CHAPTER 5

FIORA

“Present day”

No

Just No 

This can't be happening

Someone wake me up from this nightmare before I lose my mind

I don’t know how I end up on my knees. I don’t walk to where he fell l crawl.My vision is blind to all the people surrounding us and my ears are deaf

to the shouts and chaotic noise.

The only sound I hear is a long buzz and the only thing I see is him and lots of red

Blood red

Red.Red.Red

Somebody…Uncle Ricardo is applying pressure on the wound to stop more of his life essence from flowing out but it doesn't stop

It flows on and on till it forms a pool around his body ruining my wedding gown in the process but I couldn't care less,the only thing on my mind is the lifeless body before me

I place my hands on his cheeks “Dad!dad!!....Open your eyes”I say between sobs “Please just open your eyes and look at me…

There’s no response. I can fill his pulse under my fingers becoming weaker, his body heavier.

His massive build is motionless and his skin is so pale…he looks nothing like the dad I know

It all happened so fast..On moment Dad's gun was aimed at Alder ready to shoot and the next he was on the floor,a bullet in his chest.

 I can bet my entire existence that it has something to do with the psycho standing a few inches away from me

A hush falls over me as my mind scrambles to understand. I want to scream, to turn back time, to undo the horror before me.

Dad is slowly slipping away and there is nothing I can do to stop it

Uncle Ricardo’s hands are steady, pressing down with all his strength.Yet,the red seeps relentlessly through his fingers, staining everything in its path, consuming every thread of hope I have

In the distance, Alder watches with a dark satisfaction that sends a shiver down my spine. His face is an unreadable mask, and his eyes linger on my father’s body like this was all part of his plan. I don't even know if he feels a shred of remorse or just sick triumph. But his gaze pierces through me,and a realisation dawns on me, icy and unforgiving

Alder is more than dangerous. He is ruthless, and maybe…maybe I was the fool for thinking he would let my father go if I married him

A loud siren pulls me out of my haze and the chaos around us comes back into focus—the gasps, the footsteps rushing toward us, the panicked voices overlapping. I blink, my fingers still resting on my father’s pale cheek

Dad is lifted onto a stretcher but I don't let go of his hand…The thought of letting go and never seeing him alive again is much too unbearable

Uncle Ricardo curses in Spanish as he helps the paramedics carry dad into the ambulance

”Dad please…hang in there’’ I feel the warmth of my own tears against the chill of the air, blurring the edges of the nightmare surrounding me..The images of this incident have penetrated so deep into my mind that it would haunt me for the rest of my days

“Please do whatever it takes to save my dad,I beg you”i say to the nurse who's trying to stop Dad from losing more blood

“We will try our best ma'am..Please let go of his hand so we can do our job”She replies, giving me a reassuring glance

Reluctantly,I do as she says and attempt to enter the ambulance but uncle Ricardo stops me

“I'll go with them,Fiora,” he says softly, “Stay here.”

I look up at him, my mind struggling to process his words. “B..bu–”

“The paramedics won't be able to do their job well if you come along. Stay with the rest of the family,they need you”

                      ***********

I don't know how I get to the hospital unscathed..I must have broken a million traffic rules on my drive here.

I am unable to think straight.Dad's life is hanging in the balance and the mere thought of that almost set off my panic attacks

I find Uncle Ricardo pacing in the waiting room, his face lined with exhaustion and worry

Dad is out of surgery now and the doctor told us he has fallen into a coma,one they are not sure he would ever get out of

No matter how many times Uncle Ricardo grabs the doctor by the shirt or how many times he threatened to sue him and the entire hospital, nothing can change that

According to the doctor,he might wake up in a month,a week or never

My breath hitches as I stand frozen at the glass, staring into my father’s ward.Tubes snake around his body, piercing into his arms and abdomen.

The steady hum of the machines and the beeping of the monitors are the only indications that life still clings to him.

I press my palm against the glass, my nails biting into it as if the pressure could anchor me to reality.”Dad,this isn't funny anymore,pls open your eyes…You hate sleeping too much, remember?…The day Mom died,you promised,you said you would never leave me or Eleana alone”

I dig my nails further into the glass “If you can hear me, please wake up…I can't do this life thing without you,you are my dad…my best friend,my everything…so..just open your eyes”

My shoulders shake as I vigorously bang the glass”Wake up dad!...Please wake up!!”

A sob tears from my throat as I slide to the floor, joining the broken pieces of my heart that are lying

there

Uncle Ricardo kneels beside me and places my head on his shoulders “He is strong Fiora”he says as he gently strokes my hair“Your dad’s been through more than you know. If anyone can fight his way back, it’s him”

I want to believe him,I want to cling to his words like a lifeline but deep down,I know that this is just the beginning.i had just married an evil maniac and it probably gonna get worse from here on out

I lift my head, meeting Ricardo’s eyes.The structure of his face,his slim nose and plum lips are exactly like Dad's,the only difference is the deep brown staining both his irises..Said eyes are red-rimmed,his own pain clearly etched into his features.

“I can’t lose him,” I whisper, my voice breaking. “Not him too. I just... I can’t.

He lets out a deep sigh, his grip on my shoulder tightening. “You’re not going to lose him. But if you want to help him, you need to be strong. For him, for Eleana... and for yourself.”

I give a slow nod and Uncle Ricardo helps me to my feet

“Are you happy now?”A familiar voice,now vicious reaches me before I am flung back to staring face to face at my sister

Her makeup is smudged and her usually bright green eyes are bloodshot. Dried tears cling to the marrow of her cheeks..Her ebony black hair which she styled into a twist this morning is now in a heaping mess.

I have never seen Eleana this dishevelled before and I can't help but think that it's all my fault.I didn't try hard enough.. Wasn't strong enough to protect our dad

I failed

“Elly..listen t–”

“Save your bullshitty explanation for someone who cares”she cuts me off “Dad pleaded with you..he begged you not to marry that psycho but you did so anyway”

My lips part, but no sound comes out.I want to explain myself,make her understand that I didn't have a choice but I can't bring myself to tell her the truth.i can't bring myself to tell her that our dad who we love and adore is a cold blooded murderer,it would tear our family apart.

I also don't want to believe dad betrayed our mom.There has to be an explanation.something–anything.

I refuse to believe that the same man who braided my hair, taught me how to ride a bike and always told me to pursue my dreams would be capable of something so senile

Eleana steps closer, her finger jabbing toward my chest “You chose him, Fiora. You chose that monster over us, over Dad! And now look where we are. He’s in there, fighting for his life, and it’s all because of you.”Her voice trembles with anger and despair.

“Elly, I—I didn’t know it would come to this,” I stammer, tears pooling in my eyes again “I thought—i..i thought–”

“I don't give a shit about what you thought!!”she snaps..her voice so high,she's practically screaming at me “Tell me,do you get a twisted sense of thrill when you see us in pain? Do you delight in seeing us all suffer??..

Her voice cracks on the last word, and she presses her fists to her sides.i want to reach out to her,to comfort her like I use to when we were younger but touching her right now is not a good idea.

She closes her eyes,sucks in a ragged breath,opens them and still looked like she was about to burst into flames 

“I hate you”she says in an haunting whisper “I hate you and I never want to have anything to do with you ever again”