HER ASSASSINATION

There was silence– complete silence as the clock on the wall continued to tick with military precision. Just then, she heard what sounded like a footsteps behind her– She swiftly turned, all her breath trapped. Her eyes glanced around, not focusing on anything and her jaw trembled in fear, making it hard to speak.

Delia sensed, she was most definitely not alone–Someone was in the house but her questions were just answered by inevitable silence. She slowly dropped her bag as she took steady steps with strained ears wishing to hear the direction of the intruder but all she could hear was the loud pounding of her heart and her harsh breath. Her hands grabbed onto the arm of a chair while her fingers seemed out anything they could hold onto but those trembling, shaky hands couldn't get hold of any defense.

Her body grew tense to the point of shaking; She swallowed dryly, unable to wet her parched throat as she crept towards the hall. Her mind was unwilling to focus or think clearly – the idea of turning on the lights blankly escaped her. She got to the hall and noticed it was empty yet her heart wouldn't settle.

Something wasn't right here; she could feel eyes on her without doubts.

"Weapon " Her mind screamed. "I need a weapon!"

She darted toward the wide, granite- countered Island. Like she had always kept a chopping knife out; she slid her fingers around the rubber grip, appalled by how much her hands shook. That was when she saw a shape in the window over the sink, a reflection. She whipped around, a cry breaking from her lips.

Delia instinctively burst into a frenzied run, speeding to the hall, her pulse roared but then, her legs refused to go any further. It seemed like it had suddenly become foreign and unwilling to work properly. She automatically cried out in a voice raw with terror– her face covered in apparent sweat as she crawled on the floor. Her hand tried reaching for the telephone on the table which seem pointless. Just then, a foot appeared in front of her eyes– she swallowed a lump while her gaze slowly travelled up from the feet of the person towards his head.

"Drake, is that you?" Her voice trembled and her mind falsely assured her. Drake McCarthy became Delia's husband after her failed marriage with Hansel. Their union was beautifully sealed with three adorable kids, a set of twins – Nelly and Nina; and a boy, Nelson who became their last born.

Delia's heart furiously thumped with fear just when her eyes met the unfamiliar face before her. Her throat muscles tightened and her tongue stuck to the rooftop of her mouth. She almost let out a scream but he instinctively shook his head with his index finger ticking her into silence as he kept clicking his tongue in the process.

" Shhh–" He whispered in her ears as he leaned closer to her. " No one will even hear you when you do, honey" He spat out the words on an impulse, devoid of any emotion whatsoever.

" Please.... don't.... hurt–me" She spoke in a suffocated whisper. The man's dark eyes narrowed into slits; a faint sinister smile instantly played around the corners of his thin lips.

"That's for me to decide " He stated as he jittered her chin with the tip of the gun. The voice which rasped at her was cold and deadly.

Delia felt trapped; she instinctively felt a dull ache in the pit of her stomach. He edged more closer and she crawled back, petrified with fear– her brow was beaded with profound sweat. Her eyes secretly glanced at the clock on the wall which showed the time, 6: 40pm. Drake along with the kids were suppose to get home by 7pm. That's the information he had earlier carried out to her in the afternoon over the phone since the kids wanted to go on an ice cream date before getting home– But time slows as the gravity of the situation weighs it down. Her heart kept palpitating as her restless mind thought of ways of escape. She struggled to control quavering – Just then, her mind suggested a run for her dear life. She instantly made a dash for the door without further thought.

" Stop right there !" His voice echoed behind her , followed by– Bang! Bang! The loud blast of the gun that rang out in succession, destroying the tranquility of the environment. She instantly gasped with wide eyes and her chest pushed out in the process. She spontaneously felt searing pain tear through her back; Delia suddenly felt something warm trickled down her back and she faint to the floor. She heard more voices as her assailant made his getaway through the corridor.

Within a minute, she felt her strength ebbing as her mind refused to focus– the sudden thought of her kids brought a faint smile to her face as she battled between life and death.

"Ben..." a voice trembled in a stammering manner and tears dropped down her eyes. She constantly slipped in and out of consciousness – to her fuzzy brain, it seemed like days for the rest of the passing minutes. She suddenly saw silhouettes of figures walked in from the door.

"Mum!" That was the last thing she saw and heard. Her eyes shut; in her dark world, she felt nothing, saw nothing and everything was pitch black and quiet.

**********

Ben shuffled through the corridor leading to his room with a bit calmer gaze. Alixies' act kept playing back in his mind's eye as he brooded over it. This had actually being the first time someone had ever cared for him after his mother left when he was just 6years old. For the first time over many years, a cheerful smile dazzled at the corners of his lips by just the thought of Alixies– he felt his heart skip a bit.

"Don't you think she's just taking pity on you?" a faint voice echoed in his mind just when he stepped into his room. He instinctively shook those smiles off and replaced it with a stern gaze.

"Don't misunderstand, Ben– No one loves you. Their all the same; once their with you, the next minutes you're suddenly replaced. " He mumbled to himself as he threw his bag at the corner of the bed and slammed into the bed, face up with his gaze fixed on the dome ceiling.

" But why do I feel this way?" His heart fluttered and for the first time, he noticed Alixies beauty as he pictured her tensed face in his mind's eye. But then, a sudden crush of glass made him jolt out of his thought. He swiftly jerked up, his gaze instinctively travelled towards the direction on the sound only to find his mother's frame smashed to the floor with its glass scattered.

" Mum?" He stuttered with a furrowed brow– a ring from his phone instantly followed. His eyes deftly turned to it next to him– it was his mother's line.

He swiftly answered and a male voice responded.

" Your mum had be shot, Ben and had been rushed to Ryne Hospital "

"What?" He jerked to his feet. "I'll be right there " He announced and hung up. Not hesitating, he sped out of his room, picking up his car keys from the drawer.

"No, you can't leave me as well, mum– please hung in there " His voice faded downstairs as he exit the corridor in a rush.