Amelia’s POV
“Amelia, dinner is ready” dad said bringing out the baking tray from the oven. I got up immediately, running to the dining room. Even though i was already sleepy, i just couldn’t miss dad’s food for anything in the world, and not when he was making my favourite chocolate bread.
“this smells good” mom also comments as she helped him cut the bread into three parts
Dad beamed with pride at the compliment, his love for baking evident in the meticulous way he handled each slice. my family gathered around the table, our familiar places already set. The dining room was adorned with memories — framed pictures capturing moments of joy, laughter, and togetherness.
As we settled in, the room resonated with the clinking of cutlery and the hum of contentment. The chocolate bread, still warm from the oven, melted in my mouth. Dad, having perfected the recipe over the years, watched us with satisfaction as we savoured each bite. He didn’t need to ask us how it tasted, he knows it’ll always taste good.
“dad, this is the best” i said with a mouth full of bread while dad gave me a warm smile
“i’m glad you love it” dad said. He turned to look at mom who also had a look of satisfaction as she dipped her bread in the glass of hot milk.
“how is it?” dad asked his eyes dazzling with anticipation
“this…. Is probably the best chocolate bread I’ve ever had. Gordon Ramsay got nothing on you” mom said with a reassuring smile. Mom and dad both paused as a knock came. I had invited josh over for dinner earlier at school, i and josh were in the same grade and were friends, and i think i might have a little crush on him. When i asked him to come over for dinner, he promised to show up since his house was not too far mine. I got up excitedly and head to the door without even seeking approval from dad.
“honey, are you expecting anyone?” mom asked in confusion as they both stared at me who was too excited about having josh over to even think of anything
“yes, josh is here!” i said excitedly as i rushed to get the door. I heard dad mutter a silent ‘wait’, but it was already too late as i had already opened the door. Opening the door, the person i came in face with was not who i had expected at all. There were two hefty men, standing outside our house. One of them was holding a gun while the other one stood with an axe, they quickly made their way into the house, pushing past me and heading toward my parent. Dad stood up as he shoved mom behind him, his protective instinct kicking him. He stared at me, signalling me to run outside the house, probably go to the neighbour’s house or anywhere. But i couldn’t leave them behind, even though i was only twelve, i could still differentiate between bad and good people by merely looking at them. And these men, they were not just visitors, they were bad people, and they were going to hurt us. One of the men seemed to have noticed dad’s attempt to get me to run away, so he quickly walked over to the door, locking it and putting the key back in his pocket. One of them tried to drag mom away, but dad stepped in, trying to take both of them down with his bare hands. Mom was able to slip past them and ran over to me.
“amelia, hide in the cupboard, quick! Whatever happens, do not come out” she said to me as she pushed me into one the big kitchen cupboard, i was made to hide in the cupboard even though i didn’t want to. Mom closed the cupboard and picked up a kitchen knife as she ran over to dad to help him. I peered at the scene through the small hole, everything still a shock to me. the man holding the gun pointed the gun towards dad’s head, firing twice at him. The bullet went through dad’s head and he fell on the ground. The dinning area which was clean and had the sweet aroma of dad’s chocolate bread now had dad’s blood splattered everywhere. I felt my heart drop when i saw my father fell on the floor, blood gushing out of his head, mom lunched for the man who had shot dad, but before she could stab him, he grabbed her hands, pinning them together as he brought out a syringe and pressed it against her kneck. I helplessly watched the event unfold before my eyes, there was nothing i could do to help them. All i did was cry silently and wish it was all a nightmare. I really wanted to scream and cry out my lungs, but i was just too scared of getting caught. It was all my fault this happened, if i had not opened the door, all these would never have happened. When they had both succeeded in taking out my parent, they proceeded to ransacking the whole area in search of something. Peering through the hole, i saw mom lying on the cold floor, her eyes were open, and she was conscious, but she didn’t seem to be able to move her body, that was probably the effect of the syringe. After a while of searching, the man holding the axe walked over to mom on the floor and grabbed her hair roughly.
“where is the child?” i heard him ask impatiently
“she escaped, you’ll never find her” mom managed to answer, her voice strained
“that’s a lie, there is no way she would be able to leave when the door is locked, she is still somewhere inside this house! Tell me where she is if you still want to live” the man threatened as he placed the axe on mom’s head. Her reaction was unexpected, mom let out a low, painful chuckle before answering.
