Wildfire

(25)

Kenneth Deora

"Kenneth!" My mom yelled across the mansion.

"Yes?" I was tuning my guitar and I didn't need the distraction right now.

"Kenneth, come down stairs." I stopped what I was doing, at my dad's voice. He was drunk again and I had just realised that the voice of my guitar must be audible outside.

My dad hated music. I ran down the stairs before he decided to come up. "Yes?" I repeated my question.

"What were you doing?" He asked, his eyes laced with pure hatred. "Watching a movie." I responded not meeting his eye. "What movie?" He stepped closer.

Ironically the only movie I could think of at the moment was 'The Sound of Music'. I somehow managed to stutter the name out before there was a hand around my throat.

"You're fucking pathetic." My father gritted and he pushed me up the stairs following closely behind. I knew he hated music but something in me enjoyed riling him up. Making his true colours show.

I kept trying to convince my mom to leave him but she said he's too powerful. It wasn't wrong. The media followed him like wasps.

"You'll be allowed to leave when your interests are not bloody noises." He said pushing me into the empty room we had and locking it from the outside. It was a small room with green walls. They always seemed like they'd cave in on me at any time.

I had given up on arguing with him. I didn't like to explain black eyes at school. I barely spoke anymore. At least that's what my teachers said. I thought I spoke only when there were no consequences.

I spoke to my mom enough. Most of it being trying to convince her to leave that man. Obviously that never happened.

I groaned. My original idea was to sleep but then the memories hit and I just laid there thinking.

I checked my phone.

Wildfire: The French have given us so many incredible things.

Kenneth: French toast?

Wildfire: The guillotine.

Kenneth: .....

I loved her but she was terrifying. I got up to go on with the day. I had an ominous feeling about today but I blamed my lack of sleep for it.

Mariana had officially said yes to being my girlfriend. I don't think anything could go wrong now.

The rest of the day was uneventful except for Mariana's texts. I showered and tried to get some work done. Keyword being "tried" I did manage to get through a few meetings. Terra was now engaged with her long time lover and not working for me anymore.

By the time I finished work again I was exhausted enough to be shaking. My eyes shut as soon as I hit the bed. A few rings went off on my phone. Regardless of my body's protest I checked it anyway in case it was my girl.

It was a video from an unknown number. My eyes shot open and my jaw dropped as I watched it. Once. Twice. Before I could watch it thrice a text from the same number followed.

See what your little Mary did, boy?

No. No this couldn't be happening. It was a video of my mother my mother. Tied to a chair, her eyes wide with fear. Her screams muffled by the tape on her mouth.

Mariana did that? My Mariana? Why'd she do that to my mother? She didn't even know my mother. I called my mom just to check if this was fake. After 4 tries I got another text.

Call again and she'll pay for it.

Why would Mariana do that? My head spun as my vision got blurry. She couldn't have done this could she...?

I tried calling her. No answer. Texts. Still no answer.

Mariana was as cruel as she claimed to be. She should've just said it. I would've let her do anything she wanted to me but she took my mother.

Kenneth: Who are you?

I replied to the text with shaky hands.

I'm the same person who sent you to the whore house your "girlfriend" worked at.

Mariana sent me there? My vision grew red as I shot down a glass of whiskey to fade the taste of betrayal in my mouth. The echoes of her laughter at the beach hit my ears as it started getting difficult to breathe.

Francisca Romano. She knows me too well, boy.

Mariana betrayed me. She took the one thing I loved enough to let go of. All while becoming something I could never let go of.

I gasped as my breath got shallower thinking about how fucking stupid I was to trust her. To think that someone as broken as her could ever be honest.

I never thought I'd say this but I hated Mariana. More than I could express in that moment. I clutched my chest as memories of her in my arms made me want to shower in rancid acid.

If she had told me she wanted to play her little games I would gladly be her pawn. But she made me believe she had a heart. Just to take away the one thing I had been protecting.

She made me fail as a son again. I had failed my mother again. I held back tears as the video played on loop. Her fear filled eyes hid the disappointment she had.

I couldn't forgive myself. I grabbed the whiskey again and poured it down my throat letting it burn.

You failed her again Kenneth. You had one job and you failed her. All over a girl who doesn't even care about you. She destroyed the thing you'd been protecting your entire life for fun.

She got you kidnapped. Left you to face your biggest fear being repeated in your face.

Was it worth it? No.

No no it wasn't worth it. She wasn't worth it. Losing my mother wasn't worth it. The sparkle in her eyes, the dimple on her cheek when she smiled, the sound of her laughter wasn't. Fucking. worth it.

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