Adriana POV

I woke up to the sound of a loud crashing house which made me sit upright on my bed. Taking in deep breaths, I looked around and noticed that everything in my room was in place. I could feel the sweat trickling across my temple and I wiped it with the back of my hand. The house was silent and all I could hear now was the sound of my own heart beating.

Maybe it was just a nightmare. I tried reasoning as I concluded that it could have possibly been a dream. The neighborhood was silent apart from the sound of crickets and cats rummaging through trash bins that were outside the houses.

Convinced that it was just my dream that had brought me back to reality I lay back down and covered myself hopeful to get some sleep. The moment I lay my head down, I heard it again.

A loud crash that made me sit up again. This time I was sure that it was not a dream that had blended into reality. It was clear and it came from downstairs. It almost sounded like someone was downstairs staggering into things.

I got out of bed and sneakily went to the door. Twisting the knob gently, I opened the door hoping that it wouldn't creak and sell me out as it always did when I tried to sneak back home after partying with my friends in the past.

I tiptoed across the hall to my parent's room and was surprised to find the door open but they weren't there. Concerned, I went to the stairs that led downstairs and listened in if I could hear anything.

"Where is my money?" A deep voice asked demanding an answer.

I could tell that it wasn't my father and my thoughts went into overdrive as I started to panic. I couldn't find them anywhere and there was a stranger in our house in the middle of the night.

"Please, we will get you the money. We just need more time,"

I couldn't mistake my mother's voice. She was the one pleading and from the way she sounded, she had probably been crying and was still crying.

I walked down the stairs curious about what was happening all this while wondering where my father was. He was the one who could protect us from whoever was in our home. When made it to the bottom of the stairs I followed the sound and it led to the living room.

All the lights in the house were off except for this one. I walked briskly to the door that led to the living room and tried to peep in. With my heart in my hand and holding my breath, I poked out my head slightly hoping to see what was happening.

The sight I was met with was one that I couldn't have prepared for. In our own living room there sat a man flanked by two men behind him who were masked. Together with them there were two other men with their backs to me holding my father who was on his knees but looked like he barely had any strength to keep him up.

Across my father was my own mother on her knees bawling her eyes out pleading with the man.

"Please. Just one more month," my mother said as she cried her eyes out.

I couldn't believe the sight in front of me. Here I was looking at both my parents on their knees in front of this stranger who had a smug look on his face and had his goons doing his work. I tried to comprehend what my parents could have possibly gotten themselves involved with to the point where this was happening but nothing came to mind.

As questions flooded my mind, I also wondered why my father who had his back towards me was not doing anything. It hit me when I heard him let out a strained cough and I saw him spitting blood on the carpet at his feet.

Whoever these men were had been beating the shit out of him and my mum had to watch all of it unfolds. I was about to turn around and go into the kitchen to call for the police when the man who I assumed was their leader spoke again.

"I've extended my deadlines everytime you asked for and I'm tired of the games. I want my money now!" He commanded, his voice sending chills down my spine.

"You're the one who works to provide in this house, right?" He asked looking at my father who nodded weakly. Wondering where he was going with this, he reached out into his side of the coat and pulled out a gun. My mother's pleas immediately went silent and I could see my father start to struggle with the men holding him. He brandished the gun in front of his face and a devilish smile came across his face.

Whatever he was thinking about wasn't good and I could feel it. I was surprised that he hadn't seen me this entire time even though I was literally straight behind my father. I'm guessing the darkness behind camouflaged me well.

"You need a little motivation Mr Rogers. Don't worry, I won't kill you. Besides, if I kill you, how am I going to get my money?" the man asked with a chuckle. All this while I was wondering what money he was talking about.

For the better part of my life we've lived in what most would describe as poverty. I was barely able to go to school and got lucky to go to university courtesy of a scholarship that I was able to secure. Apart from that life was generally hard. My parents could barely pay the bills at home with my dad working three jobs and my mum at home due to some medical complications that they never told me in detail.

"Now, since you are the only one working, it wouldn't hurt if I give you some motivation on getting me my money," the man said pointing the gun directly at my mother and cocked the gun.