The night was indifferent like the wind before a storm. My mind wandered from the upcoming school day to Ms. Poe’s new puppy. I sat in my room, dwindling away at some homework while rain battered against my window. Thunder erupted overhead as lightning flashed outside. I paused my writing to look outside into the dreary night. I faintly heard the creaking of steps echoing the rhythm of the thunder.

A knock rang from my door, “Jay, honey, your Father and I have something to talk to you about.”

I promptly stood from my desk and walked to my door and upon opening it, I encountered my parents, possessing happy expressions on their faces. My eyes darted between their exuberant faces. “What is it?”

“Your father and I have finally deemed that you have come of age and can participate in something important to this family. Please, follow” my mother responded.

“Okay,” I said as I went down the stairs, following their footsteps. They led me to the foreboding door of the basement. I couldn’t help the nervousness that ran through my body. My parents always forbade me from going into the basement, but now they have led me to it.

My Father opened the brooding door and descended deeper down. My Mother encouraged me to follow after him as she followed behind me. I instantly noticed that the basement did not smell pleasant. In fact, it had an oxidized smell to it. I ignored the smell and tried to mimic the same happiness my parents possessed. There was no reason for my unease if my parents were this excited.

We reached the bottom, and upon my father turning the lights on my eyes widened in disgust as they darted around the sight before me, taking snippets of a more gruesome whole. My stomach churned as my body revolted and turned from the cut up body parts of people to the smiles plastered on my parents faces.

“We wanted to have you join us sooner, but we needed you to mature more so you could understand,” my Father said with a terrifying calmness in his voice.

“I-I don’t understand. H-how could I ever understand this?!” I said as I felt my breathing become labored.

Immediately, the air around us became chilling as if ice coated our bodies, and the smiles fell from my parents lips. Their eyes narrowed upon me, and they brooded as if I was nothing more than an insect they could crush with any sudden desire of the soul. What the hell happened to my once cheerful parents who would never do something like this? Fear became my captor, and despite my mind racing I could not find the strength to move.

“Jay, these sacrifices we make to our God will usher the world into a new era of harmony! Imagine! A world where only a few of those who are blind to the almighty will have to be sacrificed for the prosperity and happiness of their brothers and sisters! When it comes to the happiness of the majority, there is no need for concern for the minority!” My Mother said with a fervent voice filled with reverence for this “God” she spoke of.

“Jay, we wanted you to be a part of something greater, that is why we revealed it to you. However, if you do not wish to see, our hands will be forced to pry your eyes open for you.” My father spoke coldly, as if he was a different man than the one I once knew.

I gulped as a million thoughts rushed through my mind in a messy concave like a running river. I had to survive and escape, but the only way to do that was to appease my parents. If I could fool them for just a bit, I would be able to escape later and go to the police.

I smiled as I steeled my quivering lips, “You’re right. If it is for the happiness of the majority, then why not sacrifice a few?”

Even though I didn’t believe a single syllable I just spoke, I could not help the disgust that those words riled from within me. My parents' faces lit up once more as the tension in the air lightened.

My Mother hugged me, “I knew you’d understand. Now to show your dedication to the almighty, you must also make a sacrifice.”

My blood ran cold as my eyes widened once more. My parents led my numbed body to a separate room where they had a girl strapped onto a table. Once she saw my parents the girl began to struggle against her confines. She looked in my eyes, her own seemingly asking for help. I could not help but to turn away. It was either her or I. I knew if I tried to help her my parents would just kill us both. Even though I knew that, it didn’t make this any easier.

My parents positioned me beside the girl and handed me a long, sharp knife.

“Plunge the knife deep into her heart to make the sacrifice. Her pain will only be momentary,” my father said as if he was speaking of squashing a spider.

I raised the knife high above my head. I turned to my parents and saw their eager expressions, urging me to go continue. I looked back at the girl and nodded slightly. She stopped struggling as if accepting her death. My parents held themselves with bated breaths, awaiting my strike. However, they had no time to react as I slashed at them both with the knife. They fell back with shrieks of pain. I hurriedly cut the straps off the girl and helped her up.

“JAY! YOU UNGRATEFUL BRAT! HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO YOUR PARENTS!?” My mother screeched at me.

