The alarm blared out, and woke me up in a panic. I’d set the alarm before I went to bed. Like I did every night. I jolted up and shoved my feet into my slippers before heading out to see what was going on, grabbing the baseball bat that was behind the door. It wasn’t there for any purpose other than we’d been out playing earlier in the day. The alarm continued to scream at me as my heart rate began to speed up. I couldn’t hear anything over it’s blares of warning. Trying to calm myself, as I slowly opened the bedroom door, and peeked out, I couldn’t see much in the darkness that filled the hallway, and I didn’t want to risk turning on the light. I prayed to any celestial being that was listening that my kids were okay. That they were all fast asleep in their beds and safe. I hated it when Joe was away for work. I hated being alone in this house in the middle of nowhere. Our nearest neighbours were almost 5 miles away. I hoped that it was maybe just a wild deer had tripped a sensor or bit a cable or something. I headed out the room as quietly as I could manage, my slippers shuffling softly on the carpet. ‘Please stay in your rooms babies’ I wanted to tell them, I wish there was a telepathic connection. I wish I knew what was going on. I slowly made my way down the hallway and down the stairs, it seemed quiet, and I couldn’t see the front door yet. I eased myself around the corner, where the stairs turned at an almost right angle and crouched down to make myself a smaller entity in hopes that if there was someone, they might not see me. The last thing I remember was the cold metal of a gun pressed against my head... — Joe’s phone rang out at full volume. He looked at the time 10.30am. ‘Shit’ he thought to himself, he’d slept through his alarm and he was sure this would be his boss to tell him he was fired. He picked up his phone and swiped to answer without even registering the caller ID. “Hello?” He asked, trying to not sound like he’d just woken up. “Mr Smith?” The caller asked. “Yes, this is he” Joe said “Mr Smith, this is DCI Wilder, you need to come down to see us at the station” “Can I ask what this pertains to?” “No, it is important to discuss this in person immediately.” “Okay, I’ll be an hour, I am out of town right now” “See you soon” was all Joe heard before the DCI hung up. He was panicked what could possibly be happening right now, he grabbed his overnight bag, and phone charger and headed out the hotel door. He rushed through checkout and stuffed his bag into the car and sped off out of the carpark. He checked his phone whilst he was driving, there was 3 messages from the security company saying the alarm had been going off. He swiped into his contacts and dialled the number for Christine, and when she didn’t answer his worry began to escalate. His foot hitting the gas harder as his car reached speeds of 70mph, and he tried to call again, and decided to text her begging her to call him, as he pressed send, his car collided on impact with a HGV that had been turning from a blind spot and he crashed into the lorry. His head hit the steering wheel hard as the airbag deployed and pushed him back in his seat hard. The front of the car crumpled like paper into the truck, and shattered the windscreen, there was blood dripping from his head and he’d dropped his phone into the well, and it skittered under the break-pedal. It began to ring, flashing up with the DCI’s number. He could hear the ringing in the background as everything went black around him. — Charlie sat behind the counter, business had been slow this morning, and they’d put the tv on for some background noise. A breaking news story came on, and Charlie turned up the volume a bit more to hear the details; “In an heartbreaking turn of events, a family was gunned down in the middle of the night by an unknown shooter, killing a 45year old woman, and her 7 kids, her husband away on business, police are saying they are appealing for witnesses and anyone who might have more information to call the tip line via 101, quoting case number 73562, with any information about a home invasion massacre that took place at 4.30 this morning, February 14th 2022 in the rural Perthshire area” the newscaster informed people. ‘Damn, what a shit way to celebrate Valentine’s Day. I bet the husband did it’ Charlie mused to themselves, as someone pulled into the gas station. “YOU! YOU NEED TO CALL FOR AN AMBULANCE” the guy was shouting at Charlie from the window slot. “what’s wrong?” Charlie asked the guy who seemed to get even angrier at the question and lack of action. “Massive car crash just up the road, call for an ambulance, there was a car crash!” The guy yelled in response. “Alright calm down!” Charlie yelled back, picking up the phone and dialling for emergency services. “999 what’s your emergency?” The operator asked. “Hey, there’s been a car crash on the A9 just outside Perth Gas Station” Charlie said. “Is anyone hurt? Can you see anything?” “No, I can’t see it, I’m at the Gas Station, a guy came to ask me to call for emergency services. He seemed pretty worked up.” “Okay we’ll send a police officer and medical responder to check on things” “Thanks” Charlie said and hung up the phone, About to tell the guy that someone was on the way, but he was already speeding off in his car.