It was almost a saddening, depressing day following that night. Everything about the world seemed to have darkened, the sky was a canvas of dark gray clouds that seemed to bring the omniscient knowledge of approaching rain. The city was a dark hole in the world, the population seeming to become nothing more than faceless blurs, faceless shadows, and she was one of them. It looked so much like the first day she had met him, the man whom she had become incredibly close to, the man who seemed to own her, control her, but all in free willed passion. It was so much similar to the day she had met him on the bus, and it was that day that set the entire world into motion for her, and although her life has not been simple since that day, she had found a piece of Eden within that man, and has become addicted to that bit of paradise that has been supplied to her. All the while, though, her heart had belonged to another, a man of no remorse, of no mercy, of no pity. This man could easily care less for her than he could about the land he walked on. Yet, her loyalty had bound her to him, and she hated this fact. She brought herself into that world that this man gave her, and now she was searching for an escape out of it. She had to make a choice, but the choice wasn't anywhere near easy.
Heaven's Park. It was her favorite place in the entire city, though it wasn't a park as the name gave it to be. It was the center square of the city, monument and symbolized by the large fountain of two angels perched upon a pillar, staring down at the people passing by, playful creatures of joy and happiness, seeking the thrill of a childish and innocent game of hide-and-seek between themselves on the onlookers upon them. It was a sweet image to behold, as the angels clamored on the pillar, streams of water poured from the tips of their wings and into the large pool beneath the pillar. It was lovely, as was the stones that crafted the statue, as was the trees that surrounded it, as was the beauty that graced this area. Yet, today, that beauty had disappeared. That grace had faded, and the storm-gray skies seemed to only match the darkness and gloom within the woman's own rain gray eyes. Even though a place like this—the place she had her first kiss, the place where she and her little girl would always come, the place her father used to bring her before he passed on—would bring bliss and delight to the woman, not today. Today was not a pleasing day. Today was not a cheerful day. It certainly was going to be a memorable one. It was going to be a day that neither she nor anyone else around her would ever forget.
It was last night, a night that was fitful and restless, that she had made a decision, a decision that would affect the rest of her life, and even now, as she stood by the fountain, prepared to go through with it, she was second-guessing herself, voices raging in her mind, doubting her or encouraging her. This was something she had been thinking about all night—next to that amazingly passionate and lustful kiss that the man shared with her just outside her apartment door. She had called someone just before she went to bed, making the life-changing decision right there and then, but she didn't know whether to call one man, or the other. She just seemed to be controlled by something when she dialed the number, and the being spoke through her on the phone, and then, without another word, she went straight to bed, but it was a futile attempt at trying to relax and clear her mind, as she was doing nothing but tossing and turning, trying to think logically if she was making the right decision on this. She had to think of her little girl, she had to think of that child's safety, she had to think of her own safety, and her own sanity. She knew if this game continued, the two of them would be lost forever.
"Hey! Hey, beautiful!"
She was at once brought out of her thoughts, and brought back into reality when she heard a familiar voice call to her, a voice that had haunted her dreams and followed her in the deepest pits of her mind, controlling her, manipulating her. She couldn't have that with her all her life. She needed to get rid of it. And there was only one way of doing that. She saw the man approach her, the man that seemed to always be there—the dreaded serpent that had tempted her and tricked her many times before. Finally, she was making the decision to pull away from him…to move forward, and leave him far behind.
The man that came was the same man in her nightmares, the same man with the dark skin, the dark hair, the dark—threatening, warning, deadly—eyes. At the sight of this man, whether in her subconscious mind or in reality, her heart would pound and throb painfully in her chest, and even threaten her of a life-threatening heart attack. But not this time. As she looked at this man, as she stared at him, she felt her heart race, but not in fear, not in suffering. If anything, she was nervous. She wasn't afraid…not anymore….
"Julian! Thanks for coming!" she smiled at the man, trying to seem calm, trying to maintain her composure, but under all the stress and nerves, she was breaking—slowly cracking under the pressure of her decision.
"Yeah, no problem. I wanted to see you, anyway," the man grinned at her, but she knew, she had always known, that under that grin was the real monster inside him, the grin was nothing more than a mask to hide the true being within. She was so used to wearing a mask herself, but pieces of it had fallen, and now the mask was coming down, as was her guard.
"…I want to see…."
