1 Chapter 1

Smoke?

Fire…Fire…FIRE?!

My eyes flashed open, coughing. My eyes tear up because of the excessive smoke. Gasping for air, I stumbled to my door, pushing it open. Only…it wouldn't open. My eyes widened in fear, frantically looking for any means of escape.

My window!

I rushed to my window, using all my weight to push it open, I never locked it.

'Fire…Fire…Fire…' My thoughts screamed at me to get out of the burning building.

After a couple of tries, I managed to force my window open, releasing all the smoke in my room. Coughing, I peek my head out of the window, my breath caught in my throat. I knew I was on the second floor, but looking down, I realized I was higher up than I thought.

There were two options. Either jump and hope to not die, or figure out another way out.

But…What about my parents? What about my brother? What about my family?

Making up my mind, I turned around, rushed at my door, shoving my shoulder into the door with whatever strength I had left, trying desperately to get it open.

The door finally caved on the third try.

Ignoring the stinging pain in my right shoulder, I took a big breath of semi-fresh air before running to my brother's room. I burst through his door, only to see his collapsed body on the floor. I ran to open the window, allowing fresh air to enter both mine and his airway and releasing the smoke quickly filling the room, before running over and checking his pulse.

Silence.

I waited.

Nothing.

Tears stung my eyes, threatening to spill.

'Stop, now's not the time to cry. There's still mom and dad!' I thought

"I'm sorry Luca," I whispered, bowing my head as I ran out his room, back into the smoke, towards the fire. At this point, smoke had filled most of the interior. The heat burning my skin. Still, I pushed my body down the hall, to my parent's bedroom.

When I finally got the door open though, a huge piece of the ceiling crashed down, nearly hitting me.

Side-stepping the wood, I looked up at the ceiling. I needed to be quick if I wanted to get them out of here. I ran to their bed where they were sleeping, trying to wake them.

"Mom, Dad, hurry, wake up, please," I whimpered as the ceiling creaked, about to give.

Finally seeing how they didn't even stir, I checked their pulse.

Nothing.

I couldn't hold in my tears as I shook them as hard as I could. Knowing they were dead but not accepting it.

Crack- Crack- Boom!

I jumped as their chandelier hit the ground, dangerously close to me, snapping me out of my hysterics.

'I need to get out of here!'

Taking one last look at them, I raced through the halls towards my room, coughing from all the smoke that had entered my lungs.

I jumped out my window with no hesitation only thinking of escaping.

Just as I jumped, a part of the roof collapsed.

Landing on the ground outside of my window, ignoring the pain quickly spreading through my body from the high jump, I scanned the area. I saw two black SUVs and a man. He looked familiar…

"Make sure the Ricco family is dead, all of them. Then clean up and leave. We were never here," the man ordered, before disappearing into an SUV and driving off.

My face paled. I knew what I needed to do. So why was I hesitating?

"Run. Get the guns from the willow tree and get out of there."

My father's words echoed through my head.

Taking one last look back at my destroyed home, angry tears raced down my cheeks. With a promise to avenge their deaths, I retreated into the woods.

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A/N

Originally wanted to name it Hide & Seek, BUT IT WASN'T AVAILABLE 😭🫠🫠. So we just gotta settle for Hider. Also I made the cover Hide & Seek because I made it before I published so yeah I don't really care if u call it hider or Hide & Seek.

I like making shorter chapts so deal with it I guess 😂

Doesn't matter bc they'll all be unlocked so don't complain

P.S a small teaser/ taste of what I might release 🤭

-babs

Word count: ~660?

*unedited*