"I hope you appreciate what it means to be alone, only then will I forgive you."
The burning end of a cigarette glowed in the darkness of the old tenement building. Six red eyes closed as he inhaled the burning tobacco and nicotine into his lungs. He let the smoke settle in his lungs for a moment and then exhaled allowing the wisps of ash to filter into the air. His two main eyes opened and studied the dingy ceiling overhead. Sitting up and rolling off his metal-framed twin bed, he stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray he kept on the bedside table. He needed something more than just a smoke...he needed a drink. Walking to his desk and opening the bottom drawer he pulls out a squarish bottle and a tumbler glass. Removing the stopper and pouring a small amount of the amber liquor into the glass he took a swig letting the alcohol burn down his throat while the subtle notes of almonds danced over his tongue.
"I hope you appreciate what it means to be alone, only then will I forgive you."
Why now…why now were his sister's final words bothering him. Those had been the last words Molly had ever said to him just scant days after her twin brother's funeral. After that, she just put her bags in a cab and left with no contact or any form of communication. Like Anthony, she was just gone...written out of the family...seen as legally dead.
It's not like he was the actual bad guy in all this, Anthony was the one that decided to use drugs to deal with his issues. If he overdosed on it, that was all Tony's fault, he had nothing to do with it...or did he? Drinking another sip of his whiskey he went over the logs submitted by the Caporegime associated with their family. Seeing how they matched to his own reports of family activity.
Festo's crew- Everything was good
Acacio's crew- There were a couple of jobs that weren't reported, that would require a meeting. Henroin, was not known to be lenient when it came to mistakes, the boss was not a big fan of the three-strikes rule. If you messed up, depending on the severity of the error he might give you only one pass and will be sure you understood this was your only chance. If you messed up again, there would not be a third time. The other Mafiosi often feared meetings, with good reason. Usually, he took care of the executions but occasionally Henroin would take matters into his own hands to set an example of what happens when he was mad.
Jose's crew-...
Niss downed the rest of his whiskey before he poured himself another shot. Running his hand through the shock of dark hair that hung in front of his face. Jose Croche had been a cousin of his age group, the son of one of his uncles on his mother's side. Anthony had been assigned as Jose as a recruit and later as a soldier. There was something about that assignment that just never sat well with him. After all, Jose was spoiled, entitled, and liked to stir up trouble. He also never missed an opportunity to pick on or belittle Anthony when they were young. Such as the time when he had been returning home from high school for the day.
1926
Lorenzo "Enzo" Ragno had just was heading to the brownstone he lived in with his father and brother. He had his studies to get to, joining the family for dinner, meeting Pops in his study, returning to his studies, and finally bed. The house had felt quieter ever since Molly had been sent upstate to live with an aunt about three years ago. Their father and grandmother had agreed that it was better for Molly to learn about how to be a proper woman. Normally all the stuff pertaining to womanhood would have been taught to her by their mother. Unfortunately, their mother had died in 1918 when his brother and sister were small children. And their Nonna was not as understanding about more current methods when dealing with feminine hygiene, so it had made sense that Molly should be sent to live in a place where she can be around and taught by other women.
Though it wasn't a stretch to assume the prime reason was to get Anthony to gain more of a male influence. It was known both Anthony and Molly were close, this wasn't altogether surprising since they are twins. However, it was that closeness that caused some behavior that could be interpreted as unusual. Anthony for instance never had much of an interest in the things boys of his age group were interested in. He would play with and try to show interest in the toys and things that were seen as proper. But he would always take more interest in what his sister was doing and would perpetually be her shadow. There were a couple of occasions where he had been caught admiring Molly's clothing or trying on some of her hats. The most problematic occurrence was how the two would curl together in the same bed. Even when Anthony had been told he needed to share a room with his older brother, it would still result in one of them joining the other during the night. At the time the action was seemingly innocent since the two of them were children. However, it was something that could be viewed as incestuous if allowed to continue. As hard as it was for them to accept, the twins had to learn to be apart...it was the only way they could properly learn what it meant to be who they were supposed to be. Still, even though Anthony was no longer surrounded by the trappings of a young girl there was still an effeminate quality about him. This was something that was noticed by other members of the family and would infuriate Pops as he would often cuff Tony across the face and tell him to grow a fucking pair.
