Finally Found

Chapter 35 • I'm Fine

Gabriella's POV

Drip

Drip

Drip

I feel a sharp pain shoot through my head as my eyes snap open, my foggy eyes take a while to adjust to the dark room I'm in.

I can feel my heart start to palpate while I stand up, or try to. My breath catches in my throat when I realize there's coarse rope wrapped around my wrists and ankles tying them to a chair.

My head frantically moves around the room as I try to find out where I am or what happened but I can't think, the only thing in my mind is a darkness of the past I thought I was moving on from.

"Ella, Ella, Ella what to do with you..." My body turns to ice either due to the fear or the blast of cold air that hits my body from the metal creaky door opening.

I try to hang onto to the last bit of sanity I have right now but I feel myself start to float away from consciousness as the person who will always have control over me no matter what I do, steps forward.

"No." I whimper before my head lulls to the side and the pressure in my head gets worse.

24 hours earlier

"What are you doing?" I'm so focused on my blank canvas that I don't even flinch at the disturbance of Luca.

"I can't think of what to paint." I mumble frustratedly while I angrily put down my paint brush.

"Mmm maybe I can help?" He asks hopefully.

I look at my blank canvas with a deep ache in my chest. "Okay sure."

I try to put on a smile for my sweet brother but he can see right through it.

"Are you okay?" He questions while mixing some paint together on my palette.

"I'm fine." I sigh while watching as he starts to paint tiny trees on the canvas.

"Okay. How about we both paint together?"

"On the same canvas?" He nods with a bright smile I can't say no to, so that's how we both ended up with more paint on ourselves than the canvas.

"That's not sage green that more like Xanadu green!"

"What? They're both green what's the difference?"

"What's the diff- what's the difference?!"

"Okay never mind they are completely different why don't you tell me what I can do with this xanu green paint."

"It's not xanu it's Xanadu!"

"Okay!"

This sight would've probably been amusing for anyone passing the room we were painting in as I continued to lecture Luca on the different colors and which ones we need.

After ten minutes of painting Luca got annoyed at how 'everything I did looked so much better than his' his words not mine, so he insisted on being the person to make the colors I'd need.

Finally just me painting and Luca watching me, I finished.

I put down my brush in my now grey water I stifle a yawn while rubbing my eyes not caring if I get paint on my face.