AN:
Many thanks to Weaver without whose help and some cowriting I would have gotten stuck very badly. Navy means miss weaver wrote it ((Present Day))Title: With
Deepest Affection - Ignazio
*sarcasm intended*
“Ciao Milano.”
Stella whirled around her heart pounding as she heard that voice with its deceptively pleasant tone. “C-ciao Ignazio. What are you doing here?” She asked, scanning the room for anything she could use to defend herself just in case. “How did you get in?”
“I just came for a visit; I figured it’s been a little while so the two of us could use a little chat.” He innocently slipped his hands into his pockets, the jacket of his suit opening slightly and showing the gun in its holster and the glint of one of his knives. “That’s not really important is it?” He said taking a step forward.
Stella suddenly turned towards the exit door, making a dash into the hallway. She needed to get to one of her weapons… She wasn’t playing this game with him. He was the mafia, he most certainly wasn’t there just to talk. There was a sudden pain in her leg and is collapsed out from under her, sending her crashing to the floor. She gave a short yelp at the unexpected fall taking a look at her leg. It wasn’t anything critical, just a graze really, but she wasn’t going to be going anywhere on it anytime soon.
Shit, shit, shit!Ignazio tutted, slipping the silenced pistol back into his holster as he calmly strode towards her. “Stella,” His tone was patronizing as he scolded, “It’s not polite to run off when someone’s trying to talk to you.” He reached down grabbing her arm, dragging her back to the other room.
“Let go of me you
lying sack of shit!” She tried as best as she could to pull her arm away, but she didn’t have any leverage. “Let go!” She shouted again lashing out, scratching her nails across the hand on her arm.
Ignazio hissed, dropping her none too gently. Her head hit the ground with an audible thud dazing her as he growled looking at the red lines on his hand, one bleeding a little. “I am trying to be nice, donna, but you are getting on my nerves.” He moved, stepping down hard onto her wrist with one shiny black shoe, holding it in place while he grabbed the other. When he had both wrists in his hand he continued dragging her back to the room where he had greeted her.
When he got inside he picked up a bag she hadn’t noticed and opening it with his free hand. “I hadn’t brought all this for you, donna.” He said as he opened it and she could see the various ‘tools’ inside, “I have work to do today. This is just a social visit, no need to be pulling out all the stops.” He pulled out a roll of silver. “I just decided to come here and leave a present for miei fratelli because I realized how
negligent I’ve been… So many birthday’s I’ve missed these past years.”
The sound of the tape as he started unrolling it was almost unbearably loud in the otherwise silent house.
“Let me go. You don’t want to do this.” Stella insisted. “Just go and do your ‘job’ if you don’t let me go you know Lorenzo will have your head on a platter.”
Ignazio seemed to ignore her, shifting his grip to begin wrapping the tape around her wrists, getting them secure to prevent any avenue of attack. “I don’t think so, donna.” Ignazio smirked, ripping off the tape and securing the end down after wrapping it around her wrists several times. “Lorenzo’s going to be a little… distracted… to be coming after me,
Stella.”
Stella frowned. “Ignazio. Let me go. Just go away back to whatever hole you crawled out of. Whatever you’re planning you aren’t going to get away with it.”
“Stell~a,” He whined at her, “You never smile for me. You would think you didn’t
like me.” He said his face taking on a mocking affronted look for a moment before falling into a pout, “Won’t you smile for me, Mila~no.”
“No.” Her expression remained stony. “I’m not going to play whatever game you’re playing Ignazio.”
He snarled reaching down and grabbing her by the throat with one hand. He lifted her pinning her to the wall her head slamming back into the paneling. “Fine, if you don’t want to play then I’ll stop playing, Donna. I know you get paid for your pretty face like una puttana, and
Florence seems to be fairly enamored of it as well. But I’ve never seen what’s so pretty about it, you don’t smile enough, donna. Maybe if you smiled more… but I can help you with that.”
He pulled out a knife pressing the blade to her cheek, “Smile, donna.” He said, his tone almost sing songy before he started tracing the blade across, watching the blood well up.
Stella hissed biting her lip, but remained silent; Ignazio growled in irritation pressing the blade in harder and retracing deepening the wound, without fully splitting the cheek and still nothing. He turned to the other side slicing savagely a grinning line of blood stretching across either cheek and yet she didn’t make another sound. He could see blood welling where she had bitten through her lip instead and he growled.
