𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐎𝐌

24| V E N T I-Q U A T T R O

ALESSANDRO'S POV

I woke up in the middle of the night. I check the clock on my nightstand, it's two in the morning. I tried to go back to sleep, moving from side to side but nothing worked. I turned on my back, staring up at the ceiling, waiting for a miracle for my eyes to shut, yet it never happened.

I sat on the bed with a slight headache reaching down my neck. I was about to shake my head, but then remembered that wouldn't help. I placed both my hands on the soft mattress and pushed myself up, guess I won't be getting any more sleep for the night. I walked in the bathroom with half my eyes open, god just knock me out right here. I sighed before running my hands down my face, only if I was normal.

Since I was young I have had this sleeping issue. It started when I was strictly training. I would lay on the bed for hours, just sit there looking at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to take me. To take away all the thoughts, worries, but it never did.

Sleeping was the only thing that kept me going for the next day, it was these couple hours where I would find peace. Although, it never lasted. I would wake up late at night and if I woke up, it's over for the night. It's this chemical thing in my body that pushes away all the slumber left in me.

I let the cold water arouse my face, watching it dripping down my face slowly. I grabbed a towel, soaking in the water on my face. I went back to the room. I stood in the middle, thinking what to do at two o'clock, past midnight. I will never get out of this misery. I let myself walk towards the door and got out. I reached the first floor as I made my way towards the kitchen. I opened the fridge, grabbed the cartoon of apple juice along with a glass and rested my body on the front of the fridge, drinking in silence.

I stood there, waiting for the thoughts to kick in, to fill in the silence, but it never came. When I finished my non helpful drink, I didn't feel like washing the glass so I left it in the sink. Maybe I can explore this place a little bit. We're leaving tomorrow, so why not.

This house is all right. This place originally was my father's. He would visit on the weekends, business and shipments. I own a couple of houses down the city. This one was closer to Armando's house so it would be easier to take off from here. It's a basic two floor house with two kitchens along with many bedrooms connected to its own bathroom and a long balcony in the front of the house. I enjoyed sitting on a balcony for hours, it didn't bother me, it never did. In a million years, I would never get over how dark the sky flatter, holding glowing stars. The feeling on its own is marvellous.

I decided to take off from the kitchen, the balcony is calling me. I chuckled before making my way out, heading to the balcony. I walked down the hallway, a slight feeling of excitement running through my veins. I stood in front of the glass door for a second before grabbing the knob and getting in. The second I opened the door, steeping my foot inside, I felt the arctic air create chills down my body, leaving a smile on my face. I closed the door behind me, getting closer to the barrier. I rested my arms as I looked up, feeling everything vanish, blur, as if nothing ever existed in this world. It's peaceful.

I've always wondered how life would be if each person had their own world, where each one of us were the only one living in it, creating, working, failing, succeeding, everything on our own. Life is already a circle of working on yourself, getting it on your own, teaching you to be self-determining. Only if you give it a chance, allow it to show you the beauty it holds. The happy ending, that's waiting for you. This world surrounds us with many gifts, blessings to make us stronger, secure. It will get difficult, you will want to give up. But sometimes, the world doesn't let you give up. That's why you fight for air until the last breath you take. Even your own body won't let you give up. You just have to open your eyes and realize how important you are, not to the world, but to yourself.