Before
"Mummy who is that?" I asked referring to the abrupt and sudden harsh sounds of the knocking coming from the front door. The front door sounded that of angry when the loud knocks transitioned into that of pounding against our block from the outside.
"Listen to me carefully baby..." My mum picked me up from the floor, I had been mindlessly playing with my Barbie dolls on. Her steps were quickening up the stairs as if she were trying to win against the limited time we had. "We are going to play the quiet game okay? You need to stay as quiet as you can."
I was carried on my mother's hip and supported by her right arm when we reached the upstairs. She began to shut off all the light switches she was in reach of for reasons I did not understand. Her raven black hair was beginning to stick to the sides of her face from the beads of sweat she was producing from the nervous behavior and the rapid heartbeat I could hear while I was up against her chest.
"Why mummy?" I questioned feeling somewhat uneasy from the escalating bad energy that was transpiring into the air around us. The lights had disappeared and the loud pounding on the door had become louder since we were downstairs a few seconds ago.
"To keep you, safe love." My mummy answered coming into my room and setting me down onto my feet. I felt more alone now as she shut the light off for only my night light to bare the finest bit of light that I held onto.
"Mummy, I'm scared!" My eyes welled up with tears feeling the fear of darkness and the unknown danger downstairs heighten. I didn't understand why my mum was turning off light switches and pacing around the room searching for something.
"You're going to be okay baby I promise." She bent down to my level stroking my cheek while strategically pushing me back into my oversized closet. I tried to hold onto her hand and whined when she pulled herself away but was quieted when she spoke in a hushed tone. "We are going to play another game okay? We are going to play hide and seek, you hide in here and don't come out for anyone alright? Don't come out until I come back to get you understood?"
"I don't want to play Mummy!" I whined afraid of the darkening atmosphere around me. Feeling as if the darkness and monster making shouting sounds downstairs could easily eat me up. I knew that this wasn't a regular game of hide and seek with my mum only because she knew exactly where I was hiding. The point of the game was to hide in a place where no one knew you were in the first place yet the one I thought I was playing with knew where I was.
"Remember to be quiet." She warned shutting the door to incase me in the darkness that had now taken over all around me. I could barely see a thing with no night light to comfort my childish fear of the dark. Shrinking myself in the cause of the darkness I pulled my knees to my face and began to scoot back to the back corner of my closet.
I heard a loud sharp echo downstairs and began to cower in fear of the deep masculine voice that thundered throughout the entire home. I swallowed hard shaking from the fear that dressed me in black, silently praying for my mum to come back. All I wanted was for my mum to come back and tell me the games were over and that everything was going to be okay. Footsteps were heavy on the stairs when my ears became more sensitive to sound in the burning silence of the closet.
"Ophelia?" The husky voice drew out the "A" sound in my mum's name. I pictured the voice as the big bad wolf my daddy used to read about in bedtime stories. Paralyzed by the substantial steps taken I held my breath to try and stop my crying that may make noise. The click of an object was picked up by my ears when the footsteps seemed to disappear down the hall more towards my mummy and daddy's room.
A low chuckle came from the big bad wolf when his footsteps stopped just a few feet away, "Oh Ophelia love, give it up now before you make things messier then they have to be."
From what I was told in bedtime stories, monsters resided deep inside our closets and under our beds. I never knew I would be seeking safety in these places that I was told in stories held the scariest of monsters. I was terrified of who stalked about outside this door and in effect of that began to bury myself in princess costumes till I was shaded away from the door that could open at any time and reveal the face behind the big bad wolf.
An explosive sound followed after the wolves threat that caused my body to jump and smash the palms of my hands over my ears on instinct to block out the loud thundering sound. Tears pouring from my eyes I squeezed my eyes shut wishing away the loud sounds and the voice accompanying them.
"Ophelia!" The wolf 's footsteps made heavy sounds once again as I heard him walking around in the dark. Unaware of his whereabouts I kept my eyes tightly shut and my body tense from the thick feeling in the air of this stuffy closet I felt was shrinking smaller and smaller with each second that passed by.
Again the same explosive shot was fired that caused a small squeal of fear to produce from my throat, letting my lungs to push it out of my mouth. Knowing that this game was a lot more scary then the regular quiet game I covered my mouth with my hand using this to quiet myself.
"Drop it!" I heard my mummy's voice come to life after the loud bang in my ears.
"Are you sure you want it to end this way, Ophelia? You know which one of us is more superior with a gun." The wolf spoke through a dark toned voice that terrified me to listen to. His voice alone represented danger with every syllable he spoke.
"Drop it!" She shrieked once again not responding fully to his fact that he had thrown out to her.
"You aren't in the position to be barking orders, Mrs. Frost. Now, I'm not playing any more games with you. You will do as I say and nothing more or it will get messy and I don't think you pay your maids enough for them to clean that up." His voice was hefty with threats that were fearsome without putting a face to his voice. The silence between the two played a part of the entire scenario making it almost worse than the voices.
"You know they are on their way! If you leave now I promise I won't...." My mummy's voice was cut off by the wolf's.
