"Alberto!" Giulia screamed, clutching her side painfully as she ran. "Alberto! Alberto, where are you?"
She doubled over to catch her breath, trying to figure out where he could be. He couldn't have gone to get Luca himself, could he? Alberto was smarter than that.
"I'm right here," a voice echoed from behind her. Giulia turned to see Alberto sitting on the stone ledge over the ocean, lifting his head up from his hands. Giulia sighed and staggered over to sit by him.
"Are you ok?" Giulia asked, swinging her feet above the water. A million things were running through her head. It was almost impossible to understand.
"My dad doesn't hate you," Giulia said, when Alberto didn't answer. "He feels bad. He didn't understand, but now he does."
Alberto shook his head. "I doubt he'll ever let me back in the house."
Giulia sighed. This was hard to do. She had never had friends before. Now, one was missing and the other felt attacked. With good reason, too. But Giulia didn't exactly know how to cheer him up.
"He will," Giulia said finally. "You weren't there after you left. He wanted to go after you and-"
"Kill me?" Alberto interrupted, bringing his knees up to his chest. Giulia looked down to see that his feet were scaly and purple from them being in the water. It was quite interesting to her, but she pulled her gaze away.
"No. To apologize," Giulia replied.
She watched Alberto think. She didn't know what was going through his head, but his reaction hadn't really changed. Giulia didn't know what came over her. Alberto deserved the chance to cry, and even her dad did too. Nothing bad had happened to her, so why did she feel like she wanted to scream?
Alberto was surprised when he turned to see Giulia break down into tears.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Giulia said, wiping her face as she tried to catch her breath. "There's no reason for me to be crying, I'm just being stupid."
Giulia felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Alberto who bore a small smile.
"It's ok," he said. "I understand. Luca. . . Luca's your friend too."
Giulia let out a laugh as she nodded. "Yeah."
For a moment, the two stayed silent to appreciate the moment. The sea was dark as the moon shed a crystalline light that rippled over the water. The soft waves that rolled in almost masked the sound of the chirps of crickets from the vegetation around Portorosso.
"Are we going to get Luca?" Alberto asked, breaking the silence.
Giulia nodded. "Yes. Let's go now."
Alberto stood to pull Giulia up and they began walking away from the stone ledge. But then, something caught Giulia's eye. The dock that bridged from the side of her ledge held her father's boat, which ran on on a sort of gas. And only one gas was stored and sold in Portorosso. Which means the gas for her father's boat would be the same fuel Ercole would need to ride his-
"Alberto!" Giulia shouted, pulling him back by the arm. "My dad's boat!"
Alberto turned with a questioning look. "What are you talking about?"
"My dad's boat runs on the same fuel that Ercole might be using for his vespa!" Giulia shouted, jumping up and down. If we get some of his stored tanks, we could-"
"Wait," Alberto said. "You mean, if we take the fuel and put it into the vespa, we can actually ride it again?"
Giulia nodded ecstatically. "Esattamente! Come on!"
Giulia could tell that the same feeling of excitement and euphoria she felt had flooded through Alberto as he ran towards the dock.
"Where would it be?" Alberto said, hopping into Massimo's boat to look around. Giulia hopped in as well and removed a piece of square wood from the bottom of the boat, revealing a handle. She pulled up the plank to reveal what almost looked like square milk cartons with tubes sticking out of each one. Giulia pulled the center one out and nodded towards Alberto.
"Come on."
The two set off at a sprint, Giulia lugging the big carton of fuel that sploshed with every step. Even though her side ached from the running, Giulia didn't stop. The thought of finally saving Luca had taken over her entire mind, bringing her focus and clarity. Soon, the two had made it halfway up the hill where Guido and Ciccio had directed them.
"It's somewhere over here," Alberto said, rummaging through the bushes on the side of the hill.
"No," Giulia said, setting down the heavy carton of fuel. "It's further up, I know it."
Alberto scoffed. "Yeah, right."
Giulia watched as he gave a mighty heave to pull out what was the handle of Ercole's vespa. Giulia rolled her eyes as Alberto let out a proud scoff and she began to heave the cartoon of gas over to the vespa. Alberto watched as she opened a flap on it's side and stuck the tube of the carton and began pouring in the fuel.
"Are we going to knock?" Giulia asked as she filled the vespa. "What would Ercole do if he sees us? That'd be bad for Luca. What do you think, Alberto?"
Giulia was hit with silence and turned. "Alberto?"
Alberto was breathing heavily, looking out over the hill to the ocean, not saying anything. Giulia pulled the carton out and stood up. Alberto slowly put his hands on his knees and bent over to catch his breath. Or no- what was he doing?
His shoulders began to quiver as Giulia heard soft crying. She quickly ran over to him and awkwardly put a hand on his shoulder, like her father had.
"Alberto, come on," she said delicately, looking back at the ready-to-go vespa. "Let's get Luca."
Alberto got up to gain his composure and sniffed. His emotion had dramatically changed as he looked out at the water.
"I'm going to kill him," he muttered under his breath, not caring to look at Giulia. "I was supposed to protect Luca. I promised him we'd be ok and I lied. The least I can do is avenge him. Ercole's as good as dead."
Giulia, incredibly confused, just nodded to play along. She knew Alberto would never be able to physically get to Ercole. He was tall, and stronger than Alberto. Not to mention the age factor.
"Come on," Alberto said, turning towards the vespa. "I'll drive."
Giulia turned swiftly. "Um no. You drove this morning. I'm driving now."
