• Love = Tragedy

    I stood on the back porch overlooking the lack of vegetation we had gotten all summer. I gazed at the stars recalling how it happened. Why couldn’t it have been me?
    It was summer 2007. I was only 14 years old when it happened.
    “Jill, I'm leaving I’ll be back in the morning” Mom shouted from another room.
    “Love you” I called
    “Love you too” she replied
    “Make sure you feed Alex” She yelled as she left the house.
    I heard her engine roar to life and then she was gone. Mom always leaves me and Alex home alone. It was nothing unusual.
    “Mom said I can have friends over” Alex mocked. He was only a 10 year old boy so teasing me was one of his main goals in life.
    “Well you’re not going to have any cause Kristin is coming over” I mocked back
    “But mom said!” he whined.
    “I don’t care what mom said!” I yelled.
    “That’s not fair Jill!” He whined again. I could see the frustration over powering his face.
    “That’s not fair Jill” I mocked. I was starting to sound worse than he was.
    “I wish you weren’t my sister” he mumbled but I could tell what he was saying.
    “Good, I wish you weren’t my brother” I said storming off into the living room.
    I didn’t mean that, of course, I was just so irritated with him.
    I went to call Kristin to see when she was coming. It was almost 9:30pm so she would have to get here soon.
    “Hello?” A strangely familiar voice called.
    “Kristin?” I asked
    “This is she” She always says that. I'm not sure why. Habit I guess.
    “Hey its Jill, are you still coming over?” I asked.
    “Oh shoot I forgot, sorry Jill dad says I have to remind him at least a day before and I totally forgot!” she apologized.
    “Oh, that’s okay I guess I’ll talk to you later” I said.
    “Bye Jill” She hung up.
    Great now I'm stuck here with Alex, alone.
    “ALEX, time for beddy by” I said sarcastically.
    “Its only 9:30!” he cried.
    “Well I'm in charge and I say it’s time for you to go to bed” I told him
    “Whatever Jill,” he said as he lay down on the couch to sleep.
    Soon after he fell asleep so did I. There was nothing to do and I was so bored so I just lay at the other end of the couch and eventually dozed off.
    I was in the middle of a very replenishing dream when a hand against my skin woke me up.
    A man with a black hockey mask lay on top of me with his hand over my mouth. My attempt to scream was useless. Alex still lay on the other end of the couch sound asleep. I need to get him safe. He needs to get help. I tried kicking him to wake. I kicked and kicked until finally he woke up.
    “Leave me alone Jill” he whispered. I kicked him again until he finally turned to face me.
    “JILL!!” He screamed.
    The man in the mask quickly turned from me to him. He had a huge machete in his hand, He went after Alex with it.
    “NO, Alex Run!” I Cried.
    I jumped onto the man’s back and dug my fingers into his skin. He threw me back against a wall and turned to face me. A few moments later Alex came back with a huge steak knife.
    “Hey! Get away from my sister!” he shouted. He ran towards the man.
    “Jill, run and don’t look back. Just go Jill. Get help!” He told me.
    I knew I shouldn’t leave my little brother but so much was happening. I ran out of the house and to the neighbors who were a few hundred feet away.
    I banged on their door.
    “Help me! Please my brother needs help. There’s a man in a mask and he’s trying to hurt us” I began as the tears began to dispense from my eyes.
    When I got inside I called the police and then mom and left a message. I wanted so badly to run back to the house to see if he was alright but my feet seemed to be glued to the ground. When the police finally arrived they took me back to the house. They said it was safe.
    “Where’s my brother?” I asked hastily.
    “Your brother?” An officer replied.
    “Yes Alex, my brother” I said frustrated and confused.
    “I'm sorry, but no one was found at the scene” He said
    So many things went through my head that the rest of the night was a blur.
    “Jill, why don’t you come inside its getting chilly out” Mom said comfortingly.
    “Yea” was all I said.
    We stay up most nights by the phone hoping that someone has seen the flyers and recognize Alex. I know he will return to us some day I just can’t imagine when.