SOFIA When I had seen Jake again, I couldn't deny the fact that something in me moved. Just like it had years ago when I first met him.And where was that? It was at a bar, I was drunk, so drunk to go back home and when I had finished my fifth bottle, I had gotten up and saw him.The bottle of alcohol was still in my hand as I stood up to come face to face with him. He was looking at me and he was coming close. When he was close enough, he had stopped and leaned closer. The way he had leaned in close, his eyes were flickering with mischief. It was a blur, yet I could still make out his features, just his eyes and his face.They were beautiful. I could even describe how he looked then. He had this piercing blue eyes and chiseled nose made that seemed to be made from one of Michelangelo's sculpture. He was that perfect. And there was a way he had looked at me then and after we began to date. It was if I were the only woman in the world. Despite our breakup then, I couldn't deny his und
SOFIAI felt myself floating, more like being above water like a piece of paper. I felt light headed and calm.The evening's event was starting to leave my body system gently and I was no longer angry, just calm and should I say tipsy? I only had a bottle of alcohol. It's been long I had it. Gone were those days when I could still bear to take about five bottles (I wasn't a drinker, but alcohol suits my taste better than wine), especially in cases like this.I wanted something to burn my throat badly and maybe hurt my chest till I feel like screaming to the whole world. One thing still had the chance to flow freely in my mind. If I was drunk, I always had different thoughts. Now, I had just a single thought, it was that of Alex.I was suddenly thinking about how I met him and the circumstances surrounding the meeting. It was at a bar and he had walked up to me like he knew me from Adam, even said my name. Wasn't that supposed to bother me at first? Even though I was drunk, I have thou
ALEX Wanton splendor…I allowed the cold water run through my body like it was my second skin. It gave me this satisfaction I haven’t felt in a while. The coldness penetrated into my skin, boring into my blood streams and touching that part of me that needed to be set asleep.I closed my eyes, totally aware of the amount of water that was running through my blood stream. The sound of running water filled the room, creating a serene atmosphere that I was slowly falling in love with. I adjusted the temperature to ensure it was refreshingly cold. Even if Blake refused to give me the Crow Cartel, I would enjoy the luxury of a good bath. Right now, I didn’t even want to think about that man and his Cartel.I slowly submerged myself into the icy water, feeling an immediate sensation of complete satisfaction. The coldness enveloped my body, awakening my senses and replenishing my tired muscles. It was as if each droplet of water carried with it a burst of energy, enthusiasm and hope for me.
ALEX She came to offer herself on a platter of gold, who was I to reject that? I hadn’t even thought of how to kill her, I just thought about the things to do before I kill her. I planned to win her trust completely, confess my undying love to her and then wait till she confesses her love then I was going to change personalities at that point. And from Romeo, I would become Lucifer. Isn’t that the best plan ever?And what was going to end her life? A bullet wound on the forehead? A knife stab cut? Or a planned accident in the bathroom, or it could be using the pillow to end her life. There were about other ways to die that I had in my head, and each one was a way of escape. As far as I was concerned, everyone in the office knows I was closer to her, they wouldn’t ever think that I might murder her, because just as Susan had said that day, I was ‘long, lean and lethal’, but, I couldn’t hurt my Cinderella. The best murder plan had been formulated in my mind. I just needed the right w
SOFIA So this is what it feels like? I must be dreaming but I was damn sure I was sober and very much aware of my surroundings so I knew everything that happened last night. It felt like a dream but I knew it was real, yes, Alex and I made love.As I sat down to enjoy my breakfast, I couldn’t help but smile as I reminisced about the incredible sexual encounter I had with the man I had been considering to date, that man was Alex! The details of that night were still fresh in my mind, and I found myself reliving every moment with a sense of satisfaction and longing.I hadn’t thought I would be able to take the bold step I took that night. I was scared, so damn scared of being rejected. The problem would have made me even quit because I wouldn’t know what he had in his mind each time he sees me at the office (or, I could just blame it on the alcohol because I made me think I was drunk) . And then when I had kissed him and he didn’t respond, I was shattered, damn, I was angry.But then h
SOFIA His words were so firm and I was pulled to want to obey but I said nothing and he just left me standing. I wasn’t even sure why he was so angry. He had this flaming fire in his eyes and it scared the hell out of me, I wished I knew what he was thinking as at that time.He had said his last words like I had no other choice than to obey. He had said, “well, I don’t expect you to say yes immediately. But I know you would still obey.”And now, thinking about it, I realized that sooner or later, I was going to obey him, like I was going to move into his house. I knew this because of my fear. My life had flashed right in front of me and I had almost lost the power to move because of shock. When I had first saw the man with the axe, all the blood in my body system had died and I was unable to move, I had moved at the last minute when the axe was just close to my face.That single swing could have ended my life, it could have completely damaged my face and I was going to really bleed t