“Scream dammit!”
“No.” the word was filled with pain and her breathing was slightly ragged, “I won’t give you the pleasure.” She hissed.
“You will scream, donna!” Ignazio growled. He struck, stabbing her in the side with the knife he held in his hand. With no time to prepare or stop herself Stella screamed, tearing her cheeks open further. Ignazio smirked. “I told you you would scream, donna.
He stabbed her again and again, until she couldn’t scream anymore. Tears mingled with the blood on her face as Ignazio grinned madly. It was a wonder she was still conscious. “
Stella, Stella, Stella. Look at that beautiful smile.”
Her eyes narrowed glaring at him and she kicked out at him with her good leg. He growled darkly, dropping her to the floor and kicking her in the ribs. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
Stella blinked back pained tears as she glared back up at him, struggling to breath.
“Oh don’t be like that, Milano. It’s not like it’s
personal. And besides, it will all be over soon.” He paused looking around their surroundings thoughtfully. “It’s just a matter of where to leave the present.” He reached down grabbing her and dragging her mostly limp form through the house and down the stairs leaving a trail behind them. “I think over here will do nicely.” Ignazio said, glancing around the entry hall. Don’t you think so Milan?”
He didn’t get any response, but he continued anyway speaking to her as he leaned her against a wall. “You’ll have to tell them Happy Birthday for me when they get here… then again I’m not sure you’ll be in any shape to do that.” He pulled out his pistol again and her eyes widened slightly. “I’ll just leave a note. Anyway, for now,” He lined up the shot, his finger on the trigger, “Arrivederci, Milan.” He pulled the trigger and watched with a smirk as fresh blood blossomed across her stomach and she slumped, unconscious.
He put the pistol back in its holster and then turned to exit. However before he did he stopped himself turning to grab a pen and a paper. “I almost forgot to leave them their card with the present. How thoughtless of me...”
He quickly penned his note for Lorenzo and Leonardo to find, taping it to the wall above the limp form. It was unfortunate… there just wasn’t a place he could leave it on his gift that wouldn’t ruin his card, but he supposed this world serve well enough.
He directed one last smirk to the unconscious woman and gave a jaunty wave. “Arrivederci, Milan.” He called out cheerfully. “I’m so glad we had this little chat.” And with that he exited the house as he entered it, shutting off the lights as he did. All the doors and windows were locked.
Lorenzo strode up to the door and knocked. “Stella! I’m here!”
He paused, waiting for her to call back and come to open the door, but nothing happened.
“Stella?” He knocked again, “Mi amore, are you there?”
Still there was no reply. This wasn’t like her. He knocked a third time.
“Stella, please, open the door!” He called, worried now. But there was still not reply. He peaked in the window, only able to see in a crack with the closed curtains, the room was dark, but there was something… There was a frantic ringing on the edge of his senses. He darted around peeking into the windows that he could, but every single one was dark. He stood before the final window.
“Mi amore… I hope you will forgive me if I do what I do now in error.” He said, managing to finagle the lock mechanism inside and pry the window open. He slipped into the house, it was silent, and the only lights remaining on were in the hall and the room he entered…. But she wasn’t here. He stepped out into the hallway, heart filling with dread as he noticed the trail of blood leading towards the stairs.
He held himself back from rushing, moving cautiously and listening but he heard no sounds of anyone else in the house. He followed the trail all the way to the front hall, where moments before he had been knocking on the other side of the door. There was a strange shadow a few feet to his left…
Lorenzo flipped on the light turning to look and his hand flew to his mouth. “Stella! Mi amore!” He rushed over, but she was unresponsive. He reached for her neck, searching for a pulse, wincing at the bruises… Her pulse was there, weak - oh so weak, but there… He picked up the phone, uncaring for any smears of blood he might leave on it from his fingers.
As it the line rang he spoke to her unconscious form urgently, “Stella, mi amore, stay with me. You
have to stay with me.”
The line finally picked up. “Va?” there was a slight yawn, “Fratello? I thought you were spending the day with Ma-Stella.” He said with some confusion.
“I was, but something has happened. Leonardo I need you to come here right away. And when you get here I need you to promise me you will Not Panic.”
Leonardo stood at the other end of the line, nodding slightly, though he knew his brother wouldn't be able to see it. "Alright."Lorenzo hesitated for a moment. “Leonardo… it… it’s really bad. Be sure you pack
everything you might need, but get here quickly.” He hung up the call and unlocked the front door, he looked around to find anything to staunch the bleeding, but there were so many wounds. He grabbed what he could find and hurried back.