She shook her head, trying to keep the other one's voice out of her head for the time being. If everything goes well and exactly according to plan, she would go to him later, she would hear his voice later.
"There's something I want to talk to you about," the words seemed to flow out of her mouth naturally, though they were forbidden words, words that were never meant to be expelled from between her lips. She shuddered a little at how strange the sensation of the words left on her, but she had to restrict these feelings and allow herself to get control of the situation. It would be the first time in her life that she had control over anything.
"Alli, baby, I missed you so much!" It was as if he hadn't heard a word she had said, and he approached her at a quick pace, but she stepped back away from him, trying to maintain the same distance between the two of them as possible. Another reason she had asked the man to meet her here is because out of any other place in the city, besides the banks and monumental buildings, Heaven's Park was the most secured and guarded place in the city, as police cars were always parked on the roads surrounding it, and already, during the fifteen minutes she had been here, she had seen three authority figures passing by. If anything were to happen, she would scream and yell for help, and there would be no way of getting hurt by this man—wish she had thought of this plan before.
"Julian, we really need to talk!" she declared to him, trying to maintain eye contact with him, while every thirty seconds she would look out of the corner of her eye to make sure there was at least one police officer around. He paid no attention to her body language, her tone of voice, or the serious look on her face, as he tried to step forward to her, but once again, she backed up—into the base of the fountain. Some might say this was her being cornered, but as a child, she had walked along the base and platform of said fountain, so much so she had learned to balance herself on it and even possibly run across it in order to get away from something—or someone. It was the only thing in this entire world that she could somehow balance herself on.
"What's wrong?"
She saw his lips move, reading them clearly, and at last, he was understanding that she had not called him here for a romantic date for the two of them. She meant business, and she wasn't going to leave until she had finished what she had started—no matter what happens. She was going to say the words she had been dying to say for so long.
"Baby, what's the matter?" Julian asked of her, trying to sound sweet, kind, and gentle. His tricks were not going to work. Not this time.
"Many things, Julian. I'm tired of pretending everything is alright. I'm tired of pretending to everyone. I'm even tired of pretending to myself," she started off, trying to find the very words that would strike him and hurt him just as much as he had hurt her. He looked at her, confused, but he gave a glare that meant he was going to try and manipulate the situation into his own.
"What are you talking about?" he asked of her in that same false tone, the same sickening sweet tone that only made him nothing but disgusting.
"I'm talking about me, you—us! I'm tired of everything! You really don't care about me! You never had! I had to take care of myself—and even then I failed! I'm tired of putting my life on the line just to be with you—and Sophia's! I'm scared of having you come over and letting Sophia see what you're doing to me! She's already seen it once! I can't let it happen again!"
"Alli, you're freaking out! What are you saying? You're not making sense," Julian tried to control her, he tried to influence her, but not this time! He wasn't going to hurt her anymore!
"No, everything else doesn't make sense! I'm sick and tired of getting hurt one day, and then have you tell me lies the next day! You're never sorry! Sorry means not doing it ever again! But you keep doing it!"
"Bitch, you're on something! I think I need to get you some help!"
"No, Julian! You need the help! You're the one that's wrong! I'm moving on with my life, I'm going to make things right for my little cousin, and for myself! Unfortunately, this plan for my life that I have…it doesn't include you!"
There it was! The very words that she needed to say, because the moment she said it, the sadistic grin, the cocky smile, the arrogant glare, it all shattered into a million pieces, and at last she was seeing him, she was seeing her boyfriend—her now ex-boyfriend—for what he really was. A monster. He was nothing more than a monster. She didn't know where this courage of hers came from, but she was at last able to stand up to him, and by standing up to him, she was standing up to all of them. These words that she spoke were the very words that needed to be heard by all the men she had been with, all the men that have hurt her, that have abused her, that have degraded her. They all needed to hear it, and by saying these words, she was letting it go. She was letting it all go…and she was at last free of the bond they had over her. The chains were broken, the shackles were unlocked, and she was at last free….
"Allison, what the fuck are you saying?!" Julian's voice was trembling, it was breaking. He—like so many others before him—would not expect her to actually break up with him, he did not expect her to suddenly find this strength within.
