Fading Shadows of Love

Chapter 2

          My eyes fluttered open to the white sterile walls of the hospital room. Confusion clouded my mind as I tried to piece together how I ended up here. Then, like a bolt of lighting, the memory struck me - the shouting, the sound of breaking glass, the shooting, the street, and then darkness.

A nurse entered, her expresion sympathetic as she approached my bedside. "Ander, you're awake. There's something you need to know."

Fear prickled at my skin as I braced myself for her words. "What happened? Is my mother okay?"

The nurse's gaze faltered, and my heart sank. "I'm sorry, Ander your mother... she didn't make it. And.. your father, he's been arrested. He's confessed to murdering her".

Shock washed over me, a tidal wave of emotions threatened to overwhelm me. Every part of me feels broken, my heart, my soul shattered into pieces and every bit of light left in me vanished and was replaced with darkness.

Alone in my hospital room, I sat down hunched over, my thoughts a tangled mess of grief and disbelief. The harsh fluorescent light cast stark across the sterile walls.

The door cracked open, I looked up to see my aunt, Sarah, standing in the doorway. Her eyes are red rimmed, betraying the tears she had shed in private.

"Ander," she whispered, crossing the room to sit beside me on the edge of the bed. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart, I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through."

My throat constricted with emotion, making it difficult to speak. I simply nodded, my gaze fixed on the floor as tears welled up in my eyes.

"I'm only 14 and I lost everything I didn't even get to experience my own childhood please I don't want to be alone".

Sarah reached out, wrapping her arms around me in a tight embrace. For a moment, I allowed myself to lean into her warmth, finding solace in the simple act of human connection.

"I'll do everything I can do to help you, Ander. We'll get through this together, I talked with the police, they told me you can visit him before trial if you want."

 I have to go, I need to know what happened, I need to understand why.

"Andre" she began gently, "Are you sure you're ready for this? Visiting your father.. It's going to be incredibly difficult".

I looked up at her, my expresion grim, "I have to do this Sarah. I need answers. I need to know why he did it".

Sarah reached out, placing a comforting hand on my arm. "Ander just promise me one thing," Sarah said, her voice soft but firm. "Promise me that you'll take care of yourself. Whatever happens in there, don't let it consume you. You have a life ahead of you. And you can't let your father's actions define who you are".

I met her gaze, my eyes brimming with emotions. "I promise, Sarah. I won't let him destroy me like he destroyed my mother".

With a heavy heart Sarah watched me stand up, my resolve steeled for the difficult task ahead. She knows that she can't protect me from the pain that lay ahead, but she would do everything in her power to support me through it.

As I walked away, Sarah said a silent prayer, hoping that I would find closure and healing I so desperately needed. And as she gazed out the window at the darkening sky, she couldn't shake the feeling that the hardest part of the journey was still yet to come.

I cautiously entered the hospital room, my heart pounding in my chest. My father sat upright in the hospital bed, a smug grin stretching across his face as he met my gaze.

"Ah, there you are, son," My father said, his voice dripping with disdain. "I was wondering when you'd show up".

My stomach churned with revulsion at the sight of my fathers arrogance. I had never loved a man who made my life living hell, but seeing him revel in his crimes I filled with a fury he could barely contain.

"You.." My voice trembled with rage, my fists clenched at my sides. "How could you do this? How could you kill mom?".

My father chuckled darkly, the sound sending a shiver down my spine. "Oh Ander, you always were the naive one. Your mother had it coming, you know. Always questioning me, defying me. She was a liability, and I took care of her".

My blood boiled at the callousness in my fathers words. "You're sick," I spat, my voice barely above a whisper. "You're a monster".

My fathers grin widened, a flame of madness in his eyes. "Call me what you will, son. But remember this: I'm the one who holds all the power now. And there's nothing you can do to stop me".

With those chilling words, my world shattered into a million pieces. The father I had despised and feared is gone, replaced by a cold-hearted killer reveling in his own depravity.

As I stormed out of the room, my hatred for my father burned like a raging inferno. And in this moment, I vowed to do whatever it takes to bring my father to justice, no matter the cost.