It was this time as he re-entered the room that he saw the “card”.
To my darling Fratelli,
It has come to my attention as of late just how many important life occasions I have been delinquent on, and so I thought to myself that I should remedy this situation. And so, for all those missed Christmases, Easters, New Years, and most especially Birthdays I have left you this little gift.
I know how much the two of you love to see her smile, so here she is, smiling, just for you. I hope you enjoy it while it lasts.
With deepest affection
Ignazio“Ignazio.” Lorenzo growled, reading the note quickly before tearing it down from the wall, leaving a few bloody fingerprints on it and crumpling it into his pocket. He pushed that aside for now instead kneeling down and starting to apply pressure to the gunshot wound to her stomach…. She was so pale…
“Dammit…” His voice had a tremor, “You aren’t allowed to leave me, mi amore, not
now.
Vinci’s brow furrowed at the panicked undertone to his brother's words. If there was an emergency there was really only one reason his brother would be calling him, and it wasn't his perfect memory or his skills in art and invention. It could only be for his skills in medicine. He had his doctorate several times over in most fields and there were far too many times he could recall of patching Lorenzo up or sticking things back together after his brother got into a fight…
He hung up the phone, as the call was cut from the other side and made a bee-line for the medical supplies that were neatly arranged in a small drawer, something the perfectionist artist had released his inner OCD on a while back. Snatching up everything he rushed over to the bag he had arranged by the front door. Grabbing it in his free hand he unceremoniously crammed the wraps and other supplies in their before scurrying out the door.When he arrived at Stella’s house he found that the door had been left unlocked. Something which seemed fairly careless for his brother. He pulled it open cautiously golden eyes peering inside. Those golden eyes widened, as Leonardo beheld the tableau in front of him. Stella unconscious on the floor, Lorenzo desperately applying pressure to her stomach trying to staunch the bleeding… but there were so many other wounds.
“M-Mamma!” He raced over tears already starting to stream down his face. “Lorenzo, what happened?”
Lorenzo growled. “Ignazio, is what happened, but right now that is not important.” He turned to Leonardo his eyes serious, face haggard. “Right now what is important is making sure she survives. I hate to do this to you, fratello… but her fate rests in your hands now.” He sounded almost helpless, certainly there were things he could do, but Leonardo was the surgeon.
Golden eyes flicked uncertainly from the unconscious form, to his brother and back again. With shaky steps Leonardo quickly stumbled over to where she lay and sank to his knees before her. Unfocused fingers danced across the stabs and bullet wounds as he evaluated the current situation. It was anything but favorable.
“D-do you m-mind,” he choked, feeling his throat tighten, “a w-washcloth... warm, please.”
Leonardo watched his brother hesitate for a moment, not wanting to leave her side before disappearing off in search for the washcloth. Then he turned his attention back to Stella, reaching around with a blind hand he searched in his bag for the small packets- of course it was treated with other things, but he had found that sugar would make a nice paste and contribute in being a minor disinfectant. That and it was nice for traveling.
Lorenzo made his way back to the bloody room- red-brown eyes nervously flitting around, waiting for Ignazio to come out of nowhere and attack them. He handed the cloth to his brother, kneeling beside Stella and whispering things to her. He took her blood-stained hand in his, anything to comfort him as he rocked back and forth slightly.
“Please, amore, you can't go. You can't leave me now.” His voice sounded broken as tears trailed unnoticed down his cheeks.
Stella drifted in the white void, her mind hazy. She didn’t know where she was, and she couldn’t recall how she had gotten there. She tried to remember, it felt important… She felt like there was something she should be doing. Voices seemed to whisper at the edges of her hearing they called her to stay here, to relax, to forget, to drift with them forever, but there was something else tugging at her...
“Please, amore, you can't go. You can't leave me now.” The broken voice echoed around her, more solid somehow if such a thing were possible for a voice. She felt as if something was holding her back, tying her to this voice that she should remember.
The other voices in their musical cacophony called for her to stay with them, not to recall, it was too much trouble, far too much. But she had to remember, it was important… This voice that called to her heart…
“V-va…” Leonardo bit his lip slightly looking at his brother with worried eyes. “L-Lorenzo, c-can you- I – I just need another hand.”
