That night

That night

Life to me is much like a large mistake. I’m different and I don’t understand why. I used to be normal, I used to be an average kid. That all changed for me though the night of May 12th 2000, that day ruined my life. The definition of Adrianna Marie Chantel was no longer that beautiful girl with the picture perfect family and the great social life, but now that girl from that night.

“Wake up! Wake up!” My aunt Shannon screamed over and over again.
“Honey she’s having the dream again!” My uncle Paul tried explaining to my aunt every time she said “Wake up!” Moments later I was sitting straight up in my bed; As shocked as I was to see my aunt and uncle sitting on the end of my bed, I got up and walked down the stairs and out the back door. The place where I could go to focus, and the restless nights I don’t sleep I go here. Under the stars but still a roof above my head, the old bunker, a hole in the ground that had a large opening that showed the night time stars. This is the only place that reminds me of my family. It hurts in my heart to know that no matter what I do, my family is gone, forever. Eternal rest. All because of that night, I know I could have stopped it; all I had to do was scream. Maybe then…..no, no matter what I would have done, nothing would change, my family would still be dead.

I woke up from the sound of people calling my name. My aunt and uncle sent somebody out to search for me again, yet they never found the bunker. Instead of crawling out and traveling away from the bunker, so nobody can find my sacred spot, I lied there. Pulling the covers over my face when I heard the people shouting my name right above my head. Still, they didn’t find me. I liked it this way, away from everybody, the way my real life was. I didn’t have a family anymore, so why should I pretend my aunt and uncle are my mom and dad? They never will be them. I should run away. Stay in my happy quiet little place forever, without the fear of being found. My family’s vacation home in Italy. My new beginning.

Now I needed money. I know in the bunker my dad hid a couple of hundreds and in the house is still his safe. No! I can’t go there! Stop Adrianna do not think of that house. You are better than that, those nightmares won’t go away for months. ADRIANNA! I’m good, I can visit the house and know there wasn’t a thing I could have done to prevent that day. Later tonight I’ll go, for now I should sleep.

When walking down “Bright” road, I couldn’t stop think about how glorious this place seemed when I was younger. This was my world. I wanted every person who was my age on the street to like me, want to become my friend. I even wanted all the parents to know I was a sweet girl and I could watch their babies while they were gone. Apparently, I tried too hard and one person on the street watched me closely.

The air smelt like the pancakes my mother woke up extra early to make for me and my brother Sean. I woke up feeling great and had doubles with the pancakes. Even had a nice joke with my brother. We laughed so hard and within the hour before school we had created a new memory. Today my friend Karen would come drive me to school. Her sister got her license and a car. For a bunch of 8th graders to be in a slick expensive car was great for our reputation. She came earlier than planned and my mom was a little bummed. I said my “goodbye’s” and my “I love you” to the family and walked out the door. I had forgotten my backpack, I couldn’t go back that would be embarrassing. I waved bye to my mom and hopped in the car. That was the last time they were alive.

After school was done I texted my mom, but she didn’t answer. That was weird, my mother was glued to her phone, because of her job as an International Lender, she needed her phone. I waited, yet no reply. The bus ride took to me what seemed as the longest ride ever. When the bus drove up to our street I could see my house. The front yard had been covered in toys, those from my brother and dog. I remember when me and my brother begged for Benji. He’s our dog, part Great Dane and Saint Bernard. When we finally got Benji, it seemed like life was complete. I started looking at the house again, when the chipping paint on the house caught my eye . Our house had been old and white. Now the paint was starting to chip and the windows were starting to become old and dirty looking. Even the bushes seemed old, muck like the tree in the front yard. So many memories from this house and to think my parents talked about moving! Once we started to approach my house I could see my brothers room light on and the kitchens light’s on. Getting off the bus was weird, I felt like I shouldn’t be here.

I slowly moved towards my house, up the steps on the porch and stood in front of the door. I didn’t know why, but I hesitated to open the door. I reached my hand out and froze my hand as I heard a thump. Now I was worried, my hands were sweaty and my heart was racing. I ran through the door and stopped in my tracks. There was chairs knocked over, glass broken, dirt on the floor, what happened here? I quickly grabbed my phone and dialed 9-1-1.
“Hello, 9-1-1 operator”
“Hello, I’m Adrianna Chantel, I walked in my house and I think somebody broke in….my family’s gone or I don’t know where they are and I’m scared an, please send somebody here an….” I started to yell into the phone, but a louder thump made me drop the phone.
“Hello? Hello? Adrianna are you there? Hello? Answer me! Adrianna I’m sending help!” I heard from the phone as I walked toward the stairs, blood had been on the top steps. I shouldn’t see this. But I couldn’t stop walking up the stairs. More blood and finally a body. I cried and starred at my father. He had cuts on his face and blood dripping.
“Dad, oh god! What happened? Daddy” I cried
“Hhhh.oooo” He moaned
“Daddy, I’m here. Don’t worry I called the police”
“Shhh..shhhh…shh……eeee…awn” He barely could get out of his lips.
“Sean? Where is he?” Never mind, Daddy I’ll find him” I cried harder.
I walked slowly to Sean’s room, only more blood was there and then a body. I grabbed him and threw him in my arms, he was still in his pajamas, he never left for school. I cried harder and held him close. I needed to find my mom! Just then a door down the hall slammed open, against the wall. Without any reaction time I ran into the conjoining bathroom. Through the bathroom I slowly headed to my parents master suite. Once I reached their room next to their bathroom, I thought could I really make it. I would have to go out into the hallway. The thought made me sick. I sat on the floor of the guest bedroom and heard a squeak from the steps. That meant somebody was at the bottom of the stairs, could that be two people? I didn’t care. I ran as fast an quietly as I could into the master suite. There was my mom tied to a chair. She looked beaten and dead. I locked the door and ran to her side.
“Mom!!” I sobbed.
She was my best friend, better of a friend than Karen and a great person. Now she was dead.

