Chapter One: The End of Her Life

"Kayla, come on!" Kayla Roberts smiled at the sound of her mother's voice drifting up the stairs to meet her. She put down the navy blue baby shirt she was holding and opened her bedroom door.

"Just a minute, mom! I have to get Braden ready!"

"Well, hurry up, slow poke!" Kayla shook her head and wandered over to the light tan crib in the corner, where a pretty baby boy with bright blue eyes and a tuft of black hair on his head was standing, watching her. His dark tan skin contrasted with the edge of the railing that he was holding on to. When he saw her walking towards him, he reached up with his free hand and grasped at the air, laughing softly. Kayla laughed back and scooped the little baby up in her arms.

"Hey there, Braden. How's my baby boy today?" Braden didn't answer, but instead grabbed a lock of her shoulder length dirty blonde hair and tugged, causing her to wince and pull her hair back out of his grip.

"Ow! No no, baby. Let's get dressed, ok?" After several minutes of struggling, Kayla had Braden in a fresh diaper and in a dark navy t-shirt with blue jean shorts and sandles. Smiling at her precious baby, she lifted him off the bed and wandered down the stairs. Clara, her mother, was standing by the bottom of the stairs.

"There are my babies!" Carla cried, smiling fondly at the pair of them.

"Only one of us is a baby, mom." Kayla answered, rolling her eyes. Clara shook her head.

"Just because you're 17 and growing fast doesn't mean you're not my baby anymore." She smiled and walked over to the couch, grabbing both her purse and Braden's diaper bag. "Now, are you ready?" Kayla nodded.

"Yeah, let's go." She took the diaper bag from her mother and together they walked out the door towards Clara's little white silently loaded Braden in his car seat and climbed in at Clara started the car, throwing it in reverse. Wordlessly, she backed out and drove down the neighborhood streets towards the bank. Kayla pulled down the visor and watched her baby doze in his seat. She smiled, amazed at the little guy and how much she loved him. Clara glanced at her daughter out of the corner of her eye and smiled warmly.

"What are you looking at, Kayla?" The 17 year old mother shrugged.

"Just Braden. I can't believe...everything....ya know?" she answered, turning to face her mother. Clara laughed.

"No, I don't know. What's everything?" Kayla chewed on her thumbnail a bit, a nervous habbit she picked up from her mom.

"I hated Braden." she finally said sadly. "I hated him because of his daddy. I loved Tyson very much, and for him to just....take my virginity and leave....I didn't know what to do...and then I was pregnant!" she shook her head before continuing, "I didn't want him. Didn't want anything to do with him. And then, he was born and my heart just melted....now I can't imagine life without him...." Kayla looked at her mom in time to see her smiling.

"That's how it was for me, too. You were my first and my only baby. I was scared to death, and didn't wanna be a single mother. But all it took was one look at you, and I was wrapped around your tiny slender fingers." She took Kayla's hand, crying silently. Kayla held her breath, afraid of tears of her own starting. Clara continued, oblivious. "Your father's fingers. I see him in you every day, the same way you see Tyson in Braden. And you know what?" She squeezed Kayla's hand as she stopped the car next to a big black van. "I wouldn't change a single thing." Clara turned to face her daughter, wrapping her in a huge hug. "I am so proud of you, and how mature you've become. I love you. Never forget that, ok?" Kayla hugged her mother, allowing the tears to wash her cheeks.

"I love you, too, mom. Always will. Thanks for being so great to me." Kayla whispered to her, snuggling down into her mother's hair like she used to when she was a little girl. Clara smiled, then pulled away, fanning her face and grinning.

"Good grief! We came here to get money, not cry in the car like some bad chick flick. Get out, cry baby!" Kayla laughed at her mother's attempt at casualness and, after drying her eyes, climbed out of the car. Clara followed, power walking to the other side and opening the back seat. "Let me get my grandson, ok? You hardly ever put him down." she said eagerly, already unbuckling Braden from the carseat. Kayla rolled her eyes.

"Sure, mom." she answered, trying to hide the prideful smile that was threatening to emerge. Clara picked up the sleeping Braden, craddling him close. Smiling at the baby boy in her arms, she walked off towards the bank, cooing to him softly. Kayla grinned and, after slinging the diaper bag over her shoulder, shut the car door and followed after her mother, who was already inside.

She had barely reached the steps before the sound of gunfire rang out.

Kayla stood there in horror. Surely that was in her head. Surely there wasn't really shots fired. Surely she was dreaming. As if on cue, screams were heard from inside the bank. Kayla ran inside, not caring about getting hurt herself. She needed to see her Braden. He HAD to be ok. She barely made it through the door before she saw him. Her stomach dropped to her feet. There was her baby, her beautiful baby, his eyes closed forever, blood covering half his face. The other half was burried under the body of her mother, who was laying on top of him, blood pouring from a bullet hole in the back of her head. Kayla stared at them, dropping to her knees beside them, landing in a puddle of blood with a soft splash.

Her only family was dead.

She couldn't wrap her mind around it. She couldn't find the strength to cry; she felt like all her energy, her strength, her reason for existing, was gone. Everything was gone. Her baby.....her beautiful little boy....taken before his time, right in front of her....She began to sob; silent, forceful sobs that wracked her entire body. She collapsed onto the body of her mother, clinging to her for dear life. She didn't hear the stranger with a gun approach her from behind; she didn't feel it when he jerked her roughly to her feet by her hair, only to throw her down on her back. She didn't feel him climb on top of her and start to beat her. She just closed her eyes and sobbed, praying her life would end, too, so she could be with her baby. She felt herself starting to go under, which was what she thought the man wanted. She turned her head towards the body of her mother as he continued to slam his fist into her chest, reaching out with one shaky, blood soaked arm towards her. Like Clara would suddenly sit up and smile at her, tell her it was all just a dream. Suddenly she felt something solid connect roughly with the side of her head. Her vision swam; she barely registered the man on top of her searching her pockets. She tried as hard as she could to hold on, to keep her mother and her precious little boy in her line of sight. The edges of the room got darker and darker; she finally gave up.

She blacked out as the man got off of her and the sirens started.

NOTE: So, I had this dream, right? And well, this was born. I decided to edit a bit, so this is the real first chapter. What do you think?