His Hidden Treasure (Completed)

Thirty-Four

"Do you want to talk about it?" Zephyr asked, playing a soft melody on his phone to drown out the noise outside. The wind was picking up outside. It was just like that night.

"No," I replied, curling and uncurling the string to the joggers he was wearing.

I hated feeling this vulnerable, especially with Zephyr, but I'd rather him than anyone else as well at the moment. He didn't push. He just waited patiently, doing his best to keep me comfortable and safe.

"I was in my bedroom. It was a bad storm day, like tonight, and my brother was out that night. My parents were worried about him driving back home so they waited up for him. I didn't think much of it when the power went out. We all thought it was because of the storm. And then I heard my mom scream. My dad, he...he called out for me, and I couldn't even protect him." I've been to countless therapy sessions, but it never got easier to recall that night.

"I was hit in the head when I opened my bedroom door. It knocked me out, and when I woke up, I was tied up to a chair. My parents were as well, in front of me. The look in their eyes, I can't ever get it out of my head. I kept asking, why us, why did they target us? Was it because of me? I didn't know at the time it was Gonzailez's men. I thought it was a home invasion. But they didn't want anything other than to see my suffering. They tortured them in front of me. They taped the whole thing." My breathing quickened, and tears stained Zephyr's joggers.

"They were enjoying it. Sadists. I fought against my restrains, but there were so many of them. I felt so powerless. My mom was first. They..."

"Nila, you don't have to go into detail," Zephyr stopped me.

My breath hitched as I struggled to compose myself, my hands trembling as I clung to the fabric of Zephyr's joggers. The memories flooded my mind like a torrential downpour, threatening to drown me in their suffocating embrace. But I knew I had to face them, had to confront the demons that haunted my every waking moment.

"No, I need to do this. I can't keep hiding away. I've never told anyone the full story." I took a deep breath and continued, "They wanted me to watch. They wanted me to witness the pain, the agony they inflicted on my parents. They slit her wrists. She died slowly, and I couldn't do anything to stop them. My dad was beaten so bad I couldn't even recognize his face. He stopped screaming after my mom died. He wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of hearing him cry." I sat up, needing a drink to drown my feelings now that I'd opened up the wound again.

"I'm so sorry, Nila," Zephyr murmured, his voice laced with sorrow. "No one should ever have to endure something like that. It's unfathomable."

I felt the weight of Zephyr's gaze upon me, a silent beacon of support amidst the darkness that threatened to consume me whole.

"I just...I can't shake the feeling that I could have done more," I confessed, my voice wavering with uncertainty. "That if I had been stronger, if I had fought harder, maybe I could have saved them."

"You can't live the rest of your life blaming yourself for what happened. Your parents wouldn't want that either. You didn't lose everyone. You have your brother, and he has you." He reached out, gently wiping away my tears with the pad of his thumb.

"It wasn't your fault, Nila," Zephyr repeated firmly, his voice tinged with conviction. "You were just a victim of circumstance, caught in the crossfire of forces beyond your control. But you're stronger than you realize, and you've survived. That's what matters."

My breath caught in my throat at Zephyr's words, his unwavering faith in me filling me with a renewed sense of hope. I leaned into his hand as he cupped my face. I jumped at another lightning, and he pulled me onto his lap.