91 Days: After the End

Day 26: Escape

After I made sure that Franz had gone into hiding, I took a deep breath and tried my best to steel my nerves as I slowly opened the door to the room and peeked outside.

Fortunately, the room given to me was at the end of the hallway and overlooked the stairs. Nothing looked out of place. After the second shot, the entire house had gone silent. If it was Fio and Cerotto who had gained the upper hand then either of them should've gone up to fetch us.

Worryingly, no one had done so and it only meant one thing. Whoever they were- they were obviously the ones who won the shoot-out. It was up to me now to find a way to get Franz and I out of this house and warn Nero and Angelo. No doubt that could be the only reason why these people decided to pay a visit to Fio.

I kept reminding myself that I was no hero. That I had no business meddling with their affairs. I could've just stayed quiet in the room and waited but who was to say that they'd consider the place clean after, dare I say it, they killed Cerotto and Fio. No doubt they'd burn the place to the ground to hide the evidence. They'll probably even watch it burn and if we ran out of the place by then? I shudder to think what they'd do if we were caught.

If there was a sliver of chance we could escape this place, no matter how dangerous it was to leave the room, I had to do it for our sakes. Whether Nero wanted it or not, I can no longer turn a blind eye to this and pretend I knew nothing. If the Galassias find me, they'll spare no mercy and kill me.

I felt like my heart had stopped when I heard the noise of something hitting the ground. It was far too loud to be something that a mouse would make. I searched the hallway for anything I could use as a weapon and spotted an empty vase on top of a wooden table next to the door of Fio's room.

The sound of something being moved against the wooden floor followed soon after I grabbed the vase, my breath hitching up when my eyes darted to the door that belonged to Nero. The noise was obviously coming from there.

I wanted to hazard a peek and see if it could be Cerotto or Fio but I didn't want to risk the chance of it being any of the people who came here either. I didn't know how many of them there were, after all. Whoever was inside Nero's room, they were obviously distracted doing god knows what in there. If it can keep them distracted like that then I wouldn't bother them if it means that I can sneak down and find an escape route for Franz and I.

I hugged the vase to me tightly as I slowly made my way to the stairs, careful that I didn't add too much weight onto the floor in case some of them were old enough to creak from the weight.

I grasped the railings of the stairs and dared a peek, looking for any shadows that moved against the yellow light of Fio's home. When there were none, I slowly descended the steps one at a time.

Inwardly, I kept praying and hoping that this endeavor of mine would bear some fruit for Franz and I. I didn't want to be pessimistic for Fio and Cerotto's fate but I had to be realistic. It was obvious that Fio couldn't fight which leaves all the defending to Cerotto.

I feel like I'm at my wits end just visualizing the scenario. The downside when you're much too imaginative for your own good. My whole journey all started because I wanted to write and look where it got me. It had only thrown me into my own grave while dragging along people who only wanted to live in peace after the bloody ordeal they just went through.

I shake my head to dispel the gloom, knowing well there was no longer any reason to point fingers. It's happened now so there's no need to make a fuss about it. I should worry more about the situation right now, the danger that is lurking within the confines of this once safe home.

For Franz sake and mine-

"Who're you?" I nearly screamed and jumped like a frightened cat when I felt a hand grab my shoulder. The deep voice was gruff and gravelly like that of a middle-aged man. He was obviously not Cerotto nor Fio.