My Chains

(Saturday, March 16, 2019, 9:30 p.m.)

“Yo, Gean? You plan on studying all night or are we still play video games tonight?” My friend, Shay, asked as he wandered over to my bedroom window. My family lived in a two-story house and my room had an amazing view of the mountains and the stary sky.

“Yeah, you’re right,” I sighed and closed my physics book. “What should we play tonight?”

Now Shay wasn’t answering. He was just staring out the window as still as a stone and face as white as a sheet. “Gean, please tell me your parents are having friends over tonight.”

“Not that I know of. Why you ask?”

“A black Porsche 911 just pulled into your driveway. Two men got out of it.” Shay replied in a shaking voice.

“Th-They’re probably just salesmen or something,” I said, trying to stay calm. I got up to look out the window with him anyways. As he said there were to figures walking toward the door. The moment the auto lights in fount of the door lit up, my heart stopped. There were two men alright. And they were both armed. Both my mom and dad were downstairs. Mom was most likely cleaning up the kitchen and dad was probably watching the last of the basketball game. My blood ran cold and when I turned to my friend, he was pulled out his phone. His hands were shaking so much it was a challenge for him even to hold onto it. Before either of us even knew what was going on, there were two loud bangs that were easily recognizable as gunfire. We both looked back to the window. The two men walked out of my home and were hidden by the blackness of the night as they walked back to their car. Then they were just gone. Shay and I exchanged another panicked look before running to the bedroom of my two younger siblings, Mari and Jamie. Jamie was sound asleep in his bed, but when I looked over to Mari she wasn’t there. My worst fear was confirmed by a scream from downstairs.

“Mommy! Daddy!”

Without hesitation, I jumped down the flight of stairs to see Mari at the foot of them in tears.

“I’m here, Mari,” I said in the calmest voice I could muster at that moment. I quickly picked her up. “It’s alright, baby. It’s okay.”

Although if I would have looked up a second later I wouldn’t have said that. The once friendly scenery of the living room and kitchen was now a crime scene. My mother was lying on the kitchen floor in a pool of blood after being shot in the head. My father was limp on the couch in the living room. The TV was still on from him watching the basketball game that was long into overtime. All I could do was cover my little sister’s eyes from the sight. I gripped her tightly, staggered up the stairs, and took her back to my room. When I walk in, Shay was sitting on my bed holding my little brother who was still asleep, completely oblivious to what was going on.

“I thought we should have them stay with us for the night. I see were on the same page.” Shay whispered. I nodded as he continued. “I already called. The police should be here soon.”

He laid Jamie down on my bed and looked at me. Mari was passed out in my arms at this point and I laid her next to her brother. I covered my face with my hands as I felt hot tears stream down my face.

“Just two bangs...” I stammered. “Now they’re gone...”

Shay didn’t say anything after that. He knew exactly what had happened downstairs. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out. He just rubbed my back.

“You’re going to be alright, okay.”

Before I could even open my mouth to respond, sirens could be heard in the distance.

“Brace yourself for the for downstairs, man,” I sighed and wiped the tears off my face.

Shay patted my back. “Alright.”

We both stood at the top of the staircase until we heard a knock at our door. I was honestly scared to take a step toward the door. What if it was another person with a gun?! That fear seemed stupid when the second knock came. It rang through my ears like a bang and I flinched, but it was followed by a voice.

“It’s the police! Open up!”

Shay looked at me, forced a smile, and held my hand. “C’mon, man. It will be alright,” he said, a bit of a stutter in his tone. But he continued to walk downstairs and drag me down with him. Shay froze at the bottom of the staircase and felt him grip my hand tighter. It took everything I had in me to shout a response to the officer.

“C-Come in!”

A man in a back uniform opened and walked in through my door. He smiled at us, “Hey, boys. Which one of you is Shay?” he asked in a calm tone as he walked over to us to get out of the way of an army of paramedics ran into the house.

Shay gripped my hand tighter, I didn’t know that was possible and raised the other. “Th-That’s me,” he gulped.

The officer looked nodded his head then looked at me with that stupid smile. “So what’s your name?”

“I’m Gean,” I said but then I snapped. “How ware you smiling right now?!”

The officer’s smile didn’t fade but he locked eyes with me. “I find that it is more relaxing in situations like these, Gean.” The officer then looked at both of us and asked, “So aren’t there two other kids here?”

“Yes, my two younger siblings are upstairs.” I stammered.

I could tell the officer was trying to make sure my eyes were on him because whenever I leaned over to look at the paramedics and see my parents, he would ask me a question or move in front of my view. The moment I saw my mother I know why he was trying to do so. They were loading my father onto a stretcher. I saw my dad’s cold lifeless eyes, as well as the bullet in the center his head before the paramedics, covered him with a white sheet. That’s all it took for me to start wobbling on my feet. It was real... Everything started getting dark and spinning and my eyes started feeling hot and wet.

“Gean? You alright?” the officer asked.

The next thing I knew my head hit the ground and everything went dark.

Shay’s panicked voice rang through the house, “Gean!” It was the last thing I heard.