ALEX The love making was making love.That was what I would say to what happened between Sofia and I. It's been long, yes, the last time I had sex was about a year ago... Or, I wasn't even sure. I didn't put that in the list of my priorities so I didn't take it as something that important.Sex was the last thing on my mind when I came to New York. And I sat at my apartment bar, staring down at my drink, the memories from my past sexual experience flooded my mind. I couldn't help but think about the last sexual experience I had. It wasn't anything to write home about, that's for sure. It had been lacking in excitement, passion, and genuine connection.I had gone through the motions, desperate for some kind of physical release, but as I looked back on it, I couldn't help but feel a sense of emptiness. The sex was not nice at all. It didn't fulfill me in the way I had hoped it would. But this with Sofia? Damn! I had this kind of feeling of fulfillment. Like it was something I had alway
ALEX I kept looking at her as I drove. Here was a chance to let her die by the axe of that unknown person. It was even easier that way. I wouldn’t have her blood in my hands and that would mean I did not commit any crime.But then as she sat beside me, so shaken and scared, I couldn’t help but feel pity towards her. It was all too much on her, I guess and she showed it that she was going through a lot. And there are limits to how we all can take things, as at now, I knew she couldn’t take in so much.And with what I had seen, I knew a lot was still going to happen to her. That was because of the fact that it was someone from the Crow Cartel that wants her dead. And I was sure the person would do anything to end her life. The question now was ‘who wants her dead?’ I was so sure that my father didn’t know Sofia, he hadn’t seen her before. He would have if she hadn’t chickened out on me like that. Even me, I didn’t get to know her face well until after she ran away. I just got her pict
ALEX Manchester was different…Manchester was blissful…The air in Manchester was very clear; till I could feel it suffocate me. But then I knew one day, I would put an end to all of this. I was living the life that I wanted here. Away from Blake and his Cartel, his mob and the killers and the snare and everything. I had used the money I had to start up something and I would be going back to hockey soon. It was what gave me utmost confidence. And I wouldn’t toss it away. She still didn’t want to have anything to do with me. I took it upon myself to stalk her in a healthy manner. I was there when she left for work and I was there when she was back. It was one thing that gave me joy, it gave me this push. I knew that one day, she would hear me out and would forgive me. I made a conscious effort to respect her space. It was hard to process that fact and I wanted to give her time but then one day, I would make sure I walk up to her again. Everyday, I couldn’t deny the pull she had o
SOFIA Manchester…I got dressed and sighed when I was done dressing. This used to be worn with a happy smile, now, my heart was filled with sadness, regret and disappointment. It wasn’t anger anymore. It was something else. I left the house, the crisp autumn air nipping at my cheeks as I made my way down the street. The familiar sights and sounds of my neighbourhood seemed to fade into the background as I focused on the task at hand: preparing for my move to Manchester.I came back home to prepare. It was now or never. Another day here and I would commit suicide. This was the place my parents were killed, this was the place Olivia had been arrested. Too many bad memories and damn, I can’t stay here any longer. I brought out my clothes and the new bags I bought when I went out. It was now or never at all. I packed my clothes into the bag, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of sadness and nervousness as I did this. I was going to England, leaving behind everything that had once been fami
SOFIAI could still dream. This time, I was dreaming about being alone in a field of roses, where everything was filled with tranquillity and warmth. I found myself standing in a vast field of roses, their sweet fragrance filling the air and soothing my mind. The sun was shining brightly, casting a warm glow over the landscape. The vibrant colours of the flowers seemed to stretch on endlessly, creating a mesmerising sea of reds, pinks, and whites.It felt so good to be here. So damn good. I forgot all I was thinking about. I forget the sorrows that were now in my life. I forgot how things had been so bad. I was calm. I was content. I was enough. As I walked through the field, I felt a sense of peace and tranquillity washing over me. It made me feel like I was in heaven. This was a pleasure. Absolute pleasure. Amidst the sea of roses, I caught sight of a figure in the distance. This was supposed to be my world, my dream. As I approached the figure, I realised it was my mother, wear