Lorenzo hardly noticed his brother's question, not taking his eyes off of the still form- it was so fragile, how could anyone damage it- the ringlets of beautiful golden hair fell in blood matted circles about her forehead and shoulders- with a slow hand he carefully reached out; as if afraid if he touched her she might fade away. Tanned fingers quaked, just barely brushing the smooth perfect skin over her eyes. With a soft and fluid movement he brushed away some of the hair from her forehead, they looked like small rose petals as the fell, sticky and wet away from her brow.
"Fratello?" the younger brother began again, not wanting to pry his brother away from her, but at the moment she needed serious help.
"What do you want me to do," his voice was gentle, something Leonardo hadn't heard him like since Veneziano lived with them. But there was an undertone to these kind words offering his service. Something dark. Hollow. Cold-blooded.
Once Stella was safe, Lorenzo would be out for revenge.“C-can you just hand me,” Leonardo’s hand waved absently towards his bag searching for the proper word. “I-in my bag, the gauze… ”
Lorenzo gave a short nod despite the fact that Leonardo couldn’t see it as he was busy paying attention to the wounds, “Si, I can do that.”
They set to work, both focusing on the task at hand. This had to be done properly, there would likely not be a second chance.
It was hours later when Leonardo finally felt stepped back. It had taken longer than is should have to get her stabilized. His hands had been shaking so badly… he wasn’t certain how he had gotten it done without really messing things up, except that he had to. There wasn’t any other choice. He wiped le back of his hand across his forehead, leaving a streak of blood behind.
“V-va…” He turned to Lorenzo shooting him a grateful look. Without his assistance it would have been even worse, but he could tell from the deadened look in Lorenzo’s eyes as he stared at her that Lorenzo was faring even worse than he was.
What if she wouldn't make it? What if she died? What would he do? Lorenzo bit his lip, feeling as the coppery taste of even more blood was spilled tonight. It was sickening, everything. The world around him had gone colorless, a monochromic void. Nothing was beautiful, if she was gone nothing was- no.
No. what was he thinking. He still had his brother, and Sicily, Feliciano and Roma as well. But... no Stella... He curled his feet up to him, resting his chin on bloodstained knees.
Leonardo sighed, knowing what would happen if his mamma never woke up. Grabbing the depressive man under the arms he pulled him with some difficulty to his feet. Pointing over to the chair near the make-shift bed they had set up for Stella; he watched as Lorenzo stumbled almost blindly over to it. The life seemingly draining from him once he sat, still watching Stella.“Va…” Leonardo just stopped himself from rubbing at his eyes, finally noticing the blood still covering his hands. He was so tired, but there was still one last thing he needed to do before he could rest with ease. He picked up the phone sighing as he dialed the number once again. “Va… Dottor Rossi… I was wondering if perhaps you could let me borrow some of your hospital’s equipment for the next couple of days va…”
He paused a moment listening to the man on the other end of the line.
“I have a friend who’s suffered a serious injury, but it will require treatment at home. She can’t be moved easily and would prefer the event was kept out of the media…”
He paused a moment his face turning white and then red. “Giuseppe! V-va! S-She is… fidanzata di mio fratello!” It might be stretching the truth a little but, not by much... ((my brother’s fiancée))
{AN: This is not the case. While they are in a relationship that's stretching things. However it was a fast way to explain things to make him shut up so they could get down to business without the other complexities of ">.< dear god she's my mamma"}There was a chuckle that could be heard from the other end of the line.
“Va... Stop teasing me! T-this is serious I need this equipment stasera!” ((tonight))
Leonardo gave a sigh of relief as the other man assented to his request, rattling off what he needed the address for Doctor Rossi. They should be here in thirty minutes or less... and then... once all of that was set he could finally allow himself to collapse.
Lorenzo couldn't bring himself to take his eyes off her, though he could feel his eyelids beginning to get heavier and heavier. He would not sleep though, not yet anyway. Not until Stella was safe. Resting was a sign of defeat, something that had been drilled into him ever since Rome taught him how to fight, and before Rome, Etruria. He wouldn't leave her side. He clenched his hands into fists, gathering the fabric in his white, blood-stained knuckles. Mafia... how could he?
It felt like forever before Doctor Rossi arrived, even though it was only twenty five minutes, better than the time he had promised Leonardo. Giuseppe was shocked at the scene. He tried to insist Leonardo call the police, but Vinci just put a gentle, but firm hand on his shoulder. Golden eyes staring at him solemnly.
