Red, like the shiny skin of an apple and heavy as diluted maple syrup was the drop that had fell in his forehead, he thought he was showering. After a few minutes in what he thought was the bath tub, a big bang woke him up.

He listened to the steps above him and listened to the steps of someone coming down the stairway next to his room. He panicked, wiped his forehead with the back of his palm and saw the shiny red fluid. It was blood, that he knew. He looked up and saw the leak on his ceiling, he snapped out of bed and ran for the front door. It was too late. The van with masked guys was just making its way out of Heart St.
When he came back to his senses, he decided to run to the second floor and see what had happened. Shit! Liz! He ran up the stairs skipping three steps and got through the 45 steps in less than ten seconds.

“Liz!” He yelled, “Liz!, Liz!” he continued as he reached her room. The bedroom door was locked, so he kicked it open. Nothing here. Then he went for the guest room, which was above his. Liz was crying in shock.

Lester Bryant was only 23. He had the body of an athlete and the mind of a businessman. A little child sometimes. He had gone to art school and then dropped. Later it became evident what he was meant to be: A businessman. It's what he liked best.

Lester had seen all kinds of abstract works throughout his life. In fact, abstract art is what got him into art school in the first place; but he had never seen splatters these detailed ever. Not in painting, not in digital art. They simply overdid anything any artist could create in size, color, style and canvas. This, however, was macabre.

There was blood all over the area and only one clean spot, the area that the bullet covered. Lying in the floor lied his sister in law Jenny. Liz had just witnessed her mom's death.

You pay attention to me!! she yelled. “It's right here, ma'am” he replied, wanting to strangle her with the most courteous of smiles. Vieja hija de puta! He thought as he read her her total. He swiped the card, printed the receipt and she scribbled something where the signature was supposed to be. She and her menopausic self left the building just before she was thrown out.

“I'm sorry you dad to deal with that” another customer said. “Meh, I'm used to it.”

A very loud mono-aural version of Lunic's “Him” started to play in front of everyone. It was his blackberry. At the minute he saw the number, his face turned pale. Five minutes after the call he was running out of the place without notifying the manager.

Elizabeth Jeanette Bryant was only three and had never felt such a burning air inside of her. Between crying and yelling, she sat there. Motionless behind Lester. It was when she heard the same fast-paced steps of the guys that had killed her mother that she started running. A policewoman stopped her short and she panicked, punched and yelled. Tears were coming out of her eyes as they turned red. When the steps subsided, she turned back. It was her father.

Lester approached his brother with his eyes nearly closed and motioning his head left and right. No words were necessary.

“Who?”
“I Don't know”
“How?”
“Liz won't answer”
“Thanks”

Douglas Bryant approached his daughter and held her in his arms. As we wiped her tears from her eyes, he notices a bruise in her right shoulder and looks at the policewoman in front of them, “We need to have her evaluated by the department's psychologist” she affirms. He nods as she walks away.

Banjamin Reyes was the owner of the shop, he was also the manager on duty for the day. “Xavier! Xavier! What's going on!?” He never responded. 17 seconds after, Benjamin turns to the breaking news announcement on one of the local channels just to see that Xavier's brother is being covered with a black sheet.

“Three miles south of Arlington road, a terrible incident has occurred as van collided with a red ford and has left over five people dead. Two of the people in the van were found dead while the driver, who was the only one wearing a seatbelt ran away as soon as he regained consciousness. The van driver shot the paramedic who was helping him on site and shot the gun several times to the air as he made his run into the forest. All of the victims of the sedan were found dead 60 feet down the woods. The driver of the sedan has been identified as Kimberly Ashton.” The news anchor reported.

Benjamin did not bother further more.