POV:Aletta

My surroundings are hazy as everything is a blur to me. I hear screaming and multiple gunshots.

The grey brick walls spin making me become disorientated. I place a hand to my throbbing forehead to discover beads of sweat plastered across my face. I grip my hair tight as the noise evokes agony in my mind, there is no way to escape the sound. The deadly, painstaking wailing and screaming.

As I press both hands to each temple trying to rid the torture of my mind, my body slams onto the stone cold ground by a brute force. My weak arms tremble as i try to raise up, but they instantly collapse as I'm once again shoved to the floor.

Tears drop from my eyes, splashing onto the ground beneath my face and my lips begin to quiver. My breathing becomes frantic as my chest constricts. With everything that is going on, my mind is only thinking about one thing...

What if today is the day I die?

However this is shortly followed by an even more traumatising thought...

What if I survive?

Gunshots continue to be fired so I clench my eyes shut, blocking my ears to try and erase the thought of what is going on.

All of a sudden everything turns silent and all I can hear is the erratic thud of my heart and my ragged uneven breaths. I slowly open my eyes to witness a complete blood bath.

My eyes dart across the room focusing on each lifeless corpse lying in their own pool of blood.
I watch in disgust as thick Scarlett liquid oozes from their still forms, my stomach clenching and twisting with negative emotions; fear, anxiety, trauma, confusion, disgust...

Water tumbles down my cheeks continuously, as my head pounds harder. My lips quiver as shaky sobs escape my mouth and my whole body begins to tremble.

I feel a pair of strong arms embrace me, rocking me back and forth, stroking my hair, murmuring sweet nothings into my ear, soothing me. My sobs begin to lessen so I open my heavy eyelids to look up at the source of comfort.

For a moment, my heart flutters as my watery eyes reach a soothing pair of silver ones. All I can see is those eyes staring straight into my soul.

My minds thoughts instantaneously calm and the tears stop pouring uncontrollably down my pale face. I can finally breathe evenly as I focus on the deep mystery swimming deep in the depths of silver.

The world seems to just vanish around me, all my problems fading further and further...

I blink furiously to snap myself out of the deep trace I'm in, shaking my head at the same time.

Everything from before comes raining upon me in that moment, like solid bricks falling from the sky and that is when I realise nothing is ok.

I have just witnessed the murder of several people!

...Murder. The repulsive thought evokes a bitter taste at the back of my throat.

I clench my eyes shut once more trying to remove the traumatising memories etched into my memory clear as day.

No matter how much I try to get rid of it, the thought remains stubbornly in my mind.

I shiver as cold air crawls across my body, the warmth of strong arms now absent.
My head shoots up a I frantically search for the one who can comfort me, but when my eyes lick onto his figure, standing amongst the lifeless figures I realise that he can never know comfort.

My blood runs cold as the one thought I was in denial of, all this time makes it's way to the front of my mind.

Angelo Santovendito is a murderer...

My whole body trembles furiously as I shake my head angrily. I try so hard not to believe it! It can't be true! But it is...

No no no no. No! "NO!" I practically scream and this grabs the attention of the few alive people in the room.

My heartbeat rises as I struggle for air. Tears keep pouring down my face and I feel like screaming at the top of my lungs.

A hand reaches for me, but I quickly shuffle back and onto my feet. "No! Don't touch me!" I scream.

Murderer. No matter what he will always be one...

I shake my head furiously some more, grabbing my hair and tugging to try and get the thoughts away from me.

More hands reach for me but I just scream more.
"Get away from me!! I said don't touch me! Leave me alone!!"

I take another few steps back until my back slams into a cold stone wall. My knees give in as I slide down the wall sobbing harder and harder.

A pair of arms cradle me so I just whimper helplessly. "Please, no. Don't touch me. Y-y-Your a... mmm-u-urder-rer!"

The arms drop from around me so I look up to only see some dull lifeless eyes. They move further into the distance until I can no longer see them.

Before I know it my mind has gone numb and darkness has engulfed me.

Beep beep beep.

The constant sound awakens me. As I drift in and out of consciousness, the smell of disinfectant wafts past me, making me scrunch my nose up in distaste.

I've never liked the smell of hospitals. The whole environment makes me shudder.

