Mikki De'lucca
.. one week later ..
Sunkissed, golden meadows sprawl boundlessly around you.. Bathed in warm beams of beautiful autumn light, the hills beyond the fields are speckled with flecks of dandelion yellow and forget me not blue..
You inhale the sweet scent of serenity as you twirl on the spot, basking in the feeling of the glow on your skin and light perfumed notes of flowers in the air..
As you twirl in place, your mystified attention is caught by the ambling approach of two great stallions.. One, is dark as pure midnight, his coat a glossy liquorice black..
The other, is gilded in a coat of silky champagne gold, with snowy white socks and a platinum mane and tail..
They're so beautiful..
The two striking and powerful creatures are polar opposite to each other, yet, they exactly the same..
Their lean muscle ripples with each powerful stride as they close the distance cautiously from atop the crest of the nearest hill.. Their deep, knowing eyes brim with emotion.. Beckoning to you, almost calling your name..
Somehow, in some unspoken way, you recognise the spirit of these animals.. You see the essence of their souls.. The swish of their silky tails and gentle nicker of their snouts summon you.. A yearning pull surges up from deep within, drawing at the well of desperate need that fills you, until mindlessly your feet begin to move.. Slowly and surely, you inch closer to the mismatched pair of Stallion's and their powerful majesty..
The warmth of the sunlight slips away with each step you take.. The air becomes static and charged with the threat of a storm, making the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.. Soon the sky is blanketed in ominous grey clouds..
"Neeeeiigh--PFFFT!" The liquorice stallion trots restlessly in place and stomps sternly in warning.. Scraping at the ground with its hooves and swaying aggressively as it presses forward to push you back, push you away..
Your hand extends to touch its nose and it skitters in a flighty panic, rearing up on hind legs, the beastly black beauty bolts.. Shrinking away into the distance, disappearing at a gallop as a speck over the horizon..
"Oh no.. Charlie?.. Come back.." You whimper.. The sadness in you is bottomless, sinking and swelling.. The storm is inside you now.. Bleak and destructive.. Consuming as it courses through your veins..
You turn your attention to the sweet natured pale golden Stallion who has chosen to stay with you.. It flicks its mane and snorts merrily as spots of rain begin to fall against your cheeks and the sky darkens to an ashy dusk..
"Colt? Is that you?" You whisper, slowly and carefully reaching out a hand, so fearful he too will run.. "Please.. Don't leave me.."
Oh, but he doesn't..
"Neeiiiiigh!" Fast and hard, the creature furies, rounding on you in a swift and elegant motion, its hindquarters buck and the impact of the brutal kick hits you square in the chest..
"Oof!" The air is knocked from your lungs as you are violently thrown backwards to the ground.. Suffocating, the world explodes behind your eyes in black and red.. Blood and pain..
When breath finally returns, you gasp a desperate inhale, sitting up sharply to take in your new surroundings..
A cemetery.. An endless obsidian twilight begins to settle in and the faint beams of a waxing moon cast an eerie glow over uniform rows of the resting fallen..
No.. This is not just any cemetery, you immediately recognise the familiar upstate graveyard in which your husband is buried.. You have visited this place too many times over the years to ever forget it..
Even overgrown and covered in bramble bushes, slimy moss and creepy crawlies, you would know his tombstone.. Pushing up to your hands and knees you crawl forward through the soft dewy grass..
Why is it so unkempt?
You would never allow Charles' final resting place to become such a mess.. You can hardly stand the disrespect..
"No, no, no.. This is wrong! Who let this happen?!" When you begin to tear away at the brush that strangles Charlie's memorial stone, the bronzed nameplate is revealed and your confusion doubles..
No.. It just doesn't make sense!
'Here lies.. Oliver Angel Reid..
Son. Husband. Hero.'
"No.. No, Ollie!" Your shoulders shudder as snivelling sobs blubber uselessly from your mouth.. "Please, no.."
"This will be the death of you, my daughter.. Let him go, Mikkalia.." You jump in fright as a heavy hand claps over your shoulder from behind.. From your broken kneel you peer up to see your father's disregarding scowl.. He offers you a silver dagger, razor sharp and shiny.. His cold, unsympathetic eyes blinking down at you with nothing behind them.. No light.. No love.. His monotone, flat and unfeeling.. "He is poison, Mi Amour.. Let him go.."
