Hope (A Tragic Short Story)

Pt. 2

"Good evening, Mr. Chance, I see you've brought a guest. I shall notify Mr. and Mrs. Coburn at once. I will send an attendant-" A man in a spotless black suit opened the door, but was interrupted by Chance.

"No attendant necessary, I will escort her myself. Thanks, Samuel," Chance flashed a fake grin at the man who appeared to be some kind of butler and brought Laurenza towards the towering entrance of the mansion. "Welcome to my ever so humble abode," Chance said with a voice dripping in sarcasm. Laurenza's mouth fell agape at the sight of Chance's home. She began to wonder just who it was she met.

"I was adopted about two years ago, at the age of 15, into a family of imbeciles who have too much money to know what to do with. I've only seen them like a total of 10 times since I've gotten here, so you probably won't see them around. Come on we can go to the basement," Chance motioned for Laurenza to keep up with him and follow. They made their way down the twists and turns of the mansion and ran into a dead end. Laurenza raised an eyebrow, but Chance's gaze at the floor did not falter. He lifted his right foot off the wooden floorboards and let it come crashing down, causing a small trap door to pop upwards. He climbed down a rickety wooden ladder that creaked when he put his foot down, then he helped Laurenza down the ladder. They made their way through a maze of stone hallways and down several eerie staircases. Finally, they reached a massive room that looked as if it should be dusted with cobwebs, yet it wasn't.

"Where-" Laurenza stopped herself as Chance grabbed a box of matches from nearby and lit a torch. He then went around the room lighting each torch to reveal what might have once been the catacombs of the mansion.

"Laurie," Laurenza didn't quite realize Chance was talking to her, for he had never called her that; she liked the ring it had to it. "I brought you here for a reason."

"Well, I sure hope you did because that was a lot of walking," Laurenza groaned, shifting between the balls of her feet and her heels.

"Your humor surprises me. I had never expected you to be so funny, especially considering what you went through. Honestly, I'm shocked you talk to me at all," Chance let out a soft chuckle, but painful memories stung Laurenza's mind. Within seconds, Chance found himself being pinned to the moss-covered walls by the shorter girl who had a fistful of his shirt in her hand.

"Is this some sort of trap? Who sent you here and what do you know?" Fury emitted from her snarl and her eyebrows quivered with anger. Chance seemingly didn't expect this situation and was speechless as he saw his dear Laurie's trust for him evaporate.

"Wait, it's not what you think! Let me explain! I-I've been searching for you because I want to help you!" Chance desperately cried, hoping the girl he had found a deep passion and understanding for would listen. Laurenza slowly set the boy back onto the cracked floors and took a step back, crossing her arms and waiting for an explanation. Chance motioned for Laurenza to follow him again and he brought her to a room that would later haunt her.

Chance lit the torches in a room that was decorated with weapons. Automatic guns, broadswords, axes, knives, you name it, it was there. The hair on the back of Laurenza's neck stood up straight as she became intimidated by the overwhelming presence of the weaponry. There was a large, round table in the middle of the room with pictures and news articles scattered across it. Laurenza sauntered near it and let her fingers trace over pictures that she thought she'd never see again. She was about to interrogate Chance on how he got them, but Chance began an explanation for her.

"You probably don't recognize me, I mean you shouldn't because we never talked or were made acquaintances. However, although you may not think that I know you, I do. I mentioned earlier that this is my adoptive family, well I used to be an orphan at the same orphanage you were at. I grew up with an abusive, alcoholic father and a cruel stepmother who both blamed me for my mother's death and they later sent me to that orphanage. When I heard you had a similar, tragic story of abandonment by the people who were supposed to love you, I felt as if we were destined to be connected. I would listen around for your number-- 38-- and try and find out your exact story. I was furious when I heard the gossip that went around about you and saw how the caretakers, who were supposed to care for you, mistreated you. You seemed like such an interesting girl, always had your head in your poetry journal, but no one could get past the color of your skin. I, on the other hand, thought you were the most beautiful creature to walk the face of the Earth, and that's why I devoted my time to finding out more about you and the people who forced you to live in this nightmare. I went back to the orphanage one day, posing as someone interested in adopting you, but they said you were gone. Thank goodness I found you, though," The ravenette smiled and a single dimple formed on his left cheek. He stretched his hand out to Laurenza, just like he did earlier that day, and continued his speech, "So how about it, Laurie? You want to help me get revenge on the people who were too dense to know how to love and care? I promised I'd protect you, and that means I'll protect your heart too." A crystal-white smile beamed on Laurenza's sun-kissed face and a pair of tears found their way down to her chin. Laurenza crashed into Chance's arms and he held her close, finally feeling a sense of completion and peace, but this peace would only last tonight, for tomorrow the revenge began.