Underside of the Underworld

Ch.2 Traveling

Veronica

I've spent at least two fucking hours trying to find the trap door but can't seem to find it. It's also taking me longer due to my wounds.

The doctor came back telling me I should stay longer but I started to over think so I broke out I really said fuck the system and only a small part of me regrets me. That small part being the huge ass cut on my stomach.

Mom's office keeps calling my name as I have not checked there yet. I don't want to. I know if I walk in it will be a portal of emotions i don't think I want to enter yet.

You have to Roni come on.

I reach a shaking hand out and right as I touch the door handle I close my eyes. Images of her flash through my eyes. I quickly open them and push open the doors.

Everything is the same. The marker stained desk from when I would color. The printer where mom would always be printing papers for her work. The old computer I got her a couple years ago.

I search the whole office and sit down on the main chair holding back tears. Searching the desk I pull open the cabinet and see a picture.

Scrunching my eyebrows together I look at it and see it's one of me and her. A couple of months ago she took me to the beach. I insisted we take a picture for the memory. God.

Setting aside the picture I see a gray box. A note to herself telling her I can't find this until she died. Every once and a while she would talk about if she were to randomly die what I would have to do. I never liked talking about it.

I open the box and see millions of papers. Oh my gosh what could be so important after she died. Oh my, is this going to tell me what she wants to be buried with?

I thought I was supposed to be looking for a trap door though.

I get up, pick up the papers and start to read them. I read a bunch of bull shit till I find a stack with a name on it.

Carlos Hendrix

That's the same last name as me? Oh fuck.

That's my dad's name.

Wait, my mom has kept all this away from me all this time. Why couldn't I have been a nosy child and maybe I could have met my dad sooner.

As I read more I see he lives in Italy. Great, now I have to find a way to get there. California to Italy. What a trip.

...

I managed to book the flights I needed so I could get there.

One point to Veronica.

Right now I'm sitting on the plane nervously bouncing my leg. Pulling out the papers I decide to read more of them.

I have more family. Two brothers and one sister. Cole, Damien, and Jayden. Jaydens a good name for a girl.

Damien is 24, Cole is 20, and Jayden is 12. That can't be. If she's twelve that means she must be from another mother or adopted.

Nothings wrong with either, I'm just interested.

This has been kept away from me all this time. I've had older brothers. So I haven't been an only child all my life? Well kind of but still.

I'm actually starting to overthink this. What if I'm not supposed to meet him because of what my mom told me all those years. How I couldn't see Carlos because it wasn't safe? Though the information was in the box so I guess? Fuck the trap door. I still needed to look into that.

What's so not safe that I can't see my own dad?

Pushing the thoughts away I try to relax in my seat best I can with my wounds. Fucking uncomfortable.

As I close my eyes I just see my mom's dead body. Laying there multiple wounds to her chest blood everywhere. If I didn't get shot this wouldn't be happening. We would both be safe, me at school while she's at work like always.

Now I'm on a plane to a different country.

Oh no. Her body. I just left it. I left her body there to rot and probably the police will be called. Oh god she's gonna haunt me.

Letting out a shaky breath I finally find a comfortable spot to fall asleep in.

(Dreaming)

You....

You Veronica......

What?

You killed me'.. my mom yells at me.

What no, I tried but I was injured..

YOU DIDN'T HELP ME. she screams

NOW YOU CAN DIE. She runs at me grabbing my neck and squeezing it.

I jerk up grabbing onto the seat breathing unsteady.

Wow.

I hope that's not how my mom feels about this. Right? She can't be that mad. She can understand why I left. If I didn't I would have died.

I look around and see a lot of people standing up and as I look closer I see people getting off. Woke up in time. Grabbing my things I walk over and get off the plane. The closer I get to the exit, the more nervous I get.

On to the next plane.

...

The second flight wasn't bad besides the fact I forbid myself from falling asleep leaving me sleep deprived. I'm never going to sleep if I'm going to have dreams like the one on the flight.

As I walk out of the airport I breathe in the new air. Feeling the warm air on my body. I could get used to this. Not now dammit.

I bring back out the papers and find the address. I look out for a taxi and catch one. Getting in, I tell him where to go. I'm really doing this. Fuck all I had to do was look in a cabinet and I could have found my father.

"Sicura di voler andare lì?" He asks with a weird look.

"Sì....." I give back the weird look. He just nods and drives to the place.

New start here I come, I guess?

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Hope you liked.

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4/24/2022

Might be updating quite a few chapters today. I'm pretty sure it's been over two years for this poor book but got to start some time.

-M