~Then~
-Winter, 2001-
Mom kissed us both on the cheek, saying goodbye and sending us off to Aunt Laura's house with tears streaming down her cheeks. And although I was only 6 years old, I knew enough that we were coming back the next day. I couldn't tell you why she was crying, but I had a feeling that it was because she didn't want to be apart from us.
"Mommy, we'll be back tomorrow." I reassured her with my high-pitched voice. She stroked the top of my head, avoiding touching the french braid she'd twisted so she didn't mess it up.
"I know, sweetie. I'm just going to miss you, that's all." She said and smiled down at me. Justin just gave her a big hug and walked to the car, to the front seat; He sat there because he was old enough.
"Well, don't cry." I said and patted her lower back, the highest place I could reach. She let out a strained laugh as we both walked to Aunt Laura's car.
"Bye, Willow!" She said and blew me a kiss. "Bye, Justin," another kiss flying through the air.
"Hi, kids!" Aunt Laura said once we closed the car doors. We began driving out of the driveway as we buckled our seat belts.
"Hi," we both said at the same time.
I folded my hands on my lap and looked out the window, watching the houses and trees fly by. Some houses had kids outside, playing in the snow and others were situated in their living rooms with the glow of their televisions casting across their faces.
I tuned out Justin and Aunt Laura's conversation about how his first year of college was going; I didn't understand anything about high school or college at the age of 6. Instead, I took to looking at all the different Christmas lights and decorations strung around on houses.
When we got to Aunt Laura's house, she went into the kitchen and started making dinner. I wasn't really hungry but I didn't dare tell her that because she would feed me anyways. I didn't have a problem with it simply because her cooking was better than the hot dogs and Spaghetti-O's Mom cooked every other night for me.
I heard the phone ring as I went to plop myself down on the living room.
"I totally forgot." I heard Aunt Laura say into the reciever. "Okay, I'm leaving right now." She lied, and hung up the phone.
"Guys, I'll be right back. I forgot to pick up Abby from volleyball." She called to us. "Keep an eye on Willow, Justin. And can you stir the sauce please?"
"Alright." Justin said. He had his school books spread out on the coffee table, but he left them there to stand up and go to the stove. I followed him, having nothing better to do.
"What is that?" I asked, just being curious little me.
He leaned down to pick me up and show me what was inside. Spaghetti sauce filled the huge pot halfway up. He tried to put me down, but I wouldn't let him. I just held on to him as if letting him go would be the worst thing to ever happen.
The doorbell rang and I squirmed out of his arms. "I can get it." I said, running to the front door.
"Do they look familiar?" Justin called from the kitchen, too busy stiring the sauce to be able to come to the door.
"I think he's her neighboor." I yelled back to him, standing on my tip-toes to try to see through the window. I couldn't see, but I said it anyway, simply because I wanted to be the one to open the door.
"Okay, you can open the door."
I opened the heavy door, and no one was there. Suddenly, someone swung through the door and pushed me against the wall. I screamed as he shook me back and forth, trying to see clearly out of my crying eyes.
Justin ran to the hallway with his cellphone and called 911. The man let go of me, going after my brother to stop him from calling the police.
A gun flew out of his pocket and slid to the corner of the room, 5 feet away from where I was. The man didn't notice his missing possesion. It looked like a toy, shining in the light from the dining room light hanging from the ceiling. I heard Justin coughing as the man squeezed his thumbs deeper and deeper into Justin's throat.
I scrambled to my feet and ran to get the gun. I remembered the weight of the gun in my hand. The thought that went through my mind was "this isn't a toy." But, in the heat of the moment, I ran to the hallway. My brother's face was bright red as the man's thumbs went deeper and deeper into his throat.
Everything that happened next felt like it was going in slow motion.
Me, falling to the floor with my hands in the air.
The loud bang that filled the stunned silence.
The sound of the body falling to the floor beside me.
