Thank you so much Sue-AnneSparrow, without your help, I couldn't have done it!
Yeah yeah yeah... disclaimer I KNOW! But whoever thinks I thought up Once Upon A Time In Mexico is wrong and kinda stupid. -.-
I'm having a title's block (?) right now, that's the reason for the lame title. It might change.
Once upon a time in a place right about here
Chapter one
Diaries, aren't those supposed to be private?
Lina looked at a ghastly bar at her left and walked inside. Ordering a tequila she scanned the room. There where a few tables, most of them empty. When her eyes met a table in the far end of the bar she narrowed her eyes. What was that?
"Your tequila missy." Someone said, she looked up and saw the bartender had placed her drink on the bar. She quickly thanked the man and looked back at the table. A man in a black jacket was talking with a weird looking guy. The guy had an eye patch on his right eye, but that wasn't the strange thing about the two. The man who was sitting across of eye patch, had a gun in his left hand, but there was something wrong. That arm couldn't be the real one, his two real arms where both above the table. She took a sip of her tequila and saw a waitress coming up to the two, she was putting some things on the table and accidentally let one of the classes fall, after that everything went real quick. The guy with the three arms shot the man with the eye patch. The three armed man stood up and turned around to shoot the waitress, the girl fell on the floor screaming.
"Lill' help please?" The man who'd just shot two people asked, trying to get eye patch out of his chair. Lina looked at the wounded girl on the floor and the dead man in the chair. The three armed men got eye patch out of his seat and started to bring the man outside. When he had exited the bar she ran over to the wounded girl on the floor.
"Get her to a bed!" She commanded, "clean the wound and stitch it, she'll live." The barman and another girl who had been in the bar also started to get the wounded waitress up. They brought the girl to a small room above the bar and Lina who looked out of the window saw the killer dumping the dead man in the rumble seat. What was that man up to? She looked back at the bed, the waitress would do fine, she walked back down again and was just in time to see the car disappearing around the corner. "Shit," she whispered to herself. She started to run after the vehicle. That man was a killer and she wouldn't let him get away with it that easy. Exhausted she came to a halt, she could never catch up with that car. The car disappeared between the trees and she started to make her way back.
The bartender was standing behind his bar again; she noticed when she entered the bar again. The man waved at her and pointed to the stairs that leaded to the room. She nodded and walked up. The girl was sitting besides the waitress, who hadn't moved one inch.
"Did you stitch the wound already?" She asked, the girl nodded in reply. Lina noticed the girl wasn't from Mexican origin. "So," she said leaning against a small wooden table, "where are you from?"
"Europe," the girl answered, her accent could be heard very clearly.
"Europe?" Lina asked interested, she herself was a Mexican girl. The girl just nodded again.
"What's your name?"
"Cecile," again a short answer. It became clear Cecile wasn't much of a talker.
"I'm Lina," she answered. Cecile looked up at her for one second and than turned her attention back to a little book she was holding in her hands. "What are you reading?"
"Nothing, I can't read it," she said closing the book, "I found this under the bed. It's written in English, I only read Spanish." Lina walked over to her and looked at the thing.
"It's a diary," she said.
"I know it's a diary." Cecile said offended.
"Sorry," she apologised, "can I have a look?" Cecile handed her the little book. It was greenish and looked old. She opened it and it was written in English, Cecile was one of those people who could only speak English and not read it.
"You can read it, can't you?" Lina nodded and started to read the top lines. Her eyes widened. She saw Cecile was still waiting for a translation, but didn't want to give it.
"It's not all that interesting." She tried, but Cecile still looked questioned. How could Lina explain what she'd just read. "It's a diary of a boy." She started, "and he explains where he lives and stuff." That wasn't the truth though. The truth was, it wasn't a diary at all, not completely at least.
"Well?" Cecile asked, "Where does he live?" Lina swallowed. On that moment footsteps could be heard, Lina thanked the lord and looked at the door, which opened. The bartender came in and Lina quickly hid the little book in her pocket, that was how small it was.
"How's she doing?" he asked. On that moment the waitress on the bed moved a little and the three of them gathered around the bed to see what was going on.
"Am I dead?" she asked, sounding a little sleepy, but most definitely worried.
"No, it's not quite that fancy." Lina joked.
"You're in a room above the bar," Cecile made clear.
Night was falling already and Lina was walking hands in her pockets over the streets of Mexico. With her left hand she felt the little green book in her trousers. She grabbed it again and studied it. The first page was almost completely empty, just in the top of the left corner stood one letter, a hardly readable C. She flipped through the first couple of pages and read a few lines of it. There where a lot of things written in it, meetings and stuff. That wasn't what made Lina's eyes widen. Sentences like 'The great 'the', isn't half as fearful as everyone pictures him. After he has done his job I'll definitely have to kill him, the balance must be restored and he has to be moved out of the way.' Was one that you wouldn't suspect to be written down in a diary. She didn't know whose diary it was, the person hadn't mentioned his or her name. The book was full of appointments, some which where yet to come. She looked up the next one. It was something about giving some information to some person. She didn't understand it and sighing she put the book back in her pocket. The warmth of the day still hung in the air, like it always did in Mexico.