Speaking of Anthony, he also should be done with his classes for the day and home as well. The younger boy had taken it rather hard that his younger twin had to attend that all-girls school upstate. She would visit during school breaks and holidays, but when she needed to go back it was like Anthony would lose part of himself all over again. Enzo tried to maintain their father's hard mindset when it came to his younger brother. After all, they were both expected to join the family and the mob lifestyle wasn't a life for soft-hearted people. As the parental sibling, he was expected to serve as a guide to get his kid brother to man up and accept there was not an easy life ahead of him. Still, he couldn't help but wonder if he was doing more harm than good.
When Anthony was old enough to be recruited there was no guarantee he would be ready to prove himself as a potential member of the family. Anthony was proficient with firearms and he could be a fierce fighter when he needed to be. Still, even Pops could see Anthony wasn't suitable as a Mafiosi and would verbally comment about how much of a disappointment his younger son was while the rest of the family...including Anthony were present. So why keep up the expectation? Why not send him upstate as well? It was because Pops didn't want to have any sort of weak points in his family. If Anthony couldn't be what his father expected he would be disowned...seen as dead to the family and forced to make his own way in the world. It could still be possible that Anthony could end up surprising them, but as of now, he didn't appear to have any potential beyond being a soldier if at all. The older boy paused as he caught sight of something up ahead, he saw a trio of boys from his school the leader of whom was their cousin Jose. All of them laughing and jeering at some person they decided to turn their bullying sights on.
"See this proves it," Jose had taunted as he used the heel of his shoe to grind the unfortunate person's face into the pavement. "Everyone knows fags like to eat shit. Eww, he even has it in his mouth. So, how's it taste you filthy dick-sicking queer?"
"Leave me...alone…" A familiar voice whimpered...Anthony's voice. Enzo considered intervening but stopped himself, Pops never saw any problem with Anthony getting bullied; often citing how he felt it built character. The old man even encouraged Enzo to be rough and domineering towards his younger brother. Something Enzo willingly did, believing his father's words that this would harden Anthony and prepare him for the life of the Mafia.
"What's that," One of the other boys teasingly said. "I couldn't understand ya over you crying like a little fairy."
"I said…'' the whimper became a growl. "Leave me...ALONE!" The boy who had spoken earlier doubled over grabbing his crotch as the person they were teasing punched him there. Another boy went down with a kick to the solar plexus. Revealing the twelve-year-old boy they had been picking on. Something brown was plastered in Anthony's golden-brown hair and smeared across the bronze olive-toned skin of his face. Even his school uniform clothing was stained with the stuff. Enzo hadn't needed to take any guesses at what it was, he could smell it from where he stood twenty feet away. He also could see the remains of a pile of dog droppings smeared over the pavement. Anthony gagged and spit out a wad of brown muck onto the ground. While the younger boy was readying for another brawl, Jose's eyes met Enzo's for the briefest of moments before he smirked and ran for it. As much as he had wanted to go after him, Lorenzo waited for his younger brother to decide what he was going to do. Anthony heaved a few more agitated breaths before he continued toward home. If he was aware of his brother he didn't spare him a glance. Though the slump of his shoulders told Enzo that Anthony was hurt that his brother had witnessed this moment of humiliation and had done nothing.
