Boom! In less than an hour, life has lost all its meaning, its value, and its worth. It's as if the sun disappeared, leaving the world dipped, swallowed, and clothed in a thick, engulfing, bottomless, almost impenetrable darkness. Time seemed to have ceased to exist, leaving a void-like space where past, present, and future overlapped. And then, as if time rushed back like tidal waves crashing onto shore, a high-pitched, blood-curdling scream tore through the wind like a sharp blade slicing through air itself, escaped the lips of a 13 year-old girl rooted in place by the overwhelming sense of grief that gnawed at her soul. The very thing that she had feared occurred with her unable to do anything. On the day that should have been her happiest, spent with the two persons who rescued her, gave her life new meaning, gave her a reason to live, taught her how to love, how to care, how to trust again, and how to live differently, died on the day that symbolized her resurrection. She stood there, utterly pained and broken, staring at her parents' corpses unblinkingly.
Their bodies were torn open, eyes still open, mouth agape, and facial expressions twisted in agony, terror, and despite all of it, worry for her safety. Even in death, their eyes were fixed in the position where she stood as if they searching to see if she was safe.Spaces where their organs should have been laid bare, with a thick, scarlet liquid pooling beneath them emitting a sharp pungent stench that choked the surrounding air. A cacophony of noises blurred around her, as if she, herself, had died too. It was as if she was just a mere spectator watching from the sidelines as some else's life crumbled before their eyes.An ambulance, police vehicles with police officers, a car with a forensic scientist closely behind, and two detectives appeared in the distance. It was not until the officers stepped forward and gently escorted her from out of the building did she snap out of her daze. "Circle the area and assess every part of the building! Ensure that no one gets in or out!" "Yes sir!" A police chief with Caesar Cut, a straight, upturned nose, a chiseled jawline that gave him a sharp edge and hooded eyes that made him look cold and aloof and a detective with round eyes, an oval jaw, and a narrow, downturned nose, came over to her and stooped down to her level. "Hey... look at me. You're safe now. What's your name?" "N-name? I-I don't think I have one. What's that?"The two men glanced at each other, a complex emotion flashing across their faces before the gentle smile reappeared."Well... a name is something your parents give you after you're born that adds something to your identity." "Adds to my identity?" " Yes. That's one of the things that makes you special." As he said that he said that he pointed a finger at her chest and smiled softly. The detective then joined in " Well... you are one brave little girl." And with a cheeky little grin he lend down his head and added, "say...do you remember anything that might have stand out that might help us find out the bad guys who harmed her mommy and daddy?" "I- I don't know. Their faces were covered and th-they wore full black. B- but they were tall, and had broad shoulders, but one of them was short and muscular with a mole at the corner of his eye and a scar that is drawn from his eyebrow to his eye." " Do you remember how many of them were there?" " There were three of them." " Was there anything unusual about them?" "N-no?" She said sniffling. Her heart felt numb as if all the blood had been squeezed dry. Today would have been the day she surprised them with one of the awards she had won. She promised to make them proud, to protect them. And yet, beneath all those promises lay a deep, human, unadulterated fear of disappointing them. But now, she felt lost and utterly alone, just like the day they had found and rescued her. All that was left of them were two corpses with just skin and bones. The Forensic scientist on the other end, went inside and examined her parents' bodies. He used his camera to take pictures of the bodies and went outside over to the detective. Softly he whispered,
"They were killed by human traffickers. All their organs seemed to have been harvested." The paramedics gently led her into the ambulance where they rushed her to the hospital. She lay there stiff, the paramedics talking was muffled, the lights seemed too dim, the straps on her arms felt disconnected from her physical being.
CHAPTER 1: Descending into the abyss
Four years earlier....
As the sun dipped beneath the horizon, the wind blew gently and calmly, yet it held little cold spikes that chilled the atmosphere with a needle- like frost . The streets were almost empty as shopkeepers turned off lights and switched the open-close sign to close, while vendors packed up their products, tired after a long day of work and ready to go home to their families. As the young couple in their mid-twenties walked through the streets, hand in hand, holding grocery bags, smiling and teasing one another, " Eliana, you should have seen your face. Haha!" " Oh please as if you were any better. Your names Alton for crying out loud and it has a L included which stands for loser. Hahaha!" They stopped in their tracks, smile frozen on their faces until it twisted into something like pain. The streets now felt colder, the sun dipped until it disappeared out of sight leaving the streets clouded in a deep, vast sea of black, the streets' lights a stark contrast to the darkness and the mood around. There was a little girl in the alley. She had dim, hollowed, lifeless eyes, dried, chapped lips, dull, dirty hair, and a short, skeletal frame with cuts, bruises, and sores all over her body. She sat shivering, surrounded by a pack of stray animals. Thirsty and hungry, she shared the little that she had with all of them, starving herself in the process, knowing that she might not find any more food in the days ahead. After the animals ate, they snuggled against her and licked her wounds as a way of saying "thank you". She responded by patting their heads gently, careful not to touch their wounds. Eliana, the young woman, covered her mouth, eyes glistening with unshed tears her heart felt as if it was twisted out of her chest and sliced into a million pieces. Just as her husband, Alton, held her steadily in his embrace, the little girl plopped up her head to see two strangers staring at her with a mix of emotions she could not decipher.
Instinctively, she backed away in fear, tears already welling up in her eyes as she pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper, "p-p-p-please d-don't hurt me." As she said this her little body trembled violently as she took sharp breaths, to try and steady herself. "I d-didn't mean to upset you by stealing out of y-y-your trash. I-I was just so hungry." She cried, voice breaking with every syllable. She recoiled in her own embrace gasping as she struggled for air, mucus mixed with tears streaming down her face. The dogs, sensing her fear, made a protective barrier around her, growling, revealing their sharp canine teeth, arching their backs as every hair stood on edge, every muscle tense, ready to attack at any given moment.
Eliana crouched down slowly and gently, afraid of scaring the already frightened little girl and triggering the dogs. And in a soft, almost loving tone, she whispered, "You don't have to be afraid. We are not here to hurt you. We're just here to help. I promise."She then gently opened her bag to reveal four freshly baked pieces of bread. Gently, she placed it on the floor and slid it to the little girl along with a hundred dollars. She then slowly and carefully pushed herself up as she kept her body language neutral as a way of showing the dogs that she meant no harm. When they reached a safe distance where they were sure the little girl could not see them, she peaked out and stared at the little girl watching as she stayed a safe distance from the food . She then cautiously looked around and then gently took up the pieces of bread in front of her. As she held the food she closed her eyes and prayed out to God. "Thank you papa, for providing this food for me and my little friends." As she took a big bite, more tears began trickling down her cheeks. This was the first time since she had been out on the streets that someone had been so kind to her. Watching her eat, the young couple's heart broke for her. After watching her for a while longer, they slowly began creeping away from their hidden spot and Eliana whispered into the air, " Someday, you'll find a safe place where you no longer have to fear the dangers and cruelty of this cruel world." She made one final glance before they silently made their way home.