I looked into the mirror. The bathroom light beamed on my caramel skin, as I reached for the soap. Jazelyn, you’re growing up into a young woman. You’re smart, pretty, and you grab the attention of almost every boy. Tomorrow, you’ll be considered even more grown up because it will be your 15th birthday, and that means you will be able to drive legally. You’re social status will deeply increase. As I thought about my plans for my birthday and getting my permit tomorrow, a big, warm-hearted smile spread across my face, revealing my shiny white straightened teeth. I’m sorry to admit it, but I am in love with myself. I love my smooth skin, my long, luscious black hair, my striking eyes, and my perfect smile. At school, everyone says hi to me in the hallways. I say ‘hey’ back, not knowing where the greeting came from. I’m a straight A student with a GPA of 3.8 and I am a star player on the L.A High basketball team. My life is seemingly perfect, and I couldn’t have asked for a better one. Life at school is like my perfect dream, but the place where I have to live legally, “home”, is a whole different story.

“Jazelyn, it is time to eat!” my mother yelled up the stairs.

“Okay mom!” I yelled back. I opened the bathroom and stepped out just to be run over by my two younger brothers. Jake and Josh, also known as Thing 1 and Thing 2, are a hot mess. The fact that they are twins makes it even worse. They are your worst nightmare. All they do is scream, cry, run around the house, make messes, and make your life a living hell. I wonder if I was that bad at the age of five.

“Oops. Sorry Jaze.” Jake said sheepishly.

“Yeah watch where you are going next time.” I gave him a little glare.

“Momma said it is time for dinner so come on.” Josh yelled as he pulled on my sleeves. We all rushed down the stairs to sit at the big dinner table. My dad sat at the head of the table reading a newspaper while my mom came in with a pot of chili and a plate of hot dogs. That’s the thing with my family. We always have to eat dinner together. Even when my dad gets home late from work we still have to wait up for him just to eat dinner together. I don’t understand what the purpose is for this. I mean, dinner is for filling up your stomachs after a hard day of work. According to my dad, it is a way to spend time together. My dad thinks family is the most valuable thing to have. “Without family and support, it will be hard for you to survive in life. After all, you never know when you’ll never see your family again. Anything could happen.” He once said that at one of our family dinners, and it stuck to me like glue.

After we said grace, we all dug into our food. My twin brothers ate in the sense of like they have never eaten before, while my dad and mom ate like they were royalty. I just sat there and picked through my chili with a disgusting look on my face.

“So how was your day, honey?” My mom asked me. My mom was the type of person who always wanted to know what was happening in my life. She looked just like me, and talked with elegancy and sharp pronunciation. I bet she was a real hit back then, probably around the same age as me.

“Oh it was fine. Class was the same as it usually is. Nothing interesting really happened today.”

“Oh, well at least you learned something today, right?” she asked me.

“Yes, mom.” I replied sarcastically. There was an awkward silence, so I decided to disrupt that. “So I’m really excited for my birthday tomorrow. I can’t wait to get my permit!” I said happily.

“Oh yes!” my dad started. “So I was thinking that we would all go out to dinner after you get out of school, and then we can take you to go get your permit.”

“Yeah that sounds fine. But I want to go to my friend’s house after that. Can I go?”

“Well wouldn’t you want to spend your birthday with your family?” My mom asked concernedly.
“Uhhh no. That’s lame. I’d much rather want to hang out with my friends then you, dad, Thing 1 and Thing 2, to be honest.”

“Jazelyn, how could you say that?” my dad asked. “I think you need to spend time with us.”

“But I don’t want to! It’s my birthday I think I should decide what I want to do.”

“Fine, fine. I’m not going to argue with you. But just remember, family is the most valuable thing. You never know-”

“I know, I know, dad. You’ll never know when you won’t see them again. But, what? It’s been practically fifteen years? I think the odds of me not seeing all of you guys are very low, like one percent.” And with that, I scooted my chair from the table and went up the stairs to my bedroom, my safe place.

At eight thirty, my mom came into my room to tell me goodnight.
“Sweetie, I can’t believe you are growing up so fast! Three more years and you will be out the house. I think me and your father raised you pretty good.” She said that as if contemplating an acknowledgement on herself.
“Yes, you did.” I said sarcastically, and then she gave me the Really-Jazelyn? Look. “Well I’m extremely tired, mom.” I gave her a fake yawn, even though I was the complete opposite of tired.
“Oh okay. Goodnight, Jazelyn. I love you.” Her voice sounded muffled as she kissed me on the top of my head.

“Night. Love you too.” I said, and then she left, closing my door behind her.
It was eleven O’clock when I woke up to the sound of shattered glass. It scared the mess out of me. I wonder if my parents or brothers heard it to. I was shaking like a bartender who was mixing up a special drink. I hopped out of bed and my feet felt cold and clammy on my wood floor. I quietly creaked open my door and crept down the hallway. I looked down the edge of my stairs to the back side of a man dressed in all black with wild, rough hair. A thousand thoughts ran through my mind at that time. Who is that? What’s going on? Are we being robbed? But at the look of all of the different sizes of knives and a gun he had in his hands, something told me that he wasn’t just trying to rob us. He was trying to kill me and my family! My first instinct was to grab my brothers and run into my parent’s room, and that is just what I did. I ran, actually, with all my might.
“Josh, Jake, wake up! Hurry up! Come with Me!” They woke up looking confused, and they took their sweet precious time. They fumbled in their sheets and covers, and after what seemed like a long time, they finally came stumbling through their door.

