Incendia (English)

1. Catene Invisibili

My senators vote away millions,
To put in Prosperity's budget;
And though it were billions or trillions,
The generous rogues wouldn't grudge it.
'Tis all but a family hop,
'Twas Pitt began dancing the hay;
Hands round! - why the deuce should we stop?
'Tis all in the family way.

All in a Family Way - Thomas Moore.

Chapter One: Invisible Chains

JADE

Tick, tock.

Tick, tock.

Memories from a few hours ago suddenly flood my mind, like the waves of a raging ocean. They crash against me from all sides, and I let out a long sigh, as if that could somehow stave off the inevitability of drowning.

Tick, tock.

Tick, tock.

I jump up and press my face against the bars of the cell, frowning at the officer, who seems very distracted by a recorded TV show blaring at an irritatingly high volume. He chews with his mouth open, hiding whatever food he has under the desk.

For a weekend, the downtown Rome police station is suspiciously empty. Apart from the officer, who is completely ignoring me, and myself, there is nothing but silence filling the inert space.

Then I feel the silence, so tense and unbearable that it seems to push me down to the floor, stripping me of all my dimensionality. I can also feel my patience starting to wear thin.

"How much longer do I have to wait to get out of here?" I try to get his attention, but it's like talking to an impenetrable wall. I know he heard me because a laugh is stifled between the handful of chips he stuffs into his mouth. "Hey! I'm talking to you!"

The officer glances at me for just a second before returning his gaze to the small TV perched precariously on his desk. His chair creaks as he adjusts himself. "We've contacted your father. He's on his way."

"You said the same thing the last time I asked," I remind him, exasperated.

He rolls his eyes before finally looking at me. The dark circles under his eyes add years to a face that, if not for the traces of exhaustion, would be handsome. "That was ten minutes ago," he replies curtly, almost with a growl. Again, he avoids my gaze, focusing on the TV show. It doesn't take long before he starts laughing and chewing with his mouth open again.

I give up on the officer. I roll my eyes and sigh again, letting myself fall back onto the bench, where I've been sitting for...

Tick, tock.

I look at the clock.

Four hours.

I scan the room, and my eyes land on another TV hanging in a corner, playing a local news channel. I sigh as I watch the most boring news story of my life and start to think I'm trapped in my own personal hell. Locked up with an officer who chews like an orangutan and forced to pass the time by informing myself about insignificant things like the theft of a carton of milk.