Enzo never spoke to Anthony about the incident he witnessed. What could he say after all this was his brother's battle to fight, wasn't it? When he had come home that evening Pops had not been happy with the smell of dog shit in the house. Even though Anthony had bathed several times and their grandmother had scrubbed him down with lemon juice and vinegar during a number of these bathing attempts. He wasn't quite free from the smell of dog for nearly a week. Even their grandmother's old-world cleaning methods couldn't rid the house of the putrid scent. A cleaning lady had to be hired to scrub down the house with bleach. The school uniform Anthony had been wearing also was beyond salvaging and had to be replaced and payment for both had been docked from Anthony's weekly allowance.
What was even worse was the disciplinary meeting regarding the event at Anthony's school. Jose and his friends had spread stories about the incident by claiming Anthony started the whole thing. They claimed they had been minding their own business when they caught sight of Anthony eating dog shit and smearing it all over his hair and face like he was crazy. He then caught sight of the three of them and launched into an unprovoked attack. It was obvious the story was a lie, but no one was willing to listen to Anthony's account of the event, instead he was lectured about how this behavior sets a bad precedent for their school's reputation and he would be disciplined for it. Pops had straight-up refused to hear Anthony's side of the story, even when Enzo had tried to speak up for his brother and say what he saw of the event their father had given him a glare that silenced him. He could only watch as his own brother was dragged into their father's study and the door was closed behind him. Impassively lighting a cigarette as he closed his ears to Anthony's cries of pain as the metal buckle of the leather belt struck him over and over again. The guttural growls of their Pops as he cursed his youngest son's existence. This was how life was for them...so why did he feel like the scum of the earth?
The blue murder screams coming from his phone took him out of his revelry. Picking up the phone he immediately responded knowing the person on the other end didn't like to be kept waiting.
"Sono Qui (I'm here)," He responded.
"Enzo," The voice of Henroin snarled on the other end. "What do you have about the shooting at Diego's place?"
"Nothing much to go on, Boss," Arackniss responded. "The other members of Diego's cartel only said some hooker claiming to work for Valentino showed up looking to complete a drug deal. They figured one of Val's male whores had decided to be too ambitious and do the job for him. So the Cartel intended to send Val a message by taking the money owed, having their fun with the whore and ship what was left of 'em back to the Porn Studio. That's when the hooker showed he came prepared for that outcome."
"Yeah, that's what I don't like," Henroin grumbled. "Whoever did this knew enough about how our operations were run. I can't afford to have some mobster wannabe coming in and ruining our business."
"If they were associated with the Cosa Nostra," Arackniss pointed out. "They've likely been erased. This all could be some soldier that felt they had something to prove and decided to do a captain-level job. But even a Caporegime woulda had enough sense to not go in there without backup at the ready. I don't know who actually erased Diego, but the fatal blow came from overhead, and that was likely done by someone else."
"No," Henroin growled with a hint of paranoia behind his tone. "This fucker...whoever they are is not just some jack-off Soldier who is more than a little wet behind the ears. This guy knew what he was doing. Perhaps he didn't erase Diego, but he was wanting to fuck with us. So, you find this so-called mother fuckin' whore and take care of 'em. Show them and whoever this piece of shit was really working for that they were poking the wrong spider's nest."
"It's been two months since then," Arackniss responded as he pulled a cigarette out of a cigarette case. Pulling a lighter he flicked it a few times to get it to light. He mentally reminded himself to get some lighter fluid for it soon, since it was taking longer for it to spark. "And there's been nothing further from whoever this person was, if they were wanting to cause trouble for us there would be more activity from them. I am still keeping the Capo on the lookout just in case something arises."
"See that you do," Henroin said. "While I have you on the phone...have you heard anything from Tony?"
"Tony," Arackniss asked?
"Yeah," Henroin responded with a bite of hatred in his voice. "Your worthless failure of a brother...Word on the street is that he has been running with Princess Morningstar."
"And he's also running with Valentino," Arackniss grumbled. "Supposedly the Princess is promoting this hotel that she claims is to help rehabilitate sinners. The Porn Star known as Angel Dust is participating in this project. Of course, not many of the boys realize Angel Dust actually is Anthony."