“Quick! Hurry!” I screamed, and then I practically pushed them into my parent’s room, which is across the hall from them. I shut the door behind me and locked it. When I turned back around, my parents were staring at me bewildered.

“What’s going on?” My mom asked as she lifted the covers by her chin. She looked like a little kid lost in a huge crowd.

“Mom- I- There-“I was breathing so hard. I could feel the hysteria rising in my lungs as I tried to push out the words. “There is a man in our house! He has… He’s tryin to k- to kill us! He has knives!’ Both of my parents jumped out of bed with fright, and looked around the room for something to protect us. My head hurt so badly. I couldn’t even see and think straight. All I remember is sliding my back down the wall.

“Is everyone in here?” my mom asked frantically. “Jimmy, Jazelyn, Jake… Where’s Josh?! Oh my God where’s Josh?!” My mom started to panic and looked all around the master bedroom. She looked on the bed, under the bed, in their closet, and finally, in their bathroom.

“Jimmy, Josh isn’t in here!” She screamed.

“No. That can’t be. I brought both of them in here. I made sure I did.” I said weakly. All of a sudden, I heard it. A gun shot. It sounded terrible. Painful. And then to make things worse, I heard a faint small voice moan, a voice that I knew was Josh’s.

“No!!!” My mom screamed. “My baby! Aww my baby’s gone! He’s gone!” She started wailing and then her wails turned to depressing sobs. I wanted to hide. Get away. Cry. But I knew I had to protect my family.
“Okay” my dad said. “Everyone go hide into the closet.” He said in a shaky voice. We were all stuffing into the walk-in closet when we were struck with the sound of a voice. That voice gave me chills. The voice had a cold hard tone to it, and when it talked, it sounded more like singing, as if the man was adding a tune to his words. His voice was too close. Close as if the man were right outside of the door.

“You can run, you can hide, but Eugene Everglass will eventually come inside.” He then laughed like the joker off of Superman, and kicked open the door. The man looked hideous. His face had scratches and scars all over his bluish-clammy skin. His hair was a bush of hair and twigs, and it reminded me of a jungle. His eyes were black and they sunk into his face. He was truly a terrifying man. My mom and Jake screamed and ran into the closet. My dad grabbed the lamp of his nightstand and started to swing at him with all his might. All I could do was stand there. My voice was raspy and dry, and it felt like someone punched me in my stomach.
“Ahhhhh” My dad yelled as he lunged into the man with the lamp. The man took his rough white hand and put it on my dad’s shoulder. In his other hand was a long, silver knife and he plunged it into my father’s stomach. My dad, shocked by what just occurred, turned around to face me. His eyes were watery and his face looked cold.

“Ja-Jazelyn…. Watch your mother and brother for me.” And with that, he fell to the floor, and his eyes flickered to a shut.
“Noooooo!” I yelled. Tears started rolling down my hot cheeks. I couldn’t breathe or think. My eyes met with the intruder’s, and I was so scared, that all I could do was run across the bed and into the bathroom. I locked the door and sat in the corner, far away from the door. A million things were racing through my mind at that time. Please, please, please, God. Be with my mom and brother. Save them. Save me. I want to live and make it to my fifteenth birthday.
I then heard to bloody screams, one from my mom, and the other from my brother.
“No! Please don’t do this. Please. Don’t kill my other baby. Have mercy!-” Bang! Bang! I heard two gun shots, and I knew. One shot was for my mom and the other was for my brother. There was complete silence. I couldn’t breathe. I cried and cried, but I remained silent. Do something, I thought. I grabbed the sides of the rails and tried to push myself closer into the wall. This can’t be happening to me. Tomorrow I would get my permit! That’s the most important thing to me right now. On top of that, my whole family is dead. Why me? Why would this happen to me? The people I’ve known the best and all my life are completely gone. My life is shattered.

The door got kicked in and the man was standing there, with a smile on his face. He took two steps into the bathroom.

“I told you I would come inside, and now you’re whole family is gone.”

“No! No!” I cried. All types of emotions filled into me. I knew these were my last moments. I love my family. I thought. I put my hands over my wet face. I cried and cried and cried. Now I knew how the people in the horror films felt. This was truly a horror moment. All I could think about was my family. How my brothers, mother, and my father always had a bright smile on their faces. I remember what my father said; how you’ll never know the last time you’d see your family. I wanted to cry even harder. I felt weak and unstable as I waited. I waited for my death because I knew it was coming. There was nothing else I could do. He was right in front of the doorway, so how was I supposed to run out? Pleading for him not to kill me wasn’t an option either, after he just killed my whole family. Why would he just want to leave me standing? So I just stood there, with my hands over my face, not able to look the serial killer in his eyes. Then I heard the terrifying sound I had heard three times earlier. Bang!