Piccoletto

The Path to the Ocean

Luca woke up the same way he did the last time. With pain. Everything hurt. He slowly came to as he was laid on the ground, stomach touching the cellar floor. Instead of immediately getting up like he had the last time, Luca didn't want to move from his position from the pain. He was perfectly positioned over his bruise, which ached painfully with every breath. And the more his vision came back to him, the memories from what seemed like hours prior to collapsing began seeping back.

The pills. Luca was certain it had to have been the pills that made him pass out. Luca had never felt so dizzy before, but he was glad it was gone.

Ercole drugged him! Luca couldn't believe how stupid he was to hide the pills under his tongue and not even pretend to swallow. But there was one good thing. Luca didn't feel any more pain from waking up that he already had before falling asleep. Right before collapsing, Luca was terrified at the thought of what Ercole could do while he was asleep. But maybe Ercole had kept his word, saying he just wanted to keep Luca silent.

Luca felt ready to sit up, so he put a palm to the floor and began to push. He was immediately interrupted with a searing pain in the center part of his back and he collapsed back onto the floor with a sudden intake of breath.

Something in his peripheral vision moved, and he realized he wasn't alone.

"Sleep well, Piccoletto?" the haunting voice said from behind him.

Luca let out a cry. Nothing had hurt him that badly, but the sound of Ercole's voice was enough to make him physically sick with trauma and pain.

A large hand gripped Luca's side and flipped him over onto his back with a heave. Luca opened his eyes to see Ercole crouching over him, his other hand holding a swiss army knife to his chest. The little knife was sticking out, and a bit of red on the blade alerted Luca that the tip must have been inserted into his skin when he had tried to get up mere moments earlier.

"You didn't answer me," Ercole said, setting the point of his knife down onto Luca's skin. "Did you sleep well?"

Luca understood perfectly what Ercole was doing. He'd have to speak unless he wanted to be penetrated by the knife, so he defeatedly took a breath.

"Yes," Luca said through gritted teeth, as he felt Ercole put pressure down on the knife. Ercole smiled at his power over Luca.

"Good," he said with a cruel smile. "It's almost dark out, Piccoletto, which means you and I are going out to catch a sea monster!"

Luca stifled a gasp. "A sea monster?"

Ercole sat up and snobbily smiled. "Exactly, Piccoletto. Seeing as I am with the expert after all."

Luca wracked his brain for times he had ever mentioned sea monsters to Ercole. Did Ercole know? Had Ercole always known? Wait. . . that night with Alberto. The night where Alberto had hinted at it. Luca began to understand what had happened.

"You were there," Luca said, beginning to panic. "You were there that night, weren't you?"

Ercole scoffed. "Yes, I was there, Piccoletto. I know you've seen them. And now, you are going to take me to them."

Luca began to cry. Not out of the fear that Ercole would find out about him, but out of the fear that he may hurt the people he grew up with.

"No!" Luca cried, immediately shutting out the idea. "We were lying! Alberto and I- we were just joking around! We've never seen- ARGH!"

Luca screamed as the tip of Ercole's knife was pushed shallowly through his skin, and stayed put within his chest. Ercole smiled viciously.

"I don't like liars, little boy," Ercole said, dragging the knife backwards through Luca's skin. "I especially don't like when they stop me from getting my rewards."