"Keep it that way," Henroin said. "I don't need to have the reputation of our family ruined by that slut. I've lost two valuable Capo because of him back when we were alive. If it wasn't for Molly interrupting when she did I would have given that queer-assed, puffball what he deserved."
"How could you Fratello," Molly's voice filled Arackniss's mind. "I asked you what was going on and you said it was nothing to worry about, how could you lie to me?! I trusted you, I thought things were fine. And now I find this...this is nothing to worry about?! Pops would have killed him if I hadn't intervened!"
"If Anthony is part of this whole joke the Princess has cooked up," Arackniss commented, as he got the lighter to flame up allowing him to take a drag on the tobacco stick. "He's probably just using it as a means to mooch off her. You know how he is; he likes to use people for his own advantage. I also have contact with him, if you want me to approach him for an interrogation, I can do that. Though the last time I did, we were interrupted by Valentino."
"Ah…" Henroin seemed to consider. "So, I need to check with the Moth Overlord. I have some things to discuss with our association anyway."
"Inteso (Understood)" Arackniss responded as he ended the call. Putting his phone down, he closed his eyes as he took another drag on his cigarette.
"You're aware Pops and the family knows about your affliction now."
"Don't say things like that! It's not an illness, Fratello...it's part of who I am."
"What you are is unnatural, Tony! You know what's done to people like you...what the family does to people like you. If you had any sense, you would have gotten yourself a beard, at least then you wouldn't be a fucking disgrace."
"STOP! Enzo, please just stop...I don't want to argue with you about this...just...just shut up okay. I want to be alone right now."
"Who...girl face over there, he'll be lucky if he even becomes a soldier."
"Your brother was born fortunate; you were fortunate to even be born at all. You would have been less worthless if you had been born a girl...at least Molly "has" her uses!"
Opening his eyes again he tapped the ash into a tray as he turned his eyes to the ceiling. As the memories of his own brother's despair echoed in his mind. It had been over seventy years since the Christmas season Anthony had overdosed. It was a memory that constantly haunted Arackniss throughout the two years that passed before he met his own end.
The holiday season of 1947 was a Christmas he would never forget. He had been going to pick up Molly at the train station when she arrived to join the family for the holiday. Anthony was normally eager to see his younger twin and would be adamant about being there to greet her when she arrived. But that one year it was different...and things would never be the same again.
Dec 17 1947
"Anthony," Enzo knocked on the door to his younger brother's room. "Molly's train will be arriving in forty-five minutes. I'm headed to the station, you comin'?" There was no response, which seemed strange. Usually, with anything that involved being with his twin sister, the younger man was there in a heartbeat. "Anthony...Fratellino..." Again, there wasn't any response, just uncharacteristic silence. Enzo started to go for the knob of the door to test if it was unlocked, he paused momentarily to question if he should even bother. It was likely his brother was just on a drug high...again. A bad habit he had picked up over the past several years since Luca Celani had been killed in unknown circumstances.
Anthony had been understandably distressed about Luca's death as the other man had been both a friend and lover to him. Enzo on the other hand didn't really know what to feel about it. Luca was a useful and well-liked Caporegime within their family, and his loss was unfortunate. But Luca was also in a relationship with Anthony, one that risked one or both of them being killed if it was suspected they were engaging in the unnatural unions that were performed by the queer community. Luca was bi-sexual so he was able to hide any sexual interests in men. Enzo had even made efforts in encouraging the other man to seek interest in Molly since she was in many ways a female variation of Anthony. The day Luca was found dead in his car, there was a photo of Luca and Anthony seated together at a coffee shop placed on the seat beside him. The photo wasn't intimate or suggestive in any way, but the words "The 'Fagno' Family are down by one" were scrawled in red ink on the backside of it.
