VULNERABLE her true face

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO

"Mira hide there and don't make any noise ok? No matter what just promise me that you'll stay there" A woman said as she hurriedly took her daughter to the underground basement

"But why mum? What about Elle, why isn't she coming with us?" The little girl asked with a worried look on her face.

She didn't and couldn't understand why her mum would suddenly drag her out of her room and then drag her down to the basement without explaining anything to her, seeing the panic on her mum's face and the tears she was trying so hard to prevent from falling she knew things weren't ok but what could a seven year old actually understand the main issue was?

"Mum is asking you to be a good girl and stay here and don't make any noise. Do this for mum ok? Nothing is going to happen, but just know that mum and dad loves you ok?" the woman answered kissing her hair sobbing lightly

Not knowing what else to do she just nodded her head and entered the inner basement room and locked it from inside as her mum instructed her to before rushing upstairs after kissing her and murmuring the words

"you have to stay alive Mira, you're a Hale and the Hales survive no matter what".

Staying in the dark basement was so creepy for an adult or teenager so much more a little girl like Mira. She just sat at a hidden corner she found when playing hide and seek with Elle her elder sister and hugged her knees counting her numbers in fright

Close to twenty minutes later she could hear gun shots from outside the house and she shivered in fear

Was mummy and daddy ok? Why isn't Elle here with me ran through her head as she covered her mouth with her little fingers to prevent herself from shouting, a little bit later she could hear sounds of punches and beatings then shouts from inside the mansion and she could recognize them.

That was her sister's and mum's voice before she heard a gun shot and her elder sister screaming "Mummy wake up please I'm begging you" in a fragile voice

Then suddenly the noise and commotion she had before stopped

'What happened to mummy, what about dad why couldn't he save their mummy if something was wrong' not able to hold it any longer she rushed out of the basement with her tiny legs carrying her as fast as they could to the sitting room

Hiding behind the door she saw there was nobody there except for Elle and her mum and the scene was bloody there were bruises on both her mum's and Elle's face and body and there was blood on the white cushion and tiled floor

"Mummy, Elle" she whispered crying now her mum was covered in blood, she wasn't moving and so was Elle who was gasping for breath

Looking at her seventeen years old sister who was always jovial and mischievous always pranking and troubling her in this state she couldn't take it rushing towards her she hugged her

"Elle what happened to you? Why is there blood in your cloth?" she asked in fright her small voice shaking

"Mi....r ...a" she whispered weakly trying to hold her with a shaking hand

"Thank God you're ok" before coughing out blood

"What did they do to you Elle, let me call for emergency"she replied before rushing to get her mum's phone at the dinning and then called the emergency hot line.

*********

At the hospital Mira was pacing up and down the hall with tears in her eyes and people who saw her couldn't help but look at her with pity. A little girl like her didn't need to be anywhere near there especially the emergency surgery ward. After staying for hours the doctor came out and was talking to one of his colleagues

"That girl inside the ward survived, it's a miracle after been brutally raped and shot she lost a lot of blood but she was able to fight through even though she's in a coma and it's not yet stated when she can wake up but as for the older woman we lost her as she was shot multiple times in the chest and heart" he explained shaking his head why were people heartless

"It's bad that the little girl had to experience this, she might pass through a painful trauma and I think it's best for her to be assigned to a therapist starting now until we can get hold of any of her relative" the other chipped in

"I think that's the best thing to do, but first we have to keep this incident a secret until the managing director decides what to do"

"yes we also have to file this case to the police, this is a case of murder and rape" another colleague said and they all nodded shaking their heads in pity

Mira's little brain couldn't understand all they were saying but the only thing she knew and was sure she heard was that her mum was gone, even as a little girl she has always been smarter than her age. Her sister raped and her dad was nowhere to be found.

"How could people do this to them? what did her family ever do wrong? What happened to her dad? Standing there little and vulnerable she clenched hands as she made a vow to hunt them down, all those who hurt her family and caused her this pain were going to pay dearly for it and she was going to make sure of it no matter how long it takes her and even if it was the last thing she ever did