She looked on her watch and bit her lip. She was half an hour late, her mother would probably be furious. She ran the rest of the way home and saw the small Mexican looking house. She walked though the backdoor and entered the kitchen.
"Hola?" She asked, immediately her mother came rushing into the kitchen.
"Catalina, finally!" The fact that her mother called her by her full name wasn't good.
"Sorry, I forgot the t-" she got cut of by her mother.
"I don't want to hear it." Lina bit her lip again, she understood her mothers' worry, Mexico wasn't the safest place on earth.
"I'm sorry," she apologised, looking at the ground. She walked past her mother and entered the living room. Juanes looked up from the TV and smiled. Juanes was her little brother. Well, actually he wasn't, she was adopted and so was he, from different families. Juanes still had a father, but the guy didn't want to take care of his son anymore. Lina, who could barely remember her parents, knew both of them were dead. It had happened eleven years ago, she had been four. Despite all that, she was very happy with the live she was living. She lived in a cosy house and her parents where both very sweet. She walked to her room and sat down on the bed. She laid the diary down on her nightstand and grabbed her guitar. She didn't know why she had the thing, she could barely play. Still, she tried to learn, but she didn't know anyone who would be willing to teach her. Her fingers started playing with the strings; it was the only tune she knew.
The diary had lain forgotten on the nightstand, days had passed and Lina had been busy with other things.
"Catalina!" She heard someone yell from downstairs, she rolled over in the bed and tried to lock the irritating voice out. "Get your ass down here!" She slowly opened her eyes and saw it was still pretty dark out. "Catalina!" Someone yelled again, it was the voice of her mother, a very angry mother. She climbed out of bed irritated. She quickly changed her clothes to normal and walked down stairs, combing her hair.
"What's going on?" She asked, sleepy.
"You tell me!" Her mother was waving something in the air; it was the green diary from her nightstand. "What is this?" She threw it on the table, Catalina grabbed it.
"It's not mine, if that's what you think!" She said.
"Isn't it?" The diary was pulled out of her hands and opened on the first page. "Than what does this C stand for?" She pointed to the hardly readable C in the corner of the book.
"I wouldn't know, because it isn't my diary!" Lina said, how could her mother think she had written those words? "Give it back!" She held up her hand and the diary was given to her. She put it away in her pocket.
"Who tells you to do these things?" Her mother asked worried and furious.
"Don't you understand?" Lina answered frustrated, "it isn't my fucking diary! I found it in a bar!"
"Than why did you keep it?" There was a hint of challenge in the voice of the woman. Lina had to think about that. Why exactly did she keep it? "Catalina, I don't like to be lied to."
"I don't lie!" She yelled back, "it truly isn't my diary!"
"Is it one of your friends'?"
"No!" Lina made clear, "and how did you get this diary anyway? Do you like spying on me?"
"Juanes found it and I saw him read in it and asked what it was."
"Great! Spying brothers, even nicer! Why did you suspect me than, eh? It could be his! He was reading in it!"
"He told me where he found it."
"And I told you I found it in a bar, why don't you believe me and do believe him!" Lina was getting very pissed off and so was her mother.
"I don't think someone would lose a diary like that that easy!"
"So, you believe I wrote it, which would be more logical!" Lina slammed her wrist on the table.
"You can tell me why you wrote it," the voice of her mother was a little calmer this time, "I want what is the best for you, you know that." Lina felt tears sting the back of her eyes.
"Apparently you don't! Otherwise you would believe me!" She ran through the kitchen and slammed the backdoor shut behind her. She heard her mother calling after her, but didn't look behind. She kept on walking until she had reached the city. Tears ran along her cheeks. She blinked and wiped away the wet lines of her face. Why wouldn't her mother believe her? Maybe it was because she wasn't her mothers' real child. She sighed and knew that couldn't be true. She continued walking through the city. It was still early and she was beginning to feel hungry.
People were building little stands, and then she remembered it was day of the dead today, one of the strangest holydays. She found little restaurant that was already open and walked in. She was the only customer in. She ordered something and looked out of the window. Tonight she would make it up with her mother, she just had to prove she wasn't the writer of the diary. But how? Her breakfast arrived and she began eating. She decided to hang around in the city, until it was night, she didn't want to go home any time soon.
A few hours past and she was walking aimlessly through the city, she didn't have enough money to buy herself something. All of a sudden she heard something that sounded like a gun shot. Alert she looked around, what was going on? One minute the street was calm and people were minding their own business and the second minute everywhere you looked people were yelling and fighting. Someone grabbed her arm and pulled her backwards, she screamed and pulled herself lose. She wanted to run away, but the same person grabbed hold of her again. She was brought into a dark room.
"Help!" She screamed.
"Sssh, girly!" Someone whispered. The door was closed. "You don't want to be out there."
"Who are you?" She asked scared.
"Someone who just saved your live. Probably." She couldn't see clearly, the room was to dark. She saw a flame appearing out of thin air and saw how a candle was lighten up with it. "Sorry, there aren't any windows in here." He placed the candle on a table.
