Chupacabra | 18+ | ✔️

▪︎■ 04 ■▪︎

My mother sighed. "Don't say that, amore. I know you're scared, but your father can take care of himself."

Tears formed in my eyes and before I tried to blink them away my mamá noticed and hugged me. I was caught by surprise but hugged her back eventually, nuzzling my face inside her neck.

She pulled away and ruffled through my hair, then fixed the tie she made me wear for Christmas. A habit I didn't like at all.

"Mummia, stop! I'm a big boy already!"

"Ti amo, amore mio," she smiled, trying to uplift the heavy feeling inside my chest.

"Ti amo," I answered, trying to give a smile in return.

The sound of the door bell caught my attention and my mood lifted instantly.

It's dad, finally!

I ran towards the door and grabbed the cold metal knob to open it. The footsteps from my mom were numb in the background, therefore I only recognized her when I felt her hand on my shoulder. A man was in front of me and when I looked up at his face, I recognized my uncle. He looked so much like my father, it was remarkable.

"Zio!" I shouted, joyful. He laughed before taking me into his strong arms to hug the air out of me. (uncle)

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop opening the door, Adrin!" My mother lectured, frowning. She then noticed the brother of my padre and smiled to greet him.

"Buonasera fagmilia! I thought I could visit my nephew and his beautiful mother! After all it's Christmas and my brother and I are done working, si?"
(good evening, family)

"Where is dad?" I asked, tugging on his leather jacket. He motioned towards the garage on the side. "He is parking my car because he thinks he does a better job. You know how he is sometimes..."

My mother laughed. "Typical for him, indeed. Now come, come inside before we're freezing out here in the snow!"

He nodded and let my mother and me get inside first. I smiled to myself, happy about the opportunity to spent a decent Christmas in the end. I halfway turned, when a sudden sound pierced through the air.

A gun.

I fully turned and everything seemed to happen in slowmotion. My uncles eyes looked at me, widely open in surprise and his eyes went down to look at his chest. I followed them and saw a dark spot on his sweater, slowly growing. My eyes watered, my body got the situation before my mind could've comprehended.

He stared at me for a few heartbeats before his body fell to the floor. When the sight through the door became clear, I saw a black car that drove away oddly fast, one window open. Only for the quickest heartbeat I saw a pair of brown eyes and a smile that made my gut wrech. This little, supposedly insignificant moment burned into my memories, never letting me forget him. I felt someone behind me pulling me onto the floor, the body shielding my own.

My uncle got shot? Why? Who? What happened to my dad? Is zio dead? Will he be fine?

A thousand thoughts ran through my head all at once but when the rush died down slightly, everything happened incredibly fast.

My father came running inside with a gun in his head, scanning the floor, seeing us, healthy, and lastly his bleeding brother. He fell to his knees before my zio, trying to feel his pulse. His face was twisted with pain and destructing sadness.

My mother took me and hurried to a safe room so I couldn't see anything more.

Just seconds ago I hugged my dearest uncle, a man that was there for me since I could remember, and now screaming and crying pierced through the house. My tears fell silently in shock. The heartbreaking sobs and cries came from my father only.