9 Years Ago
Darkness is where it all began, so I thought it only right that's where I end it. In the shadows of my haunting castle where I swear if you listen close enough, you can still hear my screams bouncing off every piece of furniture and wall.
It's about 2 am and as the few guards on duty are stationed around the castle, my parents are asleep in their room, the only thing on my mind is doing everything in my power to get Xile out of here and give her best shot at a better life. Even though I guarantee, anything would be better than this.
"I'll be with you as soon as I can, I promise but right now I need you to stay with Linda, do exactly as she tells you, and don't make a sound. Can you be a brave girl for mama?" I ask crouching down so our faces are at the same length.
She's shaking but she gives me a reassuring nod and places her hand on my cheek trying to console me for what I'm about to do. Placing my hand over hers I smile, the smile only reserved for her before wrapping her in my arms and whispering I loved her once more.
Straightening my back, I turn to Linda our maid, the lone suitcase in her hand as she awaits my orders.
"You have the keys?" I ask and she nods. "Please, if I don't make it out of here, I need you to get her as far away as possible." Her face drops for a split second before she nods again, "I promise,"
A chill runs down my spine as I go through all the scenarios in my head in which this could go wrong. But with one last look over my shoulder at my main reason for doing this, I brace my back and roll my shoulders knowing I could do anything because she was depending on me.
Opening the door that connects Linda's room to ours, I close it softly before opening my nightstand and grabbing the syringe. Hiding it behind my back, I slowly open my room door revealing the guard that stands in front of it. I furrow my brows as he turns to face me. "Please, I think there's something in my closet," I say lifting my fingers to my face and wiping the forced tears that fall down my cheek.
He groans and pushes me aside as he enters the room. As soon as his back is turned to me, I run forward and jump onto his back. Bringing my hand from behind my back, I jab the 20 ml syringe filled with tetrodotoxin into his neck. I wrap my arm around his neck squeezing tightly as he tries to shake me off. Eventually, his movements become lazy, and I jump off of him just in time to wrap my arms around his limp body and ease him onto the floor.
Grabbing the gun out of the holster clipped to his jeans, I shove it into my pajama pocket, keeping my hand tightly wrapped around it. I reach under my pillow and take my knife out before doing the same and shoving it into my other pocket, keeping my hand around it.
Peeking my head out of the door, I slowly enter the dark hallway. The only light emitting from the few sconces adorning it.
I'm light on my feet as I make my way down the long hallway keeping my eyes peeled for any guards wandering around the castle.
There are usually only a few on duty this time of night, one by our bedroom door, another at my parent's door, and two more by the front doors.
Sticking to the shadows, as I cross the main stairs, I look over the banister to see only one of the guards. He's leaning against the frame of the door, his head hanging low as he's no doubt fighting to keep his eyes open and alert.
As I make it to the end of the hallway, I open the door leading to the flight of hidden stairs. As I reach the bottom, the other guard turns the corner and I step back as quickly as possible hoping he didn't see me.
"Princesa?" he calls and all the hairs on my body rise as if making a standing ovation.
Letting my face droop into one of exhaustion, I step into the hallway. "I'm only down here for some water for Xile, the other guard said it was okay," I say as I slowly make my way in his direction.
He nods and a second later he's furrowing his brows not buying into what I'm selling. He steps forward and reaches for me but I'm too quick, yanking my hand out of my pockets and swiping my knife across his throat.
Blood splatters across my face and he presses an ineffectual hand to his throat, choking on his blood before he falls forward. I catch him in my arms and do the same, lowering him to the ground, only this time the weight of his lifeless body is on mine, and I have to slide out from under him.
Looking down at the blood on my clothes I groan internally before a smile tugs on my lips.
Two down, two more to go.
Turning the corner, I leap from pillar to pillar, hiding behind each as I get closer and closer to the main stairs. Noticing the guard by the door, is now sitting on the floor, his head leaning back as he succumbs to sleep, I run forward, press my hand to his mouth and as he tries to reach for his weapon I bury my knife in his throat.
Blood pours through my hand pressed to his mouth and I remove it and wipe it on his jeans before reaching for his gun and pulling my knife out of his neck.
Three down, one more to go.
Or so I thought.
Two guards stand in front of the large French doors leading to my parent's room. I take a deep breath as I press my back to the wall before positioning the gun, so I'm able to get a clean shot at the shorter guard's head. The sound of the bullet zipping through the air follows the guard falling forward and the other reaches for his weapon immediately as he steps forward. Pulling the trigger again, the bullet hits his knee, and he groans before firing his gun in my direction.
The bullet flies past me knocking the painting off of the wall, another hits one of the sconces as I run to the other side. And meanwhile, that was entirely too close for my liking the fire that runs through my blood has me shooting the gun out of his hand. I shoot him in the other knee with a smile on my face as I slowly walk forward, the shuffling in my parent's room and then the sound of a door slam ringing in my ear as he says something on his walkie-talkie.
With three more bullets in his body, he's dead and I'm kicking open the doors to my parent's room. The room is empty and as I'm about to make my way to the safe room door behind a bookshelf in their room, two pairs of footsteps catch my attention.
Running behind the door, I wait as silently as I can be even though I'm shaking profusely, and sweat is gathering along my hairline and the base of my neck.
Two other guards enter the room and I push the door closed, placing the barrel of both guns at the back of their necks, their body tenses and I pull the triggers. Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I open the door and step over the other's body as I make my way to the hidden stairs.
