CarrieFor what seemed like an eternity, extreme silence overpowered the moment, and I almost heard the rapid beating I felt against my chest.But it took Alessandro clearing his throat and taking the first step forward to break the ice. The man, Frank Maximus, moved closer as well. And even though I could not see their faces properly, I got the feeling that they were doing a mini face-off.“Frank Maximus,” Alessandro bitterly spat the man’s name, his hands tucked into his wet and somewhat sandy pants.“You know who I am,” the unexpected visitor remarked, his hands pocketed as well.Gosh… I doubt I can ever get used to the peculiarity of Frank’s voice. I don’t even want to. Seeing Frank at that moment was just a trigger. He reminded me of the terrible past I was trying to shed, he reminded me that my father willingly sold me off without remorse.“What are you do
AlessandroI have a strange habit.Whenever things don’t go my way, I act insane. I do things like walking towards the brink of the ocean or shaving a newly cut hair into an extremely low one. Sometimes I starve myself as punishment and do nothing but drink wine. On other days, I go easy on myself by getting a tattoo or two.On this crazy night, I decided to walk barefoot. I am on my way to a small house which is a walkable distance from my new home. Well, our new home.The fact that I was taking a risk by leaving Carrie by herself seeped into my mind and I paused my slow steps to take a brief look at the house.Then, seconds later, I continued walking, still not caring about the fact that my feet could bruise if I happen to stumble upon sharp things. But in the past, a lot of sharp objects have pierced numerous parts of my body, I am sure I can take a little more hurt.As long as I punish myself enough for wh
CarrieTruthfully, it has been so long since I had a very proper night of sleep. Sleeping to the sound of ocean waves must have done a good job because I feel refreshed, energetic, and ready to face a new day.But before I face the day, I need to face Alessandro, after all, he was the first person that came to my mind.Without stress, I sat up, all covered by a thick blanket and I observed the neatness of my new room. Well, our new room.It sure feels weird to refer to pluralize Alessandro and me, but it doesn’t feel wrong. The smile that’s growing on my lips as I recalled our little moment the previous night was enough to know that thinking about Alessandro in that new light was not wrong.I was about to call out to Alessandro when I felt a small pang in my stomach. It didn’t last for two seconds, but it concerned me. And it made the need to reach out to Alessandro grow. It is necessary that I go back to the hospital.But when I got off the bed to search for my phone, I recalled that
AlessandroWhile it would have been easy to fight off the person who attacked me from the back, it became difficult to leave that room because it was soon filled with men who turned out to be working for a crucial rival of the CDP gang.When their annoying leader walked in with pride in his gait, I felt anger rise within me since the gang-up meant I wouldn’t reach Carrie faster.The gang-up also meant that I was cornered in a way I didn’t like. While I would be able to fight the men and get away, but Eduardo might not. He derives joy in torture, but he has never lifted a hand in a fight.So, my concern for him became the reason I allowed Cockeye’s silence which persisted till a new dawn met us.Since it hurriedly became morning, the light of the day allowed me a full view of the reason the man was called Cockeye- he had little penis tattoos drawn around his left eye. I wonder why he didn’t add balls- perhaps he doesn’t have one.But as minutes passed and as the sun rose and announced
Alessandro“Alessandro!” Eduardo snapped me out of the trance my soul was about to fall into.This is the type of situation I always thought I would never be in, but after I experienced something similar during the last moments that led to my mother’s death, I begged myself to never feel such a painful thing again.But there I was, my expanded eyes glued on Carrie whose peaceful state was scary enough to push my legs off the porch.So I ran. With all the insane emotions flowing within my soul, I ran until I met up with Eduardo and Frank who had successfully carried Carrie out of the car’s boot.“We don’t have time to waste, Alessandro!” Eduardo snapped words into my ears. “I’ll call for an ambulance and have them meet us on the way.”“Oh…” I have never felt this inactive before. During the disaster that befell my mother, I was at least able to push past my emotions and do something. But right now, I am nothing but a soulless fool who can’t lift a finger to at least save the woman he m
CarrieI am aware that the last time I was conscious, Mr. Calmar had just shown me a side of him I never suspected he had. I know that he did something to me that made me slip into darkness.But now that I am partially awake after seconds or maybe minutes of stillness, I am more scared than usual. And that is because someone keeps pressing my hand as though accessing my flesh before deciding to butcher it.And since there was a huge chance that Mr. Calmar was about to do something weird to my body, I fought to gain full consciousness. But it wasn’t easy to get out of the state I was in. My brain was aware that the rest of my body was refusing to move, so it urged my body to do the needful, but nothing happened.And that was the battle I fought for minutes until my eyes snapped open and I realised that I was not in the real world earlier. I was in a fragment of my semi-consciousness… I think.Glad that I was feeling alive and that every part of my body seemed to be intact, I slowly pee