"What about lights?" She asked, still a little afraid.
"No, this is a little room at the back of some kind of bar, place has been out of business for years now. We have to stay here."
"Why?" She asked.
"Don't you hear that?" He pointed at the door. From outside sounded all kind of noises, people screaming, shooting of guns and more. The boy opposite her was probably a few years older than she was. He had blue eyes and dark brown hair. He looked Mexican. "I'm Emilio." He said all of a sudden.
"Lina," she said, holding out her hand. He grabbed it.
"What were you doing all by yourself out there?" He asked.
"Just walking around," she answered, "is that a crime?"
"It could be." He said, looking very serious, she giggled a little. The both of them sat down next to the table on the ground.
"Don't you think we have to do something about what's going on outside?" She asked after a little while.
"What can we do?"
"I don't know, call the police or something?" She said.
"Darling, the police?" he asked her, while standing up. "The fucking military is out there."
"I ran away from my house this morning," she told him, staring at the ground, "my mother and I had a fight."
"You'll live to make it up with her." Emilio assured. She sighed and whispered an 'I hope so'. "I'm sorry, but I don't have anything to eat or drink." He said apologising.
"Doesn't matter, I don't need anything." She answered.
Time passed by, the two of them had been talking about a lot of stuff, family, their lives and even the weather. Slowly but surely the violence on the streets disappeared.
"Here, let me take you home." He said, standing up and holding out his hand to help her. She smiled and let him help her.
"You don't have to come with me, I can walk by myself." She said him. The both of them walked to the door and when it opened they saw midday was long over. A dark sky came towards them.
"Where do you live?" He asked and she explained.
"Not to far from here, at the other side of the church."
"Alright then, let's go." He said, walking outside. Lina looked around, everywhere laid dead bodies. "O my god," she whispered.
"Come on." He said and together they walked through the streets.
"We're almost there," she said, "you really don't have to come with me; I can walk the last part alone."
"Are you sure?" He asked, she nodded. She didn't understand why he was that worried about her.
"I'm sure," she assured. "Bye," she said smiling, "thank again."
"You're welcome," he answered. They both took separate ways and Lina who had to walk though quite a dark one, started mumbling a song to herself. At her left she saw someone lying on the ground, dead. She looked away disgusted and saw another body at the far end of the street. She bit her lip, if it hadn't been for Emilio, who knows what had happened to her. She had almost reached the end of the little street and saw the body of a dead man closer by. She swallowed, the man his face was covered in blood and so was his left arm. Who knew who he was; maybe he had been just as innocent as she had been. On that moment the man's head fell down to the side. She jumped backwards and let out a small scream. All of a sudden the man jumped up and grabbed her arm, he held his gun right in front of her stomach. Scared to death she tried to escape.
"Stop moving around!" The man ordered and she did what he wanted.
"Please don't kill me!" She said with a small trembling voice.
"That depends on you," he whispered dangerously. His face wasn't far removed from her own and she could see her own terrified gaze reflect in the man's sunglasses. "Bring me to a telephone." He demanded.
She nodded quickly and started to walk to the main road. She thank god knew a telephone booth close by. But a question was repeating itself in her head. Why did the man ask her to bring him to a telephone, at the looks of him he could still walk pretty good and finding a telephone wasn't that much of a problem. It seemed ages before she finally reached the telephone booth. She had been scared shitless and still was, maybe the man was going to kill her. Maybe she would never come home again.
"There's the telephone," she said pointing to the thing. The man cursed and she looked at him afraid. "What's the matter?"
"Just, hand me the phone!" The man ordered, she grabbed the thing and gave it to him. He grabbed something out of his pocket and she recognised it as a coin. "Put it in!" She did as she was told. Not sure what was going on. "Are you smart enough to press in some numbers?" He asked, she nodded. He gave her a few numbers and she pressed the buttons on the phone. Maybe all kidnappers let the hostage do everything for them, but she doubted that. There was something wrong with this man, despite the fact he was a kidnapper of course. He began talking to someone on the telephone.
"Yeah, hello, I'm in the middle of fucking Mexico-" someone cut him of. "No! I can't wait!" He yelled. "Unfortunately that doesn't help me, does it!" He said, sounding very pissed off. Lina looked wide eyed at the man, afraid he was going to do something like shoot her. "Fuck this!" He almost screamed, throwing the telephone against the wall. Lina slowly did a step backwards and his head snapped to her side. "Where do you think you're going?" He asked. "You are going to bring me to those fuckers!" He pointed at the probably broken telephone. "I'm going to kill every last one of them." He whispered. Lina, who could barely keep herself standing out of fear, could feel her heart beat in her throat. She stared at the man. "What are you waiting for?" He asked her and quickly she walked towards him, not knowing where the hell she would end up.
TBC
Well, this was the first chapter. Tell me what you thought! What can I improve in the next chapter
Not much action and stuff, hope it wasn't that boring... (winks)
Again, big bless for Anouk! (Sue-AnneSparrow)
Everyone, read her OUATIM fic! It's fucking awesome!