Descent to Corruption

10

I try turning to the right in bed and I am immediately met with a sharp pain to my arm. Audibly moaning at the pain, I hear footsteps rapidly approach me.

A hand gently rests on my arm, "Bell? Bell, hold on let me grab the doc."

Blinking my eyes open, I can tell I am definitely not in my room where I originally thought I was. After a moment the crash and the events leading up to it come back to me and I feel my eyes widening as I remember the gunfight that occurred. And for the second time I find myself thinking, 'Who are the Rossi's really?'

A frazzled looking Nico rushes into the room followed by a portly bespectacled man. The other man, who I assume is the doctor, approaches me and after checking my injuries and asking all the necessary questions he all but runs out of the room.

At this point I have a stack of pillows placed behind me, by an ever so careful Nico, and I am able to take in the room I have been placed in. A big bay window at the foot of the room displays a forest of green, we're definitely not in the city anymore.

Nico is precariously perched on the bed to my left and now that it's just us I am able to see how he fared after everything. Dark circles line his eyes, he's covered in small, red scratches, and he has a tightly wound bandage that peeks out under his t-shirt around his bicep.

Just as I am scanning him, he does the same to me and after a minute he reaches a hand to my face.

"I am so sorry, you never should have been put in this position." He apologetically says.

"Nico, what happened? One minute we were fine and the next you and Luca have guns and are firing back- what... what are you guys involved in?"

I try to hold his gaze, but the moment I ask the burning question he looks steadfastly up and away from me.

After a long, heavy moment he finally responds.

"It's safer for you not to know then for me to tell you, can you just trust me on this?"

"Nico, I can't trust someone I don't know."

A heavy breath leaves him at my words and he nods his head in agreement.

"You're right, but that still doesn't mean I can tell you. Just know this is for your own good okay?"

My eyebrows furrow in frustration and I move to sit up, frustrated with his vague responses.

"Then I want to go home."

This has him finally turning to look at me and he immediately puts his hands on my shoulders, easing me back down to the pillows behind me.

"The doctor hasn't even cleared you to move around you can't just go home."

I pull his hands away from me and move to sit up again.

"If I'm only allowed to lay around I'd rather do it at home, now stop pushing me around and let me go."

Nico pulls his hands away from me and raises them as he hears the growing desperation in my voice.

"I didn't mean to push you around, but you really shouldn't be moving around so much. I promise I will try and get you home as soon as possible, just let me go talk to the doc real quick and see what we can do."

He waits until I nod in confirmation before making his way outside, shutting the door behind him.

I feel nauseous with the thoughts swirling around my head. Wanting some fresh air I stand up and lean against one of the bed posts. When I find some sense of stability I make my way to the windows lining the side of the room. As I move to open it I realize there's no latch to lift it open. The windows are all locked shut. I try not to panic as I move towards the door, but when I attempt to open the door, the knob is firmly stuck in place. The door has been locked too. 

I take one, two, three steps backwards as I slowly process everything. My head still throbbing from the accident makes this a gradual descent to panic due to the headache I carry. Hoping to find a phone I search both nightstands, but come out empty. My breaths start getting shallower and shallower as I struggle to think anything but the negative.

'They were in a gunfight that led to you all getting hit by a car, is kidnapping so out of the realm for the Rossi's?'

Now up against the opposing wall I slide down and clutch my knees to my chest as I try to steady my breathing. This is not the time to pass out, not when I don't know where I am, nor do I really know who I am with.

'Okay, okay you've maybe been kidnapped. Now what would Clark do?'

I see the door to the bathroom open and I amble up and over to it, still repeating my WWCD (what would Clark do) chant in my head.

The marble filled shiny bathroom fits with the extravagant room I was put in and after a cursory glance I start to dig through the drawers below the sink for something to defend myself with. Not finding any helpful I just grab the heaviest item, a full can of shaving cream, and make my way back to the bed.

I make it back just in time, as when I settle back down the bedroom door swings open. The same nervous doctor from earlier comes in alone and leaves the door cracked open behind him. I look at the door then back to the doctor who is busy looking inside the medical bag he brought in with him, and I begin to uncap the shaving cream from behind my back.

"Miss, I know you would like-"

Cutting him off, the hiss of the shaving cream goes off as I spray it into his face. Startled he steps back and trips, and before he can clear his face I am running out the door. I hear him exclaim, but I have the wherewithal to shut the door behind me so the noise is muffled.

Looking left then right I don't spot anyone, but I hear voices from the right so I decide to go in the opposite direction. The left hallway leads me to a set of stairs that when I hesitantly climb down them, still tightly clutching the metal shaving cream can, I end up in the kitchen. Somehow lucky enough to not run into anyone yet, I creep around the island towards the door that leads to the open forest in the back. This time when I try the door knob it does open and I don't let out a breath until I have it shut behind me and I am outside.

'Okay Clark got you this far, now with Bella brain- do we run into the forest and be eaten by bears or do we look for a vehicle to "borrow"?'

Not quite Jane of the Jungle I decide to risk looking for a more modern means out. A few minutes of creeping around outside results in me spotting the garage, it's manned by more than a handful of scary looking guys in suits. I watch them for a minute, trying to find a way in, but some type of signal goes off in their ear pieces that has them all sprinting into the mansion. I press tightly against the wall and when I look back they're all gone and the garage is free for me to run into.

'God, if you get me out of here I will buy Clark donuts from his favorite place, the one I have to wait two hours in line at.'

A squadron of brand new cars awaits me in the garage and I spot a key rack on the wall nearest to me. Snatching the first set I see I hit the button and follow the noise it produces to the car.

'Not only can I not drive that well, but I have to flee in a giant SUV?'

Shaking off my nerves, I jump up into the driver's side and peel out of the garage. I'm passing by the house when a figure jumps in my way. I slam on the breaks and spot one of the scary guys in a suit with his hand out in front of him. My window is up so I can't hear whatever he's saying, and I don't move to roll it down. I start to sweat when he waves someone else over and before more can join him I make the rashest decision of my life and I swerve around him onto the lawn. I jam my finger on the window button and when it rolls down enough I chuck the can of shaving cream at him and with a thunk it hits him square in the nose. I don't bother to see how bad I got him, instead flooring it out the long private driveway onto the main road. Only when I'm on the road for a few minutes do I finally take a deep breath in.

'What the hell has my life turned into?'

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* Hello everyone! I am so sorry to be so late with this update, I am slammed with work and life, and if I am being completely honest I do have a bit of writer's block. I am trying to get back into the swing of things, so please let me know what you think!