Blood and Sweaters

Chapter 25

Recumbentibus
The knockout or ending blow.

Aria sat in the dimly lit room, with her feet up on the table, staring at the unconscious girl tied to the wooden chair.

'Not bad looking,' she thought.

She had nice soft features, a straight nose, and high cheekbones with light brown hair. A pretty exterior with a rotten interior. A real wolf in a sheep's coat.

The girl had been out for a good few hours but Aria hadn't moved an inch ever since she brought her back to the hotel. It was too risky to let her out for her sight again.

For a moment she considered killing the girl in her sleep, but that was too peaceful. She couldn't let the final Cabrera leave this world without a grand send-off.

Marta let out a small whimper as she began to stir into consciousness. Excitement bubbled within the raven-haired girl. She left like a racecar driver making the last turn of the race. She could see the finish line before her eyes.

"Good morning princess," Aria mocked in a low menacing voice.

"I trust you slept well."

"P-please Aria... Let me go... You- you know I just gave birth, I have a daughter to raise. Please you know what it's like to grow up without parents," Marta sobbed.

"The same daughter you were leaving behind in the nunnery. And yes I do know what it's like and if you remember properly I grew up without my parents because of your father," Aria spat.

"Please Aria. Why let another child live this way?"

"Oh don't you worry. I have a plan for your daughter."

"Wha-"

Aria drove a knife through Marta's thigh before she could complete her question, earning a shriek from the girl.

"You were irritating me with your questions. If I wanted to have a chat with you I would have taken you to a coffee house."

Marta immediately stopped screaming out of fear of what Aria might do.

"You know, at first when I imagined capturing you, I thought I'd stretch it out. Play a little cat and mouse but now all I want to do is pull out a gun and shoot you in the head. Point-blank."

The color from Marta's face drained at the sound of Aria's words. She knew there was no way out of this. She had to finally lay in the grave her family had dug for her. She took in a deep breath as Aria pulled out her trademark blue gun. Screwing her eyes shut, she waited for the shot. She could hear her heart beating in her eyes.

"Did you actually think I would make it so easy for you?" Marta's eyes flew open at Aria's words.

"Oh Marta. Dumb, dumb Marta," Aria laughed cruelly as the confused girl looked at her.

"Boys!"

Marta's head whipped in the direction of the door, where four well built men, all wearing the Torreto trademark skull masks, made their way into the room.

"Meet Marta, she's going to be our guest for a very short period. Make sure you take good care of her. Feed her, keep her well hydrated..."

The tied-up girl looked at Aria confused. Did she plan on keeping her here forever? Like some sort of human pet?

"But there's one thing you should take extreme caution in. The minute she closes her eyes to sleep-," Aria turned to Marta with a cruel smirk, "-break a bone."

With that, she waved to Marta and left.

~~~

"Marta...Marta..."

The brown-haired girl squinted her eyes in an attempt to find the source of the voice.

"I-I'm-I'm not asleep...."

The room was cold and dark, the smell of dust and cement hang heavily in the air. Something told Marta she wasn't in the basement anymore. A small block of light shone through the otherwise dark room.

"Where am I?" she croaked, her throat was dry from the endless hours of screaming and crying.

She had honestly lost count of how many bones had been broken and her body ached from the physical and mental torture.

"I thought long and hard, what would be the best way to kill you. At first, I thought let's make it quick considering how long you've been on the run. I thought lemme break every bone but my men took care of that part. Then it hit me. The best idea ever!"

Marta strained her eyes through the darkness but she couldn't see the raven-haired girl anywhere.

"Where am I?" Marta questioned one again.

This time, however, she could hear the way her voice echoed. Frantically she looked around the room but the darkness was too much for her to make out anything.

"Surprise! You're in your tomb," Aria chuckled darkly.

"T-t-tomb?"

"Yes! After much thought, I realized that what better way for you to live out your last days than to... Starve... Dehydrate... Hallucinate... And finally, die with no one at your side."

"How did I end up here?" Marta sobbed, unable to hold back her emotions anymore.

"Well while my men were busy with their handiwork, you passed out, allowing me the perfect opportunity to have you moved here. Do you want to know the best part?"

"What?"

"I get to lay down the last brick!"

With that said Aria placed the final brick into place forever sealing the tomb shut and ending an era.

A smile spread on her face as she walked away, Marta's screams echoed in the distance, Ransom stood at the entrance of the cemetery waiting for his raven-haired angel.

Fully dressed in white, with a huge smile on his face, his ocean blue eyes sparkling in the moonlight, holding a pink bundle in his strong arms.

Reaching him, she held out her arms as he gently placed the beautiful little girl in them. She had hazel eyes, deep dimples pierced each chubby cheek, and full pink lips.

"She's beautiful," Aria announced smiling down at the beautiful little girl who slept peacefully in her arms.

"The most beautiful dewdrop I ever laid eyes on," Ransom declared staring at Aria, love shining in his baby blue eyes.

"You never did tell me why you call me that?"

"Dewdrop is someone who you see as a blessing in your life, one who brings you good luck. You were, are, and will always be my dewdrop."

Pulling her in his arms, he held onto her as tightly as he could and in that moment she knew this was her future, her one true ending, and even though she had never believed in it before she now knew that

This was the beginning of her happily ever after.

~~~