Broken Wings (1st part)

Chapter 1. Loneliness in the night

Leonardo Williams woke up suddenly in the middle of the night in his room, choking in his sleep. He abruptly opened his eyes and began gulping air greedily.

The young man placed his hand on his throat and tried to inhale. Sweat beads formed on his forehead. The heart rate increased. Each breathing caused pain in the constricted chest.

Leo was terrified of suffocating at any moment. His heart was pounding furiously in his chest. Adrenaline began to flow into the blood, and the palms and the feet became cold. The young man was gripped by panic.

Leonardo was alone in his bedroom. Parents had gone to bed a long time ago and had barely heard his commotion. The cold light of the full moon filtered through the narrow slit of the curtains, dimly lighting the room.

The teenager got out of his sweaty bed and went to the window. He wanted to inhale the fresh, cold air of the street. He pushed open the window and took a deep breath. The night's coolness refreshed his face, and oxygen entered his lungs. The street's silence soothed his nerves. Only the sounds of cars and sirens could be heard in the distance. The pulse and heart rate started to return to normal.

Leonardo awoke in the middle of the night choking for the second time in a week. He tried to recall what he had dreamed about, but everything was blurry.

Leo went to the kitchen to quench his thirst and moisten his dry throat. He tried to walk silently down the dark, empty corridor. Only the ticking of the wall clock muffled the sound of his footsteps. The house seemed to be cold and empty.

The interior of the mansion resembled a museum, with all of the elements made in the same style. Everything is neatly arranged in its proper place. The rooms were immaculately clean. The family's head cherished order in all things and was irritated when it was broken. It seemed that no one lived here.

Leonardo tried not to wake his parents by walking quietly. He didn't want them to bother him with unnecessary questions.

The young man poured water into a glass in the kitchen without even turning on the light and began to drink greedily. Leo had almost calmed down, but the anxiety would not go away. His palms and feet were icy as if his blood had frozen in veins.

Leonardo was startled when he noticed that someone had turned on the kitchen light.

"What are you doing here?" asked the irritated father.

"I drink water," Leo tried to explain calmly. His hands remained trembling.

"Why are you in the dark? I thought there were thieves! "Mr. Williams grumbled. He didn't notice his son's pale face, trembling hands, or anxious voice. He was only nagging.

Leonardo rinsed the glass, gently dried it with a towel, and placed it in the cupboard. His actions were followed by his father.

"Leonardo, don't you know the glasses are in another cupboard?" Mr. Williams became irritated.

The young man silently removed the glass and placed it in the next cupboard. Suddenly, he felt pain in his chest and tried to escape the kitchen.

Leo entered the room, sat on the rumpled bed, and glanced at the alarm clock. It was three o'clock in the morning.

The teenager tossed and turned for an hour, trying to sleep, but disturbing thoughts crept into his mind. He needed to be cheerful in the morning because he had an important game on the beach. The guy kept looking at his phone, counting the number of hours until he had to wake up. The harder he tried to sleep, the more difficult it was to relax.

Leonardo started to think about his studies, which would begin in three weeks. Summer vacation was coming to an end. Leo was well aware that his final year of high school would be challenging. He will need to study hard in order to pass his exams and attend law school. The mere thought of it made his body tense.

Then Leonardo thought about training. A new season will start, and everyone will be expecting him to perform well. After all, Leo became the football team's captain. His father would not miss a single game. The young man felt a huge weight of responsibility fall on his shoulders. To meet expectations, he will need to put in a lot of effort in training.

Leo lost his shape a little over the summer.

Mr. Williams made a significant charitable contribution to a football club's fund, allowing his son to become team captain. David did care about Leo's athletic success. Perhaps because as a child he wished to play football and be a captain. Unfortunately, a leg injury prevented his dreams from becoming a reality. Through his son, he realized a long-held dream.

Mr. Williams took Leo to football practice when he was five years old, sometimes forcing him to train through tears. The young man did not fight back. He realized that arguing with his father was pointless.

David Williams was a well known lawyer in town. His law firm flourished and was considered the best in Charleston. The man had long planned for his son to follow in his footsteps and study to become a lawyer before taking over the family business. Mr. Williams decided which college his son would attend and reached an agreement with the appropriate parties.

Leonardo felt a heavy burden of responsibility to his father fall on his shoulders when he thought about it. The young man was afraid of failing to meet his parents expectations. He was well aware that even the smallest error or blunder would result in an onslaught of criticism from his father.

Leonardo appeared to be doing well. He lived in a beautiful house, wore fashionable clothes and shoes all the time, and drove an expensive car that his father bought him when he turned sixteen. Many people at school envied Leo because he came from a full family, the head of which was a powerful person. Mr. Williams believed it was critical to provide his son with expensive items in order to demonstrate his wealth in front of friends, partners, clients, and neighbors.

Leo's entire life had been carefully planned. The teenager never questioned his father's decision. Leonardo is used to that his father makes all of his choices since childhood, including where he studies, what he wears, what he rides, what he eats, who he hangs out with, and what hobbies he pursues.

David has always used the most tenacious argument in any of his son's claims: "You live in my house, eat my food, and spend my money on clothes. I cover the cost of your car and entertainment. I'm making a decision here. My word is the law. You have the option to leave if something does not suit you."

Leonardo was hurt to hear such words. It seemed to him that his thoughts, feelings, and desires were unimportant and that he himself was unimportant.

The young man simply went along with the flow. Leo had no idea what he wanted out of life. In the mirror, the guy saw a stranger who looked at him with disgust and longing in his eyes.

Leo frequently believed he was living someone else's life.

The teenager tried to push these thoughts away. However, as they got closer, the young man felt a lump in his throat. At times like these, he felt like he was betraying himself more and more, that boy who once had dreams. During these tense moments, his chest tightened and it became difficult for him to breathe. Maybe that's why Leonardo Williams choked in the middle of the night?