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Chapter 2
§ Dяasti¢ Dє¢isiσηs §
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It had been a while since Ezio had been at home; he headed in and sat down at the dining table. There was a delicious aroma and Ezio got up, trying to find the source of the amazing smell. He entered the kitchen and found his father making dinner. Ezio helped him carry some sizzling platters of food to the table and everyone dug in. After he was satisfied, Ezio dragged himself up to his room.
He looked at the completed jigsaw puzzle and propped it against the wall. Ezio sat at the edge of his bed and stared at the puzzle. Then, he began tapping his foot impatiently. He had to do something productive. Just sitting there was not going to solve anything. That’s when Ezio made the most drastic decision of his life. He had to take action. Ezio was going to leave. For good. He couldn’t live like this anymore; so many questions seemed to envelop him, almost consuming his entire life. It had to stop; he needed to know the truth. Ezio packed some of his belongings, including an extra change of clothes. He made sure to grab his precious notepad and stuffed his wallet, which had about eight hundred and eighty-eight dollars in it, into a pocket of his backpack. He ripped a page out of his notepad and scribbled a note for his parents and Elaine.
He wrote: Don’t look for me. Trust me. I’m fine. I just need some time away from home. I need to find out my past. –Ezio
Ezio laid the short note on his pillow and hurriedly unlatched the lock on his bedroom window. He had already wasted a few days doing nothing in the hospital. The faster he got out of there, the better. Ezio threw his backpack out first and then climbed out. His feet hit the ground and he took off running. With luck, Ezio would make a safe getaway and his disappearance wouldn’t be noticed until the morning. He almost tripped over a figure lying on the grass.
Who would be on their property at this time of night? The figure screamed and Ezio held his breath, wondering who it was. A beam of light almost blinded him; the light was coming from a flashlight. Holding the flashlight was Elaine! Her eyes widened, and then she frowned and said, “Jeez, Ezio. You nearly gave me a heart attack.”
Ezio asked, “What are you doing out here, Elaine?”
Her witty remark was: “I could ask you the same thing.” She sighed and said, “The real reason is that I come out here to stare at the sky and look at the twinkling stars. To get some fresh air. Be away from all the drama at home. Wishing that my life was different.”
She paused; it looked like she was in deep thought. Then, Elaine continued by saying, “I’ve been thinking, Ezio. You deserve to know the truth.”
Ezio’s ears perked up. He was now more interested in their little conversation. He had already been surprised when Elaine was pouring out all her emotions and now she was going to confide in him? That was a big step from when she barely said a word to him in the morning. It seemed like this was their brother-sister bonding time.
She breathed deeply and revealed, “My parents and I were approached by a man when we were simply walking on a sidewalk. He had a strange request; he wanted us to take care of an eight-year old boy. My mom refused, but then the man bribed us with an inordinate amount of money. Dad agreed and the man led us to an abandoned warehouse. We saw that you were unique. We wondered why the man wanted us to take care of you, but we didn’t ask any questions. You came along willingly and we took you back home and raised you. Basically, you’re not my real brother. My parents are not your biological parents. We adopted you. Illegally. Nobody ever found out. That’s all I know, I swear.”
Ezio was speechless; after a few seconds, he managed to say, “Oh.” Elaine came closer and hugged Ezio.
She stood on her tiptoes and whispered into Ezio’s ear. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, Ezio. The man also threatened us.” Ezio hugged her back and pulled away. He felt numb and didn’t know what he was doing anymore. Ezio’s ears seemed to buzz and he shook his head, trying to concentrate. He began walking away and Elaine suddenly grabbed his arm.
She demanded, “Where do you think you’re going?” Ezio gently removed her hand and muttered, “To find the truth about who I really am.”
Elaine pleaded, “Take me with you. If anyone finds out I told you, they’ll kill me.”
Ezio hesitated before saying, “Elaine…you’ll be safer here. If anything happens to you while you’re with me, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.”
She scoffed and sputtered, “Bu-bu-but I can take care of myself! Don’t worry about me.”
Ezio said reluctantly, “Fine, but you have to promise me that you’ll be careful and if I tell you to run, don’t just stand there.” What he said was kind of redundant, but he meant it. Elaine nodded in response and went to get her belongings. Five minutes later, Ezio was walking to Violet’s house with Elaine in tow.
YOU ARE READING
Jigsaw (Undergoing major editing)
RandomEzio has always been different, so different that people don’t believe that he’s related to his family. Even Ezio doubts that he’s their biological son. His grey hair and mismatched eyes turns others away. Also dealing with amnesia, he doesn’t remem...
