"Ilaria! Ilaria! Come on, wake up! You've got to wake up! Ilaria!" Nugh, my head. My first thought was on the massive headache I was suffering from. That pain quickly disappeared when my eyes sluggishly fluttered open to see a familiar, beloved face overshadowing mine. There, in the scattering rain, Alberto held my upper half up off the ground in both his arms. He had transformed into his true sea creature self, not that I even noticed. His wide emerald eyes shown down at me with the most intense worry.
Staring back up at him, all agony was entirely forgotten. Laying there still in his scaly arms I smiled organically; I gave him a natural, elated smile. "Alberto….. Alberto," my hand reached up to press into his moist cheek. All I said was his name- that's all I had to say. Alberto couldn't bring himself to say more, but he kept holding me like that, with my hand resting on his face so tenderly. It was the best moment I'd experienced in days, ever since he departed from me….
But all good things must come to an end. We both flinched wildly as a flurry of other voices suddenly filled the area around us. "Sea monster!" Our heads turned to see Ercole and his two goons charging in our direction. "See?! I told you it came in this direction!" Ercole's friend- the one that's not Ciccio- cried. "Look! It's attacking my fiancé! Get it!" Ercole shouted at the top of his lungs.
Alberto's arms instinctively tightened around me as he wore the most terrified expression on his face. I think Alberto was too stunned to move right then. Luckily my still-wiry brain kicked in for both of us. I practically pushed him off me, urging him to run. "Go, go!" I commanded in a tone that was much too loud. Alberto looked at me hesitantly, then took off racing into the distance. Ercole and the others were right behind him, passing me in the process.
"Don't let it get away!" Ercole ordered. I glared back their way in desperation. "Ercole, stop! Leave him alone!" Of course this plea was totally ignored. Only Ciccio rushed over to me, genuinely concerned for my welfare. "Are you alright, miss Marcovaldo?" He asked me while helping me to stand to my feet. "I'm fine," I relied shaken.
Ercole wasted no time pointing his fishing spear- where he got it, I don't know- in the direction where Alberto ran off to. "After it!" "But what about the race?" The other friend questioned. "Who cares about the race?! We can finally slay that thing once and for all! Come on!" "Ercole, no!" I was about to grab onto his body, trying to hold him back in a distorted sort of hugging motion. But Ciccio interrupted me first. "What about miss Marcovaldo?" He asked Ercole, again his tone peppered with sincere worry. That's when Ercole blinked back my way as if he finally registered that I was standing there. It was clear he wanted to waste no time dealing with me.
"Don't worry. I'll keep you somewhere safe," I felt my face melt with horror as he grabbed hold of my wrist. In the blink of an eye, I was being dragged by my arm somewhere with a substantial amount of force. It's a terrifying thing, being brought somewhere against your will by someone who's stronger than you. If you're a girl, then you already know what I'm talking about. But if you're a guy, imagine someone who is twice your body weight suddenly grasping onto you with ill intent. You are literally powerless to stop them from whatever it is they're about to do, and you full-well know it.
Ercole's friends watched in equal horror as their leader dragged me against my will toward a nearby barn. I began twisting and thrashing but it did no good. Ercole had a grip on me and he wasn't playing around. His hand was clenching me so hard that I thought the blood circulation of my hand would cut off. "Ercole! Ercole, stop! Stop! Please! You're hurting me!"
I went from being forcibly dragged along to being tossed inside the barn in a matter of seconds. He threw me with such strength that I actually fell onto the barn's floor. By the time I looked back up the barn's wooden panel doors were closing. You could hear the chain lock fastening on the other side. He had locked me inside this barn! Ercole put me inside a barn against me will! "Don't let it reach the sea!" Was the last thing I heard Ercole yell. When I looked through the gaps in the planks making the door, I spotted the back of Ercole and his friends also vanish into the distance.
My fists wasted no time pounding on the door. "Help! Somebody, help me! I'm in here! Help me!" I couldn't stop shouting. But there was no more noise from outside. Alberto was gone- thankfully- and Ercole and his friends had chased after him. I didn't need Alberto to save me; if anything, I hoped he was in the water by now. But I couldn't shake the feeling that he was still in mortal danger. Ercole would kill him if he found him, and I couldn't let that happen.
After banging on the wood of the door for what felt like an eternity- but was only a minute in reality- I collapsed against the door, planting my flat hands into it now. My breathing was low and my heart was racing. "Alberto….." That's when depression turned into resilience. My hands balled into determined fists again. No, I'm not going to stay trapped in here while Alberto gets slaughtered out there. I'm not going to let Ercole or anyone else hurt him! I'm going to get out of here. I'm going to get myself out of this barn and save Alberto! I'll get out of here if it's the last thing I do!