LEFT BEHIND

Chapter 51

Carlos wrapped his arms around himself as the cold nipped at his skin. The gash on his head made him want to scream as his head throbbed. He lent back on the wall his eyes clenched shut as he tired to forget it all. Forget his pain.

But not the one in his head.

No.

The one that squeezed his heart so tight he was afraid he wasn't breathing. The one that felt like a thousand elephants were sat on his chest.

The idea that he may never see Marco again.

The idea that the last words he had said to him were I'll come find you.

The idea that it was all his fault.

It hurt.

He tried to hope. He tried to cling onto the hope that Luca would come find him. Save him the same way he had done all those years ago.

Any moment now Luca would come bursting though the doors gun blazing with a scowl on his face.

He looked back at the locked brass door that stared at him, tall, taunting, teasing and mocking him from where it stood. Surely Luca would come to save him. Right? Surely any moment now he'd come crashing through that door and rescue him before any harm was done. Surely.

At that moment the door did come crashing open but it wasn't Luca behind it. It was a woman he had only seen in photographs. Only heard of in childhood stories. A woman he never once thought he would meet.

"Hello Carlos, I'm Amelia." She said with a sick twisted smile. She then let out a heavy sigh before approaching the boy. Carlos immediately jumped to his feet as he began moving away from the cynical woman who stood before him. "Oh sweet boy, don't be afraid of me," she said mockingly. Carlos' breath hitched as his back hit the wall.

"What do you want from me?" He asked shakily as Amelia laughed. A loud long and evil laugh.

"Nothing. I just need you to be your handsome little self until Alessia gets here," she said nonchalantly as she looked at her nails.

"Why would Andrea come here?" Carlos questioned as dread began to seep through her. Amelia let out a scoff before looking at the scared girl incredulously.

"Don't tell me you're that stupid?" She said making the boy furrow his eyebrows. "Of course Alessia's going to come. Give it a day before she and Luca are marching through these doors with an army." She said as if it was no big deal.

"You should be scared. Andrea's going to kill you,"  Carlos seethed now starting to get angry. The poor boy was cold, hungry, and exhausted beyond belief. His emotions were running at an all time high and she didn't really know what to do with them. He wanted to hit something maybe, or cry? One of the two.

"I don't think you understand carlos, I am one step ahead of her in every way shape or form. Whatever Alessia thinks she is I am ten times better. Whatever Alessia thinks she can do I can do it twice as well. I am simply the better version of her. Where do you think she got it from hmm?" She spoke arrogantly as she ran her thumb down Carlos' cheek.

"Her name is Andrea." He gritted out making Amelia grab her chin harshly as rage took over her face.

"Her name is Alessia! What right does she have to dismiss the name I gave her?"

Feeling a sudden surge of anger and bravery Carlos spat in Amelia's face earning him a hard slap that sent him falling to the floor. "You're sick," he said with a glare making Amelia give him a cold, condescending smile.

"I won't hurt any of you. It's just her I want and I have the perfect way to do that," she said as if nothing had just happened. Amelia turned away from the boy before pulling a burner phone out of her back pocket. She typed something on it before holding it up and snapping a selfie of herself and Carlos.