Alexis
I had many chances to kill him but I never took it. I knew that if I made the slightest mistake and failed, he would torture my mother. He always did but he would more so if I messed up.
My mother, Iris Torenzo... eww. I hated that she had his surname. He didn't deserve her. I never really saw her. It was only five times in the twenty years I'd spent on the earth.
The first three were when I was very little. The fourth was on my 16th-year-old birthday and the fifth was one week ago when I heard she ran away.
The door suddenly opened that day, interrupting me from my worried thoughts. I thought I would never see her again but that changed when she was brought in by the guards.
One look at her was all I needed to know how much she suffered. She was covered in dried blood and I was sure she hadn't eaten in days. As they brought her in, she saw me and smiled. She always did. What was she trying to prove? That it was alright? It wasn't!
At that moment, my heart stopped. Seeing her like that made me feel so broken. We didn't grow up like a normal family but she was my mom and nobody deserved to suffer like that. I knew my father tortured her every chance he got and I'm not talking fifty shades here.
She was not from Sicily. That, I knew. I was never told about my past or how my mom got here but I was going to find out. My father told my brother and me that he had a special job for us. We were to meet him later in the night.
My brother, Alex, told me the location of our mom in the house. I didn't even know she stayed with us. I was surprised that he knew. "Just act like you're bringing in her food and everything will be fine. Go, wear this," he said in a hurry while holding the maid's wear.
I took the clothes in my hands, confused. "What is all thi-"
"I don't have time to explain. Just go," he said walking away.
It was underground, in a place we were prohibited to go in. As I got there, I saw two guards standing at the entrance of a wide door. 'She must be in there.'
It worked like a charm. I walked up to them and they let me in without questions. When I got in, it was dark with a little light to spare from a window. The whole room had an eerie feeling. There was a bed and nothing more.
Mom lied on the bed with her body cuddled up together. I quickly rushed to her but she paid no attention. "Mom, It's me," I whispered.
She sat up quickly and a weak smile came on her face. "Darling, Alex told you to come. Good," she replied as I dropped the tray of food.
"I made sure to bring lots of food-"
"No time for that dear. Look, I can't explain but take this," she said, bringing out a silver flash drive that looked priceless. It was placed into a strap making it look like a necklace.
"What is this?" I asked.
"I know what Genvi plans to do this night so I need you to take this and whatever you do, however you feel after what he does, I want you to run. Run to the border in the north. You'll meet a woman named Camille. Trust her. She's gonna give you an account number and a card. I want you to use that money to survive wherever you go. Don't worry it won't ever finish."
I stared at her. I was utterly confused. "The truth is in the flash. Everything you want to know is in there but you can't play the flash on any other computer than the one I used to record it. The computer is with Camille," she said, putting the necklace around my neck and dipping it in my shirt.
Then she held my shoulders and looked me in the eyes caringly. "One more thing. I know we didn't have a great time together and I was never there for you but now things can change."
She softly took my face and gently placed her forehead on mine. She cleaned the tears I just noticed I was shedding. She said, "Please, forgive Alex and me."
"For what?" I asked, hearing a crack in my voice.
"We didn't mean for any of this to happen. I love you, we both do and we want the best for you so please forgive us.''
''I'm confused, mom. Please explain,' I said urging her.
''Go now. Genvi could be looking for you," she said, pushing me away.
"B-but," I protested.
"It's okay dear. It's going to be fine," she assured me calmly.
'She can't just push me away without an explanation. What's going on?'
"Please go. I love you, never forget that." She succeeded in getting me to stand up and leave. As I got to the door I looked back at her.
"I love you too mom." She smiled weakly and that was the last I saw of her, making six in a total of my entire life.
'Did she and Alex plan this? Did he know the truth more than I did? How can they plan stuff if they don't meet up? Do they meet up? Why didn't he tell me?' These thoughts flooded my mind as I made it back upstairs after removing my disguise.
The next thing I knew, I was in a dark room filled with security guards, standing far but in front of my brother and my father at the far end of the room between us telling us to kill each other. Basically, one had to kill one for the life of the other.
'Was this the 'special job'? I couldn't kill Alex. Ever!'
I had a shocked look very evident on my face but Alex didn't look so surprised. We both held guns in our hands. Then he did the strangest thing.
He quickly came up to me like he was going to do it then dropped his gun on the floor as tears fell from his eyes. I saw my father smirk. Tears filled my eyes as I looked up at Alex. He wanted to die so I'd live.
My father wasn't going to let us leave this room if one of us didn't die and Alex was fully aware. "If you don't hurry it up, I'll decide who to kill by myself," Genvi said at the heat of the moment Alex dropped his gun, practically begging me to kill him.
"No I can't Alex...I-I can't do it," I said between breaths. There was a knot in my throat that stopped me from breathing. I didn't even want to breathe. I quickly became dehydrated and it hurt. Forcing a gulp, I tried to maintain my balance because I could've fallen at any moment.
"It's okay Al. We're okay," he replied as he cried with me but he didn't make a sound.
'We're? Did he mean mom? So this is what mom wanted me to forgive her for.'
He looked at me intensely, then he nodded. "Do it." And I did. I fainted the next second. There was a rush of pressure in my chest. I didn't know what happened next but I woke up in my room of a prison. Literally.
I was greeted by the face of my furious father. "Stand up!" He shouted. I quickly stood up from the bed. I knew he would hurt me but it would've been worse if I didn't obey.
"You killed him. You're getting better, but you're still too weak. You couldn't even kill him without crying."
I received a hit on my face.
"Is that what I trained you for?! To be pathetically useless?!"
He hit me again.
I didn't fall. I held a firm face, looking down but no matter how many times he hit me, it always hurt and that made me fear him.
"Answer me!" He shouted as he kicked me in the stomach. I choked out blood as I fell on my knees. "So weak! Like your idiotic mother."
That alone made me boil with rage. I hated when he spoke badly of her, which was all the time. He never spoke good of any of us and he didn't deserve us either. Especially mom.
"Don't call her that," I said, looking him in the eye. His tone changed.
"What did you just say?" I could feel his anger rise.
He hated anyone talking back at him yet he wanted me to answer him just two minutes ago. He was a hypocrite. Maybe that was why he acted like that.
Without warning, he began to hit me anywhere he could reach. Then he said, "She is an idiot. Just like you, just like your brother."
Why did he have to mention my brother? I almost let out a sob but I forced it in. I couldn't give him the satisfaction.
He stopped then said, "I need you alive to conclude my plan so I won't go too far but you've angered me so this is your punishment. No food for a week. That will teach you not to speak back at me." He left and slammed the door.
I did it then. I took off. Left all my things behind but took my flash of truth. I jumped through the window and I began to run. I activated the security alarm but I didn't care. I was stronger than all the guards and I could take them.
I ran towards the east. I was supposed to go to the north border but I needed to distract them. As I ran, some of them caught sight of me.
They began to chase me and when they caught up, I decided to fight. Throwing everything I could at them, I was able to defeat them. I continued to run.
Suddenly, another guard came from my side. He fell on me and we both struggled on the ground. I was about to kick his manhood when I felt something leave me. I didn't focus on it. I quickly finished the task and began to run again.
I was in the woods running, thinking of the payback Genvi deserved. I didn't know how I was gonna do it considering the mafia I was up against but I didn't care.
I wanted revenge!
***
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Ciao.
Daniella Ruyi.