Dark Rose

Seven years ago

Eva Robert

I am damp, confused,scared and super hungry. My stomach makes a very annoying noise reminding it's owner that it hadn't had food. I scowl with frustration at myself damn my stomach-it just won't behave,and damn John for leaving me alone. I clutch Malory my little sister's hand closer where is Mama?where is Papa?

John Jesus! I move my dirty hands to my hair out of habit,I have short curly hair that sometimes looked too much for my slim face, and big brown eyes that looked too big for my face. John where was he? My fifteen year old brother had gone outside when he heard daddy screams he had immediately woken Malory and I and moved us to father study, the glass is a one way glass only we inside could see others outside.

'Eva' Malory calls my name in her rasping soar throat voice. 'I need my Mama and Papa,I am so scared.'

I turn to her with eyes surprisingly dry. I give her a big smile when all I really want to do is scream. 'John is bringing them.'

She is shaking now,I have no idea if it is because of what I said. Suddenly someone starts knocking the glass and my heart immediately jumps to my mouth.

'Eva open the door,it's me.' I go to the door quickly unbolting it. Aunty Livy walks in carrying a child and at her right side my cousin Quinn.

Mummy is a family woman and loves having people around,when daddy parents refused to accept Aunty Livy with her baby, mummy had quickly insisted she come stay with us. Aunty Livy is a very tall woman with plump lips,bright eyes and a face you would definitely remember in a room full of people.

'Where are my parents' If someone doesn't reply I would scream for real.

'We need to get out of here Eva,we are not save here.' I don't see Sarah until she speaks. She is a petite woman with long straight hair she had been able to stay at my Aunty back unnoticed. Sarah had come into our home seeking shelter she had been heavily pregnant,lost,and stranded mama in her good nature had welcomed her in.

'Did you say leave?my parents and brother are out there and you want us to leave.' I make an attempt to move to the door but she stops me.

'It's dangerous outside.'

'I need to find my brother Sarah. Mama has been so good to you,I am shocked you are asking me to leave them behind.' I had no idea about what was going on outside these doors,and not knowing scared me so much. I hug her thightly and start weeping. 'Please bring them to me.'

Sarah turns to face Aunty Livy when they both remain quiet I move to the door but Sarah is faster. 'No Eva,you can't go outside.'

'Then bring them to me,you love John as much as I do,you cannot leave him outside.' I raise my voice, something I have never done to an older person. The room is silent and the only sound is my heart beating madly in my chest.

'Take my baby Eva, I will go outside.'

No Sarah that is a stupid move,you cannot leave this room.'

Sarah had conceived yesterday,I would never forget holding her small hands in my much bigger ones- it had been fun words of encouragement while Mama and Aunty Livy kept screaming push.

'I will go out and bring them here. Promise me Eva,you will take my baby out of here as soon as you realise it is dangerous. Please take care of my child, promise me you would take care of her even if I don't come back here.' She hands over the sleeping child to me,she looks at her baby and smiles.

For some reasons I don't know,her smile I love and always look forward to seemed so different,her face I always said was too perfect looked older and tired. She turns to my Aunty and whispers something I don't hear and with one last glance she leaves the room.

'What is going on outside.' I say to the atmosphere. My first priority right now is finding my parents and ensuring John is fine. I am too confused to be bothered about the fact that Sarah had just asked me to take care of her child like a mother on her death bed. 'Aunty please tell me why we need to leave here,why did Sarah sound like we might never see her again?why would I need to take care of her child when she is still alive.'

She ignores me again I am pissed off now,if no one would speak,I would go find answers myself. For the third time I move to the door but Aunty Livy beat me to it our eyes meet and I realise for the first time since her entrance that she was crying.

'Get back here Robert.' she only called me that on serious occasion.

''No I need to find my parents and then John,I need to know what the hell is going on here.' The thought of John out there on his own made me sick.

'Please listen to me Eva'.' she half drags me away from the door I hit her careful of the baby I'm holding. I move fast to the door and immediately stop on my track,my hand freezing on the handle. I see Mama and a man beside her. My mother puts perfection to shame,unlike mine,her hair is brown,and very long she has a small mouth that fit her perfect face,her eyes so blue it made me think of the sea. Mother loves piercing her ears one for each of her mind blowing success,she had five piercings on each lobe. I always told her it made her look fierce and powerful. She is a gorgeous and intelligent woman who even sick looked gamine.