A loud thud from within the room immediately prompted Enzo to turn the doorknob. He threw open the door ready to lay into his brother about this problem and how it had gone too far. Except, when he entered the room, it was empty, strange...he would have known if his brother had left the house, so where was he? There was an open bag of of white powder on the bedside table...Anthony never left his drugs in the open. Tony often claimed the drugs often helped him deal with the mob life. This wasn't unlikely since there were a number of guys in their family who used various drugs to self-medicate the stress they experienced as part of being in a crime family or facing off in wars against rival families. Even Pops felt that there was money to be gained in narcotics. Other families saw the drug trade as too risky as there was a twenty-year prison sentence for anyone caught marketing drugs.
He entered the room scanning the room for any sign of his younger brother. A choking noise brought his attention to the floor beside the bed. Enzo found Anthony sprawled on the floor, his body violently shaking as white froth spilled from his mouth.
"Lorenzo" Molly asked? She wasn't surprised to see her older brother there to greet her, what did surprise her was that he was alone. She looked about the grand central station, sometimes her twin liked to surprise her when she reunited with her family. Maybe Anthony had stepped off to the washroom and would be back in a minute. Though when he was on the train, she had a bad feeling that something was wrong with her brother. She and Anthony had always been in tune with one another ever since they were children. Neither of them could explain this connection or how they would know when something was wrong, but they always did. Even now she didn't want to believe that during the happiest time of the year, something had befallen her soul's other half. The grimmer than usual expression of her older brother's stern face confirmed her fears that something really bad had happened.
"Get your bags," Her older brother said as he started for the entrance to the station. "Tony's in the hospital."
"What happened," Molly asked? The heels of her shoes clicked across the marble tile as she raced after him. The jumble of voices of the people greeting loved ones around her was all white noise as she fell into step behind her older brother who remained silent about it. The two collected her luggage from the porter, Enzo took the heavier bags she had brought before he continued ahead of her in a business-like gate. People instinctively stepped to the side without a word to get out of his way. Reaching his black chevy coup he opened the hatch for the trunk putting his sister's belongings inside as Molly climbed into the front seat of the car. Closing the hatch, he took his place at the steering wheel.
"Fratello Maggiore," Molly said pleadingly. "Please...please tell me...what happened to Tony?"
"He…" Enzo sighed as if he was trying to figure out how to approach this delicately. "He may have overdosed." The horrified gasp told him all he needed to know. "Nothing is confirmed, but the doctors are doing what they can."
"Please take me to him," Molly worriedly implored. "Anthony is my twin, he's half of me. He would sense me there with him...I know it."
"I thought you would say something like that," Enzo said as he started the car and started to pull out of the parking lot to drive to the hospital.
The festive atmosphere of the world around them felt close to insulting for the brother and sister. The brightly colored displays in the stores. The distant croon of "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" or "Chestnuts Roasting Over an Open Fire" drifted from the cafes and shops as people walked about with their gifts for the season. The dulcet tones of Bing Crosby droned out from the Cadillac next to them.
"Christmas eve will find me
Where the love light gleams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams"
They couldn't fault everyone else in the city for being oblivious to the unfolding tragedy in their family's life, but their arrival at the hospital couldn't come fast enough.
Enzo passed some of the time waiting for news about Anthony's condition to make a few calls to people in the family. He doubted any of them would be all that surprised that Anthony had overdosed. Ever since Luca Celani was found shot to death in his car, Pops had been covering up the speculations that Anthony was homosexual. Saying that Anthony's associations with Luca only exposed the deceased Caporegime as a homosexual-leaning bi, there was no proof that Anthony himself was gay. This of course was only used to stop any of the other family bosses from assuming there was a weakness in the Ragno mob family. Even though the word 'Fagno' was a stain upon their family and the family business. Anthony was taken out of Jose's crew to be assigned as one of Don Ragno's enforcers. A ploy that made Anthony a prisoner under his father's command. The only other option was execution...a fate reserved for gays found within their ranks and anyone else who proved to be a liability. The only reason their father didn't order Anthony's execution was because of how it would look on him in the eyes of the family itself to order his own son's death. Umberto Andreioli their father's Consiglieri had even suggested that Anthony simply be arrested and sent to a psychiatric hospital under the suspicion of being a homosexual. That way he can be simply written out of the family altogether. Enzo however was aware enough of what was done to people sent to such places made an instant death far more merciful. He had seen what was done to correct him due to suspicions of him being gay as a teenager, the blank-lifeless dullness of his brother's face when Molly and himself had gone to get him. It was weeks before Anthony was able to be fully over the corrective treatments and even then, there was an underlying trauma that still remained.
