With scrambled thoughts and incoherent suggestions floating at unreachable heights in my mind, I follow my primary instincts and decide to block the number.
'All this could just be a prank'
But no matter the number of times I tap the block option on the screen of my phone, the number refuses to be added to my block list under Parker's name. This troubles me more than I would like to admit...even to myself.
Going back to the screen that holds the daunting image and threatening text to go with it, I scurry out of my bed with my destination in mind and determination at heart.
Taking my first shot at Jason's door, I knock on the door with urgency fuelling each hit. But my calls go unanswered giving me a clear impression that he isn't in his room.
Not wasting any more time here, I hurry towards Liam's room. The pinging of my phone puts my action on a halt and calls my immediate attention. My heart speed increases rapidly when I realize who the text is from.
Blocked User: The moment you open your mouth, my sniper open fires on your oh so beloved brother.
In just two sentences the sender regains power over me and I retreat towards my room almost instantaneously. I don't know who this person is or what they want, but one thing is clearer than a day to me, I'm their roadway to getting what they want.
Astoria: What do you want from me?
I type out and send as I walk back into my room and slam my door shut. My eyes focus on the picture the sender send me earlier and a dangerous brew of emotion starts to churn within me.
The only thing holding me back is the almost unnoticeable sniper in the picture with the barrel of his rifle pointing in the direction of Noah.
Something in my gut screams at me telling me that this picture is no joke nor is the sender sending this an idiot.
Blocked User: You finally made it past the first step. Very good!
I can almost hear the taunt in the text goading me, but as Noah always likes to remind me; I'm as stubborn as they come.
And so, I refuse to let my emotionally driven instincts take over and give the sender the pleasure of knowing that they got to me.
Astoria: You still didn't answer my question.
Blocked User: Play a game with me and you might just figure it out.
Letting out a frustrated sigh with worry stinging my eyes, I use my free hand to rub my eyes to ease the burn in them while I try my best to keep my cool.
Astoria: If I agree to play your stupid game you leave my family out of this.
Framing my words carefully, I formulate the rest of my plan meticulously in my mind. But before any of it into consideration much less action, I need to make sure that my brothers are safe.
Blocked User: You are in no state to make demands here little girl.
Astoria: You really think you can blackmail me into doing what you want and my brothers won't find out?
Blocked User: I knew they would and that's exactly I took special measures to make sure that this number and the texts on your phone are untraceable.
All the weapons in my arsenals missed the target and now I'm left defenseless while the smugness in their texts is more than evident.
Blocked User: I have eyes on your every step, so don't even try to snitch my Lisa Polisa.
It the previous text didn't drain the color from my face, the sobriquet at the end of the text sure did. Unable to stand, my body drops on the bed as a feverish feeling spreads throughout my body.
"That...that ca-can't be. How...but she..." Mumbling to myself, I read and reread the text, but the words still remain the same.
There's just one person who ever called me Lisa Polisa and unless the dead can text, I don't think it's her. I hadn't heard this name in over seven years, just like a lot of things this too stopped after the incident.
'But how did the sender know earlier that I was going to Liam's room?'
My thought brings my attention back to my current situation. 'What did the sender mean when they said they have eyes everywhere?' I have a thousand questions and the answer to each is scarier than the next.
Astoria: Just name what you want and get over with this!
Blocked User: As I said before, you play my game and find out what I want yourself.
Astoria: And what if I don't want to play your fucking game?
Blocked User: Then I what happens next is solely your fucking fault. As long as you keep your mouth shut the rifle remains unused.
By now it's pretty clear that there isn't a way out of this. They know that they have the upper hand and they are taking full advantage of it, draining my powers ounce by ounce.
Blocked User: Now that we're clear on that, let me explain some basic rules of this game I like to call The Game with Death
A minute ticks by in anticipating silence of apprehension and trepidation as I wait for the sender's next text, while my brain swirls with ideas and ploys to alert even one of my brothers of this situation.
Blocked User: So, the rules are pretty basic. If you snitch the person you snitch to dies. I give you a single clue and you have to find the hidden message in each if you want to keep your family safe.
My breath caught in my throat; I can hear the thumping of my heart right up to my every ear as cold sweat runs down my face.
My sixth sense is in mutual agreement with me that there is more to this than the sender it letting on. This game is a distraction in attempts to keep their ulterior motives concealed.
'If I can find out what their true motive is, then maybe...just maybe I will have the upper hand'
Blocked User: You will get your first clue soon enough.
And just like that, all the other texts vanish from my device. I frantically try reloading the page, but the texts and images are long gone. Now I have absolutely no evidence of the threat, blackmail, or anything!
