Anabella's POV

With great anticipation, I lay in my princess themed bedroom on my bed, reading through my science note as per my parents demand as a 'requirement' for going to the summer fair with my best friend Jena.

I feel I have reread this particular sentence a more than ten times, my excitement increases by every passing second, as the time for our  departure draws nearer. I feel exhilaration having never being out on something like this, I can't wait to try the new rides and of course, my personal favorite...

Food!

Exactly fifteen minutes to the long awaited time, I shut the book, I put it away, giggling in excitement, I jump off the bed to get ready.

I rush into my walk in closet to pick my clothes and shoes. Not wasting much time I pick my black skinny jeans,A white fluffy sweater with a large pink heart in the middle, and a pair of black boots along with a black hairband with a cute white bow on it.

I take them with me to the bathroom.

•••••••

Once I'm done dressing I look at my full reflection in my large sized mirror,I adjust the neckline of my sweater, I nod in satisfaction.

I have just successfully clasped the chain of my necklace around my neck after a long struggle when my mother bursts into my room abruptly.

"Annalisa!" She says when she locates me at the side of the mirror. I give her an odd look when she calls me with my full name. She only does that when she's either angry, stressed.

"I've read my Biology textbook mum, can we leave now?" I say still giving her a weird look as she looks around my room frantically, occasionally pulling at her hair in apparent exasperation as she paces around in quick steps.

She ignores and walks past me to the opposite corner of my room she picks up my tiny duffel bag then shoos me out of my room asking me to go downstairs to my dad, completely ignoring  my confused look while she pushes my out.

"Go and meet your father" She says her voice quivering, she shuts the door firmly in my face.

I stare at the polished wooden door in confusion for a few seconds, before I comply walking slowly downstairs.

As I walk downstairs, supporting my clumsy steps by gripping the rail, all thoughts of the fair vanish as my mind tries multiple times and fails as much times to conjure up a reason for my mother's weird behavior.

Once I reach the sitting-room downstairs, I quickly hide behind a nearby pillar in the dinning room as I find that my fathers actions are even more peculiar than that of my mum.

What's going on? I wonder even though this scenario is all so familiar I refuse to believe it.

I watch in confusion as my dad paces back and forth the four corners of the sitting room running his hand through his golden locks  multiple times as he screams into his phone.

"How much time do we have" he says when he finally calms himself down, standing at akimbo in the middle of the sitting-room- 

"Approximately!? I want an exact time!!" he screams startling me, my heart beats harder against my rib-cage, fear finally taking a hold of me, it's unlike him to scream, no matter the situation-

He cuts the call after listening for a while then slumps on a couch nearby, his breaths become louder and faster while he massages his temples groaning over and over again.

I clear my throat as I walk into the room announcing my presence, I try to disguise my fear by balling my quaking hands into fists, his reaction confirms my suspicions, he turns to me abruptly his light blue eyes filling with shock, it widens when he takes in my presence.

Something is going on

It quickly changes to apprehension, he rushes towards me and.... And pulls me into a bone crushing bear hug.

"Everything will be just fine princess, don't you worry" he mutters over and over again like some sort of mantra, he is obviously assuring himself as I am oblivious to whatever is going on.

My mum rushes towards, then past us making my dad step away from me after one last kiss on my forehead.

My mum moves past us again this time shoving my back pack into my hand before disappearing upstairs. I look down at it to see the head of my old favorite doll sticking out,

Normally I would go on an on  about how I'm eleven and too old for a Dollie, but with the tension around the room coupled with the obvious fact that my parents aren't in the mood to entertain any interruptions, I wear the bag without as much as a word.

"Dad?" I ask confusedly as he rushes after my mother, he ignores me leaving me in silence and my brain overworking itself in trying to find a possible hypothesis.

Few moments later my mother rushes downstairs dragging with her a black suitcase, not too far behind is my father bearing two suitcases balancing his phone with his shoulder.

"Are the plane tickets ready?" He says making me furrow my eyebrows. " Where are we going"

Oh no no

"Yes, that's fine...we're leaving soon"

That's the final string it takes for the coin to drop.

"We're leaving!" I yell in both anger and surprise. My mum and dad sigh simultaneously,they have both likely been looking for a suitable way to break the news to me.

"Why!" They both sigh again in response to my outburst which does nothing to soothe my aggravation.

"Honey.." my mum and dad start at the same time.

"No, I want to know why" I say stomping my feet rather childishly, I know my little tantrum will change nothing, but that doesn't stop me.

If you ask me why I'm overreacting over moving, I would not have a specific answer. Why? I don't know, Maybe because unlike other places we have moved to and away from, we have actually spent a considerably longer time in comparison, maybe it's because I'm tired of having my life tampered with, maybe because I'm no longer that child who did whatever I was asked without any questions.

I have friends, memories..... I look up at the perpetrators as the look at me with a sad look on both their faces. They gave me their words, they promised that we wouldn't have to move anymore and I took their words for it.

Unlike other times I mingled, made friends and acquaintances, to whom I've inevitably gotten attached to.

And now just like that, and the worst part is that they won't tell me–

Why?

"Tell me why we have to move all the time" I say folding my arms and turning the opposite direction with an air of aloofness, closing my eyes in attempt to keep the burning tears back but failing as one traitorous tear slip past opening the way for many more.

"Honey" my mum says hugging me," I wish we could stay, I really do... But" she stops abruptly I feel a drop of warm of liquid on my shoulder, followed by another, followed by a sniffle from my mum.

I freeze under her touch as my brain scrambles in confusion,

"Anna dear, we have no control over circumstances like this we really have to go" my dad says as soon as my mum lets go of me.