Molly was the second reason that Anthony was being kept alive. She had married a hand full of years prior and now lived with her husband and his family in Hudson Valley. She knew about the abuse, and the drugs, but being a girl, she had minimal exposure to the Mob family itself. There had been times when she had implored her father, requesting that he let Anthony be released from his oath to the family. Their father had adamantly objected by pointing out that once pledged you belonged to the family for life however long that may be. Despite his daughter's pleading, Don Ragno would hear no argument and declared her twin brother had made his choice by swearing his loyalty to the family; she had to accept it as it was.
Sighing through his nose he left the phone booth to rejoin his younger sister in the waiting room. She was hunched forward in one of the chairs mouthing prayers to herself as the ivory beads of her rosary passed through her fingers. A nurse was watching her objectionably and was about to point out there was a small chapel down the hall for that sort of thing. But she was silenced into complacency by a sharp glare by Lorenzo as he silently sat down beside his baby sister keeping her company as they waited for news of their siblings. They, fortunately, didn't have to wait long as a doctor came in to visit.
"You both are here about the overdose patient that was brought in," the doctor said as he looked through a medical chart on a clipboard.
"Yes," Molly proclaimed looking up. "How is Fratello, is he alright?"
"Can you two come with me," The doctor sighed? He knew he was going to let them know some things that would be hard for them to hear if he could give them any other prognosis he would have. Of all the times, this had to be the worst time of year to receive such a painful outcome. Molly's face paled knowing this was not a good sign, Enzo calmly guided his sister along with him as they followed after the doctor's private office.
"Don't sugarcoat things for my sister's sake," Enzo informed. "Anthony is her twin brother so she is understandably distressed by knowing her brother is here."
"Then I must inform you both that I have good news," The doctor said. "But...there is also bad news I'm afraid. Your brother's condition was touch and go when he first arrived. Fortunately, we were able to get his condition stabilized...he is currently in a coma. I can't tell you if he will be able to awaken…"
"Anthony is a lot stronger than he looks," Molly defended impatiently.
"I am not doubting that ma'am," The doctor chided. "Yet, given the severity of the overdose. In the event he does awaken, there will be irreparable damage that could compromise his cognitive functions or his motor skills." Enzo closed his eyes knowing that their father would use this as an excuse to send Anthony to a psychiatric hospital and leave him there to be forgotten.
"And if he doesn't wake up," Enzo asked? He suspected the answer, but he needed to hear it.
"We can only keep him for so many days," The doctor responded. "After which he would be sent to a state-run facility to properly tend to him and keep him comfortable. Our staff will do what they can."
"Can we see him," Molly asked?
"I can only allow a few minutes," The doctor responded. "He is very weak following this event. It's the first forty-eight hours that are the most critical for people in his condition. We do have visiting hours from 9-3 Monday through Saturday, and Sunday from 12-2."
"That works for me," Molly said impatiently. "Please just let me see my brother."
"He is in a private room down this hall and to the left," The doctor responded.
"Go ahead, Sorellina," Enzo stated. "I will join you soon." Molly gave no response as she got up and left the room closing the door behind her. Once he was sure she was out of earshot Enzo returned his attention to the Doctor. "Okay, now that the skirt is out of the room, be honest with me. You have no beliefs that Anthony will recover, do you?"
