Lorenzo | DAMNED

Lorenzo | Short Story Featured in DAMNED

Lorenzo

The night was pitch black, the icy breeze made the trees sway. Enzo stood on the sidewalk, he looked up at a tall street lamp, it flickered, then slowly faded until it didn't produce light anymore. Enzo looked down at the footpath, small snowflakes slowly covering. He looked left and right... no one... He pulled an iPhone out of his coat pocket. He read over the text message once again.

11:30, she will be coming out of the bluestone building, with a beige coat on. She carries a black purse and has dark brown hair. Don't pass this opportunity Lorenzo; or you will have a big bounty on your head.

Enzo sighed, did he want to do it? No; but it was the only way he would see her again. He slipped the phone back into his pocket and walked up to a nearby sidewalk bench. He sat down and started fiddling with his hands. He slid his hand into his left inner pocket of his coat. A small silver locket was revealed into the dark night atmosphere. With unsteady hands he opened the locket, a single tear slid down his face. He looked at the picture of his daughter, letting another few tears pass before he closed it and returned it to his pocket. This was all for her, so he could feel her in his arms once again.

A buzz came from Enzo's pocket; it was him... The man who kidnapped his daughter.

Only 5 minutes now, assume your position, Lorenzo. Remember, your daughter's life is on the line, so if you fail, she dies, and you will have quite a bounty on yourself... Don't forget, I have only the best assassins on my side. So you can run, but you can't hide. Don't fail me Lorenzo...

Enzo began walking towards the described building, bluestone. He finally reached it. He looked up at the faded sign, Kindles' Bookstore. It looked old; he couldn't see inside as the windows were covered in dust and snow. Enzo lifted his arm to view his watch. Not long now and he would be with her again, he would be with his beautiful daughter. He thought about the last time he saw her, she was mad at him because he wouldn't let her stay at home, then she walked off to the bus, not even saying goodbye. She never came home from school that day. Not even a police search party could find a clue; that was until he got the first text message. A tear came to Enzo's eye, but he brushed it away before he let it fall. The night's silence was broken by the sound of footsteps coming from inside the building. That must be the woman, he thought. Enzo assumed his position, leaning back on the wall, his scarf nearly covering his mouth.

She stepped outside, snowflakes instantly falling onto her dark hair. Enzo simply coughed to catch her attention. She scarcely turned around. 'Oh my, you gave me a fright. Are you okay Sir?' How could he do it? She seemed so nice, but it was for his daughter...

'I will be after this... Just promise me you won't scream...' Enzo almost instantly jumped on the woman and pulled a knife out of his coat, he covered her mouth so she couldn't scream for help, but a few wails escaped. 'I'll make it quick I promise.' Enzo closed his eyes, he couldn't look at her while doing this. He pushed the knife into her chest, and again and again... Until the night was silent again. He opened his eyes. The lifeless body laid before him. What had he just done? He watched as the snowy sidewalk was stained a crimson colour. Her body was so limp, she turned pale instantly, and her body flopped to the ground... She was dead...

Enzo pulled out his phone, and replied to the kidnapper's message,

I did it, I will bring the body to you... I will be there in 10 minutes.

He picked up the limp body and walked – as quickly as he could to his next destination. There was still no one around, it was as if the whole town had been evacuated. Enzo soon arrived at the old abandoned warehouse. He would soon be reunited with his daughter, a tear of joy and thankfulness slipped from his eye. He felt a buzz coming from his pocket... It was him...

Side entrance, hard to miss, it's a black door against brick. Hurry, you have very little time left...

Enzo instantly spotted the door, he was right, it was hard to miss. He pushed open the door, letting the streetlight stream in; it was pitch black in there. He started walking forwards, trying to make his eyes adjust to the darkness. Each and every footstep he took echoed loudly in the building. He saw a flickered light around the corner of a wall. It appeared to be the light of an elevator. As Enzo approached he got a fright as the warehouse lights instantly turned on. He spun around, dropping the woman's limp body in the process. There was his daughter. Standing there, two men grasping either arm. 'Let her go!' Enzo yelled. He heard a faint 'okay', where did it come from? He looked left and right, but no one was in sight.

'Walk forward Lorenzo.' Enzo instantly did as he was told, he slowly walked towards his daughter. She looked terrified, she had cuts all down her arms, legs and on her face; she started to cry, silently. Enzo continued to get closer, until he was finally standing right in front of her. A man appeared from the darkness, he was a rugged man, long hair, a messy beard. He held a small knife, and began slowly penetrating his body with it. He let out small groans and it pierced his skin. What was he doing? He walked closer to Enzo's daughter. 'You see Lorenzo, here's the catch, you just committed murder; last time I checked that was against the law... So you're going to have to get punished...' Enzo had a terrified look on his face. 'Pull out your knife, Lorenzo.' He did as he was told, and pulled out the knife.

'Please don't kill my daughter, she is all I have left.' Enzo let a few tears escape, and they fell off his face one after the other.

'Oh Lorenzo, you think so little of me, I'm no murderer, I wouldn't kill an innocent child... But you would.' In a split second the man pushed Enzo's daughter towards him. She let out and scream, her eyes wide open as she looked down. The knife... Went straight through her chest. Enzo looked at her in shock and he pulled the knife away and caught his daughter as she fell, covering the puncture hole with his hand. 'Lorenzo, Lorenzo, Lorenzo... You have done a lot of bad things today. You killed an innocent woman, you killed your daughter... You killed my two brothers...' Enzo looked at the man, confused. 'Oh, that's right, we haven't got to that part yet... Have we?' The man threw his arms back, one knife in each hand, and both penetrating the men whom were holding his daughter, who was now gurgling blood, fighting to stay alive. 'Ah, Lorenzo, you aren't a safe man to be around. You deserve to be locked up, put away where you can't ever get out.' Suddenly the man slit his chest open, and fell to the ground, groaning loudly, and screaming in pain. Lorenzo was mortified, he didn't know what to do, all he could do was watch his daughter die in his arms, he dark blood now covering his hands and chest, his tears fell onto her nearly lifeless face.

A loud bang came from the entrance of the building. Enzo could hear sirens... It was all over now...

He woke up in a chair, he couldn't move his hands or feet, it was as if they were bolted together, his eyes shot open and he began to struggle, shaking himself around in the huge metal chair. Was this a mental asylum? Enzo began to cry and he tried to scream but he didn't have the energy. All he remembers is his daughter dying in his arms, and a man killing two people and himself. Enzo tried to talk, but he could only hear mumbles of what he was saying, his lips were sealed together. Eventually he gave up, and looked down at the grey, concrete floor. After a while of sitting in silence, he heard what sounded like a heavy metal door open. He looked up, there was a man in a bright white lab coat. 'Lorenzo Torris, murderer, punished for the murder of 4 people, two women and two men. Sentenced for life prison, and locked in this asylum, forever.' The man was talking to a woman, she was beautiful, she had long brown hair, but she simply looked at him in disgust. Everything went silent again.