Our Forced Love

𝒯𝓌ℯ𝓃𝓉𝓎-𝒩𝒾𝓃ℯ

Aurora

When I opened my eyes, a suffocating darkness enveloped me. I wasn't nestled beside my husband or resting in the comfort of my bed. Panic surged through me as I tried to move, only to find my wrists shackled by cold, unyielding metal. The handcuffs bit into my skin, a stark reminder of my helplessness. I opened my mouth to scream for Antonio, but my voice was silenced by the rough tape that sealed my lips shut. Is this real? Am I dreaming?

"Ah, my sweetheart..." A sickeningly familiar voice slithered into my ears, sending chills down my spine. Santiago. But I killed him. I know I killed him—why is he here, tormenting me like this?

He appeared before me, a twisted reflection of the man I had fought so hard to escape. The mark from my desperate attempt to end him still marred his face, oozing with dark, sticky blood that dripped onto the floor—a grotesque reminder of my failure. "You had really upset me this time, Aurora," he taunted, his voice dripping with mockery.

Around us, the air crackled with tension, punctuated by distant screams of agony. My heart raced, and I winced each time I heard those terrible cries. Who is it? Who is screaming? The sound clawed at my mind, a chilling echo of despair that resonated deep within me.

"Oh, we have your husband too," Santiago grinned, his smile a mask of pure malice. "Bring him out!" He bellowed, and my breath hitched in my throat.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as Antonio was dragged into view. His hands were bound tightly behind him, and his shoulders twisted at an unnatural angle. The sight of him, so vulnerable and trapped, sent fresh waves of panic coursing through me. His mouth was also covered with duct tape, rendering him voiceless, just like me.

"I wish you didn't make me so angry, Aurora," Santiago continued, relishing in my torment. "Why did you have to do that? Because now, I have to make extra sure that you can never leave me again." His words dripped with venom, each syllable twisting the knife deeper into my heart.

"Santiago, don't... please don't..." I pleaded, my muffled voice barely escaping the confines of the tape. Desperation clawed at me as I took one last look at Antonio. His eyes—those beautiful, warm eyes—were filled with sadness, the weight of acceptance crushing him. I felt my heart shatter as dread settled in.

Then I saw it: the cold, metallic barrel of a gun pointed directly at his forehead, and a primal scream erupted from deep within me.

"Aurora, I love you," Antonio's voice broke through the chaos, filled with a haunting clarity that pierced my heart. His words were a lifeline in the dark.

Click.

"I love you so much, Aurora."

"Finish him," Santiago ordered, his smile widening like a predator savoring the moment before the kill.

"Aurora, I love..."

BAM!

The sound echoed in my ears, sharp and deafening, as Antonio's body crumpled to the floor, lifeless and still. My heart tore in two as I screamed, the sound raw and primal, filled with a grief that threatened to consume me whole.

"No! No! NO!" I screamed, thrashing against the restraints, but there was no escape from the nightmare. My mind raced, spiraling into darkness as the reality of his death crashed over me like a tidal wave.

As I fell to my knees, the world around me blurred, the screams and laughter of Santiago merging into a cacophony of despair. I clawed at the ground, desperate for something—anything—to hold onto, but all I found was the cold, unforgiving floor.