'Will they believe me if I tell them about this but have nothing to prove it?'
I need to find a way and I need to find it fast. The more I delay the more I endanger everyone including myself because only God knows what this sender is capable of.
"But how am I going to tell them, if the sender already knows my every move?" I grumble to myself.
'What if they don't and they're just bluffing?'
My inner voice did make a fair point, but am I willing to risk someone's life to find out the validity of the threat? The fuck I am? I'm not that stupid nor that insensitive!
'But then how else am I going to get help?'
Then like an idea supplies the energy to the light bulb the darkened corners of my brain. But like a voltage drop the wave of uncertainty and doubt cause the light to diminish.
There are a hundred things that can potentially go wrong in my plan, but if I can pull it off then it is up to my brothers to figure out the rest.
With that in mind and knowing this idea is worth a shot, I jump up from my place and scurry to my desk and tear off a page from my notebook.
Hoping with everything in me that just like a lot of things mum taught me that were taught to the boys too, the cod game we used to play ever so often when I was a kid, she played with them also.
But as I bring the nib of my pen to the glossy white paper, I find myself at a loss of words to express myself and the situation. From where should I start or even how is something my mind blanks out on.
Knowing that the message can't be too long, the need to summarize this entire ordeal precedes my inner urge to leave out no detail. Thinking my words through, I mentally glance through them and before hastily penning them down on the piece of paper.
Not wanting to leave any evidence of this message other than the message itself, I try to get it right the first time itself. In just ten words I manage to get the point through.
The entire message roughly translated to. Need help. Mystery blackmailer. Death threat. Eyes everywhere. Don't confront.
But now the question that arises is how do I get this to them. If what the sender said is true and they indeed have eyes all around then I need to watch my back and step.
Sitting in my chair downing in these thoughts my mind resurfaces to the nickname that the sender addressed me by. Lisa Polisa.
The once vibrant hazel eyes flash before my eyes, her red-stained lips framing her pearly whites in a curvy frame as she smiled at me as she cooed at me calling me her Lisa Polisa.
She never really explained why she didn't like calling me by my first name and I never really asked. I used to love the way she called me her little Polisa because of my inquisitiveness.
"You always need to know everything, don't you, my Lisa Polisa." Her chuckle filled the air as I look up at her with my eyes widened in curiosity at yet another question that arose in my mind.
Well, that was before everything changed. After that, I barely remember her calling me by any name other than you.
'Why did you change?' I question wordlessly gazing at the ceiling hoping that somehow my question would receive an answer after all these years from above.
'But who is this person and how do they know what my mum used to call me?'
All this is very troubling, but even more now that I can't come up with a single way to discreetly deliver this SOS to them.
'Maybe I can slip it in their jacket unnoticed?'
At this thought, my mind goes straight to Alessandro and how he gave me his number causing a blush to tint my cheeks almost instantaneously. Shaking my head, I chastise myself for going off-topic.
Now the next question is, whose jacket do I slip this into? Deciding that I need to wait until Noah gets home safe, I leave that decision on my luck and opportunity.
'But who's to say that after Noah getting home, he's safe. For all, I know they might target Xavier or someone else'
I need to reach someone quickly. I don't have time at hand, my instincts could be right...they mostly are. I need time to think about my next move if this doesn't pan out for me!
With a firm resolution in mind, I exit my room and head towards the kitchen in search of any of my brothers. I need to do this in the most inconspicuous way possible, so going to their rooms is out of the question.
Spotting Jack lazily seat on one of the barstools at the breakfast bar munching on only he knows what, I take this as my ideal opportunity—considering he has on his usual 'bad boy' leather jacket too.
Approaching him Pikachu cries out to me and my entire body goes stiff. Shaking all the negative thoughts from my mind, I delve into my back pocket and retrieve my phone.
Blocked User: If you do what your thinking, I'll be forced to do what I promised.
Gulping down the bitter sip of defeat, I close my eyes briefly and shove my phone back into my pocket. Just as I'm about to turn on my heels Jack's suspicious gaze locks with my own.
"What's that in your hand?" He inquires raising to his height with his gaze fixated to the piece of paper crumpled in my hand as he approaches me.
If you snitch the person you snitch to dies
Author's Note:
Thanks for reading!
So any thoughts on this chapter?
How do you feel she should get in touch with the boys?
Who do you think the mystery sender is?
So many questions and I can't wait to hear your thoughts and ideas!
Hop on to Instagram (@astoria_santos) if you want to know what the note in chapter 58: Lisa Polisa looks like and says ❤
Comment &vote
~Kia