“This is no matter for la polizia... this is one of the more... sensitive cases. I promise you it will be handled.”
The man’s eyes widened at the proclamation and he nodded. He delivered the equipment into the house speedily, and helped to set it up efficiently before he left. He knew better than to question his friend if the matter was as this sounded.
Leonardo locked the door behind Giuseppe, before dragging his body back into the room and collapsing into one of the chair. He blinked blearily trying to stay awake, but it was no use. The equipment was set up and barring anything unusual… she should be safe enough until morning. He drifted off into an uneasy sleep.
Lorenzo stayed staring at the still form for a while after his brother fell asleep. His eyes began to slowly close, his head was heavy, he couldn't stay awake dammit. After a few more minutes of struggling he succumbed to whatever nightmares awaited him.
He had come back to the house to check the results of his days work and he found,
this!
Ignazio growled softly looking at the unconscious figure in the bed. She
wasn’t supposed to still be alive. He had been so careful in his planning, so precise. He knew when the man was going to get there and by then even if he got help, even if he did anything, it had been over an hour! It should have been too late. He must have made a miscalculation due to her status as a personification, but even then it wasn’t like he was unaware… he growled. And yet Lorenzo had arrived and she still lived. Ignazio shot a derisive look at the dark haired form slumped in one of the chairs by the bed.
And look at him over there. So worn he didn’t even wake. Where was the master assassin who woke at the drop of a pin now? He would have to be sure to mock him for that when he saw him next. Ignazio smiled nastily, checking the syringe and flicking out the air – as if it mattered. The drug was an anti coagulant and it should do the job nicely, he’d just reopen the wounds and she would bleed out by morning. Leaving them to boo-hoo over their failure and wonder how it happened. Of course he’d be by as soon as possible to rub it in their faces. Show them how pathetic and weak they were.
He smirked. No one messed with the Mafia and got away with it.
((except for the ones that totally totally do get away with it <.< … >.> Angel I’m looking at you for some reason))
{{Chandi: XD you can totally look at angel...I have a feeling she screws him over regularly....}}
AN: thanks to Chandi for helping with Angel’s actions and dialogue
“Vi…” Angelica checked her phone for probably the 50th time. It was nearing 11pm and Zoni had said he would be there at 10 so that they could have a little talk. About what she didn’t know, but it wasn’t like him to not call if he wasn’t going to show.
Angelica had tried calling his phone several times, but it must have been off because it went straight to voice-mail. She knew he had been visiting Stella earlier. She “vi”d unhappily. He must have shut off his phone to not be disturbed and then forgotten…
“Viiii…” but that didn’t quite sound like him either… She stood up, and headed towards the door. She was going to go find him… just in case.
It didn’t take her long to get to Stella’s house and enter quietly… As she crept towards the stairs to the lower level she noticed some suspicious dark colored streaks on the floor. She crept stealthy through the house seeking any sound or sign of life… her nose crinkled as she approached one of the rooms, the smell of blood and disinfectants heavy in the air. For a moment all she heard from the inside were the soft sounds of breathing and a slight beeping like the machines in a hospital.
Then she heard
his voice.
“Well I am
quite sorry to have to do this.” Ignazio said quietly, his tone one of contrived regret, “But you
just don’t seem to get the point.” Each deliberately enunciated word was punctuated by a shake of his head. “You were supposed to just
die, Stella.” He tutted. “You really need to follow instructions better, but it’s ok, because I can fix it.”
Angelica peered around the edge of the doorway, assessing the situation in the room. Leo and Zoni were both slumped asleep in chairs, she frowned, it wasn’t like Papa to sleep through another person entering the room, let alone talking… and she glanced at the makeshift hospital bed. Stella was hooked up to a number of machines, including oxygen and there was Ignazio… standing over her his back to the door and a syringe in his hand.
Angelica’s eyes narrowed, she might not know what was in that syringe, but it couldn’t be anything good. She took a knife from its place on her belt and threw it. Ignazo hissed as it stabbed into his hand and he dropped the syringe. “The fuck!” He glared, “What the fuck are you even doing here?!”
“Vi…. I go where I want when I want. What’s it to you, giovane? Besides I’m welcome here.” She stated firmly, glaring over at him, “I should be asking you that question, but I think I know what you’re up to, vi.” She pulled out another knife. “So why don’t you just get your ass out of here before I have to stick this between your vertebra again, va bene?”
