Take her


    Prologue


    I gripped the sharp knife as the crimson liquid dripped from it. I knelt on the floor, with tears


    streaming down my face. My heart sank as I watched the man I loved lying on the floor. I crave to


    touch him, but I can’t. I wished to kiss him, but disgust deepened. I despise him, but I loathe myself


    further.


    I picked up the phone that rested on top of the drawer. Even though my hands are trembling, I even


    contend with dialing the ambnce station number. On the first ring, they answered the call.


    “911, what is your emergency?”


    “Go to 2187 NYC Urban Calm, High town C. O rk.”


    I at once turned off the call and went to the second floor. Even with a bloodstain on my hand, I just


    kept packing. As soon as I''m done, I washed my hands and rushed out of the house.


    I sprinted to the primary gate and hailed a taxi. Before entering, I peered repeatedly at the mansion


    that has been a significant part of my soul, stuffed me with fantasies, and made me feel I was not


    alone again.


    But in just one paper I discovered and a photo I saw, it all copsed. It was as if a serpent had


    wound me and waste to treat because it was deliberately poisoning me.


    I just sobbed in the taxi. I looked again at the house I had stepped on before eventually determining


    to neglect everything.


    “I’ll start again… but this moment, without you.”


    “Authorities found out that the source of the deaths here was because of refusal. We asked some


    witnesses about the matter. They imed that the citizens didn’t wish to go, and they created the


    outbreak themselves,” thementator announced while holding a mic and with a focused camera.


    I threw them a sharp re with bloodshot eyes because of nonstop weeping. Most of them may


    have fought back, but that wasn’t enough reason to execute them! I closed my eyes and recalled


    what happened.


    “We will provide you three months, thus you will require to leave this ce unwillingly or willingly!” A


    man shouts with the construction helmet on his head. He might be the engineer or architect leading


    the project.


    “How did that happen?! In a long moment, we have remained here, why now?” our neighbor fired


    back who was also afraid of losing her home because she was alone in life.


    “It’s not our responsibility if you don’t have yournd to build a home on. Go back to where you


    came from!” The engineer shouted again. None of us could speak because he was right. The


    government still does not give us thend we live in today. We are themunities that they call


    squatters because we cannot get ournd.


    The development workers and the guy we were speaking to had turned away, so we went back to


    our homes, also. “Mom, why can’t we just leave here? Let’s just find a house somewhere. I’m sure


    we can find a cheap ce to rent and easily find a job too,” I suggested.


    I’m Caroline Miller. I’m 22 years old and presently working part-time at a convenience store. I didn’t


    finish college because my mother and father were not getting enough money to pay for my school.


    But it’s still okay because I graduated from high school. I am an only child, and I’m giving everything


    I can to help my parents.


    I snap back to my senses when my dad pointed out our problem, “We don’t have savings money to


    leave this ce. If we move now, it will be a slow process before we’d get employed and paid off.”


    In the pressures of life, dad was right. We didn’t finish high educational attainment, so the


    opportunities were elusive to us. I sighed and walked to the kitchen. I can’t argue. Even if I want to


    help them, I don’t know-how. It surprised me to hear footsteps following me. I was about to look


    when someone hugged me from behind.


    “Just a little patience. We will make it and set up a house on ournd,” my mother said and beamed.


    “Let me take care of it, and I will find a way for us to get out of here. Come and let’s dine. I’m


    hungry. Aren’t you hungry too?” I asked.


    Mom separate from the hug andughed, “Come on! Your father and I have been hungry for a while


    because that engineer’s shout deafened us," We chuckled, andughter permeated our home.


    Days, weeks, and months passed speedily. I heard the construction workers slowly setting up in our


    ce the tools that will apply for the project they will do. We merely have a week and we’re going to


    be forced out. Other people have also revolted because they do not want to give up thend that in


    the first ce is not ours.


    When I got home, I check for my parents. I could not find them, so I went to the back of our house


    when I overheard them chatting.


