Bella Dona

Chapter 1: Mallo

 I was standing bear naked in front of the mirror. Observing all the bruises and scars I've gotten over  the pass 8 years. Red and blue marks covered my whole dark body as if they were showing me that the life I was living will sooner or later...kill me.                                                                                                               

I stepped in the ice-cold-water in the bathtub, first my legs, than my stomach, than sinking in my whole body. I tried to drown my own thoughts. My eyes only saw blurry lines. Dark lines. As I closed my eyes, holding my last few breaths, I saw him. A vivid torso, walking across the dark room. My brother. My Jordan. He held his hand out. The words: "Ven mi flor, came out as if they were words of farewell. As I tried to get closer to him, trying to touch his skin, feel him, just to know that it was really him, he ...he slowly disappeared. I yelled out: Mallo!

I reached out my hand to grab him, but it was too late. Rapidly, I lifted up my body out of the wate, grasping for air. I looked around. I got out of the bathtub, grabbed my bathrobe and wrapped it around me. I stepped out of the bathroom, went in the open-modern- living room, with a big glass window, showing the panorama of whole Chicago nightlife. I almost felt as small as the people walking on the street. Me and the night share things in common. We both bring fear to people. Both of us, can bring a calming rest to people, and both of us will be missed when the sun comes up.

But... one thing we do not have in common. And that is the feeling of emptiness. The night at least has the stars to light her way. The night has the moon that reflects her inner soul. I have no company and I have no longer a soul.

I took a picture of the table where on the flat screen TV was placed. I grabbed the picture and walked towards the big window. My reflections saw the tears. The eyes of a "once-loved-agent" has become into a "soulless murderer". I took the lighter out of my bathrobe. I lifted the picture. I looked at it closely. His face seemed so different, so youthful. His dark big bush of curls covered his light-brown skin, as he smudged his face on my youthful face. He was my brother. He was my protector. I turned on the lighter and moved it towards the picture. Flames burned the last picture I had of Mallo. His white smile disappeared and became into specks of ashes.

I woke up with a migraine. I took 2 aspirins, with cold water as I watched the TV and sat on the living room couch. A blond woman, with a "I'm-a-Barbiegirl" smile on her face sat there as she debated with a dark skin man whether or not the cause of higher criminal rates were due to the fact of the immigration of foreigners. "Carajo, you are an immigrant yourself" I whispered while turning off the TV.

I layed back my head on the couch and closed my eyes. Took a deep breath, in -out.

For a moment I felt the silence in the room. A wonderful and lonely feeling.

I was in a basement of an old abandoned casino in Albania. He grasped my hand and held it tight. He twisted my hand behind my back. "You will do exactly what I say when I say it! Are we clear?" the man said with a strong Albanian accent. "Now, tell me where he is!" He said twisting it harder and hitting my face against the floor. "You know, if it wasn't because I despite your brother so much, I would actually enjoy your body against mines" he said through his teeth."Such a shame I should kill you"..." Now, I will repeat it for the last time, where is he?" I hesitated, but he squeezed my hand harder. "SCREW YOU" I yelled. I heard footsteps coming up the stairs of the rooftop. Mallo looked at Dítmir with anger and said to him in a strong male voice: "Hand her over, now" . "Over my dead body" Dítmir says with a grin on his. Mallo walks towards him, but as he does, Dítmir puts his two fingers on his lips and whistles. From the corners of the alley comes 6 Albanian men walking towards Mallo with weapons. One pulls a knife on Mallo and runs as he attacks him. He swings on Mallo, but misses. Mallo kick him in the neck, and strangles him until he is unconscious. Mallo grabs the knife and stabs the two Albanian men ,one in the stomach and one in the leg. The man with the cut on his leg began to throw punches, but Mallo blocks it with his left hand, turns the Albanian man and twist his neck. Another one ran towards him and knocks Mallo out, with a hard punch straight to his face. " Fucking idiot" he says while Mallo is on the floor. Mallo slowly gets up, with blood covered all over his face. Mallo kicks him in the neck, knocking him against the wall and twist his neck. Mallo tries to grab a gun from one of the dead Albanians pocket. One dude came from behind and tries to punch Mallo, but he blocks it with his left hand, turns around and grabs him by the neck.

"I'll kill him, let her go" he said with no remorse.

"Brachna!" The Albanian boy said with a nervous face, grasping for air, between his hands, looking at the remaining Albanian.

The Albanian man shot him.

"There, I just did it for you." He said it with a strong accent.

The man aims his gun towards Mallo. Mallo observed his surroundings. "Any last words?" The Albanian said smiling at him. "Yes" Mallo said. "Say hi to your father in hell!" Mallo said hitting the gas pipe attached to the ceiling. For a second the vapor in the room made it invisible for us to see eachother. " WHERE THE FUCK IS HE?" Dítmir yelled. As the vapor started to disappear, Mallo ran across the room, pushing the man across the room. The Albanian man fell on the floor struggling to get up but Mallo sat there beating him, till his last breath. Mallo cleaned his face from the blood. He sat there, his dark eyes, looking right through Dítmir. He got up, walked slowly and said: "Let her go, and I'll make your death less painful". "A real man, NEVER asks for mercy" Dítmir said. Mallo aimed his weapon towards him. "What are you waiting for....SHOOT ME YOU BITCH!"

*BAM* *BAM*

Blood was everywhere. I froze, I looked at him as he fell on his knees. "MALLOOOO" I said, trying to escape from Dítmir. Trying to run back towards my brother. "NOOOOOO...nooo." I said. One of the wounded Albanian men, shot Mallo with two bullets in his back. "Was about time, rot in hell" the Albanian man, spat on Mallo. Dítmir grabbed me harder. "Now that he is dead, we do no longer need you in our company" he said with the gun aimed to my head. "Say goodbye my dear"

*BAM* *BAM* *BAM*

I felt Dítmir's body got heavy on mines. Blood covered my white blouse. His eyes were lifeless, rolled back and white as snow, looking at me. The wounded Albanian man, fell face down to the floor.

I looked in front of me. Mallo, covered in sweat and blood, laying on the floor, grasping for air with the gun in his hand. He looked at me with a tired face as if he was saying goodbye.

I ran towards him. I got on my knees, tilted his head towards my breast. I usually do not cry, but tears fell from my face as I looked at my brother. My fingers going through his, now-short-curly hair. He grasped for air. I tried to calm him down. He whispered to me his last words : "Te quie...."

*Ringggggggg* *Ringgggg*

"QUE!" I said waking up out of a deep sleep. All I saw was blurry lines. I felt dizzy, and forgot where I was. I observed my surroundings. I was still in the living room. My curly long hair went in all direction. My body was sweating as if the drowned me in the ocean.

*RINGGGG*

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" I said searching for my phone. I looked everywhere for that annoying sound. "Where are you?" I said with a scratching frustrated voice. I searched inside the couch. There it was, the damn device.

*RINGGGG*

"STOPPPPP IT!" I said, pulling my hair. The noise made me feel uncomfortable. It reminded me of the sound, the electric-chair the Albanian man put me in. With each ring, my body got a sharp feeling.

I looked at my phone. I looked at the cursed name. "O'Connor" I read with a irritating voice.

How the fuck does he know I am here? How does he know I am alive? If they find me, I am screwed. They'll throw me into jail and it will be the end for me.

I got to get rid of the chip, or else they'll track me.

*RINGGGG*

"STOPPPP IIIIITTTT! AAGGHHHH!" I said looking at the phone. I looked at it for the last time. "You'll never find me, you BASTARDS" I yelled, throwing the phone across the wall.