CAT'S NINE LIVES

A silver canister with an infinity symbol comes flying into the room out of nowhere. Thick grey smoke quickly starts filling the room. This sends people into panic mode and coughing up their lungs.

We don't even get to scamper to the door before gunfire is unleashed. Bullets are flying everywhere in the room grazing any flesh they come in contact with. The bullets are coming from all directions. I got hit first on the thigh so as I fell down, I ducked under the table in immense pain.

I see bodies dropping from the impact of several bullets hitting one person. Blood sputtering around. Some people in the room successfully duck and lay flat on the floor. We are all crying in pain. At least everyone of us got hit. The shooters don't stop. They keep firing even when the walls now look like mesh.

My thigh is pulsating so much I'm left to think the bullets they used were poisoned. My whole leg is throbbing and I bite my tongue so hard not to scream from the pain. I have to move and take out at least one person. I can't just die here and have them walk out of here.

So I try to move but my body is too heavy. I stay down biting on my teeth hard in frustration. How the hell did they find us?

"Njiwa baby, no matter what happens just know your mother and I love you so much. Take this. " Dad hands me a key, " Make sure you get out of here and go lay low at the coast. " He coughs up blood then continues, "You must make them pay Njiwa. And don't trust anyone. I've taught you well. Good luck !" Dad finishes with a sad smile.

He has his nose and mouth dripping with blood and his eyes are bloodshot like they're bleeding in the inside. I can only imagine his pain. He'll not live. And if I get out of here, I'm gonna make them pay.

So I clutch the little golden key in my hand and squeeze it hard until it draws blood. I will avenge my family at all costs.

I watch my dad freeze in death with a little sad smile on his face and his eyes open staring at me. I want to try getting up again but I hear the door being kicked down. So I stay still breathing really slow so they don't notice I'm alive. But I can hear someone's slow wheezing breathing now that the shooting has stopped .

Dammit whoever that is should play dead else they put them out of their mystery too soon. But I understand they can't help it. I wonder who it is. I just know they are too far from me to whisper to them to keep it down. I feel a presence close to me. So I hold my breath.

"They are dead. And if not, they will soon. " One of the men says his voice getting closer to my face as he speaks.

Why is he onto me? I can't hold my breath any longer or I'll pass out.

"Ah, look the gang leader's wife. She still breathes. " Some other guy says his voice sounding far from me and almost as the wheezing.

Mother!

The man close to me leaves as I here his fading footsteps. I slowly release my breath. The metallic smell of blood comes flooding my nostrils. The blood of my mafia people . Blood of my family. My parents.

Suddenly, there is police sirens at a distance. Then they get closer and closer.

"Shit! This woman called the cops. See her number is still calling 999. " One of the men exclaims in panic.

"Just shoot her we need to leave. " The first one says with a sneer.

Then a gunshot goes off. My mama!

I hear the buzzing of a radio intercom.

"Our work is done here. Everyone make a getaway before the police are all over this." The man with the authoritative voice says his voice fading away as I think they leave.

The police! I need to get away too. So I gather all the strength I could get and sit up. And the pain intensifies like a hundred times. So I take a minute to clear my head and focus my eyes which seem to want to roll to the back of my head. Takes a lot of blinking for the dark spots to go away.

So I remove my flannel shirt and tie it hard some inches from my bullet wound. This makes my leg a little numb. I confirm I have the key dad gave me. I secure it in my boots. Then I struggle to get up with falling several times but managing at last.

Now I can hear the police outside our cabin. I can hear them talking on radio calling for back up. I limp to a window and discreetly peep outside. I can see three police cars and like six officers behind their car doors with their firearms ready to shoot.

Good thing they haven't surrounded the place yet. So I will have to go through the back. I struggle with limping and trying to stay conscious as I make it for the back door. I have to get out and soon.

It takes longer than I would have liked with me having to drag one of my legs. But I make it outside anyway and I head straight for the woods. I see a trail of bullet caps as I walk further into the woods then see a small mountain of them up ahead.

These people really did mean to wipe us out. And now I will wipe them out. A lone tear quickly runs down my cheek as I glared at the caps. I WILL AVENGE MY FAMILY. If it's the last thing I do.

From a distance, I hear more police sirens. All I hope for is my family gets a decent send off. And it would always pain me that I didn't put roses on their caskets.

I'm crawling by the time I get to the banks of the river that passes by the woods. It is a big river which needs a canoe to cross. I can't even make one right now. And even if someone gave me theirs I can't steer it to the other side.

Now my head pounds so much I would think it has increased in size or is near bursting from the pressure of pulsating blood vessels. My vision is not that clear. Objects are blurred. Maybe I won't even make it to five minutes from now.

"Hey, hey child. Can you hear me? " A raspy manly voice asks shaking me slightly.

I don't even try to respond. He shakes me some more and when I don't respond, he turns me around so I'm facing upwards. He gasps.

"It's you, I haven't seen you in years. Last you were here, you were so little and used to play with my son. Do you remember him? What happened in your cabin? I heard gunshots. My oh my! That looks nasty. I'll take you home. We need to clean that wound soon. " The old man says in an urgency.

I feel my body lifted up and placed in a canoe I think. I can't focus right now but I can tell the space is small and he starts rowing the boat to I don't know where. I couldn't care less for now as long as he takes me away. I hope he could help with the bullet like he said.

Staying conscious gets harder and harder with the passing minutes. Wherever we are going must be a bit far because it felt to me like hours on that boat. When I got overwhelmed by the pain and blood loss, I let me drift off.