    “I don’t know where we will pick up in case they evict us from here. Do you have no one to touch


    on? At least we will simply stay at their house for a week. It is just preparation for us to find a new


    ce to move and a job,” my mom whispered with a pleading voice.


    “I tried to reach my old ssmates and friends, but they didn’t agree,” my dad exined tiredly.


    I left there and went into the house. I immediately picked up my small phone. It has a keypad and is


    hard to press. I still endured. I dial the name of one of my friends. She answered my call in just


    three rings.


    “Hello, Celine? Are you busy today?”


    “Not really. Why?” I could hear the noise in the background and theughing people. Even it was


    embarrassing, given the situation. I said what is the reason for my calling.


    “I would like to borrow money for our relocation expenses. I will pay as soon as I save up,” I said


    hopefully.


    “Omg! I’m sorry Caroline. Even tho I want to lend you, I don’t know-how. Now that I’m on vacation


    with my family, I can’t use my card to send you money,” Celine said hurriedly.


    I heard someone calling to her in the background. She’s indeed on vacation now because she


    mentioned that to me.


    “Okay. Thank y—” I would prefer to say adieu, but she then quickly cut the line. I hugged my little


    phone and murmured to myself, “It doesn’t matter. I’ll just try with my boss. He’ll help me for sure if I


    exin the situation.”


    I am mncholy because I have no choice but to trust the little chance I have. I desire to be lucky at


    least once. I get to work early to catch up with my boss. Exact timing because he was about to go. I


    ran and shouted. “Boss! I have something to say! Wait a moment!” I dashed while carrying my


    perforated bag.


    “What is it?” He asked.


    “Our ce is being demolish. We have to move ce, but the problem is we don’t have money for


    expenses. I would like to ask if I can borrow. Just deduct the payment from my work fee.”


    “Why didn’t you notify me right away? You know I will help you. As long as you work with me, I won''t


    hesitate to help you,” he responded and mess my hair. My eyes widened as he pulled out some


    money from his pocket and handed it to me. Overjoyed, I hugged him and jumped.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    “Thank you! Thank you so much!” He left and turned his car. After my shift, my smile reached the


    sky. I decided to call my parents to say them the wonderful news, but no one responds. I thought


    maybe they were just busy with what they were doing ... but I was wrong. The cheerful faces of my


    mother and father, who I expected to greet me, didn’t show up. What weed me was our ruined


    house, too much blood, and lifeless bodies of them. I tried to find someone to ask about what had


    happened, but I could hardly hear the cries of the family of the dead. I approached a construction


    worker and ripped off his clothes in a frenzy.


    “I assumed we had a week to go before they permanently evicted us from here! What happened ?!”


    “Sorry ma’am but because of the uprising you caused, thendowner was furious. A few insurgents


    aimed to destroy the equipment that should have been operating for this project,” the man exined


    with a sympathetic face.


    .....


    It’s been three days, it’s still been raining nonstop for two days. I’m even here, sitting in the house


    they destroyed, waiting for my parents and a smile that’s always wee me every time Ie


    home. The ambnce took them but I have not heard from the hospital after that. I was quietly


    sobbing and was enjoying the cold and dead rain when abruptly a foot stopped in front of me,


    wearing luminous ck shoes. I thought the rain had stopped, but there was also a man holding an


    umbre on my left side. I raised my eyes and saw the tall, blue-eyed man. His gaze was deep and


    expressionless. I lifted my head and saw four men wearing ck tuxedos, including the one who


    holds the umbre, surrounding the man in front of me. The man with blue eyes was wearing a blue


    tuxedo.


    Because they paused in front of me, it scares me, so I asked, “W-why?”


    When I heard the voice of the man wearing the blue tuxedo, the hair on my skin rose. It was cold


    and deep. It is also perfect and every word always seems to have a stain of anger.


    “Take her.”


    “H—huh?”