Ignazio growled, a quick glance to the side showed him that Lorenzo was finally starting to stir. He didn’t like taking on odds that were even remotely fair. So he shoved past her slipping out of the house.
“Viiii…”
Lorenzo woke with a start rubbing his eyes. “A-Angelina, what? When did you get here? Why do you have your knife out?”
“Viiiiii…. Ignazio was here… to finish what he started I suppose.” She said, glancing over at the still form on the bed.
Lorenzo started to stand from his seat. “Ignazio! I have to secure the house and make sure he’s gone an-”
“Viii.” Angel placed a hand on his chest, gently pushing him back into his seat. “Papa, he could push you over with a feather right now. You’re exhausted, vi.” She frowned. “You go back to sleep and I’ll take care of checking the house and keeping watch, va bene?”
Lorenzo nodded sinking back into the chair wearily. “Mi dispiace. We were supposed to have a chat tonight weren’t we?”
“Vi, don’t worry about it Papa. We can talk about it when you’re awake.” She said, turning to leave and patrol the house. “I’ll see you in the morning. Sleep well, Papa.”
When morning came, it wasn't the sunshine that woke Leonardo from his slumber. It was the frantic shaking from Angelica as one of the machines started beeping worryingly.
"V-va! For how long?!" He asked, trying to pull his sleep muddled brain together, although the adrenalin and the shrill noise were certainly getting his heart racing.
"Vi... only a couple minutes, I couldn't wake you at first." Angel replied worriedly.
Leonardo nodded. “Grazie.” He muttered distractedly standing from his seat, lightly bumping Lorenzo as he did so.
Angelica moved, standing in the corner silently and watching. There wasn’t anything she could do except stay out of the way.
Lorenzo groaned finally coming out of the sleep of the totally emotionally spent... His heart nearly stopped as he realized what he was hearing. He rushed over to the side of the bed taking her hand. "Stella, mi amore!"
Vinci darted around Lorenzo, checking and rechecking everything, bandages, stitches, pulse, all the readouts. “V-va.” He tugged at his hair anxiously muttering to himself, “It doesn’t make
sense. It should be fine va… there’s no cause but her heart rate is dropping vaaaaa…” He stood jittering not quite sure what to do with himself, this wasn’t normal…
Lorenzo watched her, holding her hand, watching the rise and fall of her chest. His heart nearly stopping as it started to falter. “Please, amore, please… I am
begging you
do not leave me.”
He turned to Leonardo, his eyes pleading. Leonardo looked back at him, with tear filled eyes, “I don’t… I don’t know… we’re losing her…”
“No.” His voice fell broken from his lips. “Don’t leave me.” He held her hand in both of his, hanging on tightly as if somehow that would keep her with them.
“V-va… fratello… there’s nothing else I can do… I’m sorry I’m so sorry.” Leonardo stammered, he was slightly dazed, shocked by this turn that defied everything he knew. “I – If she’s going to survive, i-it would be a miracle… it’s up to her now I guess va…”
Angel walked over to the bed, staring down at the pale form. “Vi,” It was weird, Stella was always so… bubbly and irritating… “You had better not give up.” Stella took another shaky shallow breath. The space between them was worrying… Vinci said she should be fine and she wasn’t. Had that little pain in the ass given up already? “If you break papa I’ll bring you back so I can kill you myself, Stella.”Her voice was hard and angry sounding, but in the back there was a slight tremor. Much as she found her irritating sometimes Angel didn’t want Stella to die either.
“Amore…”
Angel angrily wiped a tear from her cheek listening to her father’s broken voice. Stella would survive. She had to, because Angelica refused to see this break her father.
“Please, amore, please… I am begging you do not leave me.”The voice called to her, begging her to remember what it was that she had forgotten. There was an increasing sense of urgency. She had to remember and quickly or something bad would happen…
‘No, no.’ the melodic voices soothed,
‘There is nothing wrong, nothing to worry about… nothing, nothing, nothing. Everything you need is right here. Just look around see, right here.’Out of the undulating opalescent white that was the sea of voices a form took shape. It was a man, he seemed very familiar, but she couldn’t remember… There was almost no color or life to him at all, he seemed to be made of the same whiteness that was the rest of this place, but he smiled and took her hand. When that voice came again his lips moved as if it were his own, but something was wrong, something was off. It wasn’t right.
