Nadine's POV
ANIYAH'S BARELY HOLDING on. She stares at the cracked ceiling, mumbling tiny words to herself while I sit and hold her hand.
"Can you finish the story?" I ask. She never finished the story of how she got like this. How she's on her death bed.
She smiles and looks at me, "You really wanna know?" She asks, her eyes softening.
"Yes." I answer honestly.
She turns away and stares back at the ceiling,
"After she told me you all were dead, I stabbed her, using a dirty, rusty knife I had found on the floor. I only stab her on her shoulder though, so it didn't kill her. I climbed on top of her, and ripped the knife out and put it to her neck. I kept yelling and screaming, saying that she was lying. I was so desperately trying to figure out if she was lying, but I couldn't tell. I didn't realize it at the time, but she had took out a knife. I felt it poke my stomach, she tried to bargain with me, a life for a life, but I didn't listen. I cut at her throat, and that's when I felt the knife plunge into me. It was deep, but I didn't stop. Her blood poured out of her body and spilled onto the floor. Our bloods were mixing together. The sight ought to make me throw up, but I've seen it all. Thinking about it now, I wish I had another life. One where I didn't have to know how to throw a knife or load a gun." She sniffles, but covers it up with a cough, "The men in black suits found me and re-tied me back up." She finishes, "and now we're here."
I don't know what to say. There's nothing really to say after all of this.
Aniyah turns to me and smiles, her blue eyes fixated on me, her smile dies down and her words come out, "Leave." she simply says.
I look at her confused, "What-"
"Go find Rue."
Fuck.
I forgot about Rue.
I quickly stand up, getting ready to run out the door, but I stop for a moment. I look down at the blonde headed annoying girl who always though she was better than me.
It turns out she was right.
She is better than me.
"Don't wait for me, find everyone and leave. Don't spare all the details to Diego. I'm comfortable, I'm not in pain or worried. Well, I guess I am a little uncomfortable with a knife in my stomach. But anyways. Tell him to live his life, find a pretty girl who cares about him as much as he cares about her.
Go find Rue and have a happy ending. Have little curly red headed babies with blue eyes." She stifles a laugh and turns away, "Don't worry about me. I'm fine."
I see her eyes close and worry immediately fills my body, but I can't do anything. I stand frozen in shock for a moment. I always wished she would leave me alone, but now I wish all she can do is bother the living fuck out of me.
I feel my body tug towards the door. I'm running. Rue's screams fill my ears, I now know where she is.
I come to the end of the long hallway. A black door awaits. I don't wait a second before I'm busting the door open.
The room is dark, but I hear a few sniffles and immediately, I'm able to walk in.
"Rue?" I quietly call out. The crying stops and I hear her breathing get quicker.
"Nadine?" She asks. I smile to myself. Tesoro. My Tesoro. I run over to her, the dull light from the hall way helps a little, I see her red hair peeking in the dark.
"Nadine- the light, above me." I slightly see her lift her head up, motioning to the light bulb with a string attached. I pull on the string, and the room fills with a yellowish glow. I look down at Rue-
oh my god.
Tears and blood are dripping down her face.
There's many cuts scattered across her body and she's only in her underwear and bra.
What the actual fuck.
Anger fills my body, I feel my chest tighten, and my jaw locks. Who in the fucked up mind would think this is okay to do to a girl.
My girl.
"Who the fuck did this to you!" I slightly yell.
I hear a whimper come from her as she looks down.
"Please, just get me out of here," she begs. I watch a few tear drop onto her bare legs which are covered in blood.
I don't waist any more time, I untie the ropes from around her ankles and wrists. I take my button up white dress shirt, and drape it over her, buttoning a few of the bottom buttons so it doesn't slide off. Before she can stand up, I beat her to it by picking her up bridal style. I feel her body tense, but when she looks up at me, she relaxes. She rest her head on my shoulder and wraps her right arm around my neck, while the other one rests on her chest.
Her lip trembles and her body shivers. I didn't even know the famille française had a place up here, I knew something was up when I saw the French girls talking to both Diego and Aniyah. They usually stay in France or Italy. They never attended the balls.
That reminds me. I have to find everyone before the guards come back from- wherever the fuck they're at.
I walk out of the room and into the hallway.
I have to check all the hallways, I can't leave until everyone is out.
Once I get to the room where I had been held captive, I make a left, which is the only direction I can go.
I open a door, the wood chafing and falling apart. It's dark and a terrible odor comes out the room. There's a light switch, I flip it on.
No one.
I go to the next door, the same wood door, I open it to be met with darkness. I call out a series of names, "Diego? Alex, Kaylee?" Nothing. I flip the switch.
Nothing.
I look through more and more rooms, only to be met with emptiness.
Where the hell is everyone- a blood curdling scream cuts me from my thoughts. Rue's head immediately perks up at the sudden noise.
"Alex!" She screams. I quickly cover her mouth with my hand, if there are people in here, they know we're out and looking for the others.