"No!"  My parents eye widen at my outburst, even I am confused at where I'm going with this, but it seems my emotions are entirely in control.

My rational mind is chiding me, I'm not this girl who tries to contradict or go against her parents... In fact, I don't recall me ever doing such. Well what would you do, when you haven't had any real friends for as long as you remember, when you finally feel the joy of friendship–

"Tell me why" I say turning to them as I cry knowing no matter how much I try, the truth is that I have no control over this, we're moving anyways.

My dad sighs running his fingers through his already disheveled hair, "Sweetie" my mum says touching my dad's arm turning his attention to her. They look at each other for a while, seemingly communicating with their eyes.

After a moment my dad lets out a sigh and then bends to my level. "Lisa, it's not safe here okay? People are after us, we stay, we die... We run,we... may not" He says then pauses and if waiting for me to process his words.

"Then call the cops on them" I say like it's the most obvious thing, If only I knew

My mother groans in frustration, I see anger gradually seeping into her blue orbs, but surprisingly, I can't bring myself to care, I'm the only one here who has the right to be angry.

I turn to my dad just as he looks at his wristwatch, his eyes widen then grabs my hand and swings me up to his back as I latch on to his neck,screaming in contradiction as he balances two suitcases expertly and rushes to the back door with mum quick at his tail holding a small bag.

Just as his hand moves to grab the handle, the door is kicked open the force sends me flying off my dad's back and him loosing his footing sending us both to the floor.

My mother let's out a blood curling scream as the suitcases drop to the floor with a loud bag, clothes and Jewelries spilling all over the floor.

I try to sit up, supporting myself with my shaking arms, but I'm quickly down again as the world spins around me from the impact of the hit.

I watch from my lying position as my dad quickly stands back on his feet in a defensive stance in front of my frightened quaking mother.

But even I know it's a lost fight, it's just him against three armed men who are oddly more muscular looking than him.

One of them wearing dark shades out of the three walks directly towards me pushing past dad.

"Well, well, well" he says looking down at me as I sit up ignoring the throbbing pain than runs through my entire body.

"Look guys they even have a little scum" he says kicking me on my stomach making me groan and roll on the floor in agony.

"No!" My mother screams but is obviously helpless and hopeless, just like me.

He bends closer to me, and smiles "she's a pretty one, do you think we can talk to big boss about letting us keep her" I smell cigarettes and alcohol from his breath as I feel bile rise in my throat.

My dad lets out an cannibalistic growl, scaring even me  step away from my daughter!" He says lunging at the man but is held back by a hand around his lean waist and a gun to his head.

I can't hear my screams over that of my mum, my whole body quivers uncontrollably fearing for the life of my only shield.

"Don't you dare take a fxxing step or I'll blow your brains out" my dad contradicts him and sends an elbow to his ribs freeing himself and a kick to the gut of the one holding my mother captive, freeing her also.

This causes a temporary commotion, I dart quickly towards my dad, as soon as I reach him he grabs both me and my mom and shoves us behind him.

"Run" he whispers

"No!" My mother immediately replies "we're not leaving without you" she says vehemently. I'm still in shock.

"Go!" He yells punching the man coming to close in the face. The man coughs and spits out blood and with a deadly look in his gray eyes and a bloody grin–

BAM!!

The shot is fired

My dad goes down

My mum and I are both recaptured.

"Why did you kill him man, boss is going to be livid" I hear in the background as I watch life slowly drain out of my dad's crystal blue eyes, blood flowing out of the bullet hole on his chest and forming a pool around him.

Silence ensues, it seems time freezes momentarily. 

My mom lets out a nerve wrecking scream, I feel nothing... Absolutely nothing.

This is all a dream. Wake up! Annalisa wake up!

I only hear the helpless wails of my mother and the men argue with each other as they lead us to a black SUV waiting outside, two in front arguing relentlessly and one holding me and my mom with an arm around us each.

Suddenly.

My mother's wails cease.

I turn to her just in time to see her look of fear and anguish transform to iron determination. She turns abruptly kneeing her captor in the region in-between his legs he groans and falls to the floor, I stare at my mum in shock, we're all going to die

"Arrggggh"

The two men in front turn back to us.

"Run" she says shoving me to her front.

Not needing a second push I sprint with full speed with my mother right behind me and the men not too afar off.

•••

We have barely gone two hundred meters with me glancing back occasionally to make sure my mom is still behind me.

Then I hear her fall, she tripped on an exposed tree root that I had gracefully avoided I turn back to go and help her up, but she stops me yelling at me to keep going "I'm right behind you!" She yells.

BAM!

"Keep moving I'm right behind" her voice sounds faint now, but I Know better than to disobey.

I keep running, fueled by my fear, I stop absolutely exhausted.

"Mum, can we stop now?"- no response, I turn, she's no where in sight. Fearing the worst, I turn back on my heels, I run back-

'Please be alive, don't leave me'  I pray in my mind, tears clouding my vision, until I trip on something, wiping my eyes, I look down to see my clothes stained with blood.

No no please.

I turn my head shakily to what I had tripped on-

And there lay my mother, surrounded by her own blood, her green orbs  staring lifelessly upward,

Hot tears roll down my cheeks, my right hand shakily goes to shut her wide open eyelids.

I stare at her still form for some minutes before it dawns on me-

They're gone, I'm all alone.

I spend the next minutes screaming on top of my lungs, as a fountain of tears pour out of my eyes.

I scream until my voice is completely gone, I lay there beside her lifeless body, sobbing silently.

Moments later,with no tears left to cry, my head throbbing from crying, I do nothing but stare ahead, wondering what will become of me.

From my heart of hearts, a still voice whispers-

It's all your fault