1 The Beginning of Terror

"GET UP HANNAH,"my brother screams from his bed opposite me. "I'm up Drake, I was up before you,"I say giving him a death glare while I hold my phone in my hand and scroll through social media. "Chill okay, but that is lies beyond compare,"he says smugly as he rushes to jump down off his bed. I hurriedly do the same and start dressing. I grab breakfast with the family and rush to grab my school bag. Our wooden home was built by my grandfather and we wanted to continue living here for generations. I look at the wonderful design of the twirling stairs and the pictures on the wall. The marble tables and countertops. All marvelously made with love. I then get up and put my dishes in the overflowing sink of dishes and go towards my room upstairs.

"Get in the car before mom leaves, it's one more day before the weekend, okay, so stop messing with me,"I say seriously, walking down the stairs quickly. "Fine but I'm still going to beat you to the car," he says with a grin and gets a head start. "HEY CHEATER," I say furiously as I start sprinting towards the silver Nissan. When I come into the car I am furious because my hair is disheveled and my water is spilling. I don’t even want to think about what’s happening in my lunchbox at this time. Drake is laughing hysterically as my mother rushes to drive before she witnesses murder.

I arrive at school and enjoy an uneventful day. Afterwards, I meet up with Drake and start walking to the car on the gravel road. "Hey sis wassup?" He says while smiling and putting his arm around her neck causing them to almost topple over. "Nothing new from this morning except that it's almost the weekend," I say while smiling, unable to contain the joy of being free from school and it’s woes. I look at him. "Okay fine you got me," he says plainly as he puts both his hands up defensively noticing I don’t seem to want to make conversation.

"Hey mom, so what are we doing this weekend?"I ask excitedly as I hop into the warm car that makes the summer heat unbearable. "Well on Friday you and me are going shopping and on Saturday we're going horse riding with your brother in the desert just for fun,"mom says happily. Both Drake and me sigh, happiness oozing from our souls as we watch the streets go by. I eventually doze off until we arrive at our home.

The day ends with dinner. My family, including my father, all sit in chaos as me and Drake talk about our day. The family all shout, “Good night!” The day has finally come to it’s end without anything eventful not even in the world around us. "Goodnight bro," I say sleepily as I snuggle into my overheating bed. "Goodnight sis. Just remember something I love you even though I mess with you," he says kindly, sitting up as he says these words. "I know. I love you too. Now get to bed,"I whisper scream the last part.

The next day comes. My family carries our normal routine of eating breakfast together and getting a move on for the day to start successfully. Mum and I are the first to leave. We are traveling along the road to get the the shopping mall. The highway is free and free-flowing. "I can't believe it's the weekend Mum," I say enthusiastically as the car slows down so we can enter the vacant gas station. "Me neither. I miss you guys when your at school,"my Mum says happily. “Full special please,”my mum says and then turns to look at me. We went to the gas station to fill up as we usually do and I guess I never could foretell how my life would turn around. I always live by the motto: “If I worry about things, they never seem to happen. So continue worrying.”

The explosion is sudden and severe. The car engulfs in flames. I try opening the car door or breaking the window but I realize the right side of the car is open even though fires flames await my arrival. I am quick to escape through the fiery flames but I then realize I left my mom behind. Coughing and spluttering, I hurl myself back into the right side of the car and drag my mum from the front seat to the back seat. I then push her through the break in the right side. The smoke engulfs everything so I can't see if she got out and I breath in the fumes. Coughing more and more. I flail around and try to feel my way but collapse onto the seat when my body decides it won’t move another step. I drift into the darkness that may take me from everything I love. A tear makes it’s way through my eyes and onto my cheeks.

I feel myself being lifted but I don't see or hear anything.

The same day, I wake up and realize I’m on a bed-sofa-thing. I see a man in front of me and I am not excited at all. I am not home. "What happened?"I ask scared. "Well I adopted you, the explosion was so bad and since I rescued you. They said I could keep you," he says with his deep gruff voice, staring at her like she’s nothing but a useless slave. "Where's my family?"I ask like an idiot since it’s clear that they wouldn’t let me go with just anyone if my family was alive. "Well they are dead,"he repeats losing his patients but being smug. "But my dad wasn't there. I'm sure,"I say stupidly because I can't remember much of how that event went down. "No your dad and your brother were actually there in a different car,"he says plainly, not even bothering to care that I have lost everything in one day. I am in shock because he is suppose to be my new dad and he didn't even try to say it gently. It’s as if he is overjoyed to know I have nothing to love or care about anymore. "Just one thing though don't think of me as your dad because I'm not and I'm going to train you to be part of my gang,"he says strictly. And I am very scared now. I open and close my mouth unable to form words. I stare at him in dismay. I don’t dare ask why. I just fear being part of this side of the world and knowing that since I am not here willingly that this won’t go down so easily. The wooden home starts to creak as the wind howls and blows against it’s feeble structure.

The noise stops bothering me when it dawns on me, I am being forced to be in a gang even though I don't want to. And I know for sure that training means torture not just learning how to fight or how to be smart. I've seen it in books they always torture people to show their dominance. And I am about to die literally. If I’m not strong enough I will never see the outside world again and if I’m not obedient I will never get to live another day in this falling down structure.

I've never been so scared in my life I always wish for adventure and this is what I get, seriously. I use to dream of being kidnapped and forced into doing things I never wanted to do. I always wondered how those people felt. Now I know, it’s not the best of feelings.