Valentinia:
Past (3 years ago).
"Valentinia." I heard someone call out my name, distantly.
"Valentinia." I attempted to open my eyes, to discover who it was calling out my name. But, my head was throbbing, and I felt paralysed.
It must be the aftershock of whatever he had injected into me. I thought, drowsily.
"VALENTINIA!" I heard someone whisper- yell, pleadingly. I heard whimpers of pain and a distant shuffling in the distance. However, it was still vague. Whatever he had inserted into my bloodstream was severely affecting my sense of awareness.
The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite distinguish it as of right now. It encouraged me to attempt to open my eyes, the ongoing whimpers made dread flood into my being.
"Valentinia, please wake up. He's going to come back soon. You need to get out." The voice once again pleaded, in- turn capturing my full attention and determination. I strained my eyes, pushing my eyelids open, the bright light stung my eyes. I immediately snapped my eyes shut in an attempt to dull the burning sensation, and slowly reopened them.
My eyes were captured by the familiar blue eyes of Acer. His appearance was heart- shattering. The bright, contagious grin was no longer situated upon his handsome face. It was smothered in dark bruises that shadowed his handsome face, adorned with cuts and scratches. One of his eyes were forced shut by the severity of the swell which I assumed he had been aggressively punched or hit with something powerful.
But, even by looking into one of his eyes, I knew that they no longer held the spark. They now hold a dull, sullen and defeated look. My eyes filled with tears, his body was completely littered with bruises and deep incisions. Also, it appeared that his fingernails were absent. In- turn, giving me the impression that he had so mercilessly ripped them off or one of his men.
Blood was smeared across his face, almost making him unrecognisable. He was unrecognisable from the Acer I had met just a few days before. He looked broken. But, the thing that pained me the most was that I knew that this was all of my faults. I had ruined this man.
When I had met him he had that cheeky, mischievous and caring demeanour. Always bringing light into the darkest of places. He managed to make me laugh, without much effort. And now all of that was gone. All because of me. Because I didn't listen to his orders. He had warned me what would happen, but I was too selfish and naive that I didn't take any notice of his underlying threats and take into consideration the consequences of the people that I involved would suffer.
"Acer?" I muttered, still becoming aware of my current situation and surroundings.
"Yeah, it's me." He muttered, pain-stricken. You could tell that he was in pain, his face contorted into one of anguish. You could see the trails of tears flowing down his face, mixing in with the crimson liquid. My heart twisted painfully in regret, guilt and sympathy.
I did this to him. A young, innocent and carefree man. I signed his death warrant. I robbed him of his precious life. I confirmed with my thoughts, solemnly. Tears began to flood my tear ducts.
"I'm- I'm so sorry." I stuttered out, trying to compose the sob that so desperately wanted to be released.
"It's okay, it wasn't your fault, Nia." He forced out, whilst holding the left-hand side of his abdomen. My eyes caught what he was trying so hard to apply pressure to. His side was spitting out a worrying amount of blood from a hole carved into his flesh.
"You were shot?" I questioned, alerted. My eyes wide in shock and fear.
"Hmm, I guess your boyfriend doesn't make friends easily, huh?" He spat out, but in a humorous way. It amazed me how he was still able to crack jokes when he was just tortured to the edge of death. His personality was still there, he was still there. He wasn't gone yet or corrupted. It gave me some hope, maybe I could save him.
"You continue to amaze me, Acer. You have just been tortured along with being shot if you were anybody else you would have been either screaming in pain or dead." I stated, admired by the strength of his will.
"Well, I guess you can say that I am not like everybody else. I am unique." He replied, with a hint of cockiness. He managed to crack a small smile and chuckled but is halted when he hissed in pain. The expression upon his face was heartbreaking, he should never have had to experience this agony. He is so good, pure.
He doesn't deserve to suffer the wrath of him. It should be the other way around. But, I just knew that Acer wouldn't harm a fly, he was too kind and generous of a person. He was the epitome of perfect.
A tear slides down my face, but I managed to fake a smile for him.
"You are perfect." I whispered, my heart aching.
"Ha, I am far from perfect, Nia." He strained. The nickname made my heart flutter. My eyes moved back down to his side, a gasp escaped my lips. His hands were smothered in the blood off of his bullet wound. I pushed myself to crawl towards him, my leg still scarcely throbbing. But that's nothing, I am overreacting, I need to ignore it for Acer. To help Acer, he was my number one priority.
"Here, let me help. You need to stop the bleeding." I panicked, ripping off the bottom of my shirt and wrapping it tightly around his abdomen. The crimson liquid transferred onto my hands, where it should be. His blood is on my hands and I would have to live with that for the rest of my life.
"You are going to be okay." I insisted, trying to assure him, but also trying to assure myself.
"You and I both know that - Taking a deep breath.
- that isn't true." He faintly mumbled. His eyes were beginning to flutter closed, from the amount of blood that he has lost.
"No. No! Stay with me, Acer! Don't give up, you are stronger than this!" I prodded him, desperately. I checked his pulse, it was faint, but it was still there.
I observed the room quickly trying to find anything, anything that could help him. But, nothing was there. I felt eyes on me, I glanced down at Acer's head that was currently cradled within my lap. But, his eyes were sealed shut, unmoving. It was as if he was watching this happen, knowing that it would be my fault if Acer died. He wanted to break me, and he knew that I couldn't handle somebody else's death on my conscience. He was taunting me. Watching me crumble.
I glanced down at Acer, still applying a fierce amount of pressure onto his abdomen. Tears were pouring down my face, I was so scared. But, it must be nothing compared to how Acer is feeling right now.
"Acer!" I shook him gently. Praying that he would just open his eyes.
