Pitch Black Heaven

"So this is how its going to work your going to aim for that target, but this time its going to move." Scarlett instructed me. I gulped and nodded concerned for the safety of Zach who was driving an old run down car that the target was attached to.

"W-what if I-I s-hoot Zach?!" I shrieked frantically.

Scar laughed then became serious. "Just shoot." She muttered flatly.

"O-okay." I said shakily. I pointed the gun forward, shaking less that what I had expected. Scar gave Zach the thumbs up he sent one back then he revved the engine loudly. "Take it easy tiger!" I joked to Zach. He grinned his perfect grin making my heart stop beating, the gun went off without me realizing I had pulled the trigger.

"Hey Zach, let the girl bloody focus!" Scar demanded with a light laugh.

"Okay here we go." Zach called. He stared off slow and I hit the middle of the target most of the time, but the speed picked up and the dirt sprayed out behind him. I still managed to hit the target, though the car took a few hits. He reached unimaginable speeds and I found it hard to concentrate when all I could worry about was his safety. We gave up training when I accidentally shot one of the tyres.

"Oops." I mumbled embarrassed, my head hanging. Zach got out of the car, his dark blue flannelet shirt fly out behind him showing of the carving of his abs under the white shirt he wore underneath. I couldn't snap out of it.

"Hey focus here girl." Scarlett laughed. I was crazy, one kiss, means nothing... right?

"Well I guess we'd better get you home, me and Marcus will be coming back at twelve to patrol your house. The latest word on the street is that Liam is coming after you." He informed me.

My breathing quickened. "And you didn't think to tell me this!" I shouted, raising my hands in the air.

"Sorry." He shrugged it off. I scowled at him and shoved his chest as I walked towards Scarlett's motor bike. "I'll catch you later tonight." Zach fare welled, he waved, got into his car and his tyres screeched as he sped off down the winding road.

"I'll drop you off at your place then I've got a date with Marcus." Scarlett told me, smiling to herself at the thought of her boyfriend.

"You two are great together." I commented jumping onto the seat.

"Thanks... but whats going on with you and Benson?" She queried with a smirk.

"Nothing..." I scoffed, I sucked at lying.

"Bullsh*t. I already told you he likes you." She replied kicking the engine to a start.

"Whatever, just shut up and drive." I muttered dryly. Her loud laugher was drowned out by the roar of the engine, it buzzed and thrummed as we wound along the spiraling roads. I clung to her back, my experience on motor bikes was limited and I still had an immense fear of being thrown off to my bloody death. They would probably have to scrap my body off the road with a spatula.

"Okay be careful tonight." Scar warned. It was nightfall when we finally arrived at my place. It was eerily quiet making me shiver

"Why?" I asked.

"Just be careful okay..." She muttered. I nodded deciding I would rather be left in the dark for this one. I stood on the sidewalk as her motors roar faded to silence, I trudged up the porch steps and unlocked the door with my key. Mum was lounged on the black leather sofa, a magazine on her lap, the TV on quietly and a cup of coffee in her hand. She looked up as I entered.

"Where have you been?!" She asked, her face covered with worry. Her forehead creased as she walked to me and greeted me with a hug.

"Sorry... I lost track of time." I lied. Her face calmed and my mind suddenly registered the fact I had something to ask my parents. Mum sat back on the sofa. "Uh, where's dad?" I wondered casually. Mums eyes were already glued back on her magazine.

She waved her hand upstairs. "In the study I think..." I left the room without another comment and I climbed the stairs, the automatic lights turning on, one by one as I walked down the hallway. I felt tense as I stood in front of the door, I drummed my fist on it once before dad told me to enter.

"Hey dad, I hope I didn't disturb you.

- AILEE'S POV (LIAM'S GIRLFRIEND) -

"Don't say another word. If you tell her I'm here I'll kill you both." I threatened in a hushed tone. I could see the sweat building on his head as Rhiannon's shadow cast along the Burgundy carpet.

- RHIANNON'S POV -

"Dad?" I called once again. He was sitting in his black leather chair, with the towering back. But this time it was turned so that it was facing the window, I couldn't see him. I suddenly felt my stomach flip and my jaw clench. I pulled the gun from my belt but kept it behind my back, just in case it was a false alarm. My finger was on the trigger as I took two steps forward, his desk seemed so far away.

"Rhiannon run, its a trap!" Dad yelled as he jumped from his chair. I aimed the gun at the black leather chair and shot at it, each bullet pierced it easily and smashed through the window behind it. It was Liam's girlfriend Ailee, she rolled out from behind the chair and shot at me twice.

"Run dad!" I screamed, shooting back. Ailee's gun clicked as she pointed it at dads crawling figure.