A banging from the door startled a scream. Then the banging became louder. In my parents room was stairs to the attic. Slowly I walked up the stairs, praying the floor boards would not creak. If they did, my position would be given away. I almost cried tears of joy as I reached the top, with no sounds of creaking. Then there was a person at the bottom, he had a strange smile to his face and I recognized him. He was a man that lived on the street, the old man that was nice, but had a weird thing to him. This was the weird thing. He had a large knife in his hand. Larger than any knife I have ever seen before. I walked backwards slowly then ran and slammed a door shut. This was the storage unit. It didn’t have a strong door, but had a window. I ran to the window and toppled onto the roof. From there I didn’t care if I lived, my family was dead, why shouldn’t I? When I hit the water of our pool I was still alive. Thank goodness for my neighbors, they were having a party when they saw me come from the window and into the pool. When I woke up, the room was bright, the way heaven should be, the brightness you see before your dead.
“Am I in heaven?”
“No sweetie, the hospital!” My aunt Shannon said with the most horrified look on her face.
“I want to be alone” I whispered.
This was it. They were dead, I knew that face. I wanted to be alone. Why would I be here when the rest of my family is gone? Why am I so special?

I came back to realize I was at this place again, the place my family died. All the toys were still in the front yard. I wondered about Benji. The cops said he must have ran away because apparently neighbors had reports of a barking dog in the backyard, he didn’t stop barking for hours. I know why he started to bark, a man from our quiet street came into my house looking for me, saw my backpack and thought I was home. He thought I was hiding and threatened to kill my family if they didn’t tell him where I was. He killed my dad because he tried to fight back, then my brother to scare my mom. Eventually my mom. When I came home he was shocked. I knew this man better than he knew himself and the day he was hung, I got to know him better. He had no family and was obsessed with me for years. Ever since my family moved here. When he heard I would be moving out, that broke his heart. I hated this man, he was responsible for the way my family was, through the depression that overtook me and the friends I lost because of this man. Because of Harold James Peterson, I hated my life.

Slowly and cautiously I walked in the back sliding door, the house was still furnished with my old furniture. Not even the knocked over chairs were picked back up. A certain noise alarmed me. I almost sounded like the noise that the man made when he hit the door while I was in the attic. Surprisingly it wasn’t though. Benji ran around the corner and jumped onto me. I cried and sat on the floor with him. My life wasn’t completely ruined. I still had Benji. Again I paced through the house, blood was still in the carpets. I walked up to the master sweet, there was still the chair. That chair was the one my mother was tied to. Over in the corner was the safe. I remembered the combination, my mom made a song for it. When the lock clicked open, I starred at inside, there was a paper. On the paper was an adoption certificate, and the name Alisha Mary Clinton. Those were my initials and I was adopted? Benji started to bark.
“Shhhh….Benji, no bark.”
He quieted down and then laid down next to me. I couldn’t believe it. I was really Alisha Mary? Who is this girl? Where are my real parents? I had so many questions and no answers.

Ten years later, I was happy in my new life. I went to UCLA and graduated with a masters in teaching. I became a teacher for Princeton Academy for the gifted of California, as an Art teacher. This was temporary, soon I wanted to become a real teacher. The reason I’m an art teacher, I started a family and gained a relationship with the family I lost. My real mother, Patricia Faith Clinton, had lost me. I was stolen when I was one from my Boston home and given to an adoption agency. This back in the day was a good way for people to make a large chunk of money. I have a sister in her teens and an older brother. Vienna is my 17 year old sister and Hank is my older brother. My mother works as a banker and my dad as an real estate agent. They make a hefty amount of money and live in the Los Angeles apartments of Washington Street. My father Paul, was able to walk me down the aisle when I was married to Fredrick Nelson Oaten and my family was there, when my sons came into the world. Wayne Brett and Lane Eric are my babies. They are identical twins born May 12th 2010. This day reminded me of the day I lost my family, or what I thought was my family. But this day wasn’t all bad, if I that man never would have killed my family, I wouldn’t have known I was adopted and my real mother was out there. All over I hurt to know my life for 13 years had been a lie. Without the lie, I wouldn’t be where I am or with the people that I now call, my family. My life truly is complete. With the loss of one thing you gain another. With the death of my adopted family came the birth of my true family and for this, I am blessed.