Oh... my... gosh. Late update is late. I am so sorry for that. I hope you all can forgive me. I've been busy with work and I'm not feeling too well. I can't seem to keep anything I eat down. It's awful. Anyway, I won't annoy you with a long Author's Note. I hope you enjoy!
Happy reading~
Chapter Eight
Sienna moved quietly about the house, cringing when she would bump into a piece of furniture or when a floorboard would creak. Her year old German Shepherd, Axis, followed behind her noiselessly. Sienna raided the kitchen, filling her backpack with enough food and water to last the both of them for a few days. Gilbird rested upon her shoulder, watching silently. Sienna zipped up her bag and slung it on her shoulder while mindful of the small animal perched there.
"I think we're all set," Sienna whispered. "Let's go before Dad or Uncle Gilbert wakes up."
Pulling out the pen and paper she stuffed into her pocket, Sienna wrote quickly and efficiently before slipping out the door, leaving behind the note she penned. Outside, Sienna took a deep breath of the fresh morning air as the sun was about to make an appearance to the sleeping world.
"We can do this, guys. Together, we'll find Mom in no time. We've waited three days for this opportunity. Are you ready, Axis and Gilbird? It'll be a long trip. Think we can make it?"
Axis barked and Gilbird chirped in agreement.
"I think so, too. Nothing can stop us if we put our minds to it! Let's go!" Sienna started off at a light jog with Gilbird perched on her shoulder and Axis trotting beside her.
Gleaming red eyes watched her with contempt and amusement, "Such a horrible little girl, running away from home like this. She'll do just fine for what we have in store for them."
Antonio sat on the playground bench with Violet during recess, chatting happily with his fellow classmate. He had learned so much about the young girl in just a mere few days. She had both a mom and dad and an older brother along with a younger sister. When she had asked about him, Antonio told her that he had a dad and no mom. She, of course, had questioned why and he told her that he didn't know why happened to his mom.
"It has just been me and my dad all my life. I don't have any brothers or sisters," Antonio had said.
"It must be nice," Violet commented and explained how she had to share everything with her little sister. "It gets to be annoying sometimes. I wonder what it would be like to be an only child."
"It is not everything you think it is. It gets lonely sometimes when Papa is busy with his work. I would like to have a little brother or sister to keep me company."
"You can have mine," Violet joked and giggled when she noticed that Antonio blinked in confusion. "It was a joke, Antonio. My mom and dad would kill me if they found out I gave away my younger sister!"
"Oh, I see!" Antonio's eyes lit with the dawn of comprehension.
Violet laughed, "You're so silly, Toni. I'm glad I'm your friend."
"Friend?" the word came out as an incredulous whisper.
"Yeah," the blonde girl nodded. "We are friends, aren't we?"
"Of course we are!" Antonio nodded vigorously. He was in no position to pass up friends.
Violet tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and her blue eyes sparkled like the ocean, "I have a feeling we'll be friends for a long time, Toni. You're super nice. You're not like all the other boys here who like to pick on the new kids."
Antonio gulped. He was a new kid.
"Don't worry, though. I'm sure they'll leave you alone since you're with me. They said any friend of mine is a friend of theirs so you're safe," Violet's smile wasn't as reassuring as it was meant to be—not to Antonio at least. However, her eyes remained bright.
"Don't worry," she placed her hand on his shoulder. "I'm here to take care of you."
Antonio gave a weak nod.
"Well, well, look what we have here," another voice entered their conversation.
Antonio studied the boy staring him down and became immediately intimidated by the sheer height of him. There was no way that he was in the fourth grade! The one confronting him had blonde hair (which was oddly similar to Violet's) and piercing hazel eyes that bore deep into his own emerald ones. Antonio didn't dare to break eye contact though.
"You don't ever throw the first punch," his father had once said to him. "But you be sure that you throw the last one."
