"Dee baby, you know that momma loves you and papa loves you too," her mother said with tears stained cheeks while she nodded her head eagerly.
"What happened? why are you crying," the little girl asked her mother, using her tiny right hand to wipe her mother's tears.
"Baby, you need to run now," her mother said, "and this is the address" her mother hands shook as she was taking the slip out to give her gem. "Run to your uncle Adam. Give him this letter and don't answer if a stranger calls you. Don't answer darling" The mother hiccupped and sniffed. "Run harder till you find a mosque or church and seek out the imam or pastor to help you call your uncle's number," her mother said crying.
"Have you given her?" the little girl heard her father's voice from the corner.
"You are always my princess, take good care of yourself and be a good girl to your uncle," her father said then pecked her on her forehead slowly.
"Mama, papa what of you, what will happen?" the little girl asked her parents looking at her them confusedly.
"We will be alive dear and always be there with you sweetie," her parents said together, then hugged her.
"But, why should I go to uncle's place?" she asked dumbfounded.
"Don't you want to visit your uncle?" her mother asked with a tight smile.
"Yes, I want to" She replied, "But what of my little brother?" The girl whined, her mother caressed her little bump with a sad face.
"He would be fine" her father responded.
"Aye, I can't wait to see my little brother and play with him," the little girl said excitedly as her parents laughed and hugged her tightly.
Little did she know that it was the last time with her parents, she was receiving their warm, protective, comforting hug.
The last goodbye.
She ran out of the compound little meters from her house before she was blocked by a masked man, flashing his braced teeth to her.
" Where did you think you are going little girl?" the man asked with a creepy smile while she pouted her lips.
"Mommy said, I should not answer a stranger" she replied clenching the paper in her little hand.
"But baby, you are talking to a stranger," the man said sadistically and dragged her to an open field.
"Bring those losers out" the man voice boomed out in the open arena, the little girl flinched and was shaking in fear.
I'd I know, I won't have talked to the man, the little girl thought.
Behind the man, two giant men moved forward and went to the house. They dragged her parents out like a sack on the rough surface.
Her mother was pregnant with her little brother.
"Leave my baby alone, she's innocent. Don't you dare bring her into this" her mother yelled, coming forward but she was stopped by a slap.
The girl screamed, tears brimmed our of her eyes, she tried to free herself but it was impossible from the man's grip.
"Where did you think you are going pumpkin?. To save your wrench mother from what is written for her? " the man taunted her as he spat on the little girl face.
"STILL" the man commanded.
"I want you to watch how I will deal with your parents," the man said with an evil smirk on his face.
"Released them" the man ordered.
Her parents scouted each other for safety.
"Take this girl and tie her on that chair" the man pointed to the broken chair.
Two men dragged her to the chair and nailed her hands to the arms of the chair. They tied her and raised her head up.
The man told them to raised her head up to watch whatever he intended to do with her parents. They nodded their heads in understanding.
Another two men emerged from the woods with iron rods with them.
The first man hit her mom on her stomach which made her coughed out blood.
They were hitting her parents until they were gasping for air and couldn't move.
Their blood splattered everywhere.
When the little girl turned her head away, unable to watch the horrific scene in front of her but she was slapped.
Her parents were laid side by side and were surrounded by firewood. The man brought out a keg of petrol and poured it on them.
He turned to her and raised her head up "you see, I'm gonna burn your parents alive and I want you to watch everything In details" he said. "So that you could remember not to cross someone above you" he grinned wickedly.
"This is what I like most, Burning alive" the man laughed evilly.
He reached his pocket and brought out a box of matches.
"Before I put the fire, I want you to count to three" he ordered but the girl kept mute only to receive another agonizing slap on her cheek.
"COUNT NOW" he shouted.
Upon counting to three the man lit her parents and everything caught fire in front of her.
And She shouted.
~~~~~~~
I was jolted awake from my nightmare with a scream.
I was sweating profusely, I couldn't go back to sleep. The incident was playing in her head like a video.
"Sh... Sh, it's okay, it was just a bad dream" I heard a familiar voice cooing and shooing me.
I was still shaking from the terror, I could never forget. It was stuck on my memory and it would always follow me anywhere I was.
I looked at him with my wet eyelashes, I just wanted a hug and I hugged him. That was all that I needed, he rubbed my back in a soothing way which comforted me.
I didn't know when I was back asleep in his arms with him comforting me and saying some soothing words to me.
That was the first time I slept without a nightmare for the past seven years.