Shadow

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟓

Natalia arrives at her house, walking slowly with bloodshot eyes and a pounding head.

Killer

Killer

Killer

Roman sits at the kitchen table watching his instagram feed when he hears gravel kicking outside. He walks out, with his hand hovering over where his gun is strapped.

And faintly sees a 5'1'' woman. Natalia, in her gray sweatshirt with blood, all over her face and clothes.

The expression on her face is something of pure exhaustion. Her brown orbs tell all the sadness she feels.

Roman bolts out the door to her aid.

He gets to her upclose, and everything looks worse. Roman could care less about the blood, but she had never seen Natalia so upset.

He cups his hands on her blood-caked face, is the blood hers?

Roman yells at her, attempting to be calm, "Are you hurt? Is this blood yours?"

She shakes her head as tears run down her stained face, "No, it's not mine. That's the problem."

"What happened?!" Aya yells from the porch.

Natalia pushes Roman's touch away. "I am okay."

The angry vein bulges above Roman's left eyebrow. "NO YOU'RE NOT!" He insists.

He backs away after his half sister urges Natalia inside. They walk up the long driveway, Tomas standing on the porch analyzing what has just happened. Aya and Nat walk in, he grabs Roman's arm.

"What happened?"

Roman answers anxiously, "She was stumbling up the driveway covered in blood. She said it wasn't hers."

Tomas is filled with hurry, his left hand starts shaking. He bites the inside of his cheek, focusing on that.

Aya sits her 'sister' down at the kitchen table. Getting a warm washcloth with a bit of soap to get the blood off her face.

As she does so, Roman gets a beer out of the refrigerator. Natalia opens it up quickly, downing the whole thing. She never drinks. Tomas sits down on the left of Natalia, rubbing circles onto her forearm, calming her down. Roman looks at their touch, and looks away.

"What happened?" Aya asks as she gives the washcloth to Roman to clean Nat's face.

Nat recalls the events, with shame.

She plainly says, "Nothing happened."

Nat does this, sometimes. Freezing up, even though she knows that her friends are stupid. How does she tell them that she murdered a man in cold blood.

She pushes her chair back, scraping on the floor as she stands up. Running out the door.

Natalia runs to the backyard of the house, looking at the old wooden swing. And sits down, doing the 1000 yard stare.

Tomas follows her slowly, walking calmly.

He sits down beside her gently. Looking at the woman, her hands are in fists. Making the blood crescents, he notes it's a habit of hers.

Natalia has never been fragile, but tonight she is.

He gently nudges her shoulder to relax onto his.

"Natalia?" He asks gently with a perfect British accent.

"What happened?"

She breathes softly, "I was running, as usual to clear my head about stuff."

"About what?"

How will he react?

She stutters, "I-I found out something. That my dad is a liar. He lied about the mafia. He kills people, just like I do. He sex trades humans like animals. He sells drugs, and takes money from poor families. And does it all in the name of family."

She tells him, "I think he lied about mama, how she died."

Tomas takes a deep breath, "Do- How do you feel?"

She smiles hysterically, "How am I supposed to feel? My father is a liar, my mother is dead, and my team. You all-"

Tomas asks, "What about us?"

"When I tell you this- it could change us. Forever. I- Right after I found out that my father isn't good. He called me into his study. He told me that I was to be donna, not my big brother Antonio. Tomas, he told me that he was proud of me."

"Oh, God, Nat."

He tells her truthfully, "You are Natalia, La fantasma. This changes nothing."

"No, Tom. It changes everything. I plan to- To betray him after he starts acting like a father instead of the shell of a man. I'm starting to understand what mama was telling me about. Then, I- I"

Tomas looks down at the woman in his lap, a deadly but kind one. A one so fiery that she will burn you, or warm you up.

She tells him, "I was running. After a few city blocks, I heard feet behind me. So, I made sure the person was following me. And lured them into an alleyway. I held a gun to his head, it was Fabio. A sex traffiking friend of my papa's. He thought he was safe with me."

"One knock to the head with the butt of the gun and he was unconscious."

Tears spewed from her eyes, her hands clenching. Her head was pounding.

"Something dark in me told me to keep hitting him, and I did. Twenty-three times. I put all of my frustration, rage, into each blow. Blood was all over me, fresh and warm. I pulled him against the dumpster. My first kill motivated by emotion."

He said, "Natalia- That kill was not out of vain. Think of all the girls and boys he's sold. That he would have sold if you hadn't killed him."

Natalia whimpers, "I enjoyed it. An ugly, part of me enjoyed it.

Tomas tells her, "There is absolutely no part of you that is ugly.

She sits back up, and looks at Tomas in the moonlight. His pearl white skin glows. His eyes are a dark shade of brown, much like her own. His hair is brown and messy, but still ends up looking perfect. His thin lips turn into a crooked smile as he sees Natalia studying him, as if that is the last time she will ever see him.

"So Nat," He says.

The woman looks at him, intently.

"What are we gonna do?" He asks her. Knowing that she has a plan.

She smiles wickedly.

---

What do you think Natalia is going to do?