"I try not to give false hopes regarding my patients," the Doctor sighed as he took out a cigarette and lit it. He offered the box over to Enzo who took one and accepted a light as well. "However, the overdose from what I have observed was very severe. It is possible that he could awaken, but the likeliness of that is quite slim. What drugs was your brother prone to using?"
"Where to even start with that shit," Enzo said with an annoyed hiss. "I've seen him use coke, occasionally opium, morphine... It helped him deal with things...if you get my meaning."
"I see," The doctor made note of these responses. Even though the notations were upside down, Enzo could make out the words 'Possible sufferer of the mental disorder of homosexuality.' "You may go see him, but you only have five minutes left."
Enzo said nothing in response. He just made his way down the hall his mind trying to process everything discussed. If he didn't wake up they would send him to a state-run nursing home, due to the doctor's report they might put him in a sub-par nursing facility or ship him to a mental ward. Even if he did wake up he would be sent to a psychiatric facility simply because Pops needed able-bodied soldiers in the family. And he wouldn't spend money to have a fucking brain-dead cripple looked after. Even if Molly volunteered to look after her brother, she still had enough to deal with as it was. He hadn't asked or commented, but when he had arrived to collect Molly from the grand central station, he had noticed the swell of his sister's stomach that suggested that she was blessed with a child.
Arriving at the room he looked in, the dim ceiling light made Anthony's limp unconscious form look even more ghostly pale and fragile against the stark white sheets. There were various tubes connected to his body, some to make sure his body didn't starve or become dehydrated. A ventilator mask would give off a disgusting hiss as it fed oxygin into Anthony's inert body. Molly was holding her twin brother's hand against her stomach while she softly told him in Italian that he would be an uncle in the upcoming spring. Enzo couldn't help but feel anger, how could...how could Anthony do this? To them...to his own twin sister. This was the time when their family was back together, he should have been at the station to greet her. He should have been overjoyed at the news that his sister was with child. Instead, he had devoted himself to turning to drugs as a crutch to deal with a life he was expected to follow. It was what he used to block out a world that would only see him as a sexual deviant. This is was not the actions of someone who was a victim, this was selfishness.
"You've succeeded in tearin' this family apart," Enzo growled out as he entered the room. He didn't know if Anthony could hear him from his comatose state, but dark haired man hoped his brother could hear every word he was saying because he would never forgive his brother for any of this. "Are you fucken' happy now?"
"Enzo..." Molly nearly shouted her older brother's name. "Enough...this isn't the time or place for this."
"Sorry to interrupt," A nurse said as she arrived to deliver a bag containing the clothing and things Anthony had on his person when he was brought in. "But visiting hours are over for today, you both can visit him tomorrow."
"Thank you," Molly said as she graciously accepted her brother's belongings. Once the nurse was gone Molly leaned down and lightly kissed her twin brother on the forehead. "Tony, I'm...I'm being told to leave you. I'll be here first thing in the morning' alright. I'll leave this with you so you will know that I am here in spirit." Gently she wrapped the cord of her rosary around her twin brother's wrist before she enfolded his fingers around the ivory crucifix.
The following week passed slowly. Molly would go visit Anthony from the moment visiting hours began to when she was told to leave. The times she was home she would spend it in her room, talking to her husband and going over what they could do for Anthony if by some holiday miracle he did came out of his coma. She refused to see or talk to her father and when Molly would talk to Enzo at all, it was often in a clipped tone. Even if Anthony was the one who chose to do drugs, their father and brother were also guilty of putting him where he was now. She couldn't prove they had anything to do with Anthony's condition, but they may as well have placed the drugs in his hands themselves. Pops had always been a bully who liked to push both of his sons around and abuse them for whatever reason. And while Enzo hadn't been as bad as Pops was, he didn't exactly do anything to improve things.
