An Orphan Now

By: Grace Zheng

“RUN, Eliza!” my mother screamed. “Run as fast as you c-”

The knife came straight out of the dark, right into where my mother’s heart was.

Tiny droplets of blood spattered onto my blue and white T-Shirt, the one my mom and I bought at the hand-me-down store.

It was my favorite.

I felt faint and weak. My body trembled as I slowly stood up, staring in horror at the lifeless body of my mother. My feet were planted into the floor. For an unknown reason, I couldn’t cry. I wanted to, but I couldn’t. It was like fury was taking me over instead of despair.

Then I heard the clacking of someone’s shoes. No time to be scared, Eliza! I quickly darted behind a wooden table, crouching underneath it to make sure I was completely hidden from sight. I carefully looked up over it and made sure only a bit of my forehead would show, but I would still be able to see what was going on.

A masked woman in a black robe calmly strolled out of the shadows towards my mother. On her back were two long, sharp katanas. She had chestnut brown hair longer than a light year and the most beautiful eyes I’d ever seen. She glanced my way, and I quickly ducked underneath the table.

In that one moment, so short it was like a photo, I discovered something. I was struck by the familiarity of the glint in her eyes. It was so malicious that you would have to look away, and otherwise you would collapse onto the floor, shaking like you saw the Devil.

My aunt had the same glint in her eyes.

My aunt had the same hair color.

My aunt was the murderer.