“Run Cassy! Run Mitch!” I hear my Daddy yelling at the top of his lungs waking me up. I was always told that this day might come. But I never thought it would, I just thought my parents were crazy.

I open my window and jump out hitting the ground running. I run as fast as I can, faster then I’ve ever ran before. My heart pounding in my ears.

I make it to the tree line and stop when I hear my Mama’s bloodcurdling screams. I want to run back, I want to help them. But I change my mind when I see two dark figures in the chilly night. I run.

I run to our secret spot. Our safe spot is what we called it. I wait impatiently for Mitch, knowing well that Mum and Dad would be gone. The thought of it makes my stomach knot.

I can hear someone out side running. Their feet pounding on the ground. Then a gun shot ringing through my ears. I cover my mouth not letting my screams out. They are close. I can hear them outside. I can’t help the sick feeling in my stomach.

‘BANG!’

‘BANG!’

Rings out in the silent night air. I hear Mitch’s screams. Help, help me sissy.

‘BANG!’

Dead silence.

The hot tears run down my face like the crazy rapids the run in the mountains, behind our place.

I see them coming back. Maybe they have heard me. Maybe Mitch has said our secret spot. I stay ever so still trying not to make a sound. “Did you see where the other kid went?” One questions in a raspy voice sending a shiver down my spine. “No!” Another one yells out with anger in his voice, making me jump. “What was that?” The raspy voice guy yells.

‘BANG!’

Birds shoot out from the tree going everywhere.

I bite my tongue to keep my screams hidden as the bullet rips through my arm. “Don’t worry just birds!” He says as they keep heading back to the house.

I can feel the vomit coming up needing to get out, but I don’t let it incase they come back. I must stay alive, I need to.

Once I can’t see them I cut my shirt up to make a bandage to stop my arm from bleeding. I can’t see how bad it is but I think it just grazed my arm.

I don’t remember falling asleep. But I get woken up from the cold air biting at my bare skin. I slowly climb down from the tree trying not to hurt my arm as I go. I have to be fast, just incase they come back.

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I race to where the two men were standing last night. I look around in the overgrown grass to try and find my brother.

Please god, please let him be okay. He was never meant to get hurt.

I stop.

I can see his lifeless body laying there, in a pool of blood. His once crystal blue eyes now a shadow of grey. His brown hair stuck to his face. He is so cold, his skin a pale blue.

I turn and run. Run back to the house, the hot tears running down my face. I race inside and stop when I get to Mum and Dad’s room, the door slightly open. I take a deep breath and go in.

I can’t breathe. Dad’s body lay on the floor, his once blue stripped pyjamas now stained red.

I look up to see Mum. Her body half hanging out the window. She must have tried to get away but was stopped by a bunch of bullets in her back. A trail of blood has ran down her back and onto the wooden floor boards.

I get snapped out of my state when I hear a car pull up. I race through the house and pull my bag from under my bed packed ready to go. And run.

I run up into the mountains and stop when I get to the river. I pull out my phone and call Tommy, Dad’s best friend.

He answers on the first ring.

“Hey sugarplums, what’s cracker lacking?” He says with his calming happy voice.

“They’re dead!” I cry into the phone.

Tommy tells me to cross the river and head up to the cabin, he will meet me there.

I look at the crazy rapids in front of me. I throw the phone in watching it get washed away. Then I jump in.

I swim as best as I can with only one arm. I make it across and pull myself out. I lay on the rocks trying to catch my breath.

After what felt like a lifetime I get up and keep running. I make it to the cabin just before sun down. I head inside and try and warm myself up.

I can remember my Daddy telling us not to lite a fire, cause if someone is chasing us they will see the smoke. I sit on the floor in the corner of the room rocking myself, trying not to think about them.

Trying not to think about how a 15 year old can lose everyone she loves and cares about in a split second.

How someone can murder a 6 year old little boy.

Or how they can murder two parents and leave the only child left homeless, with no family.

I hear Tommy’s car coming up the driveway. But I don’t move. He busts through the door screaming my name.

“Cassy!”

His faded blonde hair a mess on his head. His golden tan skin covered in sweat. His hazel eyes now black, while his glasses hang low on the bridge of his nose. Tommy is only 27 but he looks around my Dad’s age right now. The stress making him look a lot older, then what he really is.

He sees me and rushes over pulling me into a hug. I don’t care that he is hurting me or my arm. I need this hug. I need him to tell me it’s going to be okay and it’s all just a bad dream.

But before he can he pulls away his eyes watery.

“Where’s Mitch?” He says looking around the room.

I don’t say anything but scream. I scream out as loud as I can. Then I cry. He looks back at me his face full of pain. He cry’s with me.

After a while he stops crying. He looks at my arm and pulls out a first aid kit. He takes my makeshift bandage off and cleans my arm. I bite down on my tongue drawing blood. “Don’t look at it.” He says.

But I can’t help myself. I wanna see the damage. My breath catches in my throat as I look at my arm. “Yeah it’s not pretty. But it will look a little better when it’s healed but you will have a nice scar.” He says covering it back up.

He helps me change out of my wet clothes and into some warmer gear. “Okay you ready for this.” He says pulling me off the floor and helping me into his car.

I don’t say anything. What do I say. No I’m not ready for this. I want to die, it should have been me not my baby brother.

We arrive at Tommy’s place his wife waiting anxiously for us. She looks at me and Tommy and asks the one thing I don’t wanna hear.

“Hunny where’s baby Mitch?” She says pulling me into a hug. Tommy must have shaken his head because he didn’t say anything. Mary cry’s. She cried like Tommy did, like I did.

We sit on the couch eating dinner, with the tv on. When the news appears on the screen. I watch knowing well what they are about to say.

“Good evening all I’m reporting from just outside the Kane’s mansion. We have reports saying there has been an explosion. Now the Kane family was believed to have been inside asleep when the explosion happened. The parents, 37 year old Danny Kane and his wife 35 year old Anne Kane. Along side their two beautiful children. 15 year old Cassy Kane and 6 year old Mitch Kane.”

There is a slight pause before she says the next part.

“Okay folks I’ve just heard from the fire marshal that the family was inside at the time. Sadly there are no survivors.” The lady on the tv says looking very upset.

I don’t cry at the report knowing well that none of it is true. No one was killed in an explosion. I’m still alive. And we were staying at our cottage when my family was murdered. But no one can know the truth. My Dad was an FBI Agent. Not a rich business man like they say he was. That was just his cover.

Tommy is his partner.

Well was his partner.

I must have fallen asleep on the couch last night. I guess they didn’t wanna wake me so that’s where they left me. I can’t even go to my families funeral. I can’t be seen. Not me. Not Cassy Kane.

Mary cuts my long blonde hair, to my shoulders. Then she dies it a light brown. I look in the mirror. I don’t say a word. This isn’t me. The person staring back at me is the new me.

New hair cut. New hair colour. I take my contacts out and put my glasses on. My name can’t be Cassy anymore. And I can’t stay here.

Tommy and Mary have brought me a plane ticket to America leaving after the funeral. Where I have to start my new life with my new family. As Riley Lane.