Early Floods

Mia sat on her bed, staring at the necklace in her hand. She had worn it every day since her family had given it to her on her tenth birthday. She couldn’t believe it had been so long since she had last seen them.

As she touched the necklace, memories of her early childhood flooded back to her. She could see her mother’s kind face as she cooked dinner for the family. She could hear her father’s laughter as he played with her and her brothers in the backyard. She could feel the warmth of their love as they sat around the dinner table, sharing stories and laughter.

But those memories were quickly overshadowed by the ones that followed. The ones where her family was brutally murdered by ruthless mercenaries. She could still hear the sounds of their screams as they were slaughtered in front of her. She could still feel the fear that paralyzed her as she watched it all happen.

Tears rolled down Mia’s cheeks as she remembered her family’s last moments. She missed them so much and wished they were still here with her.

“Mia, don’t worry, I’ll protect you,” her older brother had said as he tried to shield her from the violence.

“I love you all so much,” her mother had whispered before she took her last breath.

“I’m so sorry,” her father had said, his eyes full of regret as he looked at his family one last time.

Mia wiped away her tears and clutched the necklace tightly. She couldn’t let their deaths be in vain. She had to make sure their killers paid for their crimes and she would do everything in her power to make that happen. She would honor her family’s memory by fighting for justice and making sure no one else had to suffer the way they did.