Blood and Roses

27 | How Not To Survive

~Angelo

I’ve been shot… Twice, unfortunate twists of fate. I never wanted this, never asked for it, but life has its own cruel plans, doesn’t it? A bullet lodged in my spleen, another in my right bicep. I never thought I’d experience such discomfort, the agonizing sensation of a foreign object inside me, threatening to claim my life.

Blood oozes down my skin, warm and sticky, staining everything in its path with a crimson hue. My clothes, my flesh, all tainted with the evidence of my suffering. But that’s not all. A freezing cold knife, plunged deep into the back of my right leg, tormenting me with every breath I take. The pain is beyond comprehension, pushing the boundaries of consciousness.

And my left ankle, broken beyond repair, pulses with an excruciating ache. It’s the worst of all, a relentless throbbing that rivals even the most nightmarish pains one could imagine. I can see my own bone. It disgusts me, but I cannot tear my eyes away.

There’s a sprain in my neck too, or at least, I suspect there is. But the pain is so overwhelming that I can’t even focus on it. And now, I face the reality of my fate. I’m dying. I don’t know what to do, what to care about, except for the fact that my life is slipping away.

Survival was everything to me, the driving force that kept me going, but now, as I lay here on the precipice of my demise, even that flicker of hope seems to be fading away. Camila, the one person I cared deeply about, is absent from my side when I need her the most. All I wanted was to see her one last time, to let her know how much I loved her, to say a proper goodbye.

My eyelids grow heavier with each passing moment, and the fear of slipping into eternal sleep gnaws at me. I can’t bear the thought of leaving this world without uttering those three precious words to Camila. She deserved more than this. But here I am, trapped in this place, my life hanging by a thread, and the door locked, cutting me off from any chance of rescue. The world outside is distant and indifferent to my plight. There’s no one coming for me, and even if they did, their efforts would be in vain.

Lying there, battered and broken on the cold casino floor, I felt an overwhelming sadness wash over me. Tears welled up in my eyes as I gazed longingly at the electric guitar in the distance, a poignant reminder of the memories we shared. Camila’s fingers strumming the strings, and my voice harmonizing with her as we sang the lyrics of Master of Puppets – it was a cherished moment with the girl I had fallen deeply in love with.

Now, that memory played on an endless loop in my mind, a bittersweet melody that I couldn’t escape. The perfection of that moment contrasted sharply with the pain and solitude that surrounded me now. I yearned for Camila’s presence, for her soothing touch, her reassuring voice telling me that everything would be alright. But she wasn’t here. Even Luca, my closest friend and confidant, was absent.

I found myself pleading for someone, anyone, to be by my side. I wanted their eyes to meet mine, to offer a soft whisper of comfort, a promise that they would mend my wounds and guide me back to safety. But the silence of the casino echoed back at me.

Amidst the overwhelming terror that gripped me, a flicker of hope managed to shine through the darkness. I clung to the belief that everything would eventually be alright, that Camila and Luca would come to my rescue, tending to my wounds, and ensuring my survival. As I lay there, the haunting echoes of Luca’s desperate cries for my response reached my ears from the other side of the locked door. The sound pierced my heart, as I longed to answer him, to assure him that I was still here, fighting to stay alive. But my voice eluded me, drowned out by the weakness that consumed my body. Every fiber of my being yearned to reach out, to call out to him, but all I could manage was silence.

I felt immobilized, powerless to move or speak, my strength draining away with each passing moment. I was left with nothing but my thoughts, and they swirled like a tempest, contemplating what the future held for me. Would I be saved? Would Camila and Luca arrive in time to rescue me, to bring me back from the edge of oblivion? Or was this the end of my journey, the final chapter?