❝𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧❞

22 | pomegranate seeds

authors note:

y'all.

guys, from this chapter on, the Bernardi brothers perspective's will not be written until the second book, and yes there is a second book coming after several more chapters, but that's not the point. i know it will be infuriating for some of you not to see the other perspective but what makes the story the story itself is Florence's perspective. it will be okay, do not worry, just please be patient. thank you again for the support!

Florence's P.O.V:

How long can a human survive without thinking? I had been in my bunk, curled up in my thin blanket for hours on end. This was probably the first thought I've had in a while, I stopped asking questions that couldn't be answered.

I looked around my room in disbelief, thinking of how unreal it felt in be in this moment. Only a few months ago my biggest worry was high school drama. Now I was a shell of my former self, forced to parade in a mask that doesn't fit.

The girl who used to laugh to herself at the most random moments had turned into someone who stabbed someone in a fight, a girl who couldn't protect her own brother. I had blood on my hands, no matter how clean I scrubbed them.

I opened the door to see a silent hallway, I slowly stumbled over to the cafeteria. I spent so much time in that cramped space, I forgot how to walk. I had to remind myself I was human, and had needs. I walked by the Cruz's old room and stared at the door, some part of me felt like they were still there somehow, despite the fact they were quickly replaced by another trainer.

Use and throw.

Some people were staring at me as I walked into the cafeteria, either in mockery or pity. I didn't care about either, I needed someone to tell me I wasn't the person I am starting to think I am. I painfully smiled to myself as I got an apple, just as Layla told me to on the our first day.

I thought of how she would always take a bite and her face would sour, every morning she would throw it out, she never learned. I thought of how Adrien would hand her pomegranate seeds that he handed picked for her. Every morning he would pick out the seeds, just for her.

I gazed at the section of fruit, specifically at the apples. Perhaps the Don was right about me, in this life I was the apple. I appeared intact until you turned me over, and then, a soft spot. I couldn't rely on my nature anymore, I have to let it go.

The new trainer ran into the cafeteria, frantically looking for somebody. As soon as she saw me she started to run to me but was tackled to the ground by a bullet, falling to my feet.

I got down to help her, but she pulled me close and started shaking me, pretending to be angry but her facial expressions did otherwise. I tried to pull away but her grip was strong and intent.

"Safe. Safe. Safe." she said repeating over and over again, "They're safe, okay? C. R. U. Z." The door was ripped open and she was dragged out by guards, as the the rest of them yelled at everyone to go back to their rooms and stay inside.

The pieces started falling into place.

C.

R.

U.

Z.

SAFE.

Cruz's are safe.

It was a code in disguise. I knew they would have found a way to me somehow.

Adrien would always be trying to solve word puzzles, with me, claiming it would strengthen my mental capacity or other nonsense. I should've known, the timing was perfect, they had been waiting for a reason.

As we started being herded back into the hallway, I heard screams coming from the end of the hallway. The trainer kept screaming and trying to fight off the guards, despite her injury from the gun. A guard pushed me back and blocked my view, but soon after I heard a silenced gunshot. 

I didn't hear her anymore.

Anger boiled through me, she lost her life trying to help me. All of this was pointless, more people kept dying. What was the Don's plan, and why am I so important to it?

-

It had been well into that night before the sirens started. "Breach. The building has become unsecured. Breach" kept repeating over and over again on the intercoms. My door had become locked for the outside, but I heard keys outside opening it. I quickly put on Ezra's necklace, and a grabbed a gun and a jacket.

The guard grabbed my hand and pulled me out the hallway, everyone else apparently had been taken to the cafeteria, but we ran past the cafeteria as I heard a machine gun being fired and people screaming and running to the door. More guards started to come up near us now, as we were lead outside to get-away cars. I saw some people from the cafeteria escaping, but were quickly beat to by fighters in tactical gear.

They were definitely not the French mafia, they had more skill. They were killing everyone, merciless. One girl I knew from training was trying to defend herself off from the attacker before the guard that saved me went to go help her. She ran over to my side, and I let her cling to my side. 

The get-away cars were arriving and most of the people getting in were high-rank officials, and the Don. More high-ranking people such as the trainers started getting away, before a guard yelled that there was only one more car coming for us, as he entered the car and they drove away.

The guard was still fighting the attacker, and he was obviously losing and injured. I took my gun and shot the attacker in the leg, watching him drop onto the ground in pain. The guard ran over to us, and ushered us near shrubbery so no one would see us. He was shot in his arm, so I ripped my jacket off and made a sling.

He pulled his head-gear off to show his face. He had olive skin, and rough brown hair. He looked so oddly familiar. "What's your name?" I asked him over the gunfire.

He looked at me and grunted through the pain. 

"Malachi." he said in a light Italian accent.

I pointed to myself, and and said my name, "I'm-" but he stopped me, he already knew.

"Florence. I know." he said almost guilty. 

I turned to the girl, and saw her on the floor. "What happened!" I screamed at the bullet lodged in her head. Malachi turned to me and responded, "Stray bullet maybe, they have snipers." suddenly I saw a car stopped down the street. 

"Come on, we have to get there!" Malachi screamed at grabbed me and started running to the car. He held the door open for me and put me in, and closed the door.

He didn't get in with me. I tried to open the door, but it was latched shut. I looked up at him to see him in tears, mouthing, "I'm sorry".

A fighter shot a round at him as we drove away, I turned around to see Malachi convulsing on the floor, and the man who shot him pulling off his mask, and pinching the bridge of his nose.

I was too far away to confirm, but he looked exactly like Xavier. It was my mind playing tricks on me, I wanted it to be him but it probably wasn't.

I though about Malachi, even in his final moments, he showed me kindness, like he owed me something. I thought about how horrible it was for him, to lose his life for someone he never knew. Even though I didn't know him, he was still so familiar.

I had to figure out who he was, because to him, I was somebody worth saving. He was at least worth knowing.

-

authors note:

guys please tell me you remember who malachi was! hint hint, remember the day when florence was in the cell after getting kidnapped? what did the don reveal? remember what happened with jersey? i hope that helped! 

thanks for the support and love!!!!

-love cherry