"You said the same thing about Charlie and you were wrong! He is not poison, you are! Everyone dies because of you! All of this is your fault! Go to hell!" You snatch up the knife and shove your father away with a shout, turning back to the grave to see the nameplate now reads something entirely different..
'Here lies.. Angelo De'lucca
Sinner. Son. Father.'
Your head spins, your senses smashed to pieces..
"Dayymn, Mick.. You really are going crazy these days, huh?" You swear from out of nowhere you can hear Rocco say in a know it all, smart ass way.. "Isn't this what you wanted all along?"
"Shut up!" You lift your gaze to see your cousin, propped atop the tombstone, sucking on his stupid vape-pen and filling the air with mist.. "I didn't want this.. No.. I--"
You choke, words catching in your throat because to say them would be a lie.. You did want this..
You had wanted this..
But not anymore.. It does nothing to bring back what you have lost.. Really, it only adds to the grief.. Another death to burden your conscience..
Rocco smiles down at you.. "Be careful what you wish for, Bambina.."
"No, Papa!" Your fingers dig into the soil as you heave forward, fighting to .. "Oh god.. I killed him! I killed him!" You begin to dig.. Your nails chip and cake with mud, your fingers jar and your hands ache as you dig like a deranged dog looking for a bone.. "Papa! Forgive me! God, forgive me! What have I done?!"
“You can't save him, Mick.. Nobody can.." Rocco's voice fades in and out of your ears.. "Stop digging.. Just give up.."
And he's right..
There's nothing you can do.. It's all too much..
Exhaustion throbs through your arms as you concede to the defeat, melting into the muddy pit.. Sinking deeper into the sludge, it begins to writhe and worm all around you.. Moving in sickening slithering motions, the heaping dirt swallows you and becomes heavy, as sharp scales scrape at you and a snake pit swallows you whole..
A gruff, threatening whisper in your ear sends an icy chill through your blood.. The sickening herbaceous and artificial fruity fog gags you.. "I'm supposed to do this fast, Mikki.. But I can't think of a better way to say goodbye.. Can you?"
"No! Dax stop! No, get off meeeeee!" You try to screech, consuming mouthfuls of dirt, struggling and fighting with all your might to dig out of this dank hole..
"Don't fight me.." He snarls.. "This'll only hurt as much as you make it, baby.."
No, no, no!!
This is all a horribly vivid nightmare.. It must be..
It can't be real..
Oh god, but then why does it feel so real..
Tearing your wrists free of the binding snakes, you plunge the dagger into the side of Dax's throat, once.. Twice.. Three times.. Letting the blood flow from his jugular, cascading like a crimson waterfall..
As you push up to your feet, inexplicably finding yourself on a rocky cliff side.. You follow him, watching dumb-struck when Dax begins to stagger backwards, his eyes bugging out as his mouth opens and closes wordlessly, blood dribbling from his lips.. He tries to speak, stuttering.. "M--Mi---Mik.."
You reach out with trembling fingertips, the fear in his gaze flashing as you give him one final push.. Then he slips over the edge.. Gone.. Vanished..
Dead..
The rushing sound of ocean waves crashing against the rock face soothes your racing heart, soon becoming a soft, feline pur.. Looking down to your side you see a cougar, brindle and beige with the bluest eyes, lapping hungrily at the sanguine Rose that now dangles limply in your hand where the blade had once been, blood dripping to the ground..
"Oh.. Nice Kitty.. Good Kitty.." You sigh, sinking to your knees before crumpling into a heap and curling into a ball.. No more..
You can't take any more..
Sure enough, soft, white snow begins to fall, dusting you in a chilly powder.. The cougar lays down beside you, the warmth of the big cat radiating as it snuggles close against you.. You lay there for what feels like hours, the frost settling on your skin..
When you finally open your eyes, the mountain lion is gone.. But the smile that greets you in its place is salvation.. "Everything's gonna be alright.. I got you, Sugar.." Colt drawls a devoted promise, holding out a vibrant yellow buttercup, his sky blue eyes like mirrors to a soul so pure.. He opens his mouth to comfort you with words you want to hear so desperately again..
….
"Wake up, Mikki!"
"AGGHH!" You fly out of bed in a freak out, gasping for breath and soaked in sweat.. The bright morning light searing your retinas making it difficult to focus on the sour expression of your intruder.. "Lemon?! Are you crazy?! What the fuck are you doing here?!"