Chapter 1
*12 years ago*
A little girl and a little boy both with blonde hair and blue eyes are running around. The little girl is screaming, “You can’t catch me!” and giggling. The little boy is laughing and chasing her. The little boy jumps and tackles the girl laughing. She looks up at him giggling and says, “Darn it you caught me” and frowns.
Soon two women walk outside and call out, “Lunch time kiddos!” The little girl and the little boy’s faces light up as they race each other inside the house. The little girl looks at the pizza box on the counter and does a little happy dance. “Yay! Pizza!” The little boy rolls his eyes and says, “You just had pizza yesterday Amelia.” Amelia looks at him and says, “I don’t care Charles, I loveeee pizza!”
The women set out the pizza on plates with soda and a fruit and veggie tray. One of them women say, “You need to have some fruits and veggies with your pizza or you won’t have pizza anymore Amelia.” Amelia sighs and pouts, “I hate veggies thoughhhh.” Charles laughs and grabs a celery stick biting into it happily, “Veggies are delicious Amelia, you’re crazy.”
Then, they hear a loud bang and something is thrown into the house. The house starts filling with smoke as the little kids are freaking out and the women are worried. “Mommy! Mommy what’s happening?!” Amelia cries out. Veronica, Amelia’s mother, yells, “Charles! Take Amelia and go to your panic room. Now!” Charles grabs Amelia and runs towards his room, where his panic room is. He opens his closet, moves his clothes and open a little door. Then he puts his fingerprint in and a passcode. The door opens and he pulls Amelia inside, shutting the door.
They can hear yelling and banging and Charles’s mother, Josie crying and yelling, “They aren’t here! Please leave!” They hear a loud pop sound and silence. Amelia whispers, “We need to go out there. It’s quiet now.” Charles shakes his head and puts his hand over her mouth and his finger over his to tell her to stay quiet. Then out of nowhere they hear a loud banging on Charles’s door. Amelia starts crying and Charles pulls her to the back of the panic room putting headphones on her head.
The door opens and people are searching his room. No one is found and so they leave, slamming the door behind them. Charles takes his hand off of Amelia’s mouth and and puts his ear up against the panic room door. Soon, the front door slams shut and it’s silent, liking nothing happened. A few minutes later Josie knocks on Charles’s panic room door and whispers, “You can come out now guys..”
Charles opens the door and he sees his mother and runs to hug her. He looks down at her and says, “Mom you’re bleeding..” She smiles sadly and says, “Yes I know love. Please take care of Amelia okay? I love you.” Charles cries and runs to the phone to call 911. He cries into the phone, “Please help someone broke in and now my mom is hurt and she’s bleeding, I think she’s dying please!!” The person on the other line says, “Where are you at sweetie?” He responds, “2149 Grove Street ma’am. Please help us.”
Soon Charles can hear sirens and he runs to the front door flinging it open and frantically waving to the officers to get their attention. The medics come up to the door and say, “Where is the injured person?” He pulls the woman’s hand to where his mom is and she straps her to a gurney and takes her out to the ambulance.
The officer is checking through the house and yells, “We’ve got another one! Bring another gurney, I don’t know how long she’ll be alive it’s pretty bad!” The medics rush into the kitchen where Veronica lies shot 2 times bleeding out. Charles and Amelia come to the officer and Amelia screams and breaks down crying. “M-Mommy!!” Charles covers her eyes and holds her crying silently. The medics rush her out and and drive off to the hospital with Josie and Veronica. The officers take the kids to the hospital in their cars and starts calling around for a relative. The male officer, Sam, who found Veronica asks them, “Where are your guys’ dads?” Charles says, “We don’t know, they just left a few weeks ago and haven’t come back. Mom says their on a work trip.” The officer sighs and asks, “Do you have any other family around here?” Charles shakes his head and says, “No, just us..” The officer looks at his sadly and nods saying, “How old are you guys?” Amelia looks up at him and mumbles, “I’m six..” Charles Looks down at her sadly and says, “I’m nine.” The officer sighs and says, “Okay well for now I’m gonna have a female officer, her name is Lanie, she’s gonna watch over you until we hear any news about your mothers.” Charles nods and says, “Thank you sir.”
*6 hours later*
Officer Sam comes over to Charles and Amelia sadly and says, “Hey kiddos…Which one of you’s mom is named Veronica?” Amelia is sleeping on Charles’s lap and stirs slightly. Charles pats her head and says, “Amelia’s. Why?” Officer Sam sighs and says, “Sadly, Veronica did not make it, she died in surgery. I’m so sorry.” Charles starts crying and says, “W-What about my mom?” Officer Sam looks at him sadly and says, we aren’t quite sure yet, but the doctors say that she hit her head pretty bad and if she survives she most likely will have amnesia…I’m so sorry kiddo.” Charles looks at him with tears running down his face and says, “Y-You mean momma won’t remember me???” Officer Sam nods sadly. “We decided to look into your guy’s family and you were right. There is no trace of any family members. So, for now officer Lanie has offered to take you guys home with her to have a place to stay. After that, you’ll probably be put in foster care.” “Don’t let them split us up!” Charles yells. Amelia wakes up and looks at them sleepily, “Splitting up?..” Officer Sam says, “No sweetie no one is splitting you up. We’ll make sure of it okay?” Charles nods, “Thank you.”
Amelia looks up at officer Sam and says, “How’s my mommy?? Is she all better?” Officer Sam smiles sadly and shakes his head slowly, “Oh sweetie I’m so sorry. Your mommy didn’t make, she’s gone kiddo..I’m so sorry.” “Mommy’s..gone?” “Yes sweetie, your mommy’s in heaven now..” Amelia tears up and starts bawling screaming, “mommy!” Officer Lanie comes over and picks up Amelia and gestures for Charles to com with her, “Come on Charles, let’s go to my place you guys can clean up and get some sleep, okay?” Charles nods slowly and follows her out like a zombie, not really thinking or feeling anything.
Later that night, after the kids have cleaned up, they crawl into a bed in one of Lanie’s guest bedrooms and fall asleep crying together, comforting each other. Charles knows he’s never gonna see his mom again, even if she wakes up and survives this. He’s never gonna see his aunt Veronica again, either. He’s lost everyone except for Amelia. This is the night he vowes he will never let anyone hurt Amelia. He will protect her for the rest of her life as if he’s her brother. He will not let anyone take her from him. Amelia will never have to go through something like this again. No one will ever get the chance to hurt her this bad, ever again.