CarrieTwo days later, the doctor saw fit to discharge me and soon, I was outside, breathing in the air which I had been craving.There’s just something about hospitals that irks me if I stay in them for too long. Perhaps it’s the constant presence of people in the corridors or the fact that the mutuality of life and death was more prominent in the hospital.Either way, I am out of that place and I can’t wait to go back to sorting out my life.“Watch your step, Carrie.”I looked up at Alessandro who was observing my movements more than I was and I must say, he has been acting weird since the attempt on my life.He’s nicer, more caring, and very attentive, it almost seems like a scam.“Alessandro…” He reached for my arm and helped me down the last staircase. “I am fine, Alessandro.”“I know that.”“Then why are you acting otherwise?” I gently jerked my arm out of his grip. “I am out of trouble. I feel fine. Our baby is fine, so-”“Trouble never ceases to show up, Carrie.” Alessandro wa
Carrie“Are you okay?” Alessandro checked in with me after many seconds filled with heart-racing silence passed.“Yes…” I slightly raised my head since we were still crouched. “Are you fine?”“I am. Just stay close to me, okay?”I nodded and with a little frown of concern on my forehead, I looked towards Eduardo whose entire body was sprawled between the driver’s and passenger’s seats. “Eduardo… Are you fine?”It was hard to see his face since he tucked it in a corner very close to the door, so I made do with staring at the slight exposure of his lower back. Then, with a careful whisper, he answered, “I am. But… Why are we whispering?”Hmm… Good question.“Eduardo, who do you think is responsible for this?” Alessandro’s voice could have vibrated my entire back if it wanted to. He covered me with all that he was and it would have been hard for me to try budging if I wished to. “Do you think it is Mr. Calmar?”“Nah,” the earlier whispering was replaced with their normal voices and I lis
CarrieAlessandro and I sat in silence for a very long time. We held hands and stared at the sea and the way it displayed its beauty while the wind played with it.Then, after many minutes, I asked, “How have you been?”Alessandro faced me, his gorgeous eyes making my heart skip as though it was the first time meeting him. “Before a few moments ago, I have been shitty. Very shitty.”His response tempted me to imagine how terrible things were for him when my father captured me. But a glimpse of that imagination made my heart ache, so I quickly dumped that idea.“I am sorry, Alessandro.“Why?”“My father caused us so much pain. He uh-” I lowered my head while a faint memory of how I suffered in that dark room seeped into my mind.“Don’t think about it, Carrie.” Alessandro’s soft gaze met mine. “It is too sad.”“It happened, Alessandro. How do I face it if I don’t think about it?”“Carrie.” A crack entered his voice and for some seconds, he bit into his lips. “You were in hell back there
Alessandro“Mr. Valante,” the doctor dragged me out of my deep thoughts.“How is she?” After Carrie asked a question that made my entire soul crash, she lost consciousness and we had to rush her to the hospital.“Thankfully, we were able to stabilise her, but she needs to be watched for some days. While we wait, we’ll run necessary tests and take care of her to the best of our ability.”“Will she be fine?” That was all I wished to know.“Yes. I believe she will overcome this.” The doctor still had questions. “From the chart I got from the patient’s previous hospital, it indicated that she was pregnant.”My throat felt heavier. “She… She lost the baby, didn’t she?”He sighed. Then he nodded. “We will have to test for an overdose. Especially for Diclofenac and Misoprostol. It is possible that they were given to the patient regularly. If that turns out to be true, the culprit will be charged with murder. That’s as far as I know.”“Thank you, doctor. But…” I hesitated to ask my question bu
CarrieWhen my eyes opened again, I felt strange, I felt clean. But that feeling failed to override the disappointment I felt when I realised that I was still alive.Darkness surrounded me as usual and emptiness joined the party.And all I could do was stare at nothing and wait for the worst to happen.Many moments later, the door opened and the light came on.Gary stepped into the room.“You are awake,” he said, his hand carrying a tray of what seemed to be food.I could have scoffed at that sight if I had the strength. At this point, eating is meaningless. I doubt I would be able to swallow anything.“You should eat,” Gary continued. He knelt and dropped the tray on the floor. “It has been days since you had anything. You should at least eat something.”“Gary…” My voice was greatly weak as usual.“Yes, Carrie?” I listened as he dragged himself closer. “What is it? Do you need to go to the bathroom? You don’t have to make a mess here anymore. It is unhealthy.”“I…” I focused on the ce