Alberto growled as he turned back around. "I don't care! I'm driving! My dream is to have a vespa with Luca, remember?"
Giulia shook her head no as she stomped towards Alberto. "You drove this morning, it's only fair that I drive now. Now scoot!"
Alberto folded his arms. "Look, I'm older than you, so I know what's best. I'm driving."
"We can't be fighting over who's driving if we want to save Luca!" Giulia said, throwing her fists back.
"Fine," Alberto said, hopping onto the front of the vespa. "It shouldn't be a problem if you let me drive then."
Giulia scowled as she sat down behind Alberto, wearing a smug face.
"Idiot," she muttered under her breath.
"Vomit breath," Alberto replied back in a quieter tone. He turned the keys and miraculously, the vespa began to accelerate. Soon, the pair were racing up the hill. It was only a matter of time now. They needed to get Luca. Before. . . before he got hurt.
Alberto tried to push back the terrifying nightmares seeping into his mind. It was almost surreal, that soon, he'd see Luca again. But would he? What if Ercole had figured out he was a sea creature? Would he be dead? Alberto didn't have a doubt that Luca would be able to hide that from Ercole. But if he was there, what condition would he be in? The thought of seeing Luca hurt made Alberto want to shriek, but he contained himself. He didn't know how Luca would be until he got there.
In less than five minutes of a drive, Giulia and Alberto approached what Guido had said was Ercole's house. A big, sandy orange home. There was a stone driveway with no car, and some stairs on the side of the home that led down to what Alberto assumed was a bottom floor or something. He looked up at the house, illuminated only by two little lamp posts hanging from the front porch. A light shone in the bottom floor of the house, but no shadows moved across it. Giulia gingerly stepped off the vespa as she looked up, fidgeting with her shirt to cope with her anxiety.
"Is this it?" Alberto asked, turning the key of the vespa to turn it off.
Giulia turned and slowly nodded. "I think so. . . What now?"
Alberto stepped over to her. "Isn't it obvious? We break down the door and beat up Ercole?"
Giulia rolled her eyes. "Look, I get you want to get revenge on Ercole, but you need to be more logical. What if Ercole has like- a gun or something?"
Alberto scoffed. "A gun? Seriously?"
Giulia stomped her foot. "I don't know, ok? But it's not like he's going to just hand over Luca and pretend like he won't get in trouble. How do we even know Luca's in there?"
Alberto looked down at the ground to think before suddenly lifting his head up in surprise. Giulia watched as he skipped over to the lightened window and put his face to the glass.
"What are you doing?" whisper-screamed Giulia as she watched Alberto press his nose to the window. "He could see you!"
"Relax, he's not even in there!" Alberto shouted back. "Where is he?"
Giulia slapped a hand to her forehead. "That's what we're trying to find out, nitwit! Let's go through the cellar door, older houses have them."
Alberto silently nodded and he followed Giulia to the left side of the house. There lay some stone steps that descended to a door, meaning Giulia was right about the cellar. Alberto and Giulia silently stepped down the stairs and Giulia put a hand to the door knob and gave it a turn.
"It's not opening!" Giulia whispered, trying to turn it the other way.
Just as she finished her phrase, a muffled but sharp cry came from the other side of the door. Alberto's stomach dropped as he listened to the familiar voice. He could then feel his stomach make a queasy flip as the ground beneath him seemed to shake. It was Luca.
"It's- it's- !" Alberto shouted as he ran towards the door. "Luca! That was Luca!"
Just as Alberto began to run towards Luca's voice, Giulia slid in front of him.
"Listen!" she whispered frantically, stopping Alberto from pushing down the door. "Can't you hear him? It's Ercole!"
Alberto and Giulia practically slammed their ears to the door as they listened to the muffled chaos happening just meters away from them.
Through the loud pounding of his heart and the ringing in his ears, Alberto could hear Ercole's muffled voice grumble from inside the door, followed by Luca's muffled cry. The sound instantly brought tears to Alberto's eyes. A sensation he hadn't felt since his father left him zapped through his body. A dizzying, physically sickening feeling took over his limbs as he began to quiver in pain. What was Ercole doing?
His heart beat wildly against his rib cage as he felt the adrenaline make his way to his temples. Ercole was doing something to Luca. Nothing mattered more in this moment than saving Luca.
Giulia stifled a sob as she listened to another muffled cry from inside the door. Alberto had both his palms slapped to his mouth as his body shook.
"Get on the vespa," Alberto said in a stern voice.
Giulia looked up. "How could you think about leaving Luca at a time like this!? Ercole could be killing him!"
"We're not leaving!" Alberto screamed back. "Think about it! If Ercole finds out we're here, he can easily get rid of Luca without letting us in. The only way to get to Luca is to get into the house ourselves. Now get on the vespa!"
Giulia's eyes widened and she nodded. Alberto ran towards the vespa and violently pulled it forward to face the cellar stairs. He jumped aboard, feeling Giulia brace herself against his back and he turned the key. The sound of the vespa's engine revving pierced through the silence of the night like a knife.
"I'm coming for you, Luca," Alberto muttered under his breath. "Ready?"
He looked behind him to see Giulia nod, her eyes shut tightly.
"Just get it over with."
Alberto pushed the right handle forward with such force, the vespa stalled as a puff of smoke shot out the back end. In an instant, Alberto and Giulia sped off at high speed towards the staircase. Alberto braced himself as the vespa shot down the stairs like a bullet. Before he could fly off, he shut his eyes as the vespa barreled through the cellar door.