"Shut the fuck up." I demand whispering into her ear. Rue's eyes widen in surprise and fear. I'm not trying to be rude, but she needs to not let everyone in this fucked place know we're trying to escape.
Rue turns her head away and closes her eyes.
I sigh and continue walking. I can't recall where the scream came from, but I'm pretty sure it came from the end of the hallway.
This place is like a maze.
"I'm gonna put you down for a second, okay?" I ask Rue. She just nods her head, not looking at me. I gently set her down. Her back rests against the wall, and she leans her head back. When was the last time she took her medication?
I gently place my hand on the door knob, and slowly twist it until the door cracks open. The door makes a creaking sound as it opens wider, allowing me enough room to go in. There's no light switch, and the hallways filled light does nothing for me to see.
I carefully walk around the room, careful not to trip over anything. I hear someone wince in pain as I fall to the ground, "Ah- shit" I hear them mumble.
Diego...
"Diego??" I ask in a whispered yell. I hear ruffling around and a little chuckle before I hear their voice again.
"Where have you been, loca?" He asks with a laugh. Don't know why he chose that choice of words, but okay, "What took you so long? I've been waiting for forever." He says with a sigh.
"I've been locked up is where I've been. Do you know where everyone else is?" I ask.
"Well, Alex is in here with me, he's just knocked out back there on that- greasy ass bed, but he's fine. And I heard Kaylee yelling at the guards a few hours ago. Pretty sure she's giving them a hard time." He says laughing, "and I don't know where Aniyah is, but I'm pretty sure she's fine."
I wish that were the case.
I just give him a small smile, he can't find out like this. I can't have his brain messing up while we're trying to get out of here.
"Come on, let's go, we're gonna find the rest and get out of here."
"Sounds like a good plan, it's just one thing." He says with a scoff, "The dumb ass guards hit my ankle pretty hard, I think it's twisted, I might slow y'all down."
"I'm not leaving anyone else behind, so you're gonna have to suck it up."
Diego chuckles at that, but it fades, "anyone else?" He asks. His eyebrows knit together as he waits for me to answer.
I smile, "it's nothing, let's just get out of here."
I untie Diego, and then find my way over to the bed where I see Alex's black curly hair ruffled, he's out cold. What can I do to wake him up.
I slap him across the cheek. A loud noise coming from it. He jolts up and starts frantically looking around, "what the fu-" as he's about to yell, Diego stumbles over and slaps his hand on Alex's mouth.
"Shh. We don't want the big bald bad guys to come back, do we?" He asks sarcastically. Alex frantically shakes his head.
I thought Alex was dead to be honest. When Rue found his chain covered in blood, something inside of her shattered.
"Where's my sister?!" Alex asks in a shaky voice.
"Calm down, she's over here." I say. I help Alex stand up, his shaky legs slowly walk over to the door, he looks around out is before looking down and seeing her red hair.
"Rue!" He quietly says. She looks up, and tears start to form. She tries to stand up, but stumbles a little. Before Alex can try to help her, I go over and support her by holding her waist from behind.
She tenses at first, but relaxes. Rue doesn't waste any time wrapping her arms around Alex. My shirt she's wearing rises up a bit, getting a clear view of her ass, I hold it down, not letting anyone else see what's mine.
"Sorry to break up this cute little reunion, but we have to go find Kaylee and Aniyah before they come back." Diego says from behind us.
That's the thing Diego. We only need to find Kaylee.
But he doesn't need to know that. At least for now.
"Ok let's go."
We look through more rooms, most of them being empty or dead with old guys.
The last room we haven't checked. If Kaylee isn't I'm here, I might lose my mind.
Diego limps over to the door and opens it,
"Kaylee? You in here?" He asks in a whispered voice.
"Oh my god, Diego!" She squeals I'm excitement, "I thought you guys were dead!" She says with a gasp, "I mean- I'm obviously glad you're not."
"Shh shh, ok, ok, we get it, you missed us, but we need to get out of here. We just have to find Aniyah, and then we can leave and never come back." Diego says.
Something in side of me aches. I need to tell him before it's too late.
Diego unties Kaylee and helps her get up.
I think I know where the exit is, but I'm not sure. Before Diego can hop out the door, I stop him by putting my arm across I'm his chest, causing him to stop, "I need to tell you something."
He looks at me confused then laughs, "uhm, ok, just make it fast, we have to go find Aniy-"
"That's the thing, Diego. We can't find someone who's gone." I say in almost a whisper.
"W-what" he says with disbelief, "you're joking, right? Please tell me you're joking." He pleads.
"I don't joke, Diego."
He stares at me. Pain overtaking his eyes and his lip trembles, "you're lying then, she- she can't be dead, she's better than that." He cries.
I look over to Kaylee and Alex. Kaylee's head is snuggled in Alex's chest, quiet cries coming from her. I look down at rue to see a few tears slipping out. But she doesn't whine or scream. She just lets the tears fall.
"Fuck." Diego whispers, "you're not lying, are you?" He asks, tears falling. I shake my head.
Truest me Diego, I wish I was.
-Brooke♥️ 11/7/2021 Sunday.