"I'm saying…I'm leaving you, Julian! I don't want you around me anymore! I want you to leave me alone, and if you come to my apartment, if you follow me, if I see any of your friends around me, I will call the police, and I'll have your ass in prison!" she threatened him. The anger that erupted in his face was monstrous, and in a flashing second, he had sprinted to where she was, and firmly grabbed her arm. His grip squeezed her bicep, and she cried out in pain as flares erupted from her healing contusions. She looked the man in the eye—the cold, murderous eyes—and she saw within them anger, hate, rage, and the demonic emotions that no human could possess.
"YOU STUPID FUCKING WHORE! I'M GOING TO KILL—"
"Is everything alright here?"
Time stood still, and it was in fact the most nerve-racking moment in the woman's entire life. She felt as if comfort had swept over her, warmth, shelter, and the moment that she felt these feelings, that she heard that familiar voice, she looked to find herself staring straight into the familiar eyes of a man whose face was kind and strengthening. No, not the man that she had dreamt about, but another…his brother. Costa Sarantakos stood over them, and his eyes—the same dark eyes as his younger brother's (A/N)—were watching the scene of them two.
"Yes, everything's fine here, man," Julian quickly lied to him, but he gave Alli a dark, murderous glare, threatening her to agree with him, and he backed up his threat by squeezing her arm painfully. She let out a whimper, but maintained her serious composure and turned to the brother of the man she adored.
"Actually, could you help me?" she asked of him, and he at once understood what she meant, what she was trying to say. From the event that happened at the night club two nights ago, he finally knew who this opposite man was threatening her. Instead of getting involved, he made eye contact with a passing-by officer, and signaled the officer over. Julian witnessed to this, and he released Alli's arm—a new bruise was starting to form over the yellow mesh of her skin.
"Is everythin' alright over here, lassie?" The officer spoke with a thick Irish accent, but in his pale face was a look of security and protection, a look that many officers should possess nowadays. She looked from her former boyfriend to Costa, and then back to the officer.
"No, officer. Could you walk me back to the streets? I think I would like to call a cab and get home," she told the authority figure, who grinned happily in helping her.
"Of course," the officer then spoke to the radio clipped on his shoulder, and then gestured for the woman to follow him. Costa, though, grabbed her shoulder, and spoke to the bigger Irish man.
"If it is alright, I would like to come with her," he spoke.
"Is that alright with you, lassie?" the officer asked of Alli, who nodded without even thinking. She knew she could trust Costa, as she could just as easily trust his brother, Christopher. As the three of them walked away, Julian called out to her, yelling at her.
"Alli! Alli, you can't just leave me! You're my girl! You love me!" he yelled back at her, and she stopped for a second, trying to think of some way to stop this madness. Costa looked at her, and he saw in her eyes the very answer to what he was about to ask. She turned back to her ex-boyfriend, standing by the fountain, a look in his eyes that was clearly deranged, and she could only say one thing.
"Goodbye."
With that she turned and walked side-by-side of her friend as they followed the officer towards the streets. In her mind, everything was calm and peaceful. It's over. It's finally over. I'm free. Freedom was so breathtaking, so relaxing, she couldn't help but close her eyes and take advantage of the softness of the wind on her face, the cool air of the day. It wasn't a cheerful day, it wasn't a saddening day, but it was a day she would never forget, as it was the start of a whole new life for her, for her child…and possibly for her new boyfriend….
"So, are you going to go back to your apartment now?" Costa had openly asked of her when the two of them were inside of the cab, driving off to who knows where. Alli was so lost in her thoughts she couldn't think straight, she was just enjoying this moment of freedom, realizing how much different she felt now than she had many times before.
"I don't know. I promised someone I would see them as soon after I had done this. I think I need to see them before I go back home," she told the man simply, trying to conceal the fact that the person she wanted to see, more than anything, was his own brother.
"Well, alright. Do you want me to come with you?" he asked her, offering her protection. She gave him a look—a simple, defining look—that told him everything that he needed to know. He smiled. "It's Criss, isn't it?"
She nodded. It felt so amazing to finally speak of him and not feel guilty or ashamed. She was free at last to be with him, to follow him. She would follow him to the ends of the earth if she had to.
"I was wondering why he was acting weird last night."
"What do you mean?" she was curious all of a sudden as to the man's words. He beamed at her slyly, the same cocky grin that his brother would always give her. Yet, his was so much more different from Christopher's.
"When Criss came back to the hotel, he was acting distant and off in his own little world. Plus, he was muttering to himself. I didn't quite catch what he was saying, but I kind of figured it had something to do with you, as he was saying 'she' and 'her' a lot," Costa admitted.
