[i]Prospect Heights, Grieg Residence. 9:00 PM[/i]

Yolanda Grieg hastily packed a bag. She barely noticed that the bag was too small, causing most of the unfolded clothing to overflow. She turned slightly at a sound. Crying. Her mother was crying. Yolanda squeezed her eyes shut for a few moments, trying to think over the sound of her too loud heart and the too loud crying. It was deafening. Yolanda whipped around, angry, though whether it was true anger or just sadness masquerading, she wasn't sure.

Her mother was slumped against the wall in the corridor just behind her room, sobbing into her hands. 

"Mum, please!" She exclaimed, her teeth gritted. 

The hands fell away and her mother looked up. "Yolanda, you don't have to go. We can...we can fix this. We can find a way to help--"

"There's nothing wrong with me." Yolanda interrupted quietly. Turning away again, she zipped up her bag and picked it up, hurrying from her room with it under her arm. Any moment, any moment someone could come and take her away. It had happened, she'd seen it. The brutality of it had surprised, yet not shocked her. Humans, natural or unnatural, were animals. Yolanda scrunched up her nose in distaste before letting out a short gasp as a hand fell heavily on her shoulder. 

She snapped her head so quickly to the left that there was an audible [i]crack[/i]. Her father looked down at her, face etched with concern and fear. "I didn't mean to startle you. But Yolanda, you can stay. We can protect you," There was a pause as the man's voice cracked slightly. "[i]I[/i] can protect you." 

Yolanda's throat tightened slightly at that but she pushed the feeling away. She told herself that she wouldn't cry, though as she felt a tear run down her cheek, she knew that she had made herself into a liar. Looking up at him, she gave a weak smile. 

"Ek is lief vir jou, papa." Yolanda murmured, giving her dad's hand a light squeeze before turning away and walking down the corridor, towards the front door. She lingered briefly at the doorway of her younger sister's room, who was still sleeping. She smiled fondly at her sister's heavy sleeping. The girl could sleep through the end of the world. Steeling herself, she stepped away and opened the door, not allowing herself a last glance towards her broken family. She closed the door behind her, and ran.

Her father watched her go, a heavy feeling in his chest. His wife still sobbed further down the corridor behind him. He took a deep breath, running a hand down his face. 

"I love you too, Yolanda."