"Put the gun down or I'll shoot him." She commanded. My fingers shook and I let the gun fall from my hands. I would not risk my father life, I would rather die than let my father be killed by my enemies. "Now kick it here." She ordered, her guns aim never straying from my dad. I gave the gun a swift kick and she picked it up, slipping it into her pocket. "Come here, if you come with me I won't kill your father." She offered. I did as she said, I could not live with myself if I was the reason she killed my parents. I walked to her and she grabbed my arms and pinned them behind my back with immense strength.

"Don't hurt him." I begged as her gun poked into my neck.

"This is for all the shit you've caused me." She grunted. I couldn't react in time, it all moved so quickly but I was the only one stuck in slow motion. Her arm snapped forward and she pointed her gun at my father, her finger pulled the trigger back and the bullet flew through the air hitting his heart with enough force and speed to jerk my father back into the book shelves he crawled beside.

"No!" I cried, trying to wrestle from Ailee's grip. She only laughed. Dad smashed into the shelves sending books toppling to the ground around him, his eyes rolled back into his head. Mum ran into the room hearing my scream, she began screaming too when she saw dad bleeding on the floor

With his last gasp of air he choked out "I love you!" Before his spluttered to his bloody death.

"David!" Mum howled, shaking his body. He didn't move, he didn't breath, he just lay dead in my mother arms.

Ailee chuckled. "Bravo to me." She sneered with a smirk and another laugh.

"I'll f*cking kill you!" I snarled trying to push her to the ground. She bent my arm and pushed up sending spasms of pain flaring in my muscles.. I cried out in agony until she released my arm.

"Shut up, lets go!" Ailee growled.

Mum cried, reaching out after me as if to pull me back into the safety of her arms. "Don't go." She whimpered, she then started screaming again. I shouted for help but the last thing I heard was mums pained screaming before Ailee smashed the edge of the gun into my head, sending me into unconsciousness.

***

My vision came back as only a blur, I blinked a few times letting the residue run down my cheeks. The smell was volatile, everything came back into focus and I knew I was no longer in my warm, comforting home.

"For the love of god, someone please help me!" I screamed, desperate for a familiar face. I thrashed around trying to break free from the disarray of knots tying one of my arms to a metal railing. I screamed and splashed around until I lost all energy but most of all, I lost all hope.

My father, he was dead. Yet I felt a painful calm, most likely because I was trying to pretend that he was alive and well, preparing for his next business meeting. I was trying - like I always did - to block off all pain from my system. I was lying to myself because I wished my life was normal again. But then again, in so many ways I couldn't imagine my life without Zach, Luke, Scarlett and the whole gang.

Liam claimed he wasn't trying to kill me. But how can that be true when he is slowly killing off my existence. He will kill my family, our once happy family. He will kill my friends, he will kill all I know. He will kill Zach, but most of all he will kill himself. He wasn't just killing my friends and family, he was killing me. Very, very slowly. I didn't want to sit there, helplessly and watch everyone get picked off one by one while I remain the pathetic reason they died in the first place.

Liam may not be my biological brother but that doesn't give him the right to hurt the ones I love. The air was silent, eerie, no sound other than the dripping of my wet clothes. "Ugh!" I groaned assessing my clothes. The bottom half of my body was soaked in the filthy waters of a sewer.

I began to feel cold, tiny droplets of water cascaded down my arms and legs. "Help." I begged in a whisper, I was far to tired to scream. I needed Zach, now more than ever before. "Zach..." I whimpered, tears threatening to flood out of my blood shot eyes.

I felt around with my free hand for my gun, of course it was gone. "Wait." I mumbled to myself. My last ounce of hope fueled my search for my cell phone. I was wearing my favorite jacket, it had many small and secret pockets all over it and all I could pray for was that they hadn't found my phone. I shoved my hand into the breast pocket, I kept my phone in another smaller pocket inside that one.

And yes, there it was. "Thank god!" I exclaimed kissing the phone. I dialed the familiar number, smiling when it rang out clearly.

"Hello Rhi, where are you?" Zach asked in a panicky tone. I almost burst into tears when I heard his voice.

"Zach, they killed my father, they took me!" I choked with pain. I was lost for words, I didn't know how to begin to explain my situation and my state of mine.

"Where are you?" He yelled firmly, he was no longer just Zach. He was the Zach of the gang Rapture. This was business. A shadow fell upon my body, the boy towering over me grabbed my phone. In the blink of an eye he crushed my phone and left me nothing but my worthless corpse like body in a state of utter hopelessness.

Pitch Black Heaven - © MemoriesdonoJustice / Rose Tonis 2009