Stand your ground, Antonio thought. Don't be intimidated. Just stay calm. Violet said they wouldn't hurt you. And you trust Violet.
This self-assurance was helping none whatsoever. This guy was huge compared to him. And he was fairly certain that said boy would beat him to a pulp if he so much as twitched. The two others flanking the blonde nearly looked identical as well—despite one being a girl and the other a boy. Both had flaming red hair and dark coffee eyes that were condescending.
"What do you want, Caleb? Can't you see I'm in the middle of a conversation?" Violet scowled.
"What do you think you're doing?" the one now known as Caleb crossed his arms in an authoritative stance. Violet was unfazed however.
"What do you mean? I'm having a conversation with Antonio. You got a problem with that?" Violet was now standing with her hands on her hips to match Caleb's demeanor.
"I don't want you talking to him," Caleb eyes narrowed. "He's nobody. And people like us don't talk to trash like that. We're better than that. These are the people that serve us, not the other way around. I doubt he's even a citizen of this country."
"How can you say that?" Violet demanded, her eyes like a raging ocean. "How dare you say that? Antonio is a nice person if you ever wanted to get to know him! He's nothing like you and your little flunkies!"
"We're looking out of you, Vi," the red-headed girl stated. "I'm your best friend. We're supposed to do that remember?"
"Yeah? Well best friends aren't supposed to keep each other from talking to other people either."
Antonio tried to keep up with the pace of the conversation but was failing miserably.
"I, um… I think I'll just go," Antonio scooted off the bench.
"Yeah. You'd better and don't speak to my sister again. If I find out you are, then you're in for a world of pain, do you understand me?" Caleb growled, grabbing Antonio by the collar of his shirt.
"Let him go!" Violet charged at her brother but was stop by the redheaded boy who grabbed her arm.
Antonio merely glared, one that was akin to his father's.
"I'm speaking to you, filth!" Caleb spat.
"I hear you," Antonio hissed through clenched teeth.
"Damn kid!" Caleb landed a solid blow to Antonio's jaw, sending the boy skidding across the ground. "You'll do well to stay away. That hit was just a warning. Next time I might not be so merciful."
The kids that had gathered to watch the fiasco cheered Caleb on and jeered at Antonio, throwing insults at him and laughing.
"All right, children, break it up this instant!" Mrs. Murdock demanded and like a trickle of water overflowing to a spill, the children dispersed.
The young teacher then assisted Antonio to his feet and dusted the dirt from his clothes. Antonio spit the collecting blood into the grass and watched as Violet was dragged away by her brother. He wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. This would bruise tomorrow.
"Are you all right, dear?" Mrs. Murdock asked, kneeling down in front of the boy.
"Mm-hmm," Antonio nodded. "I'm okay."
"What happened? You're bleeding!"
"I…uh, fell. I tripped and fell down," Antonio replied.
"Come on; let's take you to the nurse's office to get you cleaned up and get you some ice, okay?" Mrs. Murdock offered a smile.
"I think I'll be okay," Antonio said.
"No, no, we'd better go. Come on," Mrs. Murdock placed her hand on Antonio's shoulder and led the fourth grader to the nurse's office.
Feliciano breathed out and it became a small cloud of air. She was back. The girl Marcello always talked to had returned. She never failed to make the room unbelievably cold. After watching him for a few moments, she then drew her perfectly manicured nails (claws?) along his bare skin and the hot, sticky blood trailed down his arms and face. She continued observing him like a hawk, circling around him as a bird would when it found a carcass in the midst of wasteland.
"Lose yourself," she whispered. "Let yourself go."
"You're nothing."
"You're unloved."
"No one wants you."
Those whispers flew around in his head like an agitated hornet's nest. Buzzing around, stinging at his psyche to make him give in. How could he hear them though? All sound had been blocked from him yet… he was hearing her voice perfectly clear. Her mind-numbing, horrifying voice.
"But we want you."
"Come with us—join us."
"We'll make you important again."
