Disclaimer: I don't own CSI  Happy reading  The vines crawled
higher up the failing brick walls in their quest to block out
the night sky. I lay back on the cracked patch of concrete in
the backyard, staring through a tunnel of leaves at that one
single star. Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight…
right? But for all I knew the star was probably already dead and
I was simply looking at former glories.  There was a disturbance
in the light streaming from the house through the leaves into my
dark haven. A shriek. Screams. Shouts. Then silence. Mum! Dad! I
jerked upright, startled. The eerie silence rang in my ears like
a deafening bell. What happened? I curled up into a ball and
stayed stock still, watching something liquid run down the
inside of the kitchen window. Blood? Footsteps thudded on the
backyard grass. Black, leather shoes. Smooth soles. Quiet,
stealthy, lethal. My heart raced as they neared. Each step to a
thousand beats. My breath pushed against my chest, begging for
escape. The feet turn