[Trigger warning if you find blood triggering]

IT was a cold day in December when Autumn Moore's life had been torn apart.
The ten-year-old was the witness of the murder of her uncle, Abner.
She and him had been playing an intense game of chess - Abner evidently winning, when the back door to his humble dwelling had slammed open.

This wasn't a rare occurrence - Autumn's mother, Kali, would regularly storm into the home, after particularly nasty fights with her husband.
However, it was soon clear to Abner that this wasn't Kali - as the woman had quite a temper and would often express it through yelling profanities and stomping about.

No, it was eerily quiet. The only giveaway that someone else was in the house was the faint creak floorboards under their weight.
Abner swiftly stood up from his seat, and pulled a confused Autumn to her feet.

"Follow me." Abner whispered, guiding her to the back of the house.
Suddenly, the creaks stopped, leaving Abner's home in stifling silence.
Inhaling shakily, Abner braced himself for the inevitable - an attack.

It was only mere seconds later that hands pressed against his chest and pushed him backwards - causing him to crash into a frightened Autumn.
A squeak of terror escaped the young girl's lips as she remained frozen in fear.
A few tears rolled down her face.

The intruder brandished a knife and pulled Abner towards them.
The object was pinned to his throat, and Autumn couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene.
"What do you want?" Abner croaked, the attacker pressed the knife harder to his neck.

"You stole from me. I told you I'd get you if you stole it." The voice distinctly belonged to a young woman.
Abner tensed up even more if possible.
His eyes glimmered with unshed tears, but the woman was merciless in her actions.

She drew the blade slowly across his throat, ribbons of red marking the tracks of it.
Autumn cried out in horror and stumbled backwards, falling through the opened door and onto the gravel leading up to it.

She watched in undisguised terror as Abner thrashed, before his movements became slow and sluggish, and finally, he ceased to move in the assassin's arms.
Autumn screamed and jumped to her feet, willing them to move as fast as they possibly could.

Tears were wet against her cheeks, but she didn't notice.
Rocks tore at her feet in her desperate escape.
She had no clue as to how far she had ran, but she had fallen to her knees on her parent's porch, sobbing.

Vomit rose in her throat, and she turned to the side, throwing up her stomach contents.
She weakly raised her fist to the door and knocked on it, trembling uncontrollably.
Footsteps pounded to the door, and it clicked open, revealing the narrow-faced Kali Moore.

A hand flew to the woman's mouth as she inspected the scene.
Crouching down, she took Autumn into her arms, cradling her close.
"Come here, it's okay." Kali soothed, stroking the girl's brown hair.

"No it's not." Autumn whispered into her mother's shoulder.
"Come on, baby, I'll run you a bath."
Autumn shook her head violently from side to side. As her breathing sped up again.
Kali straightened up, her arms still around her daughter, and guided her inside the home, locking the door behind her.

"What happened sweetie. Can you tell me?" Kali asked gently, removing her arms from around the girl.
Autumn wiped her nose and shook her head again, her mouth firmly shut.
"It's going to be okay. I promise."

Little did Kali know that that was the last thing Autumn was going to be.