"Forget everything you've ever known."
It was there. It was inside his head. He shook his head quickly, hoping to dispel those whispers.
She then left as if having never been there in the first place.
He could finally relax when she exited. However, his teeth chattered and he trembled violently. He was unaware of how long he'd been locked up in this room—days? Months? Years? There was no telling. All he knew was that his hands were bound together behind his back and he couldn't see or hear. There was no light. There was no sound. Just relentless darkness and silence. An abyss of nothing.
No birds chirping.
No sunshine.
Everything was gone.
He shifted around and the disgusting feeling of his wet clothes rubbing against his skin made him squirm. He could feel the dried up mud from the puddles he had been thrown into on what he assumed was his first day in this cell caked on his clothing and face. He itched from the filth.
The stinging pain from the wounds inflicted on him by the knife and increased agony by the salt had subsided greatly. It was still there, though, creeping along his body in both strong and gentle waves to be a reminder. He wanted to die in those few minutes that the cold knife was driven into his skin. He wanted to warn Ludwig to escape with Sienna so they wouldn't suffer the same fate they did.
He felt his stomach rumble and demand food. His parched throat cried for water. He smacked his lips just thinking about it. Feliciano then felt something scurry across his feet and he pulled them back with a startled cry. Either that was a very small cat or a large rat. He didn't know how much more he could take. The rats had been nibbling at his clothing at the rare times he would be completely still. He was going to go insane if this went on any longer! He was losing it! He was losing himself!
No…
No…!
Don't let the darkness take you. Don't let it. Don't let it rule you. Be stronger than it. Fight it! Don't be afraid. Don't forget. Don't forget. Don't forget. Some things must not be forgotten.
My name…
My name is Feliciano.
My name is Feliciano… Vargas. I am 34 years old.
I live in Cuore, Italy.
No, that's wrong. That's all wrong. I don't live in Italy anymore.
I live in…
I live in…
…Germany! That's it! I live in Germany!
Berlin, Germany…
I have a family… a wife—no, a husband—and a daughter… a brother… a nephew… what were their names? Names… name… what were their names? I need names! Focus, Feliciano! Remember!
Don't forget, don't forget. Hold on tightly to those you love.
My name… is… is… I am Feliciano.
Don't forget…
Don't…
…forget…
"Hmm, I wonder…" Sienna looked at the map of Berlin and turned it every which direction. "I have no clue where else to go. Do you know Axis?"
The dog just tilted its head in response and blinked its big brown eyes.
"Gilbird? Any thoughts?" Sienna scratched the bird on its belly gently with her forefinger. The yellow chick only chirped in response.
"Damn," Sienna murmured. "We've checked all of the buildings that are old and abandoned."
She sat down and let out a heavy sigh. Axis rested his head in her lap, whining softly as she scratched behind the German Shepherd's ears.
"You guys hungry? I know I am," Sienna dug in her bag. Hmm… only enough food to last her until the end of the day. She'd have to be going home soon. But she hadn't found her mom yet. She wouldn't be able to look her father in the eyes and tell him that she had failed.
She wouldn't be able to bear it.
Axis suddenly lifted his head, ears twitching. His head swiveled back and forth, listening and processing. The dog then ran to the building behind them, whining with his tail between his legs.
"Axis! Get back here! Axis! We already checked that building!" Sienna ran after her precious pet. "Axis!"
She froze in the long narrow corridor. It was darker than before. It wasn't at all like the first time she explored this warehouse. There was nothing inside. But this time… this time… there was something there. And she didn't appreciate the vibe at all.
"Axis…?" Sienna whispered. "Axis… Come on out, boy… let's go home."
The air dropped rapidly in temperature and she swore she could see her breath.
"Axis…?" her teeth were chattering now. "Axis! Come on, boy! Let's get out of here! We gotta go home!"
"Then let's visit home sweet home, shall we?"
Sienna's world went entirely dark.