I can hear muffled voices in the background. Nothing is clear, all I can pick out is "Gio... shot.... died... Dima.... Angelo."

My heart rate spikes upon hearing this.

I slowly begin to lift my drowsy eyelids, light piercing through the cracks.

"Shhh, she's waking up" I hear a soft voice say.

"W-where am I?" I put a hand to my forehead trying to suppress an oncoming headache, while glancing around my surroundings.

My eyes wander over a few familiar and unfamiliar faces.

Firstly I see Kataya; her hair is no longer greasy and straggly, her outfit is no longer as dirty and her eyes and lips are slightly touched up with a little make up. She looks quite pretty actually, with her shoulder length blonde hair straightened so it is now immaculate. Her red lips are slightly arched up as well and I can see a slight sparkle in her eyes.

Beside her, a short man is stood there. He has short black hair and dark brown eyes, and is slightly on the chubby side. I don't recognise him, but I can tell that he is important through the way he formally composed himself by standing upright.

At the foot of the bed I am lying on I can see a solemn figure watching my every move. He is wearing a grey suit with a blue tie and his hair is gelled to perfection. His deep brown eyes remain on me the whole time and he nods curtly as I make eye contact. I curiously watch Giovanni as he gets up to walk out the door.

I don't say anything as I watch him leave. The moment he steps out of the door Kataya speaks.

"Hello dear. How are you feeling?"

The question she asked makes me confused, I can't remember anything that happened.

"I uh... where am I? Am I at a hospital?" I question, not knowing how to answer her.

"Yes You are dear. Do you remember anything that happened?" She asks sweetly.

"No. What happened?" I curiously question, trying to sit up. The short man besides her walks over and helps me sit upright, positioning the pillows behind my back.
I give him a curious look whilst thanking him as Kataya begins to speak.

"This is Alexei by the way. He is a close friend of mine, I hope you don't mind him being here?"

I shake my head quickly protesting and saying that it is ok that he is here. He seems nice anyways.

Before I can say anything else, Kataya begins to speak, but her voice simply fades into the background as I watch a figure appear by the door.

The figure simply looks in the room, blankly, displaying no emotion. He just simply glances in and scans the room.

Our eyes lock and I swear that for a moment I saw a flicker of pain. But the moment was just a flash and it is gone quicker than it came.

The figure just walks off, leaving me awestruck in my bed.

"Angelo..." I whisper to myself as a tear spills down my cheek.

Kataya's head perks up at this.

"Yes dear. He has been at the hospital for all 3 days you were asleep. He refused to leave until you woke up, but for some reason he never entered the room. He would just sit in the hall all day and night, looking through the glass."

A sharp pang strikes my heart at her words.

"Why didn't he come to see me?" I ask hurt by the revelation.

"Do you not remember what happened the other day sweetie?" She asks and it suddenly all comes back.

I begin to panic again as I recall all the gunshots, the blood, the terror and agony.

The heart rate monitor attached to me starts beeping like crazy and my head turns hot and fuzzy. Nurses bust through the doors as I shuffle back on my bed.

I rip the tubes from my arms, jumping off the bed, shoving the bedside table to the floor in the process.

The nurses stagger towards me but I just start shouting. "Get away from me! Nooo!" I scream at the top of my lungs.

All I can think of is all those lifeless corpses.

"Don't touch me!" I scream even louder.

"No! Get away! Help! Help! Angelo, Please!" I cry helplessly, flailing my arms frantically, trying to swat away the nurses chasing me with a needle.

"Angelo! Please, help me. Help!" I cry for Angelo over and over again. Where is he?! He is the only man I have ever felt safe in the arms of, yet he isn't here.

Tears and snot flood down my face so I rub my bloody arm across my face smearing red liquid all over it.

As I continue to hyperventilate, my voice weakens.

I see the figure from before burst through the door and straight up to me.

A sharp pain pierces my arm and the man catches my limp body just as I collapse.

I gaze into his eyes as he lowers me down, and all I can think of doing is one thing.

I kiss him.

My lips linger on his for all of two seconds before the drowsiness becomes so overwhelming I pass out completely.

Oh Angelo. You did come after all...

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Author note: Hey there!

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