LEFT BEHIND

Chapter 45

I stared down at the blood pooling around me as I clenched my eyes shut.

Not again. I don't want to watch my father die again.

Then it began. I heard my brother's footsteps. I heard my mother's cries. I heard alessandro's yells. I heard Rocco's shouts. I heard Leo's screams. I heard Emilio's efforts to keep his brothers away. I heard it all like I had heard it before.

And just like clockwork I felt myself stand up and slowly approach my father's dead body. I opened my eyes, vision blurry as every step made my heart beat faster and faster in my chest. I knelt by my father's body shaking him softly trying to wake him up.

He won't.

He doesn't.

He never does.

I looked up and as always I feel alessandro's hands wrap around my small trembling frame and throw me across the room. I feel my back come into contact with the wall as I painfully fall to my knees. Just like always. I feel him approach me at a dangerous pace.

"Please don't hurt Alessia. She's sorry." I apologized for something that was never my fault. But what I hadn't anticipated was my father standing up. I hadn't been prepared for his face to morph into Liam's. I had never seen all of them turn into Liam as they slowly began approaching me.

"You killed us." They said in unison as the came closer and closer. "You killed us all." They yelled as they began to run towards me. I quickly stood up and began running out the room and into the hallways. "Why did you kill us!" They screeched from right behind me as I ran faster and faster. Each step matching the racing beat of my heart. I feel myself rush up the stairs. I feel myself hold on to the banister as I almost fall. I feel myself reach the top and take a turn. I feel myself run towards Alessandro's safe room in his office. I feel myself let out a scream when I am suddenly grabbed from behind. "YOU KILLED US!" They repeat over and over again as they throw me against the wall.

"Andrea wake up!"

They came closer and closer until all I can see was Liam's bloody face staring right at me from every point I looked.

"Andrea I'm here you need to wake up."

"No no no no." I cried as I tried to move away but felt my back hit the wall. "No no please no!" I cried as they reached out to me. Their hands came closer and closer until they...

I woke up with a short sharp scream and somebody holding me. I looked around the small dark room as I clutched tightly onto whoever's arm was holding me. I let out a choked sob as I sat up frantically. I had had nightmares about that night. I had had nightmares about Liam but never once had they been combined like that.

"You're okay, you're okay I'm here." A voice said softly making me turn around and  stare into their eyes. My shoulders heaved with every sharp breath I took as invisible hands wrapped themselves around my neck choking me. "Hey hey look at me. Breath with me." They said breathing deeply. They gently took my hand putting it to their heart so I could feel their slow and steady heart beat.

I copied their breathing swallowing the sob that slammed against the back of my throat. Their heartbeat calmed me as I stared deeply into their dark brown eyes.

"You're okay." They said softly giving me a small nod and a reassuring smile.

"I'm okay." I whispered as my breathing finally returned to normal. I hung my head low as my hair formed a small curtain around my face. I then looked back up at Tyler who was looking at me with concern evident in his features. I gave him an embarrassed look. "Sorry." I said as I must have woken him up from his sleep.