Memory

The first person who had ever left a scar on us was our uncle. Antonio. We were home alone. She was five, and I was four. I don't remember where everybody else was, but that didn't really matter now.

Only nine minutes had passed since mom left. There was a knock at the door, so we thought it was mom...

He pounded on the door again. Rebecca ran to the door, and was finally able to turn the knob. She poked her little head out the door and looked up. Dani kept watching tv and waited.

Rebecca: " oh, tio! Mi mami lla se fue," (oh, uncle! My mom just left) she peeped as she smiled up at him. Her height barely even reaching his hip.

Antonio:" deveras? Wow! Estas sola entonces?" (Really? Wow! Are you along then?) he was sweating, his eyes were dashing suspiciously, but he smiled.

Rebecca was confused, of course her uncle knew they were alone, because the cars weren't in the parking lot... but she answered anyway.

Rebecca: "no, esta Dani." (No, Dani's here) she smiled again with confusion.

He smiled slowly, and whipped his head around looking for anyone outside. There was no one. He gripped Rebecca's tiny wrist and dashed with her like a ragged doll. Dani was just about to say hi to her uncle when she saw him dragging Rebecca down the stairs. She was stunned, and frightened! She was always by Rebecca's side, and didn't know what to do.

Rebecca was crying. Her arm hurt. She couldn't keep up, and she kept tripping over her short legs. She was confused and didn't know what was happening, so she panicked and shrieked in fear.

Rebecca:"Tio, tio! Duele mi mano! Tio! TIO!"(uncle, uncle! My arm hurts! Uncle! UNCLE!) She was wailing and tears were rolling down her face like a river, and her eyes were wide open in panic!

He finally turned around and gripped her fragile shoulders and shook her violently, he slapped her, making her shut up in an instant. He was then hollering in her tiny face, through gritted teeth. Her eyes grew big in shock, and fear. The colors drained from her face. And she was trembling, as her lips quivered.

Antonio:"que te callas! Cierra tu pińche puto boca! Cállate!!!" (Be quiet! Shut your fucking mouth! Shut up!!!)

He then yanked her arm again, and looked for any sign of people around. Rebecca struggled to stay on her feet, she was petrified! She didn't know what her uncle was doing. Her face stung as the salty tears kept tumbling down her face. She squeezed her eyes shut and her breathing became staggered as she was being over come by fear. Although she was scared to scream now, she bursted out into a muddled sob.

Rebecca:"hic...hic..mami....mamaaaaa" her voice was raspy and barely a whisper.

Dani's heart stopped, and her eyes grew in confusion. She started to sob making her small body tremble. Despite this, she curled her tiny hands into small fists and stumbled down the stairs. Yes, she was confused, and didn't know what was going on, but she only new that it was something bad. She ran after them as fast as she could, and yelled after her.

Dani:"hic...hic...hermana!...hermana!...uhwaaaaaa....hermanaaaaaaaaa!"(hic..hic...sister!...sister!....uhwaaaaaa....sisterrrrrrrrrr!) her voice was barely even a shout. It was weak.

Rebecca hearing her sister's pleas, cried out to her in relief, and fear.

Rebecca:"Dani!...daniiiiiiiii....hic..hic...dani!!!"

Dani tripped over the sidewalk and skidded across the cement. Her palms and knees were bleeding. She couldn't see, neither of them could. Their tears were blurring their vision, and they could only see each-other as blobs. Dani sprang up limping towards her sister. She gathered her courage and screamed the only few words of english she knew.

Dani:"please...helppppp! Helppppp a me! Help a meeee!.....please!!!" Her vocabulary and pronunciation was a bit off, but that didn't matter because it was barely even understandable. No one would care though, because no one heard. No one was going to help them. No one was there...

They were..alone.