Eyes So Blue I Drown

49| Struggle To Escape

ARABELLA

I look down at the floor, and a wave of guilt and fear crosses my heart. Soon, he pushes me to the second man.

As I approach the second man, my heart racing and lips quivering, I'm drawn into his eyes. I can't help but notice the fear that glimmers in his eyes. It's an unspoken terror like he knows his life is hanging by a thread.

I feel a pang of guilt and hope deep down that he's the one Romano seeks, a silent wish that he might be spared.

My lips quiver as I whisper a broken "I'm sorry" right before kissing him.

His lips meet mine in a dry connection, but this moment is different from that one too.

Soon, I pull away in fear, my heart pounding, and I can't find the words to explain. Shall I just say he's the one?

But he will be tortured further then. Romano's gaze is demanding, forcing me to speak.

I can only shake my head, unable to save the second man. The gunshot rings out again, and I can't bear to see the life dropping out of his eyes.

Tears well up in my eyes and a sense of utter helplessness washes over me. The lifeless body crumples to the ground, and my heart sinks in the realization that I'm powerless to stop this.

As I try to hold back sobs, I manage to croak out my objections brokenly, "No! this is wrong... please, stop this"

Romano's eyes remain unyielding, "Don't waste my time"

I look at Gabriel standing beside him, hoping for something from him. But he steals his gaze away from mine.

My hands shiver in pain, it's increasing with each second that passes by. But it's nothing compared to the pain that my heart holds at this point.

At this point, I don't know what's wrong and what's right.

I'm pushed into the third man. My heart feels heavier than ever. His eyes meet mine, and in that moment, there's no pretense of bravery.

He passes by me and kneels to Romano, his voice quaking as he pleads, "Please, spare me. I've got a family at home, kids, they depend on me"

My own heart aches with the weight of his words.

The thought of tearing this man away from his loved ones cuts deep. Romano kicks him in his chest right away, and his workers pull him up.

"I want that man at any cost" Romano hisses, staring at him.

"Why do you need to kill him if he has no idea of anything?!" I yell out, "I won't do it, fuck you Romano"

Romano, holding the menacing metal rod, steps toward me to hit me again. Just as he raises it at my face, with all the strength I can muster, I deliver a punch straight into his chest. It doesn't hurt him much, but the impact fractures my already battered hand. Pain shoots through me, and I cry out loud, unable to hold back.

Soon, I feel them tying my hands again to the chair. They tie Tess to the chair next to me and leave, dragging the three dead bodies away from here too.

"You're lucky you're still alive. Just let me find that man, and I'll give you such a painful, scary death that you wouldn't have even imagined. Don't worry, there's a lake for you, behind this factory" Romano warns me, before leaving after them too while I'm left here in a shocked, scared state. How does he know I'm afraid of that?

Nobody can save me now.

I don't know if it's a good or bad thing that I'm not aware of that man. Selfless me wants to find that man as soon as possible and stop all of this. But that moment would be the end of me.

I sob. I bend my head down, it feels helpless and terrible.

Tess is still unconscious. I scan her body, she hasn't got any injuries, fortunately. A black coat drapes over her.

My hands hurt. They hurt so much that it makes me want to cut them off, maybe it could spare me from this unbearable pain.

Time passes by. Exhaustion takes over me and I drift into sleep. I opened my eyes only to find myself still held by ropes.

The room is quiet, my eyes feel swollen, and the dim lighting hints that it is already evening. Time seems to slip away faster as I desperately try to untangle the rope, but the knots hold firm.

My awareness gingerly returns when I see I'm all alone in this room.

I can't shake the unsettling feeling that something has changed.

Panic surges through me when I realize Tess is nowhere to be seen. The chair next to me stands empty.

A cloth stifled any attempts to voice my concerns. A strange heavy jacket is on my body that I can't remember I was wearing. I can't even shout for help. Fuck, I shouldn't have slept.

While I regret my mistakes, I notice colorful footprints on the floor. It is like someone with painted shoes had come and taken Tess away, leaving behind this strange trail.

I take a deep breath. I've always tried to stay calm in tough situations, but right now, I feel like I've had enough.

Patience and playing it safe don't seem to be working. I've reached my breaking point, and now I'm ready to play it on their terms.

First I need to free myself from this chair. I hope there's something in this huge place that could help me. My eyes scan the place.

The only usable thing I could find was a broken wine bottle glass scattered on the floor. I definitely needed a sharp object. But it's not anywhere close to me.

Mustering all my strength, I tip myself to the side, chair and all. Pain echoes through my body when my body hits the ground, but I push through. While the chair is still tethered to me, I crawl towards the glass pieces as fast as I can. I'm sure it made a lot of noise.

It takes me a few minutes to get there. Picking up one of the sharper pieces, it instantly falls off my hand when I feel the searing sensation in my hand. He made my hands completely useless.

I grab a sharp piece again, hesitating as I brace for the pain. As I start cutting the rope, it hurts, a sharp sting in my hands. Every move makes the ache worse, but I keep going, teeth clenched against the cloth in my mouth.

I can't hold back the silent tears that escape, mixing with the sweat on my face.

I'm thankful my mouth is tied; it means my cries of pain are stifled.

Amid my silent struggle, I hear a rush of footsteps from behind the door. Feels like this factory doesn't end with this huge room.

"Boss is here" a man's voice breaks the silence as someone's footsteps reaches next to them.

"I expect she's still in there" Romano's voice comes and I stay still, stopping all my movements while he makes sure of my presence.

"Yes boss," they talk, "But we have some urgent news for you if you allow me...?"

"Speak."