Alessandro 16+ / Book 2

Chapter 2: Hallucinations

Adrienne's POV

Three months earlier

Despite my feeble and almost lifeless body, I somehow summoned the strength to stand on my chained feet, my weary eyes widened in sheer astonishment, and my heart thundering relentlessly inside my chest.

A surge of disbelief and bewilderment contorts my face as I stare at the staggering sight before me, feeling as though my feet might betray me, leaving me to face this horrifying reality alone.

This... this can't be real...

Before I know it, my legs give in, and I collapse onto my knees, ignoring the pain as my hands instinctively clutch my pounding chest.

My suddenly teary eyes scan the tall, dark figure of the man I never thought I'd see again. Ever. The man I love deeply. The man who called me his brave angel. The man I've suffered for most of my life.

The man I believed was dead.

"No..." the word barely escapes my trembling lips, tears streaming down my face uncontrollably.

My head starts shaking involuntarily as if I can't accept this reality, my whole body suddenly trembling.

I've been lied to...

No...

My fists instinctively start pounding against my shaking head, needing to wake me up.

I have to be awake.

This must be a dream.

It is a dream.

I knew my nightmares were getting worse, but I never imagined they could be this horrifying.

I need to fucking wake up!

I saw my father's body hanging on a tree, blood dripping from his nostrils. His body was ice cold and pale white.

He was dead.

He's dead.

My papa is dead.

"No, no, no, no!" I scream, tears streaming down my face as I desperately keep pounding my hands against my head, willing myself to wake up from this daunting nightmare.

I have to wake up; this can't be real. It feels too vivid and looks horrifyingly real, but it must be a dream.

How can my father be alive, and why has he imprisoned me in this cell?

"T-this can't-can't be real," I stammer, my lips quivering as tears spill from my eyes while I stare at the intimidating man with a large beard grinning down at me.

His face bears a massive scar stretching from one ear to the other, altering his once-familiar appearance. Yet, there's no doubt in my mind that he's my father.

His striking green eyes and silver and black hair resemble mine so much it's hard to miss anything.

"I'm here, my angel," he says, placing his pale hands over his chest as his unrecognizable voice speaks. "I'm real, flesh and blood. We call this a miracle."

My vision blurs with my tears as I watch him retrieve a pistol from his dusty, stained leather jacket, causing me to recoil in horror and shock.

I use all my strength to scoot myself away from him, reaching the other end of the cold, musty, and foul-smelling cell, trembling with confusion and fear.

"Papa-papa..." I shake my head, still unable to believe and overcome with shock and fear. "W-what are you doing?" My voice is barely a whisper as I stare at the gun he's holding against the bars, dreading what he might do.