SOFIABut then I had so many what ifs left in me…What if everything had not been like this? What if I had just not found out about the cottage and all? I guess Olivia would have killed me. She would surely win this time around and then she would put an end to the existence of the Griffins.If only Olivia hadn’t found out what really happened, if she didn’t know who our parents were and if nothing had ever even happened before. I sighed heavily. What would have become of my life and that of Olivia’s? I kept thinking about this and it kept playing in my head till I could no longer imagine what life would have been if everything hadn’t started from Olivia finding out that our parents were bloody murderers. I wanted to look up and gaze out the window at the world outside, but Alex was right beside me. He had this look of remorse and that was the last thing I needed right now. In that instant, I couldn’t help but ponder the age-old adage, “ignorance is bliss.” How true those words seeme
SOFIASomehow, a sad song came into my mind. I was humming the song and somehow, it made me feel so good. I then began to ask myself some questions. What if my parents were still alive? What if Jake hadn’t cheated on me? What if Olivia grew up nice and well groomed? What if? The answer was that I wouldn’t have met Alex. And before that, I wouldn’t know who Ronaldo was and my parents wouldn’t have been divorced. It was a whole lot to take in but I knew that I would heal. No matter how hard and difficult it was, I would heal. Nice and steady. I went back inside and saw Alex with the inspector. They were talking and I just went to my room. I needed some time alone, some time to sink all this in and know what next to do with my life right now. I could hear Alex talking with the inspector. “I will come by later. If you need anything, let me know.”“All right. Take care of her.” The inspector told him. “Yes.”‘Take care of her?’ I scoffed. How can I be fine with the devil? The real d
SOFIAI hadn’t wanted to keep crying when the police came but each word, sentence and action of Olivia kept replying in my head like a broken tape and the tears just wouldn’t stop. I then asked myself, how did we come to this? Olivia was a happy child, she was loved by happy parents, it got to the point of being jealous because of the way our parents favoured her over me. But then when I grew up and tried to relive those days, I saw that our parents loved us equally. Yes, they were murderers, and yes they were members of a notorious mafia mob that had killed a lot of people and destroyed so many lives. In that sense, they should be ruthless, in that sense they should have raised us with a knife taped to the tip of their tongues.With them, we were fed love on a silver spoon in a golden plate, we weren’t made to get love by licking it off knives. Not just any knife, a knife that wasn’t embroidered and was just insignificant to mankind. No, our parents fed us love and overfilled us
OLIVIAI watched them panic when I had reached for the only weapon I think could put an end to my misery. I planned to kill to myself and then kill Sofia and her boyfriend. She was asking too many questions that reminded me of the past. It reminded me of the faces of the murderers I referred to as my parents. Particularly seeing her. I haven’t looked at myself in the mirror in a while. I couldn’t dare to do that. I knew I would see the reflection of those terrible people in me, I hated them so much that if I saw them in my face, I would surely scar myself. It was better to die than to live with their imprint visible on my body. And then Sofia? She had everything good coming her way. Even though Ronaldo didn’t treat her well, he still thought about her and even went as far as wanting her to be married to a rich son of the mafia. No matter the maltreatment, I knew she would enjoy her married life. Ronaldo didn’t think of me when the son of the mafia came. He didn’t at all and damn,
ALEXI watched the two sisters battle words. All this while I was just looking at them, it felt like I wasn’t even in the room. They kept throwing words at each other and made me feel completely invisible. And thinking about this, I just couldn’t see Anthony and I having the same batter and swearing at each other like this. It was something I couldn’t ever picture. Not that I was scared, I stopped being afraid of Anthony when I left home and since then, there was nothing that would make me scared of him ever again. Anthony and I can’t even have a physical conversation, the last time we had talked, it was during a family dinner. That was the day my father had announced that he was giving the cartel to Anthony. I remembered that day like I was in it. I hadn’t wanted to come but I had no choice, I just had too. Ever since I left home, I just cut ties with them but then I had too. The dinner was scheduled a few days before my mother’s birthday. I just had to go. I told myself I would f
SOFIA “Why did everything change?”Tears continued to cascade down my cheeks, a testament to the shattered dreams and broken promises that plagued our relationship. The person I once knew had morphed into a stranger, driven by darkness and pain.Olivia had become a woman I used to know. She scared me now. Everything she had said was surprising, it made me feel stupid. I had thought she changed because of the death of our parents. Then she was withdrawn, she threw herself to Ronaldo like he was her saviour. And to me, she treated me like trash. I had thought she wanted to take away all the grief in her by being mean to me, but I was wrong, she had just been thinking of ways to extinguish me from the world she was creating. “When did everything change, Olivia?”“It will further change if you disappear.” She answered. “And then the very day I found out about what our parents were, I knew I couldn’t tell you, I just knew I had to carry out this mission myself.”I just looked at her, it