The wind blew harshly into my face as I took another step down the cemented sidewalk, glaring down at the gloominess that was the clouds ahead of me. I had just gotten out of school, mentally ready to nap for the next five hours. There was a weariness to the air, and I felt an eerie sense that I was being watched. My neighborhood was pretty safe, and I doubted that anything bad could really happen, and I continued on the journey to my house.

As soon as I stepped foot into my house, I could smell the freshly baked pizza scent coming from the kitchen. I kicked off my shoes and ran to the kitchen to greet my mother expectantly, knowing that it could only be her behind the mouth-watering and appetizing smell. As soon as I laid my eyes on our neutrally colored kitchen, only the vacancy of my mother was what I could see. The pizza lay on the countertop untouched, and it seemed as though someone had run out of there in a rush. There were muddy footprints on the ground leading out to the door. They weren’t exactly paw prints, but I assumed they were from our dog, and because it was such a mucky day it made sense. Confused as to where my mother had disappeared off to, I sat down on a barstool and grabbed the biggest slice of pizza I could see, not bothering to get a plate. The flavors melted on my tongue with each bite and I decided to call my mom to see where she was. Instead of hearing her velvety voice on the other end, I heard her ringtone right next to me on the counter. She must have been in such a rush she forgot her phone. Classic. I continued to eat my pizza, and I was so consumed with my food I almost didn’t hear the thud on the side door of the house. 

“Hello?” I heard myself say, wondering why my mother wouldn’t just open the door if she had the keys. The thud came again, louder this time. Confusion crept into my thoughts, as well as a semblance of fear. “Mom?” Again, I got no reply. I hurriedly ran to the door and looked into the peephole, but I saw nobody there. My confusion only grew, I decided to go up to my room to be safe. As I reached halfway to the top of the stairs, I heard the shatter of glass from the kitchen, and I swiveled back around to see what it was. 

The entire tray of pizza was gone. All that was left was the shattered glass and the blood of someone who should not have been in there. 

I then decided it would be best for me to hide out in my room for a few hours. I ran up the stairs again, the adrenaline rushing through my veins, the beat of my heart deafening in my head. I ran down the hall to the door of my room and began to turn the knob, only to realize that it would not budge. I slammed my body against the door until my arms ached, yet still, it did not open for me. I swiveled in the direction of my parent's bedroom, and that was when I realized all the doors in the upstairs of my house were shut. My attempts at opening the rest of the doors were unsuccessful. I had nowhere to go and was locked in my own house, unknowing of the threat before me. Maybe it was just a coincidence? Or maybe there was a serial killer after my heart.

I didn’t think it would be safe to go out, as that might only make it worse for me, so I speedily made my way to the basement, my last place of refuge. I opened the door and began my descent when I heard light footsteps behind me. Just as I turned around, I saw familiar brown eyes before I was thrown down the flight of stairs by their hands. 

I tumbled down the stairs until my head smacked into the wall. I was barely able to sit up straight, realizing I definitely got a concussion from that fall. Before I got the chance to do anything else, the person grabbed my arms and dragged me to the center of the room. It was dimly lit, and I could barely make out what was in front of me, especially because of the blow to my head. I could make out a lump of cloth on the far right, but I quickly realized what it was. There were dark red stains all over the white cloth covering the grimness underneath. A dead body. I was suddenly hit with the fear that it could be my mother’s body under there. That was until I heard her voice from behind me.

“I’m sorry it had to be this way. I hope you know that I do love you.” I turned to look up into her eyes even though my eyes were watering from the strain.

“What do you mean? Who is that over there? What’s going on?” I asked her.

Instead of answering any of my questions, she abruptly reached for my arms and locked them behind my back. 

I began feeling dizzier and dizzier, but I knew that she was not okay and I had to get help. I tried to pull away but her grip was tight and she reached for the rope on the ground beside her. Just before she could tie my hands together, I kicked her backward in the gut and began running back towards the upstairs door, no matter how hard my head was throbbing. She recovered quickly and followed me up the stairs. I threw a chair down to slow her as I continued to run towards the phone on the counter. My fingers were trembling as I tried to type in the numbers for the 911. I hit the call button just as I felt the pierce of the sharpest pain I have ever felt in my lower abdomen. I looked down to see the silver point of a knife sticking out of my stomach. I slowly turned around, grabbing the counter for support as I looked my mother in the face. 

“Hello?” The voice came from my phone, where the 911 operator was waiting for an answer, but I could barely hear him, let alone speak. The last thing I saw was my mother’s vicious smile as I closed my eyes and fell to the floor.