Berceuse for The Suffering (Complete)

16. {The Sins Of The Father}

Two decades ago

As Antonio made his way out of the bedroom, his steps were as quiet as a deer tip-toeing through the forest. His wife lay nestled in her slumber, her breaths as gentle as the whispering breeze outside. The sleeping pills had done their job. Latifa was a bit of an insomniac. Once in a while, she needed to take something to help her sleep.

Descending the stairs, each footfall echoed like the steady beat of a drum, his presence a mere shadow in the night. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, the crying of his neighbor pierced through the thick silence like a jagged sword.

His heart ached with empathy for Linda, whose sorrow rivaled the somber clouds above. For her child was still missing, stolen away by the hands of fate, leaving a hole in her heart as vast as the ocean.

Shaking his head, Antonio strode towards the kitchen with a purposeful gait that belied the tumultuous thoughts churning within his mind. He ruminated on the arduous and thorough efforts that he and his tight-knit community had made to find Linda's child and the other two missing children. The very notion of abandoning even a single soul to the insidious currents of circumstance was enough to stir Antonio's heart to action. He glanced at the window and wishes the fog would clear soon. They needed to find those kids.

As he made it to the kitchen, Antonio extended his sinewy arm towards the kettle with a deft motion that betrayed years of practice. The clanking sound that emanated from the simple yet effective apparatus was music to his ears. He then deftly poured the boiled water into his mug with a measured grace, listening as the stream of water harmonized with the ceramic walls of his mug.

Taking a deep breath, Antonio savored the delicate aroma of his tea, letting it inundate his senses before taking his first sip. The warmth and richness of the tea overpowered his body, offering him a much-needed respite from the stress and challenges of his daily life.

He wasn't one to join battles, especially those that doesn't concern him or his family. However, missing kids was one of the things that he could never turn the other cheek on. He may not have liked his community that much, or his neighbors, but he had to. He was a father himself and to lose a child to the unknown, to live and breathe every hour not knowing where they were or what happened to them was something he wouldn't wish on anyone.

His body ached. He needed rest. But he'd be damned if he let himself comfortably lay in the warmth of a blanket knowing three kids were missing.

His heart skipped a beat when the stillness of the night was once more broken by Linda's cry. Poor, Martin, he thought to himself. Listening to the stories Latifa had told him about the Adams earlier that day, he couldn't fathom the pressure, heartache, and disturbance that probably plagued the man.

As he sipped his tea, Antonio renewed his commitment to the well-being of his community, reaffirming his belief that together, they could overcome any obstacle.

He was almost done with his calming liquid when another sound broke the silence of the foggy night. But unlike earlier, it wasn't the anguished cry of Linda that captured his ear. It was the sound of something growling. Antonio furrowed his brows in curiosity and stood up from his chair, setting down his tea cup with a soft clink. As he made his way to the door, his feet felt heavy, like they were trudging through thick mud. The air around him felt charged with electricity - a foreboding aura that hinted at danger. He wasn't a man easily scared, nor was he someone who thought of things to scare himself, but something doesn't feel right.

Barely a breath away from the door, Antonio paused, his heart starting to pound with anticipation. He could sense the turmoil outside - a discordant symphony of barking dogs, shuffling footsteps, and labored breaths. With trembling fingers, he unlatched the door, slowly pushing it open to reveal the fog-drenched world beyond it.