It was early in the morning of Christmas Eve when Enzo heard Molly leave her room. She walked back and forth on the hardwood floor of the hallway as though distressed by something before she traveled downstairs to the house's main floor. Sitting up Enzo climbed out of bed and pulled on his night robe to leave the room. He briefly met eyes with his wife Corrina before he glanced over to the metal folding beds where his sons Salvatore and Soriano were sleeping to make sure they remained so before he closed the door and traveled downstairs. Corrina also grabbed her own night robe and followed behind him. Molly was walking in circles around the living room and foyer, her rich golden-brown eyes were a clear indication that she was distressed.
"Something's happened to Anthony," The younger woman said her voice strained with tears. "I'm sure of it..."
"I'm sure he's fine," Corrina said dismissively as she arrived behind her husband. "Maybe you just had a nightmare."
"No," Molly insisted. "Anthony is my twin, we have always known when something is wrong with the other. Right now, it just feels like the part of him that is part of me is...it's just gone, I don't know how to explain it."
"Nonsense," Corrina insisted eyeing the younger woman with distaste, she had never had a particular fondness for either of her in-lawed siblings. If it was true that Anthony had died, the world would be better without a freak like him in existence.
"Corrina," Enzo turned to his wife. "Preparaci della cioccolata calda, se non ti dispiace. (Prepare some hot chocolate, if don't mind.)" The older woman's face soured at how her husband was dismissing her to the kitchen. She hotly obeyed not wanting to get into an argument with him that would awaken the other people sleeping in this house. She knew him well enough to be aware that when he spoke to her Italian, he was telling her that her presence wasn't needed or wanted. Once she was gone Enzo's attention returned to his sister, he also was skeptical of the supposed connection the twins shared. But he had seen enough growing up to believe that it was possible that his younger brother and sister did have some sort of understanding with one another that he would never fully comprehend. He was about to ask his sister if she was absolutely sure when the ring of the phone interrupted whatever he was to say. The two of them met eyes apprehensively before Enzo answered it.
"Hello," The voice of a hospital receptionist informed. "This is New York General hospital, with whom am I speaking?"
"This is Lorenzo Ragno," Enzo responded.
"May I inquire about your relation to Anthony Ragno," The receptionist asked.
"I'm his older brother," Enzo stated. "What is this about?"
"I'm sorry to inform you," The voice responded. "Your brother, Anthony Ragno passed away, his time of death was declared around 3:35 this morning."
"Anthony," Arackniss said his younger brother's name. He had considered texting his brother's number but thought better of it. His brother at already fooled him into believing he could change for the better. And he believed it only to find his brother was selling himself on the street. That he was continuing to do drugs despite promises that he would go clean. He had had enough of the lies, enough of the broken promises. He didn't want to be dragged into whatever mess Anthony had fallen into.
"Guardami, Anthony... ricorda... (Look at me, Anthony...remember...)"
"Fra...Fratello?"
"Sì, fratellino... riposati... mi prenderò, cura di te (Yes, little brother...rest yourself, I'll take care of you).
It seemed strange that Anthony had started working for Valentino about the same time they acquired association with the Overlord and a sizable plot of territory in the city. The times he would drop by his brother's apartment to find him gone for days...weeks on end. When his brother did return, he would have no explanation which only confirmed to Arackniss's suspicions that he was out entertaining Johns while on a drug bender.
Then before the recent cleanse, he had received a call from Anthony's landlord to ask if they still had a deal regarding the apartment. Anthony was gone...just packed up and moved to who knew where. Some girl he had been friends with-went by the name Cherri Bomb- had even dropped by and asked about the white-furred spider's whereabouts, He hadn't asked where Tony was going, nor did he care enough to see if he was coming back. But since the space was empty and no one was paying for it, the Rat Demon wanted to know whether their deal regarding the apartment was still on. Arackniss had only responded that the deal was off so he could do what he liked with the empty space.
Something was going on...something he didn't like and he would find out in one way or another.