"How do you know he was talking about me? He could've been talking about someone else. For all I know, he could've been talking about his ex-wife," Alli pointed out, and Costa chuckled a little at her words.
"I doubt he was talking about JoAnn. He hasn't talked about her in a while. Plus, what other woman could he have possibly been with all yesterday?" he remarked back to her, and her face flowed red at the realization that not only was she with him the night before, but in the morning, and then again in the afternoon. She really put herself out there, provoking or taunting any possible relationship when all she was trying to do was create a mutual friend status with him. But then again, a mutual friend wouldn't wear his jacket, a mutual friend wouldn't sleep in the same bed as him, a mutual friend wouldn't get so romantically cozy with him in the park, and a mutual friend wouldn't share such a powerful, impious kiss with him. At this point, she had blazed past the "mutual friend" status, and was working her way quickly to "lover."
As the cab drove off towards the hotel that the Sarantakos and Angel crew were staying at, she felt her heart abruptly start to pound into her head and vibrate through her body. She was nervous, her body trembling, and she wanted so bad to turn the cab around and head towards her apartment.
"Allison, when you leave him…I want you to run to me…."
His voice was ringing in her ears, and it continued to do so as she clamored out of the cab and onto the curb in front of the hotel. The hotel wasn't as glamorous as it had been two nights before. The night made it look so beautiful, whereas during the day, it looked like a simple, ordinary building, no different from the rest. It was strange how the night made everything look different, during the day made everything look plain and ordinary. Was that how she looked during the day? Wasn't she any different from everyone else? So…why was this man, this illusionist, this mystifying, talented, strong, and charming man so interested in her?
"Are you alright?" she blinked and saw Costa standing in front of the entrance door. She nodded, and walked with him into the hotel lobby. She felt the warm lights stream over her, the colorful displays of paintings and portraits on the sand-colored walls fade into blurs, the tempting sofas and scarlet furniture suddenly blending in to their surroundings, and she felt her body pull her towards the hallway where the elevators were. Costa was quicker than she was, and before she stood by him, the elevator doors swung open, and he stepped in—she practically tripped over her own feet trying to get inside the chamber—and the doors closed quickly behind her. The chamber moved upwards with the two of them in it, and she giggled a little from excitement. Apparently, he could see that she was.
"Do you want to surprise him?"
It was an idea that lingered on her mind, and she grinned cunningly, the idea forming thickly in her mind. Her smile gave it away, and then she told him about the idea she had while they had time in the elevator. It would be good payback for the trick Criss pulled on their mother earlier. Costa seemed to enjoy this sneaky idea, and the moment the elevator stopped, the plan was put into action. The elevator doors opened, and the two of them stepped out from the chamber, and walked quickly towards the appropriate doors in the hall. Costa gestured Alli to hide behind a pillar in the wall just around the corner, far enough to not be seen, but close enough to hear everything in the room. She couldn't stop smiling from excitement, but she had to keep quiet, or else the trick wouldn't work. She watched as Costa approach the door, and he opened it up, giving himself the perfect mask of grief and sorrow, and then he walked straight into the room, yelling out to the people inside with mourning in his tone. He was actually quite believable.
"Criss! Christopher! It's—it's—"
"Costa, what's wrong?!" Christopher's voice came out in distraught and stressed tones, and it was actually breaking Alli's heart a little by hearing it.
"Christopher, Alli—Alli—"
"Costa! Costa, what's wrong?! What about Alli?!" Alli could hear JD freaking out, as well, but she was more curious about the look, the expression, on one particular man's face.
"Christopher! CHRISTOPHER! ALLI—ALLI IS—"
Costa broke out in sobs—fake sobs—as he tried to pull the prank off without fault.
"Costa! COSTA!" Dimitra was screaming her lungs out, trying to get her son to spill whatever it was he was trying to say.
"CHRISTOPHER! ALLI IS DEAD!"
"WHAT?!" There were more than just one voice speaking at that moment, but none of them matched Criss'. Alli stood at the pillar listening closely, but it was a lot harder than reading someone's lips. She tried to crane her neck to see into the hotel room or at least hear a little better, but she couldn't hear any sound that belonged to the provocateur.
"I'm sorry, Christopher. I'm so…so sorry…."
"Alli…" there was his voice, but there was grief in it, sorrow, mourning, emotions that she had never heard a man express before for her. "She's dead?"
