MAFIA KING

Gazing up at the fascinating blue sky decorated with white fluffy clouds, I noticed how beautiful it is. It is so peaceful and transparent. Unlike me, always on edge and vague.  By just looking at the floating clouds, my thoughts also started to flow along with them. My mind wandered to this closed-off door that held too much anxiety and insecurities. Thoughts and questions started swarming around in my head forcing me to rethink my decision. Did I make the right decision? Will I regret it? Most of all, is that the best option for Lily? I had no idea and it was too late to back out anyway. I already made this life-changing decision and would forever live with the consequences. With my eyes still glued to the peaceful sky, my body started giving up. As if the peacefulness of the sky charged some kind of its energy inside my body; I felt myself calm down. My haunting thoughts toned down as well as my eyes started dozing off. And soon enough, sleep robbed me away from reality. §§§ Noise. Danger. Screams. Three simple words kept playing on repeat in my mind. It was as if my mind was sending a plea to my body to move. Budge, do something, my mind pushed my body. With one ear-piercing scream, my body shot up in alertness as my eyes were wide open scanning my surroundings for any danger. Another scream followed by a crash drawing my attention to the real danger lurking in our small wrecked apartment. Slipping out of my room, I was greeted with a heart-wrenching sight. My eyes took in the scene in front of me as my heart beat increased crazily. I had to do something. I have to interfere or he is going to kill her. But what can I do? Glancing down at my worn out clothed body, I noticed that I won’t be able to stand against him. He was so large and angry and could squash a tiny ten years old girl like me with a snap of his fingers. Especially that I have no meat to fill my boney self nor do I have any strength in me due to the lack of food I receive.  Another scream followed by a slap brought my attention back to the situation in hand. Greg -my step-father- just slapped my mom on her cheek cutting open her lip. I could already see the red marks decorating her whole body as he started dragging her fragile body by the hair. I gulped. This is my mom we are talking about, I have to do something! With this new found determination I lunged at the huge angry man, climbing his back like a monkey while pulling on his neck. “Leave my mom alone!” I yelled, my legs bumping his back in an attempt for him to let go of mom’s hair. “Get off me, you, little s**t!” He snarled, his big ugly hands leaving my mom alone as they gripped my boney arms. His grip was so tight that I immediately winced and could already imagine the fresh red marks that he would leave on my pale white skin. I didn’t want to have those nasty marks on me again. The kids at school keep laughing at me everytime I pop up at school with a new scar or something. I want to make friends like the other kids but with me showing up like this I can’t. That thought immediately flew out of the window as my body was thrown to the nearest wall then crumbled to the ground like a crumpled piece of paper. Now, I feel what these papers I ball and throw away feel everytime I do it. Why does Greg hate me and mom that much? Why did they get married if he will just keep beating us? “You dare to butt in, you little s**t?” I didn’t even have time to pull my body off the ground nor check the damage he has done as he was on me again dragging me by the hair. “Mom!” I cried out. Tears brimming my eyes while a headache bugged my head. My back also hurts so bad from when he threw me at the wall. He slapped me resulting in my head to swing to the other side from the harsh contact. My cheek burned while my tongue started tasting the metallic taste of blood. “Mom, help me.” My eyes went to her pleadingly as she was pushing herself up from the ground.  “You brought it upon yourself, kid.” What? Was she serious? I was helping her. I didn’t want him to hurt her because she is my mother. And that’s what daughters do to their mothers right? They help them no matter what. “No one asked for your help.” She continued seeming as if she was reading my mind.  Just then a loud smack was heard in the tiny room followed by an ear-piercing scream. It was me. It was my scream. “You deserve it, little cunt.” Another smack from his belt on my back. My tears were falling uncontrollably as pain engulfed my whole body. “You are an addict s**t just like your mother.” Smack. Then another followed by more that I lost count. I could feel the leather of the belt kissing my pale skin meaning that my clothes were torn once again from the multiple beating. I could feel the wounds forming on my body while he kept cursing me. I begged him to stop but he won’t hear it. I apologised continuously; yet he turned down each plea left my mouth. I screamed and cried for help but there was no one to rescue me.  Eventually, I gave up. My body gave up as it became numb. I welcomed the pain thrown at me glancing at the blood smearing my white skin. “Please…”  §§§ “Hey,” That voice. I know it. “Wake up, we are here.” Wake up? Why? Would i get beaten again? My body already hurts from all that a***e. I am not ready to face this wrath again.  I could feel my tears wetting my cheeks already. “Please…” Maybe if I begged he won’t hurt me again. I know he enjoys hearing my pleas. “It’s music to my ears, little cunt.” He said it once. “Keep it up.” I don’t want to feel like that again. I want to erase the day he said those words in that dark room. I don’t want to relieve it. “Please,...”  “Hey, baby, wake up.” Warm hands covered my cheeks, wiping the trail of tears in the process. “You are safe. I am here with you.” I know this voice. This voice would never hurt me. He would never do what these people did to me. “Larlar?” Lily? Lily! I have to keep her safe from them. She sounds so scared. “Leo, take Lily with you.” No, no. Where are they taking her? No, please don’t hurt her. “Lariene, open your eyes.'' His voice was soft and calming. I felt safe. “I am right beside you.” Slowly, like a charm my eyelids lifted revealing these warm hazel-green eyes. Those eyes that never failed to make me feel safe and loved. “Hey, there, my queen.” His voice was soft. The nickname he gifted me patching up my broken heart everytime I hear it. “It was just a nightmare. You are safe. I am here.” It was a nightmare. No, it was a memory. A harsh memory that never failed to leave me shivering. I meet his worry laced eyes and start panicking. What have I done? He saw me! He saw me crying and pleading from that memory. No one ever saw me in that state except Lily who was always my little bundle of sunlight who dragged me out of my dark memories with her little cute voice. But now, Rick also saw me in that state. And god knows who from his family was still present on the private jet to notice my pathetic self crying and pleading. He will now notice how much of a damaged person I am. He will reveal all my darkest secrets and throw me away. These warm loveable eyes will soon gaze at me with disgust. Maybe it was a mistake to accompany him. Maybe we should have broken it off. “Hey, queen. Calm down. Look at me.” He seems to be noticing my panic but thankfully he couldn’t exactly read my thoughts. “You wanna talk about it?” I wasted no time in shaking my head. I may look like a mad woman in his eyes right now but anything other than him knowing about my past. “Lily. Where is Lily?” I managed to say. “Outside with Leo.” He replies, his magnetic hazel eyes searching for something in me. “They are waiting for us in the car to go to the mansion.” I nodded while motioning for him that it was okay to move now.. “Mansion?” I thought we were going to crash in an apartment or a hotel room. But a mansion? “Yes, the mafia’s family mansion.” He gripped my hand in his sending soothing tingles throughout my body. Carefully, he helped me get off the private jet.  Right. The mafia. I gulped at that thought. Rick was going to become the mafia king. He will be the leader of numerous scary dangerous men that god knows do what to hurt people. Will Rick change to be a heartless man like those previous men my mom was with? Would turning back to Rickardo change the Rick I know? Rick becoming the mafia king will change a lot of things, I know it. And I am afraid one of these things will be him. I am afraid holding the title of the mafia king will erase the identity of Rick. I am afraid that there will only be Rickardo, the mafia king. And no more Rick, the american playboy I fell for. “Welcome to Italy, my queen.” Queen. Will I be the mafia queen as well? I gulped at that thought as my eyes roamed the foreign area around us.  Italy. We are in Italy. Just then I realized that we are no more in America. We are no more normal people. We are in Italy and we are going to live with the mafia. We are going to be the Mafia King and Queen.