Through the dense twilight that prevented me from seeing, I forced my mind to obey. A shiver like I had never felt before licked the back of my neck, making me bow.Panting in my own agony, I woke up from what seemed like years of sleep, giving in to my weak knees. There was nothing on the ground to cushion the impact of my fall.I was blind in front of the gloomy light on the ceiling, and still deaf with the distant sound of steps and muffled voices that sounded in a distant alert. I was surrounded by half a dozen people, and unable to escape from whatever that new hallucination was.With a sudden agitation, the one who was in front of me bent down, touching my knees with his."You're here, bunny," he called the voice again. I raised my eyes from the bright floor and caught myself under Zachary's gaze. He carefully touched my face, a slight caress with the tips of his fingers. My skin has forged. "Don't be afraid, little one. I'm here.I felt his touch, and the soft breath of his bre
Vacillating, I grabbed his arm and watched him wield the gun, playing his role. However, the way he held me made me think that I wasn't so sure of what I intended. And as soon as the door opened with slamming hinges, and the group stood around me, I realized that if for the Mafia I was the debt paid, for Zachary it was an exception that would not be given.God help us, I prayed, we will not leave here alive. Not together.The smell of ammonia received us in a smoking breath, whose odor penetrated deep into our noses. Our escape route was summed up in an extensive dimly lit and vaporous basement, where machines worked at full speed below the dark iron stairs that crossed and surrounded the clandestine laboratory.The sound of our steps was lost in the confusion of pressurization and packaging sliding through metal slides, so that the men who talked next to the machines were not able to perceive our presence.The precarious lighting arose by small lights fixed on the black walls, shinin
I heard the sirens, the well-known friction of wheels moving over the floor, lights flashing red and blue. However, I wanted to be able to say that I didn't need care. That I didn't feel the pain anymore. But she returned, this time, straight into my heart, when the stretcher passed me and supported a large body carried by two police officers who wore black helmets. Zachary was raised, unconscious and bathed in blood, practically faint.I couldn't see where all that blood came from, especially because my attention was called to the police officers who were returning from the open door, pulling the injured mobsters in tight handcuffs. Among those who wore dark vests and helmets with the acronyms of the FBI, I recognized the robust figure of Dennis, Zachary's co-worker.The policeman pulled with unnecessary brutality a person smaller than him, covered by black robes and with an arrogant air in his footsteps. When the person raised his head and found me being immobilized by the team of f
Have you ever had the feeling of not being useful to the world?Did you ever feel that no matter how good your intentions to people were, nothing seemed like enough? Did you feel that you could disappear, even in front of a crowd, and no one would worry about finding you? Have you ever thought how wonderful it would be to live the world that exists only inside your head? That reality only served to overshadow the brightness of your dreams?Because Kendall Reedy would have an affirmative answer to all these questions.I couldn't complain about the friends I had, but if I were to take into account all the years I had taken to meet those people who received her as a family, I would die regretting the terrible family life I had.She was the youngest daughter among many brothers. The only one who cared about the vices and consequences acquired by the parents, both detached from the behaviors acceptable to society. I paid to keep them alive, away from debts with trafficking or loans with ma
The news didn't talk about anything else. The mistake was to believe that it was a terrorist attack. Mocking the news, Kendall stroked his burnt arm, feeling a sudden itching in him. There was proof that the intentions of that massacre involved more than political and religious interests.No one could ever say that she was not the kind of person who put his hand on the fire for a friend. She put her whole arm for Mila! And if he would throw himself completely into a fire for Tristan. Thinking about it brought him hilarious pleasure, and ended up having to fight against the hysterical laughter that floated in his throat. I was already more than crazy just for all that damn wait.He didn't realize he fell asleep until he heard someone calling her softly. He swore to have heard Tristan's voice, but when he raised his head from the hard and rough seats on which he leaned, he realized that another man stood on the door frame of the open.Stefan Turner seemed more dejected than usual. The h
Six months laterI was told that if it weren't for a miserable brain activity, I would have died the first time my heart stopped beating.Six months earlier, after twenty-eight hours of kidnapping, I was admitted to the emergency room with clinical death, and the doctors brought me back. Part of me was already dead, while the other fought for another breath of life. I didn't see the light, nor any relatives who died a long time ago. I just died. More than once.The shots that hit my body charged their price. The one in my chest lodged between two of my ribs attached to the sternum, but did not hit my heart. On the other hand, the one in my spine had the same impact as a hammering in my bones; dragging and compressing tissues and vertebrae into a cone effect.It was scary to regain consciousness with a complete medical team about me, and, even worse, outside finding out the diagnosis. My legs were heavy, asleep and uncomfortable, when I was told it was a spinal cord injury at T12 level.
The doorman greeted me as soon as I passed the family concierge and let Kendall drag my chair. I had never thrown more than one look at the ramp passage that went up to the floors, always running through the steps of the main staircase, but now, it was that path I needed to take.I entered my destroyed apartment turning the wheels of the chair with my own hands, because despite smiling, Kendall was pale and sweaty for taking me through the steep path. I didn't like to think that she felt she had an obligation to help me, and she did her best not to have to ask. But life is very different from the pink world when you lose the ability to be free, and depending on others is the only way to live.We don't even need a key to open the door, it was propped up, torn from its hinges. A police containment strip surrounded the room and fixed itself on the corners of the walls, at that moment filled by the cardboard boxes with things stored. The windows no longer had glass, the pots formed a dang
Kendall had plotted that date. I had no doubt."Severe," he hesitated.Containing the nervousness in my body, I asked:“How are your sisters?" Well," he replied, swallowing dry. "Doniya is still in rehabilitation, but Waliyha and Safaa are happy to return home. My cousins are fine, safe.My eyes easily wrinkled by the wide smile I threw at him.“I’m happy for you, Zee.He returned the smile, a little awkward. She looked around, into the empty room, at Kendall sneaking in with a box in hand, and watched as she helped me look for any object of sentimental value in the mess of shards and shards of glass."Are you definitely moving to your father's house? "His voice faltered a little.I shook my head, looking away."No, I'll be back to France next week.If a needle fell to the ground, we would all listen, so obscenely quiet that the environment became."Dd't you... make peace with your family? "He asked in a soft, soft tone.I shrugged."Eeven if I still hated them, I wouldn't have much