"Please Acer, Please. Just open your eyes, please. I beg you. Please. Or squeeze my hand... just let me know that you are okay." I begged, hysterically. I must have looked so un- lady like right now, with snot running out of my nose. But, I couldn't give a shit. I need to do something.
"Come on, Valentinia think. Think!" I said to myself, whilst slapping myself in the head.
"Tia?" I heard a voice rasp out. I immediately looked down and I released a breath of relief, as I saw Acer's eyes peel open ever so slightly.
"Oh, thank God, Acer. Thank God that you okay." I told him, relieved. My heart was pounding rapidly against my chest.
"Nia you nee- Acer started but I cut him off.
"Shh, Acer you need to save your strength. You are going to need it. I need to get you out of here." I said, my eyes darting towards the door, around the room feverishly.
Is it open? I wondered. I don't know, but I need to check, quickly.
"Okay, Acer. I am just going to rest your head down onto the floor for a few seconds. I need to check to see if the door is unlocked. I promise I will be back soon." I assured him, doubt flashed in the one eye of his that was visible. But, I gave his forehead a small kiss, to calm him and assure him that I won't be long.
I gently laid his head on the floor, making sure that his side was still wrapped tightly with my shirt. The bleeding had calmed down, but it was still flowing slowly. Standing up, I limped furiously over to the door, pushing down on the handle.
It was locked. I confirmed with my thoughts, defeated.
I'm not surprised. Why would he leave the door unlocked? How the fuck are we supposed to get out now? I thought, distressed.
"Think." I said, whilst running my hands down my face.
"Oh, My Jesus! My hair grips! I can pick the lock with my bobby pin." I declared, with hope. I glanced at Acer to see that he was barely conscious.
I need to hurry up. I thought, worried.
Rummaging through the messy strands of my hair, I finally find the thin piece of metal that I so desperately need and clasp it in my hands. Hurriedly, I begin to wiggle it back and forth in the lock, just waiting anxiously for the click.
Then it happens, I hear the sound that I crave for the most and I quietly push down on the handle, praying for it to open. And it does, I see the stairs in my vision, leading upstairs into the eerie mansion.
I need to find a way to get Acer upstairs and out of the front door without getting caught. I need to plan this carefully, but quickly because we are running out of time. The camera's, the guards, Mr. Morelli. I need to find a way to avoid these extraneous variables. But how am I going to do that?
Also, I can't drag or carry Acer to the nearest hospital, I don't even know where the nearest one is. I think I know where Mr Morelli's garage is, hopefully, he keeps the keys in there. And what about directions? I have no idea where this house is situated and not to mention it is in the middle of nowhere.
So, we are fucked. I need to find a way around this. No, I need to, for Acer. This is the least that I owe him. I thought, biting my lip, worriedly.
I glance back to look at Acer and see that he is once again unconscious, I look at his chest and see the subtle rise and fall of his chest. I was to shake in trepidation, I have no idea how this is going to play out. I hear shouting from upstairs, causing my eyes to widen in fear for Acer. I couldn't give a shit about me as of right now. Like I said before my priority is to get Acer out of here safe and alive.
We need to go right now. I confirmed with my thoughts.
Running as fast as I can manage to Acer, I wrap my arms around his shoulder and whisper in his ear.
"Come on Acer, we have to go. You are going to have to help me out a little bit here, I am not strong enough to carry all of this muscle." I tried to joke, but it failed drastically as I didn't receive any type of response from him.
"Can you just try to walk a bit for me Acer, please? We need to get out of here. Right Now!" I pleaded with him dramatically. I saw the slight nod of his head and I helped him to stand up, but he released a tortured cry of anguish. Causing me to tense and check his wound, it was pouring out rapidly again. Shit. We need to leave right now, otherwise he is going to bleed out.
I hold my hand to his wound and walk him to the door with a struggle. He is trying to help, but I understand why he is only scraping his feet along the floor, weakly. He needs a bed and professional medical attention, not to be dragged out of the house of the maniac who is trying to kill him. He is really weak, due to losing a hefty amount of blood.
"Just relax Acer, I will help you. Just focus on trying to calm your breathing down, I understand that you are in a lot of pain. Just take deep breaths, in and out." I encouraged, in a low voice trying not to attract any unnecessary attention.
I carefully began to lead him up the steps, stopping to let him rest on every step. His breaths were coming out in pants, leading me to believe that his lungs are weak. That they are collapsing or failing, in- turn encouraging me to hurry up the stairs. Finally, reaching the top of the steps, Acer isn't the only one who's breathing is coming out in pants.
I shouldn't joke about that, I need to stop being so dramatic and help Acer. I thought, frustrated with myself.
Where is everyone, it's so desolate? It is never this deserted, there are always some security guards surrounding each door. Leading me to think back to the basement door.
Why wasn't there somebody guarding that door in case we escaped? I mean we are his 'prisoner's', he wouldn't want us to escape. He wasn't that stupid or sloppy, he was the Mafia Boss of Italy for a reason. He was always accurate.
So, why would he leave the door vacant, without anybody there? My heart dropped, this is a game. It is one of his games. A game of cat and mouse. He knew that I wouldn't just sit back and let him kill Acer, so he set me up. He knew that I would find a way out of that room and he ordered all of his men to leave because he wanted me to do so. Just so that he could sit back and watch me panic and struggle, knowing that me and Acer will never escape.
He has played me, and I fell stupidly because I believed in hope and I was blinded by desperation.
But, really at the back of my mind I knew that we would never escape his grasp. "After all, the King loves a game of hiding and seek. Especially chasing his prey" He once told me. And unfortunately for Acer and me, we are his prey.
Word Count:. 2550