Venom

I. bel bambino

Beautiful Child

"Mom, I'll be fine," I tried to assure her. We stood in an airport. I was dressed comfortably for the two and a half hour trip to Seattle. I wore my comfiest, grungiest pair of jeans, sported a red baseball cap, my hair down, and had on a cheap t-shirt Renee had bought me at least three years ago. My lack of growth had always bothered me.

"Bella. Honey, are you sure you're going to be okay? I mean this is a very big step for you to take," she replied, unsure of herself.

"I promise, I'll be completely okay. Trust me. Nothing bad is going to happen to me." Which was true in most senses. 

"Okay," she sighed. "I trust you."

I grabbed my passport and took a deep breath.

"Remember, you can call me anytime. If you want to come back home. I'm just a phone call away."

I looked around as there was a little chime on the intercom.

"Flight 305, to Seattle, all passengers for row A. You may now board the plane," the lady said into the microphone.

"That's me." I looked at my mom and saw longing in her eyes. This  was going to be difficult for her.

"Oh, Honey. If you ever need me, just call or email. Okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, I get it. I'll call. I have to go." I wriggled out of her death grip. Even though I inched away from her touch, I was really going to miss her. She was truly the epitome of happiness, simplistic joy. 

"I love you!" She shouted over the commotion.

"I love you too!" I tried to yell back, but I couldn't even hear my self think. The last thing I saw was a single tear drop on her cheek.

                         ***
     I sat down in my plane seat. All I had on me was my backpack that held only a pack of gum, chap stick, a hairbrush, and my phone. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, remembering everything my mother told me. Everything that had happened to me in the past years.

I had lived in Italy for almost all my life. Ever since Renée left Charlie, she wanted to go away somewhere no one could find her. And she did just that. Italy had been the best place. She had been saving up money since before she married Charlie and was just able to scrape up two, third class tickets for the two of us.

She would tell me stories, about how things were going to be different. That Queen Renée would find a new King to help her rule the land, and Princess Bella would live in the castle, happily.

When we started living in Volterra, Italy it was the most magical place you could ever imagine.Everything seemed to be made of old stone. Yet the entire city was so durable, you knew it would never fall.

By the time I was five I had learned a little Italian. Some would call me fluent; almost. I had obtained just enough so I would be able to carry on a casual conversation with someone.

I didn't usually talk to most people though. I never really noticed any locals. Just tourists. But there were a few people who I noticed that weren't tourists. Everyone knew about them, they were royalty, but they never were seen outside of the palace doors. Volturi, was the legend of them. Tourists thought it was just a myth, and anyone who could be designated as a local thought the same.

There was no proof of the so called Volturi existing. Nobody saw them or heard from them. No, you just heard about them. Rumors, tales. Some encounters seemed almost mythical. But I knew the Volturi was true. I knew what they were.