“Don’t leave me.” The voice whispered brokenly, from those still smiling lips.
“V-va… fratello… there’s nothing else I can do… I’m sorry I’m so sorry.” The second voice was back again…
There was almost a feel of… of... what… fear, unrest, danger, dislike, hope from the mass of voices. Her curiosity, a wordless query, was picked up by the voices.
‘Nothing important, no reason to care, no reason for concern.’Another shape took form, a smaller man smiling at her as well with his colorless face. She supposed this must be the second voice, but again something was wrong. These figures… perhaps it was that they smiled at her so, when the voices were so sad.
Who were these voices and what made them so sad? Why did they call out to her…? It mattered… didn’t it…?
There was a feeling of unrest from the voices.
‘Relax.’ they called,
‘Do not concern yourself. All is well. All is right. Stay here. Rest a while.’A new voice entered, a third one, stronger than the two outside voices that had been with her all this time, despite the feeling of roiling unrest the voices called up this third form.
“Vi, you had better not give up.” The voice from the young woman’s peacefully smiling white face was quiet, but hard and angry.
“If you break papa I’ll bring you back so I can kill you myself, S-”The voices hissed angrily cutting off the outside voice bewildering her. Why did they do that? What was wrong? She had been slipping again she realized but she was focused again now. Whatever this was was important, she had to remember and she had to remember quickly.
This voice would kill her herself if she… was she-?‘No no no!’ The voices rose in a cacophony of noise,
‘There’s nothing to remember. Relax, relax! Stay. Forget.’She frowned, if there was something that could be forgotten there was something to be remembered. They couldn’t fool her anymore. She closed her eyes against the oppressive whiteness doing her best to block the cajoling voices from her hearing.
These voices, these people, they were important. She strained trying to recall, and those white faces the voices had called up came to her mind, except these ones were filled with splashes of color.
Those were them, they were the
real voices, the
real people.
Her mind and body were assaulted by flares of pain and the voices urgently begged her to calm down, to stop, stop remembering, stop hurting herself, but she refused. She had to remember.
The white hand holding hers was cold, was wrong, she shook it her hand and the snow white fingers slipped out of hers, releasing their grasp. There was a feeling of discontent, of urgency, from the voices. She felt cold fingers on her hand again, they were tugging at something on her finger and it was slipping… That frantic feeling she had been experiencing intensified.
Her eyes flew open looking into the blank smiling face for only a second before glancing to see their work. She gasped as she saw her own body fading to white. What was happening, what had they been doing to her? And then her eyes fell on those fingers’ target.
There was a thin ribbon of red tied around her pinky, stretching off to somewhere beyond the white void… There were other cords of color around it too; their ends drifting lazily near her fingertips as if recently severed from their mooring.
‘No! ’ She closed her hand into a fist fingers closing around the strings, not allowing them to float any farther and preventing that last bit of color from being removed from her world.
‘No no no no no.” These cords were
important these were
the voices and she didn’t want to let them go, not one of them. And especially not the one that those cold fingers were still prying at hers to get loose.
‘No! Lorenzo! Leonardo! Angelica! Help me!’ It all came back to her, memories shifting around to their proper places snapping into place. Ignazio, the attack, the pain, so much pain, and so much blood. She should have been dead… Lorenzo wasn’t to arrive for an hour yet, but she wasn’t dead. Not yet. No.
‘Stay Stay Stay!’ The voices demanded; little white fingers all over trying to pull her into the white to become a part of it.
‘No! Someone! Help me! Please.’“Amore,” Lorenzo’s voice floated to her,
“Please, please come back to me. Don’t go. Ti amo, Ti amo con tutto il cuore… Please come back to me, please.”‘STAY.’ The voices insisted, losing the last of their soothing harmony, instead they were a hard sound, commanding.
‘NO!’ She shook off the white fingers as they hissed at her, following her handful of strings away from that place.
Red, violet, blue, green, orange, brown so many colors… one by one they attached back in their proper place, but she kept following the three that were closest to her heart. The strong steady red, gentle blue, and vibrant green. She followed them home, despite the pain that steadily overtook her as she approached.
Silver eyes slid open with some difficulty meeting the red-brown eyes above her that stared out of a haggard tear worn face… and shifting her gaze to the sides she could see Leonardo and Angelica as well. If she could have she would have smiled. Her eyes turned once more to center meeting Lorenzo’s tears slipping silently down her own face. She was home.