Purgatory's Gate

Prologue

There's cobwebs in the corner of the room. I watch a spider, crawling, back and forth. Just waiting for a fly. It must be so lonely up there, I think. Just waiting for something to catch. Spinning a beautiful web to have it all torn apart by some careless fly. I've never liked flies. But I don't mind spiders.
"You can't stay here," I whisper, carefully scooting the spider into a paper Dixie cup. My mother doesn't like spiders.
I walk over to the window, opening it. Rain patters outside. It's cold. I tip the cup and gently urge the spider out onto the window sill.
"You'll be free now," I say, softly, before closing the window. I put the paper cup back down on the nightstand, and then lie on the bare mattress. Just looking at the web. Abandoned now, and useless. The spider can build another one though. And it's better off losing the web than being dead.
My mother's keys jingle in the front door. I sit up. She was seeing my father tonight. I hope he didn't come back with her. I rub my arms, waiting. I hear her put her purse down, and then drop the keys. Carelessly. And she doesn't go to the fridge or anything for a beer. The room door creaks open.
"Ezio, are you awake, baby?" My mother asks, leaning in the doorway.
"Yes, mama," I say, sitting up, holding the motel bed's stiff blanket.
She comes over and sits down on the bed, tipping her head. Her breath is coming in rough, "Come here, baby."
"What's wrong?" I ask, crawling over. I put my hand on her arm and come back with blood.
"Ezio, Ezio you look at me now," she says, taking hold of my arms.
"You're hurt—," I say, confused. Like confused for a moment as to why she'd just be hurt.
"Shh, I know, now you listen to me," she says, putting her bloody hand hands on my arms. The front of her sweatshirt is soaked with blood.
"Mama," I say, feeling tears fill my eyes. It's not the first time my father beat her up. But for some reason I'm still scared. "I'll get a towel, stay—,"
"You stay right here," she says, breathing heavily, "You stay right here now. And you listen to me all right?"
"Yes," I say, nodding my head, as her bloody hands dig into my arms.
"Look at me. You know your father did this to me?"
I nod, tears on my cheeks.
"It's because of something I saw. That I wasn't meant to see. You know your father is a very dangerous man. And I planned on being there for you for so much longer than eight years. I love you. My beautiful boy. But it's up to you now. You're going to be on your own. You're going to be strong," she says, bloody hands caressing my face.
"No," I sob, shaking my head, "Let's go to a hospital—,"
"I go to a hospital they kill whoever I talk to. Now in the morning your father is gonna send people for you. You're gonna do whatever it is you're told and you get yourself to a school, and you live a good life, you hear me?" She asks.
"Please mama," I say, tears flooding down my cheeks.
"Ezio, you are so so smart, you don't need them. You don't need any of his life. You go out there and you live a good good life for me, swear it to me now. You're going to be a good man someday, swear it," she says, shaking me a little. I'm sobbing too hard to reply. "Swear it."
"I swear it," I sob, choking back my tears, "Please don't die mama, please."
"Just get away from this family. You don't belong in all this mess. You become a good man for me," she says, bloody hands to my cheeks. We're both covered in her blood now, she hugs me one last time but her arms are weak. Blood drips steadily to the floor.
"Please don't die," I sob, as she hugs me to her.
"I will always be with you," she says, unlooping an arrowhead from around her neck and putting it into my bloody palm, "You go in the right direction. You will. You can do it. I know you can."
"Please don't die," I sob, arms around her neck, "Please."
"Ezio my darling, my love," she says, stroking my cheek, "I wish—," she breaks off, gagging blood.
"Mama," I sob, trying to hold onto her. But it does no good. My little hands cannot stop the bleeding. And she dies in my arms.