I grabbed the girl’s hand and led her out of the basement. My parents were running up the steps as I closed the basement door and locked it. I heard their shouts of insults towards me as I rushed towards a phone, dialing 911 in a panicked frenzy.

“911, do you need police, fire, or medical?” The operator asked. I looked at the state of the girl.

“Police and medical.”

“Okay, what is the address of the emergency?”

“435 Grover Street, my parents are trying to kill me and this girl I’m with. Please hurry! They are locked in my basement, but I don’t know how long that will hold them!” I said urgently.

“Okay, and what is the name of your parents?”

“Robert and Eleanor Carter.”

“Alright, please stay on the phone with me until the police arrive. They have been dispatched to your location. Please try to find a place to hide. What is your name so I can relay that to the police as well?” The voice on the other end continued to try and coax me as she inquired.

“Jay Carter.”

“Okay Jay, take the girl you're with and hide somewhere safe. Remember to stay on the phone with me. When the police arrive they will call out for you,” she continued.

“Okay.” I grabbed the girl’s arm and ran up the stairs and into my room. I locked my door and went to the bathroom.

“Jay, what is the girl’s name?”

“Hey, what’s your name?” I turned to the girl.

“Rachel, Rachel Pierce,” she responded.

“Her name is Rachel Pierce.”

“Okay, and Jay, how did you find her?” I quickly summarized everything that had happened till this point to her.

“Okay, are y’all in a safe place now?”

“Yes, we are in my bathroom which is only accessible through my room. The bathroom has a window if we need to get out,” I said. The operator was about to ask something else until we heard a shout resounding from downstairs.

“JAY! COME OUT FROM WHERE YOU’RE HIDING!” My father yelled at the top of his lungs.

“What’s that?” the operator asked.

“My parents, they broke free from the basement,” I answered. Rachel began crying as she sat down on the floor.

“Shhhh, it’ll be okay.” I tried to calm her. She nodded her head and covered her mouth but more tears fell from her eyes. I could hear my parents walking up the steps. “How much longer until the officers get here?”

“They are a few minutes out, please stay where you are and remain quiet,” the operator said.

“Fuck that,” I responded as I handed the phone to Rachel. I pried the window open and grabbed the phone back from Rachel just as I heard my parents beating on my bedroom door.

“Hurry Rachel, but be careful. The drop isn’t far so jump if need be,” I said in a rush. Rachel climbed out the window and descended as careful and quickly as she possibly could. I heard the sound of my bedroom door break open. My parents began slamming against my bathroom door.

I went to climb out the window when the bathroom door busted open. I felt strong hands pull me back, and I turned around to face my father. He had a hatchet in one hand. He tried swinging it down onto my head but I resisted and caught the handle.

“Honey, the sacrifice escaped outside, go get her,” my father said, and my mother nodded.

“NO!” I struggled to try and get out. She just ignored me and quickly left. My father continued pressing the hatchet down, and I felt overpowered. I gritted my teeth as I tried pushing back.

“You brought this upon yourself! If you had only joined your mother and I, this wouldn’t have had to happen!” My father shouted.

I heard sirens and smiled, “What? You mean being a deranged killer like you?”

Fury flashed in his eyes, “WE ARE TRYING TO CREATE A WORLD OF PEACE!”

With this outburst, the strength he was exerting had a momentary lapse, and I was able to push back. I faintly heard the sounds of multiple people running up the stairs and into my room.

“MR. CARTER! DROP THE WEAPON OR WE WILL SHOOT YOU!” an officer said, but my father ignored them and pushed me towards the window. I tripped and fell out of it halfway. I looked back up to see him rush towards the cops and gunshots followed. His body dropped to the floor as a cop rushed over to help me up.

“Are you alright?”

I nodded, “I think; what about Rachel?”

“She is safe, your mother didn’t comply and was shot as well.”

I sighed in relief as I felt exhaustion overtake me. I collapsed as my vision went black. I woke up later at the hospital. An officer was standing in my room when he noticed I was up.

“Jay Carter, I’m Officer Black with the Grant County Police Department. Could you tell me what happened?” Officer Black said.

I nodded and told him everything.