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Christopher! I went to the apartment and—there was Sam, and—the police were there—and I got there just as—just as they were taking her away! He killed her, Criss! That fucker killed her!"
There was a sound that escaped from the apartment. It was inhuman, loud, raging, and angry. It was like a roar of some kind to come from a beast. Alli actually recoiled when she heard it, and something in the pit of her stomach told her that it had came from Christopher.
"Criss! CRISS! CALM DOWN!"
"SHE'S DEAD! SHE'S DEAD! THAT MOTHER FUCKER KILLED HER! SHE'S DEAD!"
"CHRISTOPHER!"
"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! I WON'T BELIEVE IT! SHE'S DEAD!"
"CHRISTOPHER! STOP IT!"
"NO! SHE CAN'T BE DEAD! I…I—"
It was the perfect moment to come in and put all the misery and chaos to rest. She hadn't realized that the man would lose control of himself so much. She hadn't predicted that he would react this way. They had only known each other for a short amount of time, yet he was reacting as if they had been childhood friends. She darted from behind the pillar and raced into the open hotel room. She didn't even have to think, she just felt and acted on her thoughts and instincts. She felt that she had to do this, she had to show him that she was alive, she was free, and she wasn't afraid anymore. She didn't even met his eyes when she raced through the living room and flew into his arms, immediately flung her arms around his neck, and pressed her lips against his, gentle, soft, but it was enough to silence his words, and show him that not only was she alive, she was free at last. It was a brief kiss, but it was enough to fill the room with gasps, and she didn't even see the stunned, surprised look on his face when she pulled away and whispered softly to him.
"Don't worry, Criss. I'm here...at last..."
-Liz Comic-
Liz: Okay, I put an (A/n) next to a text in this chapter because I'm not entirely sure if what I had put was true. Okay, in the case of the Sarantakos family, which of the three brothers is the oldest, and which is the youngest? That is something I've been wondering about since I started this story, and I really don't want to claim something about Criss Angel that is false--besides everything else that I've put in here.
Crys: She's too lazy to do her research.
Liz: No, I'm serious. I got two Mindfreak DVD sets for my birthday, and nothing in there said anything about which brother was the oldest, youngest, or middle child. For a while I've been thinking Christopher was the youngest and Costa was the oldest, leaving JD to be the middle child. I would love it if someone could correct me about that, that way I can go and fix my story.
Crys: Didn't it say that on the website you looked at and use as reference for the story?
Liz: No, Wikipedia doesn't say anything about it. It just says JD and Costa are his brothers.
Crys: Didn't it also say something about his wife???
Liz: Yeah, but I really don't care about her. (Just kidding, JoAnn, if you're reading this. I'm a basic fangirl, so I am jealous of you a bit. At least I'm willing to admit it.)
Crys: Maybe you should go back and watch your DVDs again.
Liz: Do you know how long it took me to watch them the first time?!?! I spent all yesterday in my room, and I stayed up all night, too! I still haven't finished watching them!
Crys: Then that's why you don't know which brother is oldest or youngest.
Liz: No, I don't, but I've seen those episodes before, and they don't mention it in them. Those of you who are reading this, if you could help me out, I'd very much appreciate it!
Crys: She would also request that you would review this chapter and give your opinion on it. Me, personally, thought it was sweet at the beginning but then corny at the end. That wasn't even funny, and it made no sense.
Liz: Yeah, well, I could care less about what you think. I care more about what THEY think.
Crys: Who is "THEY"?
Liz: THEM! My readers! The people who actually keep me motivated by reading and reviewing this story! People like Tempting.Seductress and mrazfreak! People like Miss Anonymous and everyone else who reads and reviews my story, (you know who you are, I'm just too lazy to write down more names, but I want to thank all of you, even those who will remain anonymous).
Crys: What would happen if they all stopped reading and reviewing this story? What would you do?
Liz: I'd die. Honestly, I don't think it's worth working on something that no one gives a shit about. I mean, why should I care about something I wrote if no one wants to read it. It's the same thing if I have something to say and no one hears me.
Crys::::la la la la:::: I'm sorry, did you say something?
Liz: I swear to God, you are like Lucifer from Hell!
Crys::::in demonic voice:::::: What gives you that impression?
Liz: O.O O.O :::::gulp, holds up crucifix for protection:::::::