'Please'. She puts her hand on her swollen tummy as she falls to the chair.

I force my stupid legs to move,to quickly run to her rescue but I am frozen on the spot. My eyes are widely open I can see everything from the glass. Father had built this room cause of mother he said it was only fair he worked and watched her too. Mother loves to sing and play the piano and would always shout sweetly at father when he insisted on watching her play.

'No don't watch me play,you distract me.' father would laugh and she would blush in return,when he refused to leave,she stopped playing. He had then broken his study door and put the glass door that way he got to watch her and she in return never got uncomfortable cause she never saw him watch her through the glass.

'Please' Mama keeps pleading and crying,the huge man beside her has ugly hands unlike Father's own he starts undressing her.

From the corner of my eyes I see Quinn turning to her mother, holding into her skirt too scared to look. I will myself to turn away from this horrible scene playing in front of me.what kind of mad man rapes an helpless pregnant woman?I stand there frozen watching him rape mama.

Mama continues to fight endlessly,I can hear her silent sobs ,the two men at his back claps and laugh the one with a crocked face moves to the front and I see my father in the pool of his own blood. A knife in his chest and another in his stomach. The crocked face man begins to remove his trousers.

I am grabbing the door handle now,determined to get to my parents. Aunty Livy is faster holding me in place with her hand over my mouth ensuring my screams are muffled. Mama spits on his face and bites his hands he lands her a heavy slap and angrily stabs her.

I immediately stop struggling too shocked by what has just happened. My head is fuzzy and my mind jumbled I throw up all over the floor.

'Baby am sorry you had to see that.' she says crying hugging me.

'John I need to find him' I immediately remember I had sent Sarah out there too.'oh God I forced Sarah out there too.'

'No' Quinn says crying . Malory is behind the curtain with her face in between her legs. 'If they came in here to rob it won't be long before they wonder what is behind this glass'.

I stare at her surprised at her outburst,I have just witnessed my mother death and she is worried about her safety.

'Flower.' I turn back to the door my brother John has always called me flower, I love flowers it is a nickname he came up with. He is banging on the door,I realise Aunty Livy had locked it during my conversation. 'Flower open the door.'

I move my weak legs to the door determined to let my brother in. 'The key.'

'No'.

'Why?' My voice is super calm and low compared to how i really feel inside. I am 16 years old,my father has always said I was way too smart for my age. I knew that if I opened the door they would see us and probably do worse than they did to my parents.

I see the three men coming towards John who is still banging on the glass hoping I open up. He is my brother,and every single soul in this room were my family if those men got any closer they would realise something was behind these glass and that there are survivers.

I know I have to decide to either risk our lives to save John. I look at the sleeping child in my arms and I remember Sarah had begged me to keep her safe. She is still so little and can't die here,my heart begins to ache for the little baby in my arms. She opens her eyes looking at me, although I know she can't really see me, she smiles. I know deep down that I would be a monster if I let her die here. I silently promise her that I would ensure she is safe. I turn away from the door with only one thought "Escape"we had to leave before those men got to us,the banging on the glass becomes louder so does his voice.

'Flower,Eva, sister.'

'You prick come here' I hear one of the killers say to my brother,he pulls him by the hair towards him. I see the crocked face man pouring kerosene on the floor ignoring my brother oblivious of the fact that we are in the room.

'We have to leave now, Malory stand up.'

'How there is no way out of here.' I am too hurt to hit Quinn with my sass.

'You see that door I say pointing at the red door at the end of the room. 'It will lead us to the backyard.' I silently pray that they didn't have one more bastard outside. I turn back to see a fire starting to spread I see Mama favourite chair fall on her tummy and the piano she had played everyday with her ring finger on her stomach while her hands worked magic.

I pull Malory up with my free hand and we all move towards the door. When outside we run,we run as fast as our legs could carry us,we run to safety. Even while I run,I am hunted by images from that room and from the distance I hear John screams. I feel like the devil himself and I know even in the grave John would hate me.