The burial ceremony

My gut twisted at the sight in front of me. There had to be over a hundred people gathered around, all wearing black tux's or dresses. Their heads bowed in a respectful manner to the man being lowered into the ground. Cries and sobs could be heard from the back, where I stood, hiding from everyone.

I couldn't face them. I didn't want to and I also feared them.

My big black sunglasses hid me from the crowd, just long enough for me to witness Nikolai, my father, being lowered six feet under. People spoke softly, talking about wonderful memories with him and how Nikolai was such a giving person.

I just stood there silent with tears burning in my eyes. I knew him more but I couldn't even say anything. The priest didn’t even call me in front to say anything about him. No body knew that I was his child.

"I feel sad that Mr Nikolai has died the same way as his wife. May their souls rest in peace",

"But luckily he didn't leave any child, no orphan left",

"But who killed him? Is it the same person who killed his wife?",

Murmurs were everywhere around me. Some were false

No one knew me, I didn't know any of my relatives. My whole life, my whole existence I spent it locked in one of the rooms in my father's house. safe and secure. This started the moment my mum got killed. I really didn't know what killed her but sadly I didn't even attend her burial.

My father refused me and told me that the outside world was not for someone as innocent as me. I really didn't know what he meant but since that day , he held me hostage in the house. He didn't allow anyone to know about my existence and this was the reason why no one knew that my parents had a child.

I sat isolated and everything wasn't bad, not until when someone approached me. It was a lady asking me some information but I ignored her and I turned my attention to the priest.

I grew up without socialising with anyone and secondly I was afraid of people.

I was in my own world as my father's burial went on but the moment it got done and I saw the people leave the burial ground it was when my fear set in. I no longer had any place to go. My father's place wasn't safe for me. I had a feeling that whoever killed my parents will later come for me.

"I will sleep anywhere but not at home",

The words kept resounding in my head as I slowly walked along the pavement. It was turning into night , dark but I was mindlessly walking to my apartment.

Of course I had no where to go and I didn't know the streets.

My eyes darted around the area as I walked. Though it was night, it seemed so safe. There were no people walking.

Everything was well not until when I turned around the corner.

My thoughts were out of the blue proved wrong when a loud cry sounded in the night.

BANG!

The sound of that made my breath to hitch i'mmediately.

It was a gunshot.

And it was so loud that it made my ears to ring and rattle in my skull.

"I'm not safe",

I rubbed my cold clammy hands over my long leather skirt, already sweating in places I didn't think possible. My father was right when he said that the world wasn't safe for an innocent person like me.

A loud groan that followed made me to turn my head to see where the sound was coming from.

"Kill him, if is he isn't ready to say the truth", I heard the angry voice and that was when my eyes fall on shadows fully dressed in black.

My instincts kicked in quickly and I began to move backwards because the moment, they discover me I will be dead but unfortunately I didn't make it far.

The moment my toes came in contact with the stone, a scream unknowingly came out of me and that was the end of me.

"Get me that bitch right now",

As soon as I heard those words, I didn’t even freeze, I instead ran harder as fast as my legs could carry me without even turning to look at the owner of the angry voice.

At some point it was so useless, his men were after me running at the same speed like me.

My heart was pounding in a way that I couldn't explain and it felt like it was going to get out of my body.

His men were still after me. Their feets pounded in my ears and I felt them hurting.

I wanted to crawl up into a ball and die rather than being captured and taken by people I didn't know.

As I ran, I almost tripped over my floor length gown, but I didn't stop until I entered in one of the public bathrooms and slammed the doors shut for extra measure. My fingers trembled as I reached for the brass lock.

As soon as it closed, I cursed under my breath and began to look around the bathroom. I was looking for a place where I could escape from.

Adrenaline pumped through my entire body when my eyes fall on the small window. It was a bit far but I wasn’t stopping.

"Shit! What are you trying to do", My heart nearly fall out of my chest when I heard a scared voice behind me.

"Why are you trying to climb the window",The stanger asked and it was a blonde haired lady.

"P-please!, I need your help", I whimpered, "there are these m-men, and they want to kill me please help me get a way out of this bathroom" , She was a stranger but I didn't hesitate breaking down in front of her.

Before she could even reply me, we both heard the door being banged..The men were trying to open the door forcefully.

Terror washed over her face as realization hit her.

"What the hell did you do to them?, How can I help you quickly", She was also already panicking.

"Help me get up to the window", I retorted with hot tears already flowing down my head.

"This bitch is inside here", l froze when I heard of the men speak. They were already in the bathroom looking for me.

"Boss' skazal Verni etu suku zhivoy",

Russian, they're speaking Russian. Holy fucking hell.

"Let me try to help.....", The lady stopped in mid sentence instantly when she saw the men approaching. Before I could even react, she quickly pushed me behind her back and faced the masked men.

"Big boys, can you please leave the girl to leav...."

Bang.

Within seconds blood sprayed onto my face as the lady in front of me fell to the floor.

I froze and lost it all, oh my god. They killed her mercilessly.. just like they did to the first man I witnessed. I loudly begged for the world to swallow me as I watched the evil men approach me.

I watched the one who killed the lady put his gun in his pocket but I didn't make any move.

It was as if I was glued to the floor. Tears were the only ones flowing down my face as I watched the lady's blood pool all around me.

"I swear, I didn't see anything", The moment I watched one of the evil man jump the lady and walked to me, I immediately took a step back.

Lips trembling, I turned my tear filled eyes to him.

"If you don't want to have your pretty face ruined, just shut up and come with us peacefully." One of them hissed out.

"Noo... I won't, I didn’t do anything .... I didn't see anything",

I shook my head then tried to take another step back but he quickly reached out and grabbed me. His grip on my hand tightened more when I tried to pull away.

"I swear I didn’t..... I won't tell anyone.... leave...", Just as I was screaming, he i'mmediately covered my mouth with a gloved hand still l lost it all.

"I won't tell anyone, please dont kill me", My screams were muffled but still I began to fight, trying to remove his gloved hand from my mouth.

"I swear......", Hot tears brimmed my eyes as I shook but his grip only got tighter.

I'm going to die. I'm going to die just like my parents.

The realization dawned through me as I struggled and struggled but failed.

Things became worse when he turned me around, my back was pressed into him as he held me in place, his gloved hand still firm around my mouth. I felt his free hand tuck my hair behind my ear then he whispered .

"I told you to behave and you refused now I'm..."

I shook my head and didn’t let him finish but before I could process anything, a white cloth pressed into my nose and mouth.

I let out a loud muffled scream as I struggled but it was all useless. Within seconds, I felt lifeless and limp as the cloth suffocated me but before I could fall down, I felt someone catch my body, and hold me as I thrashed. I held my breath, but I felt the chemicals from the cloth flooding my senses.

My legs kicked and I threw my arms at him, but I didn't win. At the end, I inhaled the chemicals then began to feel numb.

My eyes began to close, but I fought to keep them open. I still failed the hot tears that were brimming in my eyes became cold.from my tears. I felt my body become cold, the struggle I was putting up , came to an end and as I took in one last shaking breath, numbness flooded through me, and my whole world went black.