1 DENIAL

"It was all worth it..."

These were the last words I heard from her.

[8 years earlier]

It was a rainy day after school; Lukito Kimizukato was standing outside waiting for his friend.

"Hey Luki! "Saimon shouted from a distance.

"Hurry up slowpoke. I'm getting pretty wet from all the waiting you've caused me!" Lukito shouted.

"Well whose dumbass idea was it to stand in the middle of the rain?"Saimon replied.

"Meh fair enough." Lukito said while grinning on him.

As they were walking down in the rainy street Lukito felt somewhat down.

"Hey are you alright?"Saimon asked.

"Huh..Oh no nah it's uhh nothing man uh yea- it's nothing really!"Lukito exclaimed.

After a long period of silence Saimon decided to stop walking"Hey man."

"Hmm what is it?" Lukito asked while looking back at him.

"Happy Birthday! I knew nobody else in class would remember it, so I figured out that I should greet you."

"Thanks...."Lukito said as tears started to fall down in his eyes.

"Are you crying?" Saimon asked.

"No it's just the rain." He said while wiping his face.

"Suuuuure! It's "just the rain"" Saimon teased him and he pushed him on his shoulders.

"Shut up...." He said and just gave him a small smile.

"HAHAHA Got em!" Saimon laughed and continued walking with him.

As they reached their home they bid each other their final goodbye and they separated ways, however things felt a little bit off when Lukito reaches his house.

Why were all the lights closed? Why was it so silent? Why is there an aura in the surrounding that something bad waits inside?

He slowly opened the door. As it was creaking he could feel his heart pump faster than it ever has

"I-is anybody home?" He nervously uttered while opening the lights.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

His body froze like a statue as he saw his family greeting him after years of not celebrating.

"Happy birthday Sweetie! I'm sorry we couldn't celebrate it for the past years since we were low on money,but this year I had some extra so we could celebrate it!"His mother explained to him.

"No worries mom it's ok…"Lukito replied.

"I just wished that...Dad was here." He added then right at that moment the door opened.

"I'm home!" his dad said and they all look at him.

"Dad?!" he uttered as shock was written in Lukito's face.

"Hey little man! Happy birthday!" His dad greeted him and even rumbled his hair.

"Aren't you supposed to be working Abroad?" He asked to his dad.

"Aww so you don't miss me?" his dad replied to him.

"Yes, No, I meant yes I miss you but it also means that..."

"Yep i quitted my job. The company doesn't seem to be going well plus I thought that it's better to be with you guys." His dad said like it was no big deal.

"Oh well that's grea-"

Before Lukito could finish his sentence he was interrupted by his mom.

"Lukito stay here your dad and I will talk for a bit." she said in a very pessimistic tone and they went upstairs.

As Lukito sat at the couch to talk to his grandfather.

"Hey gramps what do you think mom and dad are talking about?" he asked.

"Oh nothing it's just adult stuff you wouldn't want to hear." his grandpa replied and Lukito's face began to look disappointed.

"No that's not fair! I also want to hear about it so maybe I can fix whatever the problem is!" he cried and his grandpa took a deep breath and signed then said;

"Son listen when you are young the world is big and there are so many mysteries and unsolved question, but as you get older you start to see what you have been asking yourself when you are young and as time goes on and on you will start to see that not all things are great. The innocence in your heart will start to fade and you will wish that you have not gotten any older...But don't worry as time goes on you will accept the heaviness you will embrace the pain and you will realize that everything was just a part of this mysterious thing called life. Happy 9th birthday kid"

As he was sitting there confused all the words he heard from his grandfather. His mother and father came back downstairs looking like they settled.

"Son your father and I had decid-"

Before his mother may finish her sentence there was a loud banging on the door.

"Open up Steve I know you're in there" The unknown person shouted and even continue banging on the door.

"Who is it?" His father Steve replied on the person still not opening the door.

"Don't act dumb on me! Open the fucking door!" The stranger shouted .

"What do you want?" his father sigh in exhaustion.

"Akita hide the kid there's a secret basement under the stairs." His grandfather whispered to his mother.

"Oh! You know what we want Steve. We want our money back! Now it's either you pay us or I'm gonna let the boys mess up your wife real good..." The Unkown man threatened his father.

"I have a kid in here man!" His dad shouted.

"Ahhh yes he would suffice for the black market as well. Final warning!" The person in the door even threatened them more and his mom started to get nervous.

"Good lord! You're messed up" Steve shouted and try to find something that could defend his self.

"I know... At the count of 3!"

"3!"

"You know what to do Luki" his mom said knowingly to him as if asking him to just trust everything she says.

"2!"

"I'll see you later." His mom touched his face and guided him towards the way to the secret room.

"No Mom stop!" He pleated his mom but his mom was determined to keep him safe and lock the basement room leaving him in there.

"1!"

"You know what to do!" The stranger shouted to his men.

The door got broken down after that gunshot can be heard all over their house and broken furniture was all over the place.

"Guess this is where it's all ending. It's all up to the kid now..." these were the last words uttered by his grandfather.

After a while the loud noise stopped.

"Ok now we will make it easy for you. Where is the child?" The stranger asked as he pointed his gun at Lukito's mother.

"As I told you he escaped" Even though his mother already felt weak she still chose to lie about his son's whereabouts and continue to protect.

"I said WHERE IS THE GODDAMN CHILD?!" The man shouted and slapped Lukito's mother in her face.

"Never...." Akita said restlessly even if the man already slaps her hard.

"Ok so that's how it is. Hey boys you can do as you please with her!" The man took a deep breath and calmed down.

"Hey boys you can do as you please with her!" He shouted to his men.

"Hehehehe! Thanks boss!" His men said wickedly as his mom could only cry in sorrow and fear.

After being stuck in darkness and hearing mom moan and scream for what it would seem like hours it stopped and he heard cars driving away. For some reason the locks weren't that strong Lukito managed to escape the secret room. When he got out he saw it a knocked down door, bullets through the walls, broken furniture, his father laying on the floor with blood dripping holes over his body, his grandpa still sitting on the couch but his head is chopped off completely, his mom on the floor nude and still looks like in pain.

"Mom!" Lukito cried as he kneels to comfort his fallen mother.

"I'm so sorry mom it's my entire fault I was too scared it should-"

His mother hugs him tightly.

"Shhh it's- it's ok.Lukito."He looks as his mother with tears all over his eyes but his mother just smiled at him weakly.

"It was al-"

[Alarm clock sound]