Lucky's (Mis)Fortune: CHAPTER FIVE

I bid goodbye to my two friends and watched them disappear in the opposite direction of the way I had to take. When they were finally out of sight, I put my headphones in my ears and played my music before continuing my journey home. My house was fairly close to the school but under the burning sun, my skin sweating everywhere, I couldn't wait to just get to my house and be hit by the air conditioning before taking a nice, relaxing, cold shower.

With that motivation, I quickened my pace home until I came to a stop when I got to the familiar place.

I took my phone out of my pocket and pulled my earphones out just to drop them. I pulled them up by the wire and finally paused the music before wrapping the headphones around my phone. When I was done, I placed my phone inside one of my pant pockets. I take a step forward, then two before coming to a halt.

I froze.

I was certain that a loud noise had just come from inside my house. I was sure that they were gunshots even if I didn't want to believe it. The sound repeated two other times and I flinched.

My family didn't own any guns.

I was paralyzed and scared as to what I would find if I were to step inside. I took a step back, instead, fear filled me.

I saw the door open and I knew better than to stay standing there so I shakily ran to the bush in Mrs. Sanchez's front yard(my neighbor). I slightly register my ragged breathing and overly sweaty hands as I peaked out. Three guys wearing all black, including masks, stepped out and walked accross the street where I noticed that there was a parked black van. I stepped further back, afraid to be seen but I could hear their chattering, though no full, coherent words.

I stayed intact as they settled before they drove off. Once they were gone, I finally gave up on my legs and dropped, my eyes were filled with tears as the worst possible scenario came to my mind.

I closed my eyes and kept shaking my head in denial 'no, no, no' I chanted over and over again countless times before standing up. My legs were still trembling and I gulped, feeling tears start to escape my eyes. I didn't want to believe what I knew I was thinking.

My legs were still shaking when I took a step forward and I looked around my neighborhood to see how empty and quiet it was. Like usual. That's what it was known for, for its calmness and uneventfulness. I wondered if Mrs. Sanchez was inside her home but even if she was, she was probably napping or too engrossed in one of her novellas to hear anything that came from the outside.

Each step I took came quicker than the one before and sooner than I took into account I was running to my house. I was in front of the door soon enough, my whole body still feeling nervous and shaky, tears still continuously rolling down my face. I opened the door with hesitation but as soon as I did, I found myself screaming and sobbing at the sight, a hand coming to cover my mouth.

Mom and Dad were just a couple of feet from the door, a bullet on both of their heads and a pool of blood coming from there. Hesitantly, I moved my head around to scan for my sister. I had hoped that she had a late class today but I dropped to my knees when I saw her next to the coffee table in front of the sofa in the same state as our parents.

I couldn't think logically. I was in shock. I was on my knees, sobbing, fists pressed on the ground, and my eyes tightly shut close.

I knew I should call the police. That was probably what I should've done the moment I heard the gunshot but maybe it was because I didn't want to believe what I knew I would see. I had the hope that I was just imagining things and when I walked inside, I would see Mom in the kitchen, screaming to ask Dad what he wanted for dinner.

I opened my eyes slightly, hoping that when I did, there wouldn't be anything in front of me. I was proven wrong and I could see that my mother's eyes were open and I could tell there was desperation on her face. But she was lifeless.

I closed my eyes back up and with trembling hands, dug through my pockets to find my phone. I unraveled the headphones and threw them to the side before finally opening my eyes to open the phone up, and dialing 911.

I brought the phone up to my ear, hearing it ring various times and while I waited, my eyes traveled up before they shot down and my sobs increased.

"nine-one-one, what can I do for you?" A feminine voice asked in a neutral voice.

"I- I," I was breathing heavily, my heart going at a pace it had never before. I tried to control my breathing but I simply couldn't.

"Hun, I need you to calm down. Breathe three in three out," the person on the other side said calmly and I did as they said various times before I was able to control my breathing again. "Okay, try again."

"I- I c- came home and- and there was a gunshot," I let out a shaky breath, tightening my eyes close. "I- I didn't know what to- to do s- so I hid and then these men came out of my house."

"How many men were there?"

"T- three. B-but t- that's not what matters. M- my parents and sis- sister a- are," I choked and I heard typing on the other side of the call.

"Okay, I know it's hard but I need you to take a deep breath and tell me your address and I'll have officers on your way."

I took a deep breath as told before spitting out the address.

"Would you like to stay on the call?" The person questioned soothingly.

"P- please," I said.

"Are you still inside the house?"

"I- I am," I answered, I was still shaking. "I don't like the smell," I whisper.

"How about you get out? Do you have a neighbor that you have next to you before we get there?"

"I- I can't stand up," I responded as I tried again but each time I found myself falling down. "Everyone is out. E- everyone is um u- usually working or- or just not home."

"Okay, well I'll be here okay?"

"I- I don't like this," I cried as the scenes from before came back. "I- it's impossible," I said though I'm sure that it was to myself rather than the person on the other side.

"Hun, please make an effort to get out of the house," the person said in a tone full of pity.

I tried, I crawled out simply because I couldn't stand the smell of blood anymore and I hoped that if I got out, the next time I came back inside it wouldn't be to that scene. Because that couldn't possibly be real. My parents were alive. My sister too. They just couldn't be gone. Mom had promised to take me to NYU next week for a campus tour and Dad would be taking me to a baseball game in a month. Jessica was supposed to help me study for my final exams and she was going to teach me to skate on the weekend because I never learned when I was little.

"How old are you, hun?"

"Seventeen," I was able to say without stuttering. But it was a mumble and in a dry tone, I was staring blankly ahead into nowhere and I noticed that my cheeks now were stained with dry tears. I was holding the phone loosely as I felt myself drained of energy.

"What's your name?"

"Jordan. Jordan Anderson."

And then I heard the sirens.

I gasped and sat up, dry heaving as panic went through me. My eyes were wide and I looked around frantically. But it was somewhere unknown which made me panic even more.

I let tears slip out of my eyes and my hands went to my ears, the sound of the gunshots resounding through my head. The images came back. One after the other. My mom, then dad, then my sister. The color red was all I saw and then I was being pulled into an officer's car, lifeless. I was in my uniform and I knew for a fact that I was pale, I let myself be dragged. I knew I looked like a mess.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Red. Red. Red. Red. Red.

Red. Blue. Red. Blue. Red. Blue.

Then there was a hand on my shoulder and I screamed. Then there was another on my shoulder and whoever it was started to shake me but I refused to open my eyes.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

I tried to control my breath, the technique that the person behind the phone told me that day. Three in, three out. Three in, three out. I did it until I finally gained back control.

I left my eyes shut as I panted for a while more before finally opening just to see a pair of worried eyes in front of me. I broke down again and sobbed. I was pulled into the person's chest and while I would normally fight to scurry away, I didn't this time.

I wasn't sane enough to care.