Last Christmas

by Amber and Blair
(Knox)

Getting an axe for the holidays?

Christmas about a year ago my mom, my brother, my dad, and my sister, and I were sitting by the fire place with our hot cocoa, so of course we didn't notice the window was cracked. I mean it really was a perfect night.

About an our or so later we decided it was late and the presents were done so we headed up stairs for bed with a chill creeping up our spines. I went upstairs and brushed my teeth and then went back downstairs to put my cup in the dishwasher. Then I noticed the window, it was wide open.

I screamed for my parents only to find they weren't in their bedroom. I called for my sister and my brother but I couldn't find anyone anywhere. I turned a sharp corner and found my dog in the wall with an axe to the head. I screamed and ran straight for the garage. I opened it and ran out of the house to my neighbors. The door was open and when I went inside I found blood and my friends who were like my family, dead. I screamed and cried and in the back of my mind I was imagining what was going to happen to me and where my family was.

I had to go back into the house to find them but who was it that had done this and where would I look. I wasn't for sure if I could even get out again safely or even make it in. I didn't know what to do. So I just ran, I didn't know what I was running to or even from. But then, suddenly, a thought popped into my mind. There was a gas station around the block. So I kept running. It only took five minutes, but that seemed like nine hours.

I opened the door and the bell was so loud I could still hear it ringing in my ears. I searched from front to back and there was no one in sight. I even searched the bathrooms! Then I went and looked behind the counter and then I just had to scream. I just had to. It was the sickest thing I have ever encountered. I don't know who was doing this or what kind of sick joke they thought it was, but this is no small madness. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my new phone to try and contact the police, but the line was cut. So I threw the phone down and ran.... just ran. Then I jumped nearly 10 feet high when I heard a man's voice "Ma'am you dropped your phone." I didn't even turn around to see who it was. "Ma'am I just thought you might want your phone, sorry."

I kept running then I suddenly realized maybe he could help me. So I turned around and told him what was going on. He led me back into my house to investigate. I didn't know what it was but I didn't have a good feeling about him at all. He was very weary peeking around corners and under tables. People always say "don't trust strangers" and you knew that gut feeling when I met him. And I should have trusted my instincts.

As soon as he bent over to look under the desk I saw the bloody axe dangling from his pocket. I knew I had to keep quiet and not suspect anything or that would just make me lose my life faster. I went along with the plan and acted like I was stupid but I never got in front of him or to the left of him where the axe was, and I always had an eye on his hands. They looked dirty like they had been in the mud but they were scraped with dried blood.

I finally got the chance to run and of course I was going to take it. I ran quickly through the front door and around to my back yard where my waterfall was. I had another feeling, to keep going but something inside of me just wanted to look in the pond and I did. As soon as I looked there were bodies, dead, all floating around.

I heard him coming and my only choice was to jump in. Without thinking I leaped into the air and held my breath. It seemed like hours until I finally hit the water, and I was thinking, am I really doing this. Is it even possible I couldn't believe it. I was so scared but determined to fight for my life. I was 11 years old and at that age anything seemed possible. It only seemed like forever before he walked passed me thinking I was just another murder victim of his.

As soon as he passed I jumped out and ran into the woods. How stupid of me I didn't realize I was leaving a trail of blood from the bodies, but I soon found out. He came chasing after me, axe and all in the air. I quickly scrambled up a tree hoping he wouldn't see me. Although the next thing I know the tree is wiggling and I am dangling from the branch. The branch as flimsy as it was was my life support, it may seem silly but it was all I had.

I could see he was ready for the blood thirst, but it was only a matter of time before getting to me. Maybe I could jump down and run fast enough to where I wouldn't become dead meat. I just knew I couldn't turn out like them, not me, but maybe that's what they all said. Maybe I was just another floating body. I couldn't bear anymore, my fingers slipped and I fell. He swung his axe, I ducked, he missed. As I ducked I had fallen into a bush. I couldn't bear to walk. I was in agony with pain, but all I could think about was trying to crawl away fast enough. He went to swing again and suddenly I awoke in a hospital bed, with my family surrounding me.

I had so many questions, but it seemed as if no one had the answers. As I was laying there I thought about where the psycho was, how I get here, and how I got away. Then I suddenly realized I was reliving my past. I new it was my nightmare, but when would I wake up?