“ do you really think i’ll still want to live after what you did? kill me already? I’d rather die than watch you hurt her” mom said, deliberately annoying the man. As expected, the man lost his patience but before he could react, his colleague held him back and whispered something into his ears. Whatever the man said seemed to have worked as he dropped the axe and walked over to his backpack and came back with a rope which he used to tie mom against the dining table. With a relaxed voice which contradicted the look on his face, he said;
“little girl, if you don’t want us to hurt your mom, you should come out right now. I’ll count to ten, and if you are not here, you’ll leave me with no other option but to chop your mothers head off” the man said, his words sending shivers down my spine. He walked over to the dinning table which had dad’s chocolate bread on it, he took a piece out of it and took a bite.
“amelia, don’t come out! Mommy’s fine!” i heard mom said out loud before the men gagged her
The man began counting, "One... Two... Three..." The numbers echoed through the room, each count driving the tension higher. my breathing became shallow, my heart pounding in my chest.
As the man reached seven in his countdown, i was left with no choice but to come out, i did not want to lose my mom. i emerged from the cupboard, my eyes wide with terror, as he stood still. The man holding the gun smirked as he saw me walk out of the cupboard.
“so, that’s where you’ve been hiding?” he said with a mischievous smile. Mom looked disappointed and worried as she stared at me, still unable to move as a result of the syringe.
“don’t hurt my mom” i pleaded, my voice trembling in fear as the man took slow stride towards me
“you’re coming with us” he said as he pulled out a syringe and pressed it against my neck. That was the last thing i remembered before i fell unconscious. When i woke up, i was lying on the cold floor in an empty building, i don’t know how long i had slept and i had no idea where i was. The smell of dust hung heavy in the air with the smell of dust.
The stale air in the empty building carried the musty scent of dust, and the unfamiliar surroundings left me disoriented. As my senses gradually returned, the memories of the traumatic events at home flooded back, and a knot tightened in my stomach.
I tried to sit up, but my head throbbed with pain. a creaking sound from behind caught my attention. I turned, my heart pounding, to see a shadowy figure entering the room. The dim light revealed the face of one of the men who had invaded our home—the man with the gun.
He regarded me with a cold, calculating gaze, and a malicious grin played on his lips. Fear gripped me, but I summoned whatever courage I could muster.
"Where is my mom?" I asked, my voice shaky
He chuckled, the sound sending shivers down my spine. "Your mom is fine, her presence here isn’t necessary. All we wanted was to take you hostage and demand for some money from your father, but he was just too stubborn to cooperate, so we had to get rid of him. Things wouldn’t have gotten messy if he did not stand in our way” the man said as he lean in towards me. tears gathered at the corners of my eyes, i bite my lips hard as i tried to hold back the tears from coming.  He saw this and his smile only grew wider, he picked up his phone and handed it over to me while i collected it hesitantly.
“put your mother’s number in the phone and call her” he said while i input it quickly with trembling fingers
I hesitantly dialed my mom's number, the man's gaze fixed on me. The phone rang several times before she picked up.
“mom?” i said as soon as she picked the call,
"Amelia, is that you? Are you okay?" Mom's worried tone made my heart ache.
"I'm here, Mom," I replied, my voice barely a whisper. My mom was about saying something when the phone got snatched from my hands
“if you ever want to see your daughter again, you should do as i say” the man started “all i’m demanding for is a million dollars and you get your daughter back, safe and unscratched. I belief that is a fair exchange?”
The man's demand for a million dollars echoed through the phone, and I could hear my mom's gasp of disbelief and fear. She stammered, trying to comprehend the gravity of the situation.
"a million dollars? How am I supposed to get that kind of money? Please, don't hurt her," my mom pleaded, her voice trembling.
The man seemed unfazed, his tone cold and unyielding. "You have 48 hours. We'll send in the details of where and how to deliver the money. Remember, no cops, no tricks, or your daughter pays the price."
He ended the call abruptly, leaving my mom in a state of distress. The man turned to me, a wicked glint in his eyes as he had a final look at me before leaving.
The days that followed were a blur of anxiety and uncertainty. Me and my mom kept in touch and she kept promising to bring me home.3 And if I’m being honest, i don’t think i ever want to come back home after all that has happened but she was eventually able to raise the money after collecting so much loan and using up all the money dad left. Coming back home alive was what i never wanted, not after dad lost his life because of my dumb decision and after mom became heavily indebted just to get me out of the mess i put myself in. mom had to work really hard, doing two jobs just to cater for the bills since dad was no longer alive, i also had to take up part time jobs when i turned sixteen to save up for college.  Life without dad was the worst thing i never imagined, his absence keeps reminding me how much i fucked up that night and how much i owe mom. Mom eventually had brain tumour and things only got worse as she had to save up for her surgery while still trying to pay up her debts, and cater for both of us. That night’s event took a toll on mom and really affected her sanity. All these were my fault, and i know that, even though she has never complained or blame me for what happened that night, i still feel like everything is all my fault. And I’ll do everything in my power to fix that, even though it cost me my own happiness.