"Mama!" My voice comes out cracked, making me sound horrified, but I guess that's okay because I am horrified. At this moment, I don't care that the others can see that, and see me, all I care for is the possibility of speaking with my mother once more before her eyes shut for good. I can tell her survival is unlikely at this point. Her face is so pale she already looks like a ghost, and there are blood drops in place of tears spilling out of her left eye - oh god - I think the veins in that eye have popped.

I want to stand up and run towards her, my position has already been exposed, so I have nothing to lose. Except my father. John is getting reckless out there, his sword is closing in on my father and I'm 98% sure he is about to slice my fathers head off in the next five minutes.

"What am I supposed to do?" I wonder in panic as I lean against the back of the broken leather seat.

I quickly crawl back to the foyer where Ethan is keeping Erica away from this carnage. I'm not sure whether or not he knows what has happened inside.

"Ethan!" I run up to him and tug his arm. "You have to help!" I say as I drag him towards the living room. My voice is as wobbly as Erica's at this point, but I will not let my emotions distract me from saving my mother. I swallow hard in hopes that it will make the lump in my throat go down - it doesn't do a thing.

Right before we enter the living room, Ethan looks over his shoulders to Erica. "Call the police Erica, and no matter what, DO NOT go inside! I mean it!"

"Wait! Please wait!" Erica protests without moving an an inch. Her voice is so shaky you would think she's on a rollar-coaster. She is about to break down in tears, I can tell without looking, but we clearly don't have time to pity her.

"Erica. You either stay in here or go to the kitchen where it's quieter to make the call. Don't follow us because you're gonna get scared and start crying and when that happens, we won't be helping you." I tell her without turning and step into the living room.

That came out harsher than I intended, but that's okay because now she's heard it as it is and can properly understand the gravity of this situation - I hope.

I motion for Ethan to follow me and lead him to my former spot behind the torn up love-seat. He is much more calm than I was when I first saw all of this and I take that as a good sign because he is the one that will take out these two monsters. He is paying close attention to John and our father and has not yet noticed our poor mother. I decide not to tell him just yet because at this point, he needs to be completely focused on our father. If he knows our mother is dying, he might panic and ruin this plan, which might cost us our father. A wave of guilt passes through me and I pray to God that this decision isn't one I will regret.

I take out the ninja star as soon as I reach my spot.

"Okay, so I will shoot John - that one" I nod to where John continues to shout at my father who, by the way, is still pinned against the wall. "And I'll aim at his eyes so I can blind him"

"That's not gonna blind him Anna" Ethan says shaking his head.

"It might. Besides that's our best chance, this tiny thing isn't really gonna hurt him anywhere else." I hold the ninja star up to his wounded face. "Anyways, it will alarm him and hopefully he will drop the rapier, that's when you go in and grab it."

"And if he doesn't drop it?" He asks.

"Just do something, I don't know! Take the other guys weapon, it's not he can do anything with that arm of his." I say.

"Ya Okay, let's do that." He says and crouches up a bit to see where he has to go.

Once again, I take aim at John and...

"Oh my God, Anna look at mother!"

Great.

"She needs help!" He almost runs out in the open towards our mother but I try pulling him back with everything I got.

"You can't go! You have to help father!" I shout. He doesn't understand the danger our father is in.

"Anna! Look at her, she's dying!" He shakes free of me and starts bolting towards her.

"No!" I start to go after him but instantly realize that he won't let anything stop him. I stand half way between my mother and father, not knowing where to go. Damn it! I knew he was gonna do this! Suddenly, the armless guy stands up with the cutlass in hand and marches towards my father. Oh no! I've wasted too much time, and now John and his partner know exactly where we are.

John holds up his rapier and pushes it hard against my father's throat, he is about to cut through him, but first he stops and turns his head to give me an evil grin. I shoot the ninja star directly at his eyes right then and run up to them as he drops the rapier. Perfect. I quickly pick it up and hand it to my father, who is finally free.

"Anna watch out!" My father says right before my world goes black.

When I gain consciousness, I am laying in the grass outside my house, beneath the vast night sky. Red and blue lights flash around me and I hear faint sirens in the distance. I sit up straight in panic, but that makes me dizzy and I fall back down. I think of my mother as I lay there. Is she okay? Is she even alive? Maybe Ethan did the right thing choosing to run to her when he did.

I feel warm liquid pour down the side of my face. Am I bleeding?! I sit up slowly this time and put a hand to my forehead. Yup, I'm bleeding - a lot. What happened?

"Anna!" I hear Erica's tiny voice. I look to my side and see her running towards me. She crashes into me and gives me a hug that has the potential to suffocate me.

"Your bleeding!" There are tears spilling out of her eyes and her entire body is shaking. I hug her back and pull her towards me.

"It's okay, it doesn't hurt." I lie. "When did the police come?" I ask, but she stays silent for a while and just stares into the distance.

"They came after the ambulances." She says finally.

"Oookay....when did the ambulances come?"

"They came after the neighbours."

"Erica! Give me a proper answer!" What's up with her?

A round of nausea hits me right then and I have to use my sleeve to help stop the bleeding. I'm losing more blood than I thought. 

"I don't know when they came. I wasn't paying attention." Her voice sounds a bit dead this time. At least she's not shaking anymore. She pulls back and wipes the last of her tears with her hands.

I have to go inside, I have to see my mother, and my father, and even Ethan. At this point, I can lose any one of them - or all of them. I'm not sure if Erica can handle any more of this, but I have no choice but to bring her along. I cannot leave her out here alone at a time like this.

"Do you think you can handle going inside?" I ask her.

"No." She says and stands up. "But I'll do it anyways"

Woah. I didn't expect to hear that.

"Yay! Your finally getting brave!" I joke as I stand up as well. I hold her hand and we walk into our once happy house, unsure of what to expect.