<USS Avalon> Innocence Lost

Innocence Lost
By Hannah

Hannah gripped her daddy?s neck as he ran down the hall.  Everyone around them 
were shouting and running back and forth.  ?Daddy, Daddy, why is everyone so 
angry?? she shouted, gripping him tighter and wishing the people would be happy 
again.  

She recognized many of the faces, that had once smiled down at her and laughed 
when she did silly things.  Now the faces of the people around her scared her, 
they were all so mean and angry looking.  

?Hush baby girl, everything will be okay, don?t worry.?  Hannah nodded against 
her father?s shoulder when he answered her back.  Worry trembled in his voice, 
which did nothing to alleviate her fears.  Instead of calming down, as her 
father had wanted her to, Hannah just gripped his uniform shirt tighter in her 
little fists and buried her head in his shoulder, trying to erase the angry 
faces from her mind.

Some where people were yelling and screaming in pain.  The sound reached 
Hannah?s ears and she began to cry, her tears soaking her father?s shirt.  She 
heard her father curse and he began to run harder.  The screams didn?t stop, in 
fact, they sounded louder.  Phaser shots could be heard and panic was seizing 
the little girl?s heart. 

Suddenly they came to a stop.  Hannah looked up from her father?s shoulder, 
tears staining her cherub face.  Through the blur, she was able to see that 
they were home, in their quarters.  A small smile broke out on her face, in her 
childish mind, they were safe, the pain from outside couldn?t get them now.  

Her smile suddenly disappeared though, at the sound of people on the other side 
of their door banging on it.  Hannah started to cry again as her dad tightened 
his grip around her so tight that it hurt.  ?Don?t worry Hannah, they won?t get 
you, you?ll be okay, just keep quiet.?  She nodded but continued to cry as her 
father ran with her into his bedroom. 

He put her down on the floor and began moving the bed away from the wall.  
Hannah just stood there, watching her dad work with all his might to move the 
massive bed.  Finally he had it away from the wall and he motioned her forward. 
 

Gripping her shoulders tightly, Hannah?s dad looked into her face, as though 
memorizing it and then he shook her slightly.  ?I want you to listen to me 
baby.  You see that hole there??  Hannah looked to where he pointed and nodded 
her head.  ?I want you to climb into that hole and hide.  You have to listen to 
me, do not say a word, no matter what happens, I want you to hide and say 
nothing, unless you see me or Caine come in here looking for you.  Do you 
understand??  

Hannah looked at her dad, tears falling in cascades down her little face.  ?Yes 
Daddy.?  She looked up at him and saw his own eyes swarming with tears.  Loud 
voices could be heard in the living room and it was obvious that the people had 
gotten in and were looking around for Hannah and her dad.  Her dad pulled her 
into a rough, strong hug and she clung to him, not wanting him to leave.  

When the voices got closer, Hannah?s dad gave her a kiss on her forehead and 
pushed her behind the bed and towards the hole.  Tears were falling from both 
eyes, as father and daughter parted, not knowing if they would ever see each 
other again.  

?You there,? an angry sounding man yelled.  ?What are you doing??

Hannah peaked out from the hole and was able to see her dad and two men.  She 
was to upset by what was happening to listen to what was being said but she 
watched in silence as another woman came forward, phaser in hand.  Hannah was 
silently shouting ?no? as she watched the woman raise it and shoot.  Jeffreyi 
fell straight the floor with a sickening thud.  The men and woman looked down 
at him sneering before quickly leaving.

Stomach turning, Hannah began to harder as she sat there, looking at her 
father, lying lifelessly on the floor.  Sneaking out from her hiding place, she 
crawled to him.  ?Daddy?? she asked, as she lightly shook his shoulder.  
?DADDY!?? she cried when he didn?t respond.  Hannah began to shake him harder, 
sobs raking her little body.  ?Daddy, Daddy,? it soon became a chant, until 
Hannah just couldn?t talk anymore.  Crying uncontrollably, she tried to wrap 
her short arms around her dad as much as she could, burying her head in his 
chest.  ?No, Daddy, please come back, I?ll be good, I?ll be good.?

Soon her words became muffled and no longer discernable.  She curled her small 
body up next to her father?s, which was now turning cold and slightly stiff.  
Hannah wondered if anyone would come to them, wondered when her daddy would 
wake up again.  Out of exhaustion, she ended up crying her self to sleep, 
clutching her dad?s dead body to her?s.


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