AlessandroI have lost my mind.I’ll keep losing my mind.I’ll keep letting images of Carrie haunt me in dreams and real life. I’ll continue to be a version of myself I’ll never understand as long as things continue this way.It’s been a month since Carrie’s disappearance and everything has turned upside down. After a long day of locating Carrie to no avail, I resort to a lifestyle that makes me furious with myself.I can’t stop it though. Right now, it’s the only way I know to survive.And that’s why I won’t back away from crushing the head of the man kneeling in front of me with the end of my gun.That’s right. I went back to CDP.I thought it was the only place I could be fairly sane while I searched for Carrie.But what happens now that I’ve lost a great deal of my sanity? I guess I’ll just have to go with the flow of things and see if I’ll lose every other thing in my life.After all, it seems I’m about to lose Carrie.The grip I had on the man’s hair loosened and I staggered bac
( Trigger Warning for chapters ahead: Mild imagery related to miscarriage. Please take note.)CarrieA groan left my lips and I opened my eyes. My sight settled on an unfamiliar ceiling and for many seconds, I blinked furiously while my mind fell into deep confusion.The purely white ceiling also seemed to mess with my mind because I couldn’t bring myself to think about the last thing that happened to me. The more I racked my mind, the more a strange pain wrapped around my head.I also tried to move but nothing happened. I attempted calling for Alessandro, but my lips were unmovable, and my throat felt weird as well.So, all I could do was stare at the ceiling.But, minutes later, I discovered that my hearing sense was working quite fine when a rather manly footstep filled the room. Hearing that made me eager to move, I wished to know who the person was.The person decided to spare me the trouble.“Hello, Carrie.” The voice was familiar. “You are finally awake.” The person moved close
Carrie“What did you just say?” I rushed to the front door, my hands managing to push Alessandro to the side. I could not recognize the tall man I almost jammed chests with. “Who passed away? Which Mr. Edwards?”The man faced Alessandro. And I did the same.“Alessandro. What is he talking about? Who is dead?”Alessandro peeled his eyes off mine. “Calistus, grazie. Let’s talk some other time.”“Alessandro!” I stomped a foot on the ground. “Please…”With a hand, he hugged me from behind and closed the door. “Why are you trying to harm yourself? Relax, Carrie.”“How can I relax?” At this point, my eyes started to well tears because Alessandro’s hesitation was enough to tell that the mentioned Mr. Edwards was indeed my father. “My… My father is dead.”“Carrie…”“Don’t even lie to me. Don’t lie to me.”“Carrie…” He settled me on the nearest couch. Our eyes met and my lips wore an ugly expression while incoming tears bloated my throat.“It’s… It’s my father, isn’t it?” Alessandro sighed and
CarrieThree days later, we left the hotel and headed for our home, the modern bungalow that continues to take my breath each time I set my eyes on it.But as Alessandro drove to our destination, I noticed that he was quiet in a way that told me that he was already swimming in regret. I considered reaching for his hand to assure him that I will always be available for him to talk to, but it would be unwise to become a distraction while he’s driving.So, I adjusted my position and postponed my thoughts.“Carrie?”“Yes, Alessandro? Hmm.” I shook my head as though I just said something forbidden. “That’s wrong. Yes, my husband?”Alessandro could not hold back his loud laughter. It erupted in a way that instantly made my heart fly with joy.“Why is that so good to hear?” he asked.“Because it is the truth.” I brought my left hand to his face. “We are married. I am your wife and I am your husband.”His affection-filled eyes racked my body and I felt my cheeks flush, I almost bit into my li
CarrieAs I walked, a lovely piano sound filled the air and that helped me stay focused on Alessandro only.The man was not exactly smiling, but the gaze he carried held and drew me closer and closer until the distance between us was closed.“Hello, my flower,” he greeted once he took my arm off Eduardo’s.“Hello.” I sounded like a shy bride who was yet to know the ways of a marital bed.“You look absolutely beautiful.”“So do you.”He leaned closer and lowered his voice some more, “Your neck looks sexy.”My hairdo allowed a full exposure of my neck. I am aware that my neck is one of the sexiest features of my body, so I smiled knowingly at his sentence and if it were possible, I wished to have a kiss planted there.“Hmm…” The slightly aged man behind us cleared his throat. “I was informed that this is meant to be a short ceremony, so we will keep it short.” He eyed Alessandro and me till we took a few steps away from each other. “Dearly beloved, we gathered on this fine day to celebr
CarrieTrue to Alessandro’s words, our wedding was slated to be held a week after the proposal. And after many hours of rigorous preparation for what was meant to be a lowkey wedding, the morning of our new start arrived and I woke up feeling extremely nervous.And things got worse when I looked down at the outdoor wedding setup from the window of the small hotel we booked. And it became extremely worse when I took a look around my room and realised that I was alone with my simple wedding gown hanging on a grand rack opposite my bed.I know that I have been alone for a while, but at this moment when I am sitting down on my bed and staring at my gown, it hits me more and more that I am really by myself. I don’t even have anyone to walk me down the aisle.I at least had my Uncle for the first wedding.But then, I can hold a side of my stomach and imagine my baby is walking me down the aisle as I proceed to marry his or her father.I do wonder if my child will be a boy or a girl.“Sister