Bucket list

Chapter 22 Reuniting

When I reached the doors I noticed they were slightly open. I pushed through them and took a moment to look around once I was inside. The halls were the same, not a single thing changed since I left. I could hear what seemed to be a faucet dripping and nothing else. I explored the place for a little while, but when I reached the living room I noticed a trash can sitting across the living room and a mountain of papers around it, each and every one crunched into small paper balls.

I checked room by room and they were all empty, but when I reached one of the last rooms I noticed a bookcase slightly off-place and some metal stairs behind it leading somewhere I had not yet seen. I tread lightly, not to make much noise. I was trying to listen as much as I could in case Bella or her uncle was still here.

The stairs I was walking into were dark and the spiral metal steps seemed like they were about to break under the pressure of my weight. I continued going until I reached a dark room with a small spark of light. A candle was lit in the back and I could see someone's silhouette. It could be anyone so I cocked my gun and came closer to the figure.

As I came closer the candlelight blew out and it was nearly pitch black. I could still make out the figure of this person that was sitting there, it was a girl.

Was it Bella?

I put the gun away, still not allowing my guard to go down, and span the chair she was sitting on locking the girl's hands together not allowing her to move, a little too quickly for her to do anything. When I saw it was Bella I let go of her cold soft hands.

"Bella?!" "Lorenzo?" We both said at the same time. "What are you doing here? How did you know where my uncle lives?" She asked shaken up. "I- are you okay?" I asked trying to change the subject. "I- I don't know." She said with an emotionless tone, a side of her I had never seen.

When I took a moment to look at what she was initially staring at before I barged in I noticed her uncle's body laying on the small bed next to her. I looked at it quickly before turning to look at her again. The place stunk and there was an empty bottle of water sitting next to the bed. "Isabella... let's get out f here," I demanded. "No." She whispered. "Yes!" I barked back and picked her up placing her over my shoulder while wrapping my arms tightly around her legs.

When I was out of the room and finally back to the light I laid her over one of the couches in the living room and when I took a look at her face a gasp escaped my lips. My jaw dropped at seeing her feeble, incapacitated appearance. All the color had left her once pink skin, her cheeks were concaved and there were large circles under her eyes leaving a drowsy appearance.

She probably hadn't seen sunlight in days nor food in days. I left to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water for her. I opened her hand and put it in so that she could drink, but she dropped it. "I don't want-" "Drink it now!" I said cutting her off. " I went to grab a plastic bottle this time and told her to open her mouth, and she finally did. She already seemed a little better because of the water.

"I can't lose you now Isabella, at least not now." I felt helpless. She stood silent and I got some food for her. some stew that was in the fridge. "Eat." I placed it in front of her, but she did not move. I felt angry, she wanted to fucking die? I began losing my patience and moved her to a sitting position, before placing the bowl of stew on her lap. She stared at me and shook her head gently. "I can't eat anymore. I can't do anything, every time I think of doing something that will allow me to live longer uncle's picture comes back into my mind, almost like a pricking needle." I stared at her trying to think of how to solve this.

"You can do it Bella, he is gone, but he would have wanted you to live on." I tried comforting her and this time she reacted differently, in a way I did not expect. She held the stew and stared at it. I nodded in approval and she slowly grabbed the spoon and began eating again.