Once I reach the top, I open the door and Linda quickly drops the gun in her hand and hands me a lighter and a bottle of gasoline. I nod to her letting her know it's okay to come down and make her way out to the car.
As we reach the bottom, I let them go forward as I pour the gasoline along my trail. She exits through the back door and as I continue to douse the gasoline over the castle a large hand wraps around my arm and zips me around.
"Where do you-" the guard starts but I cut him off as I raise my other hand and slam my gun on his temple.
Hoping that was the last one, I run out the front doors and flick the lighter in my hand.
The sound of a bullet to my right startles me and I chuck the lighter through the front doors, fire instantly beginning to follow the trail of gasoline.
Running down the steps, Linda drops to her knees, and I scream for Xile to run as I notice the guard walking from the side of the castle with his gun pointed in her direction.
She doesn't run, instead, she tries to help Linda up and in a split second, I'm firing bullets in the guard's direction. Every last one enters him, and he falls to the floor with a loud thud.
With my head whipping in every direction, the gun in my hand ready and burning with anticipation, I run over to Xile and Linda.
I drop to the floor as tears run down my face seeing her cling to life as her blood seeps down the bricked driveway.
"Go, go now Anaís. Please finish what you started, get her out of here. Save yourselves." She manages to get out as she shakily places the keys in my hand.
I'm sobbing as I continue to calculate the chances of us making out alive if I were to help her to the car. The castle is quickly burning, the bright orange, red and white hue seeping through the castle, blasting the windows to a million pieces. And as much as I don't want to leave her here to die, I know if we don't go now, soon the fire will spread and capture us in its mouth.
"I'm sorry," I say before I grab Xile by the hand and wrap my fingers around the suitcase handle.
My feet move on autopilot as I pull Xile in my arms. Frantically opening one of the car doors at the gate with the keys Linda slipped from my father's office, I throw the suitcase in the back seat. Xile climbs out of my arms and into the passenger seat as I open the driver's door.
I enter the code into the keypad for the gates and before I can draw another, breath, I'm speeding out of the driveway and onto the long dark road. With one last glance through my rearview mirror at our castle in flames, I smile a smile filled with relief of freedom at last.
A few months later...
The motel we've been staying in doesn't have hot water, but that all seems so insignificant as long as we're free. Free from our parents and the harrowing walls of the dark castle we left in flames.
The money I'd taken from my parents' safe over the months leading up to our escape is nowhere near finished and even though my parents are no longer, I still hear their voices in my head taunting me that even in their death I'm still relying on them.
We don't use our real names here, and I had to pay off the receptionist to keep quiet. It's been easy to convince men that I'm of age, but the women not so much. Even without the heavy eyeliner and heels, men see me and think I'm just a young mom or they just don't care what age I am and continuously spit horrid 'compliments' at me.
Most days, we stay couped up inside the room but with not much to do but watch television, read and play board games, it can be suffocating. So, on days like today, I take Xile to the park not far from the motel and we play until too many people show up and my anxiety tells me they're after me.
The first month since escaping my eyes were glued to the news station, watching for any reports of life being found at my castle. But they weren't any and with little knowledge about our family, the case gradually became of no importance.
"Give me your hand," I say to Xile as she climbs out of the backseat. She takes my hand, and we head into the gas station to pay for the gas I'd just pumped.
The bell on the door rings as I open it and I smile warmly at the teenage boy behind the register. I'd seen him here a few times and although he likes to flirt I keep it to a tight-lipped smile and minimal conversation.
I grab a basket and descend into the aisles. After picking out a few things, I place them on the counter, and he rings me up.
Xile is still trying to adjust to speaking and being around others, so she squeezes my hand and hides behind me.
With the bags in our hands, we make our way back to the car, her soft giggles bring a smile to my face as I take the bag from her, and she settles in the seat.
As I place the bags in the trunk, a scuffle of dirt not far behind me catches my attention. I turn around to see a visibly older boy holding another about my age by the collar with a girl not far behind him crying.
Xile turns and looks at me no doubt wondering what's taking me so long. I press my finger to my lips as I hold my other hand out silently telling her to stay put and quiet.
"Hey," I call as I walk in their direction.
The older boy doesn't give me the time of day as he swings his arm back and the other flinches preparing himself for the impact.
Before he's able to land the punch, I grab him by the wrist and twist his arm, bending it behind his back. He releases the other boys' collar as he groans in pain. I kick him in the underside of his knee, making him fall to the ground before I punch him in his jaw.
Wrapping my hand around his blonde locks, I get in his face, "Don't you ever lay your hands on them ever again or so help me God I swear I'll kill you," I yank him back before pushing him to the ground.
He gets up and runs away as I turn to the girl and boy standing not far away from me. She's buried in his arm as she cries, her clothes even more disheveled than his.
"Hi," I say as I approach them slowly.
"Thank you," the boy says. "I'm Zayn and this is my twin sister Kaia,"
"Nice to meet you both, you don't have to thank me. I'm Ana and this is my daughter Xile," I point to where she sits in the car.
I've no idea why I'm so comfortable telling them my name but I do, and it brings a small smile to my face to finally not have to hide who I am.
"Daughter? You look about the same age as us,"
I laugh, "Can I offer you a ride home?"
"Yes please," his sister Kaia speaks up.
On the ride to their house, I tell them my real age which leads to a bunch of questions and even more when they drag me into their dining room introducing me to their mom.
And for the first time in my whole life, I felt welcomed. At home.