Luciano

Chapter 25

The curtains in my room were drawn shut. I laid under my covers with my eyes wide open staring straight ahead. It was dull outside however daylight, the clouds covering the sun.

I was exhausted after crying for what felt like hours. However I was unaware of the time that had passed. Luciano had brought me home and I didn't speak a word.

The whole town had been murdered. Wiped out completely.

The empty void in my heart had suddenly been engulfed with complete despair and deep emotions that left me utterly drained. The man that was my father lingered in my thoughts and I shut my eyes.

I heard my door slowly open. I felt a cool presence near towards me and eventually the space on my bed beside me sunk. My back was faced to Luciano and I kept my eyes closed.

"I'm sorry," that cool voice said in its usual tone and I clenched my hand that rested on my pillow.

"-Grace," Luciano said in a distraught tone, "-I'm so sorry. Please get up. You don't look well."

I didn't respond. The dead feeling I had was at its worse, infused with a lingering terror and sorrow as I heard myself let out a wavering breath. The more I heard Luciano's voice the more I felt the need to weep all over again.

"You can't just lay here, Grace please, I'm-" he paused.

I heard a deep sigh.

I slowly opened my eyes. I knew I was laying here for an awfully long time. I suddenly opened my eyes and roughly sat up, my head spinning at the sudden movement.

"Grace," Luciano immediately said and his eyes followed me. He immediately reached out and cupped my face, stroking my cheek with his thumb.

I felt nothing in affection towards his actions. Not after everything that happened. I was too shaken up and the thought of affection towards Luciano was too small in comparison to the emotional pain I felt.

I inched away from his hand. It was comforting but only added to my overwhelming state. Luciano allowed his hand to hover for a few seconds, before slowly closing his hand into a fist and lowering it away.

I knew he didn't know what to say.

I gazed over at Luciano. My eyes were without a doubt red and I only stared as Luciano's dark eyes stared back at me, mute.

"I have to leave," I hoarsely said, my voice coming out rough and shaky from the previous crying and silence.

"Leave?" Luciano repeated, "-leave to where?" he asked in a much softer tone.

I then gazed around my room. I looked around at the dull walls, the dark lighting and blinked repeatedly as I began to shake my head.

"Anywhere. I can't stay here any longer. I have to leave now," I said in a much more lively tone.

I jumped up with a new burst of energy and stumbled. I began to frantically search around for a bag as I pulled open the first drawer I saw.

The acceptance of death was still absent. A new emotion had developed and I wasn't entirely sure if it was worse. However I knew that it felt much worse.

Guilt. It was a disturbing emotion. The feeling of guilt made me feel physically sick and just the thought had tears threatening to well up.

With in a whole town of people who wanted to live, who enjoyed their lifes, who didn't take whatever life they had for granted, I was the only one here.

A person like me, so unappreciative and uncaring of life was the one to live and that thought alone made me sick.

And so I didn't want to die anymore. I wanted to live. I had to.

The first step was to evacuate this place. Leave it all behind. Thinking about it seemed easy however my distraught mind knew better. This would never flee my mind.

Once I successfully found a bag, I shoved random pieces of clothing and moved in a unsteady speed as I tried to do so.

I was suddenly stopped and I had to blink and adapt for a moment as Luciano firmly grabbed both of my wrists.

I hadn't noticed the bag dropped to the floor and I looked up at Luciano who stared down at me with harsh eyes.

"Grace calm down now," he roughly said and slightly shook me.

I tried to shake him off and paused when he didn't let go.

"You want me to calm down?" I asked with a humourless snort.

Luciano freed one of my wrists and held my chin to steady my gaze onto his.

"Look at me," he urged, "-Calmly pack a bag and we will leave. We can go where ever you want. I'll take you anywhere. We will leave this all behind do you hear me?"

I did hear him. However I didn't respond.

"I'll make you live. Truly live Grace. You can see the whole world. Experience things you didn't even know existed. Just please, you have to snap out of it."

Luciano knew I wasn't going to respond. Especially when a tear helped its way down my cheek and I saw the way Luciano's eyes followed it.

"I know it's hard," he said with a soft kindness, "-I know it'll haunt you for a long time but right now you just have to be calm enough to leave this place."

At his words I stepped away from his touch. I didn't move for a moment and I held my palm to my forehead taking in a deep breath and closing my eyes. After a few seconds, I lowered my hand and gazed at the ground.

I bent down and picked up the bag and this time, calmly returned to my drawer.

I carefully picked out a shirt before folding it and placing it into the bag.

Luciano stared at me for a second before slowly backing away and leaving my room. After the horrible events, he didn't appear silently and instead, was soft in his movements.

It was strange. My mind took a complete pause at the chaotic thoughts. My mother suddenly popped into my mind and my movements slowed as I stared at the grey shirt I held, resting it in my lap. I didn't know if she was alive. Naturally, I rarely heard from her. However if she was out of town what would happen when she came back? When will the main center of town come to realisation of the gruesome murders here? I couldn't completely ignore it, and leaving an anonymous message to the town seemed like the best and only option.

I shook my head at the thought. I continued packing.

Packing a bag didn't take a significant amount of time as I didn't have a huge variety. After I was done, I knew I needed a shower urgently.

After taking my time I walked down the short hall and paused at its exit. I had my backpack resting on both my shoulders and had my hands in my jumpers pockets as I looked at Luciano who leaned against the kitchen bench on the right.

Luciano leaned off the counter, and walked towards me, pausing a few feet away.

"Come," he said softly, "-let me take you away Grace. You need to live."

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A/N- 

Hi everyone! Before you say it yes.. I know I took longer than usual. 

I've got my exams in a week and have been busy with school!

The chapter after this may be an epilogue, it really depends on my schedule and if I'll have the time to have reasonable updates. But please, lend me your thoughts.

What do you think/should happen?

-E x