My parents are gone once again. Those two are always going out. I’m babysitting my two little sisters as always. It seems that on the weekends I’m always babysitting. Anyways, it’s Saturday night and my parents know I don’t like being home at night without at least one of them here. I am fourteen years old and my sisters are eleven and nine. It is almost nine – thirty and they still are not home. They won`t be back until later.

I have two dogs and a cat. They started barking but they always do that so I thought nothing of it. I just went on about my business. I was on the phone with my boyfriend Brandon. To my parents they`d say that wasn’t a surprise. But he had to go help his parents so he told me that he would call me later. Then I heard a knock at the door. The dogs are going crazy. I went to my parent’s bathroom to look out the front window to see if their car was there. It wasn’t. I went back to my room thinking whoever it was was gone. The dogs got quiet. A few minutes later I went out to use the bathroom and saw a figure standing in my living room downstairs. I rush to shut the door hoping he didn’t hear me. Then I remember Cassie and Sarah. Oh, my gosh. They were in their bedroom; unprotected; not knowing a man was in our house. They were being quiet and stayed put.

I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. I was terrified. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t get to Cassie and Sarah; I had no way of protecting me or them. The phone was in my room and my dad’s gun is in their room in the top of the closet. I don’t know why, but the man turned around and went back downstairs. As quietly as I could I ran into my room, grabbed the phone ready to call 911; then I ran into my parents room and messed around until I found the gun; it was loaded. Finally, I ran into Cassie and Sarah`s room. Quickly and quietly I told them to stay calm that I had everything under control. I told them to be very quiet and go into mom and dad`s room and hide on their bathroom. And do not come out under in circumstances.

I didn’t want to call the cops. I don’t know why, I just didn’t. But then after watching my sisters hurry off into the bathroom, I turned around and saw the man that broke into my house.

My real dad and mom got a divorce long ago. He was heavy on drugs and she just got tired of it. I always knew on the back of my mind that he would come get revenge. And that’s exactly what he is doing here at this moment.

I turned around and saw him standing there. He grabbed me by the hair and dragged me into the bathroom. He had a really good grip; there was no way I was getting away. He turned the water on and left it on hot. This was not going to be good. Not only is he going to drown me but he is going to burn me to! I was kicking and screaming. I was not making any progress. He shoved me under the water. A few minutes later I could feel it. The moment you think everything is over and you`ve tried with all your might to get loose. I couldn’t breathe, I felt everything shutting down. It was like I was in hell. Suffering a painful death from my own blood. I tried to fight back. I have so much to live for. And this is not how I am going to die.

I bit down on his thumb that was covering my nose and mouth. I did not let up. I bit him so hard he began bleeding. He yelled out. My big, loyal Doberman Pincher, Zeus ran up the stairs and bit down on his left ankle and started to drag him away.

I tried my best to get up. I was so lightheaded. I couldn’t hear and I could hardly see. I was in so much pain. He pushed my dog away and when he turned around, I was at the other end of the hallway with a gun in my hand, pointing and him and ready to shoot.

“You don’t have any idea how to use that.” He said. He said it like he was around my whole life and knew what I knew how to do and what I didn’t.

“Oh yes I do and I am not afraid to either.” It was so hard to get the words out through long breathes trying to keep myself up. I knew I was shaking and I am pretty sure I was yelling at him.

“You will not” there he goes again thinking he knows me so well. “You’re too scared to shoot that thing.”

The truth was is that I am scared to shoot it. I’m scared to hurt anyone. But he came in here and tried to kill me. I was defiantly going to stand up for myself.

Cassie and Sarah peeked out the door. And asked if I was okay. Still having the gun pointed at him, I turned my head and told them I was fine and gently pushed them back in the room. If something does happen to me here, I really don’t want their last memory of me yelling at them.

When I turn back, he has a gun pointing at me. I jump back.


“Put the gun down.” He orders. Yeah like I’m that stupid. I aim for his head and shoot. Like a chain reaction, he shoots me in my right hip area. I scream out in pain and hold my hip. He tumbles down the stairs. I limp over and shoot him three more times to make sure he was dead. I didn’t want to kill him, but I didn’t want to die either.

I grab the phone off the bathroom counter and dial 911. The lady said she was sending help right away. Then before we got off the phone I told her that I was Hanshaw`s daughter. She told me that she would call him and let him know what happened.

I went in my bedroom and lay against my nightstand and past out.

I heard sirens and people rushing in. I heard what sounded like a police officer saying that there are two people alive and two people dead. As far as I knew, there was one person dead and three alive. Had something happen that I did not know about?

I heard Cassie and Sarah walking down the stairs crying with a police officer. I think everyone thinks I am dead. But that’s not true. They need to come check my room. I’m in here. Please come look for me.

That’s when my door flew open and someone was screaming. “She`s in here! I found her!”
Then I was being lifted into the air and carried into the hallway, down the stairs and out into the cold air. I heard the man carrying me told everyone that I was breathing; everyone cheered. Then he said that we needed to get me to the hospital quickly or I wouldn’t make it. Everyone piled in their cars and someone put me in the ambulance. We all took off speeding into the night.

They wouldn’t let anyone ride in the back with me. They said they needed all the room they could get to help me survive the ride there. I knew I was bad off. I was almost drowned and shot.
They put the oxygen mask over my mouth and were doing all the stuff that they need to do to keep me alive. Next thing I know, we are at the hospital. The doctors are rushing me through the crowd telling people to get out of the way. I heard the nurse say before we rounded a corner, say that all my visitors must sit out in the waiting room until further notice. Everyone is crying.

When I get into the room I need to be in, they ask me if I can hear him. I nod my head yes. They tell me I need to go into immediate surgery to remove the bullet and fix anything that is causing serious damage. I nodded okay again. That’s the last thing I remember.

I woke up what felt like minutes later but the doctor said I was in surgery for a few hours. They waited for me to become fully conscious before they let anyone back.

It didn’t take long before I was ready to talk to people. They didn’t come in all at once. They came in like in packs.

I had to stay in the hospital for almost a month. The doctors said that I am extremely lucky. And I guess I am. I survived all that. I’m not getting any charges pressed against me and I am not going to jail. I have stitches all over my stomach and the doctors said come over in about a month to get them removed. Other than that, I am going to live a full, normal life. But I will forever live with the guilt of killing my father.