My ears were ringing. My eyes burned. My face was covered with dirt and tear streaks. Red lights were flashing and there were men and cars everywhere.

From the back seat of the police car in which I sat, I could see the front porch of my house. Two men in white brought him out on a stretcher. A white sheet covered most of him. It was drenched in blood. Many people just stood around watching. The neighbors – the ones who called the police and who had helped Mom tie the tourniquets on his legs were up on the porch talking to a policeman.

Another policeman had Mom’s shotgun and the knife he’d dropped.

Two more policemen came out of the house with Mom; her hands were behind her back. She’d been crying. They took her to another police car and put her in the back seat.

The ringing in my ears changed to buzzing. My head started to spin. My breathing was shallow now as the lights blurred and fractalized. My body went limp in the seat.

I could hear raindrops on the roof of the car. Everything faded into black.