all black with head completely bald, his body buff and tall he continues to trash my room as if searching for something.

Swallowing a lump in my throat, I try to scream for help only to realize the man was not alone as another approaches me from behind only to grab me by the waist, causing me to yelp as he moves to carry me inside the room.

“Look who finally comes home” chuckles a voice, the voice almost Russian. The ascent is thick which makes it hard for me to tell.

“Let me go! Why are you in my room?” I demanded as I thrashed, trying to get free.

“We want something, and your room is the last place we haven’t searched in yet” smirks the voice, the other man turning to face me as I can’t help but catch a scar along his cheek making me freeze.

“What is it that you want?” I ask, scared for my life.

“Information that daddy dearest seemed to have. You're the only one left who knows what it is” says the man with the scar, his voice normal.

“What thing? I don’t know what you're talking about” I say, worried they would hurt me.

“Aww, Princess.. Don’t play games with us. You know exactly where daddy hid it” smirks the man as he approaches, moving to touch my face while making me freeze, trying to shy away only for Officer Riley to appear.

“FREEZE! HANDS IN THE AIR” shouts Officer Riley as he draws his gun. “Drop the girl now”.

Frowning, they move to drop me, landing on my butt with a thud as they move towards my bedroom window. Smirks gracing their lips as they did.

“FREEZE” yells Officer Riley, his gun still drawn and pointed directly towards them.

“See ya around Princess” was all they said as they moved to jump from my bedroom window. Scared, I don’t dare move from my spot on the floor until Officer Riley moves over to the window, the men now gone.

“Shit! We need to go now” replies Officer Riley, his attention now on me as I continued to process what just happened.

Moving to approach me, does Riley move to grab me. “No wait, I need to grab something first” then without waiting I move to grab a stuffed bear. A large bear that had been a present from my step brothers. It was right before our parents married. We had all gone to an amusement park one day as a family.

I was only 6 back then and the boys were 16 when I had seen the cutest teddy bear. Sad that I couldn’t do it, Reece and his brothers each attempted to go for it, with Reece being the winner of the bear.

Smiling, he moved to hand it over to me. “Here you go Principessa (Princess)” whispers Reece, watching as I hug the bear tightly. “Thank you Grande Fratello (Big Brother)” I squeal while still holding the bear.

“Anytime, Amore Mio (My Love)” whispers Reece again, unaware I had heard him that time around. Blinking as to why he had called me his love when I was only 6 years old.

Shrugging it off, I was too young to understand, and too little to comprehend what those words would do as they began to set things into motion of a never ending love that would be both a blessing and a curse.

“Hurry, we can’t stay here. I can send people back here later to get your things, but for now we have to go” is all I hear as he moves to pull me from the room. With my bear in tow, we rush to leave the property, my clothes and personal belongings left behind for the time being. Unaware that the object in question was secretly stashed within my bear.

What have I’ve gotten myself into now? Was all I can think of as I’m ushered away by the Officer.

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