Chapter Two

VETTA

There was so much noise around me, so loud and frightening, but I couldn't place where it was coming from, or if it was even real. I was enveloped in thick darkness and couldn't move. My heart was beating so rapidly and my mind thinking so many things at once. Confusion, fear, panic were the emotions I felt. Where am I? I tried to move and realized I couldn't. My right hand was angled at an awkward position above my head that was very uncomfortable, my left hand on my stomach. I was lying on my side. I tried again, harder. I struggled, but it felt like the struggle was only in my head. I couldn't move, my body wouldn't listen. Filled with a dread, I tried to scream, but I couldn't open my mouth. What is this? Beads of sweat were beginning to form on my forehead and temples. I tried again, begging my body to cooperate, it wouldn't budge. I felt tears roll down my left eye into my right. It stung and I blinked rapidly. I was crying. Why are my eyes the only thing functioning? The loud noise came to a sudden stop. It was eerily quiet. A new wave of panic hit me, and I couldn't breathe. I heard my heart beat loudly in my eardrums. Whatever I was lying on gave way and I fell. Suddenly I could move again. I couldn't see, so I didn't bother searching for anything to hang on to. I braced myself for impact, expecting to contact whatever hard surface in seconds, but it never came. The more I fell, the deeper the darkness. In that moment I prayed for death. I felt my heart in my throat.

"Vetta, Vetta, Vetta wake up. Vetta it's a dream, wake up. It's just a dream Vetta, please wake up."

I wake up with a start, sweating profusely, my heart pounding. I try to turn, but I'm too weak to move. I close my eyes momentarily and take a deep breath. It's just a dream, it was just a dream. I feel my heart beat slowing to it's normal pace.

 "Are you alright Vetta?" I've never been so thankful for that voice. My younger sister Olive. Her voice saved me this time. Other times I would struggle and feel like I'm close to death before I'm able to wake up. I turn to face her and the worried look on her innocent face tugs my heart. 

"I'm alright Olive. Thank you." I say with a small smile.

 "Was it the same dream?" 

"Yes. How did you know?" 

 "I didn't know. I just wanted to see if you were awake, but it looked like you were struggling."

 I've had the same nightmare every night since mum died. Every night, I promise myself I won't fall asleep, but somehow, I'm lulled to sleep. The same dream, every night. It's crazy how it always feels so real. Most times I'm able to stay awake until morning. Those nights I am grateful for, but then it affects my performance in the day. I'm slow, and not very efficient.

The first time I had this dream was the night after mum's burial. I felt so alone, lost, helpless. Her death had felt erroneous until then. Like it was a prank and she would come home soon. Like it was one of those times she had to work night shifts. She would be gone at night before I returned from work, and when I'm leaving again in the morning, she still wouldn't be back. We barely saw each other when she was on night shifts. I had cried myself to sleep that night, feeling a deep pain and hollowness in my heart. And then I had the dream. A representation of my fears and how I felt. 

 "Would you like me to sleep in your room with you?" Her question makes me feel a kind of relief I haven't felt in a long time. 

"I would like that very much Olive." 

"Okay." She leaves and returns with her stuffed teddy Mr Grizzly. I scoot and she gets into bed with me. I look at the clock on the wall opposite my bed. It's 3:45am. That's more than enough time. After a few minutes of staring into nothingness, I drift back to sleep, grateful to have someone by my side this time.

___________________

I wake up with a feeling of dread inside me. Something bad is going to happen today, I can feel it. I shake the thought off. Whatever it's going to be, I most definitely can handle it. I've been through so much, nothing surprises me anymore. 

It's been almost a month since mama died, and settling into this new routine has been anything but pleasant. I look over at my sister, still sleeping peacefully. A random wave of pain hits me as I worry about her. She doesn't deserve this kind of life. I wish I could do better for her. I take in every inch of my new room. It's a disgustingly small space with moulds on the walls. The roof had been leaking for the longest of time and only got fixed because we were moving in. There's a small wooden table to the left, facing the window, and a chair. My eyes trail up and I'm horrified by the sight of thick black cobwebs clinging to the ceiling. Makes me wonder what dad's room looks like.

 We moved in here in the dead of the night yesterday. I know dad must have called in a favour for us to get this place, and it sickens me. The favours are always cool until it's time to pay back. That's how we got into this mess in the first place. Not once did I ever think that we would have to run for our lives or live like rats. Two weeks ago, we had to move from Mexico to Columbia. Dad said we needed to start afresh with mum gone. Gave a speech about trying to make our lives better. I knew he was lying. He's neck deep in debt and needed to escape. Mum used to pay off all his debts for him. Worked four jobs, and I did two to assist. With her death and his gambling habit, the debts only grew at an increasingly rapid rate.

I'm about to wake Olive when dad bursts into the room, making the already weakened door unhinge, the sudden noise causing Olive to wake up, alarmed. 

"What is your problem?" I yell at him. His demeanor tells me something is terribly wrong. I pull Olivia close and try to stay calm. He walks to me and grabs me by the shoulders, panic stricken eyes darting everywhere but my face. 

"Spit it out already!" I half yell, becoming more anxious by the minute. I feel Olive's arms wrap around me tightly.

"We need to get out of here." He says hurriedly, his voice hoarse. "We need to get out of here now. They found us, they're coming."

"Who's they?"

"This is not the time for questions Vetta, grab your sister, pack your stuff, we're leaving now!"

"I'm not moving until you tell me who!" I shout back. For weeks we have been on the run. He said we would be safe in Columbia, why do we need to leave again?

"I'm sorry Vetta." He says getting up and breaking into a tears. 

I get up and grab him by the shirt. "What did you do?" 

"Dinero." Chills run down my spine and I feel my stomach drop. Just then, there's banging on the front door. 

"Open up you punk, we know you're in there!"

I run to the window to see if we can escape through it, but that's a dead end. We're surrounded by dangerous looking men carrying weapons. There's no escaping this time. I look over at Olive who's already crying her eyes out and walk up to her. "Whatever happens, do not leave my side." The door is broken down and three of Dinero's men walk into our pity party. I look up and recognize the large man on the left. He has a scar on his left cheek. A scar that I put there myself. 

"We meet again princess." He says with a smirk. 

"Round them up, let's move." The one who is seemingly the leader says. We're blindfolded, our hands tied and led out of the house. 

"Tsk tsk. Delgado. Dinero will be so happy to see you again." A voice says sarcastically. We're shoved into what could only be a van, judging by the empty space. I hit my head on the floor, and Olive lands on top of me. The ride is long and quiet, wheels turning in my head, thinking of how we can get out of this. 

Dinero. The name that puts the fear of God in men. My father used to work for Dinero. I don't know what went wrong or when. What I know is we've been hiding from him. Long before mama died. Each time they found us, we managed to escape. This time however, there is no escaping.