"Ah Ophelia, when have they ever stopped me before? Now enough with the small talk drop your weapon and make this easy for yourself." I kept the palms of my hands to my ears to prevent the wolf's voice from entering.
"Don't come any closer!" A click sounded and a dark chuckle followed from the wolf. I hated hearing the deep and malevolent chuckle rise from his throat.
"Stop fighting it Ophelia there's no way out now." The wolf's feet were back to the trudging steps that made a deep sound against the wood floors.
"Please don't do this." My mummy recoiled back in her words upon a loud clunk against the floor as if someone had dropped something.
"It's too bad you know, such a pretty face has gone to waste." A bad feeling tingled in my gut when the wolf began to talk to my mummy once again with a controlled dark tone.
"It doesn't have to be this way." My mummy began to talk things out with the big bad wolf. I wished he would go away and find another house to blow down yet he picked and entered ours while he huffed and puffed against our front door.
"Unfortunately it does my darling but, don't worry it was nothing of your doing; you can blame your husband for that." I didn't understand what was being said between the two but I muffled their voices with the palms against my ears.
"No, this is your choice."
"You're right it is." The same thundering shot was made a third time causing the bang to ring in my ears. I couldn't stop the tears that fell from my eyes that were tightened shut. My breathing was escalating from the dead silence that came after the loud unwanted noise. My breathing sounded loud to me even though I covered my mouth and did my best to be as quiet as I could.
"Mia?" The wolf spoke my name affecting my nerves and causing them to rise against my skin. I shook my head to myself holding back the sobs that sat in my throat.
"Mia, come on out now princess." The wolf stalked about in the dark that I found zero comfort in. Feeling him get nearer to me I heard my bedroom door open with a slight creak from the hinges. The heavy steps drug against the floor while he searched for me only moving minimally.
Peeking my eyes out of a slit from being beneath a pile of dresses I saw the shadow under the door stop just outside the shield I had against him. Holding my breath I saw the light of my closet flick on lighting up all around me a pink shade since I laid beneath my princess dresses.
"Your mummy needs your help, Mia." The wolf's voice was still low and dark like a growl. Adjusting to the light, the wolf flicked them off once again and shut the door behind him.
"Agent is three blocks away, get out of there!" A voice that was not my mummy's nor the wolves spoke through a muffled speaker.
"One target down, the other is still hiding around somewhere." The wolf spoke back to the unknown women's voice.
"Get out of there now! Your time is up!" The muffled voice reminded the wolf.
"Damn it!" The wolf growled taking steps that furthered the distance between the two of us. I hear him exit only to keep quiet under the covers I had used to shade me. My mummy hasn't told me that the game is over, she hasn't come to get me; where is she?
"Mummy?" I whispered in a hushed tone that was barely audible. I didn't want to be too loud in case the wolf was still stalking about.
"Ophelia?" A familiar voice broke the silence letting hope rise in my chest. I opened up my eyes and sat up letting the dresses fall in different directions around me.
"Oh god no! No! Ophelia?!" The voice was easily distinguishable and I yearned for it to come closer. The masculine voice was filled with pain and agony when a painful shriek yelled out my mummy's name.
"Mia?!" My daddy yelled out for me to which my ears perked up from the mention of my name. Was I to stay quiet like I was told? Was the game over even if my mummy hadn't come to tell me so? "MIA!"
Lighter footsteps came into my room with a light switching on in my main room I began to sniffle and shake uncontrollably. Seeing the shadow come to the closet door the light flickered on where I could see the face of my daddy.
"Daddy!" I lifted my arms up limply needing reassurance and comfort from what I had just heard. He came to the corner where I had compressed myself against and took me into his arms that were stained a dark red color.
"Daddy I'm scared!" I cried into him feeling his hand run against my back to soothe my trembling body.
"I'm here now okay? I'm here shhhhh...." His hand rubbed against my back but the wondering horror of the wolf stayed in my mind. I wanted my mummy, where had she gone?
"Where is my mummy?" I clutched onto my daddy's neck for comfort that I needed. I clung to my daddy not ever wanting to let go of him, I knew he could make the big bad wolf go away.
"We are going to go on an adventure okay?" My daddy told me pressing my face lower into his shoulder while coming outside of my room. "Close your eyes princess."
"Okay, daddy." My voice was breathy and unsteady from all the crying and fear that had engulfed me. Peeking open my eyes to slits I began to scream when I saw my mummy lying in a red liquid. Her eyes were opened up but she wasn't moving, she was surrounded in a dark red substance that also colored over my daddy's button down shirt.
"Close you eyes baby!" My daddy pressed more firmly on my head to blind my vision against his shoulder.
"Mummy!" I screamed in a high pitched tone before reaching my arms out to her. Moving further away from her my daddy took me outside into the darkness once again. Buckling me into my car seat in the back I screamed out in agony over my mummy that had become lifeless and pale against the bright red pooling on the floor.
note//
I am so excited about this story! What do you think of it so far? I would love to know:)