I can't believe this, she came back. I know my mother better than anyone, she wouldn't resurface for just no reason . Judging by her appearance I bet she found a new wallet to fund her lavish lifestyle. Her eyes are no different from that of a wild animal. Ready to pounce and shred me to pieces, she never asks. she wants she takes. My heart won't stop racing, and my chest is tight.

        
I can't breathe!

I can't breathe!

         
     At this moment, I feel weak as I've never had. She looks at me with no expression, her head tilts to the side taking in all my parts, and her eyes travel from my feet to my face. She shakes her head in a way showing a lack of approval, I know this look all too well. I don't miss it one bit, she buries her hands in the pockets of her coat staring deeply at the ground and finally, she opens the dark Mercedes awaiting her.

I see her puff as she enters the car and it speeds off. The rain retires and I hear footsteps coming from behind me. A familliar voice echoes my name ,it is deep and brief .

"Miss Eliza!"

   I turn around to see who is calling for me, it's just Aron. Two other men appear from behind him, he arches his back trying to catch his breath it seems like they were chasing after him.

      After all, Daniel did ask them to follow me for my safety, they are probably wondering why I left, I hope they didn't see that. They don't know her but they'll report to Emilio all that happened even though they work for Daniel. I cast a fake smile over my face "Let's go, it getting late ". His dark eyes become sharp like a sword,I need to play this out wisely or I will be found out . Saying less is much , keeping quiet is what's best .

    He nods and we both follow behind the other two men.He peeps at me out of the corner of his eye briefly. Here comes the interrogation.

"By the way why did you run out of the restaurant like that ?" He asks

"I also heard a gun shot coming from the restaurant ,was that you?" He adds

"Mhmm"

     I give him a little nudge on the shoulder, "You can retire for the night, your job here is done".

     He folds his lips and lowers his eyes to me "I'm aware you can handle yourself Miss Eliza but please inform us next time before you run off like that ". I nod .

      He leaves me and I wait till I see him enter his car and they finally drive off. I take a huge puff of air,my luck finally ran out. I pull out my cell phone, it is all wet and slippery but I manage to get a grip on it . A question wrestles in my mind . Should I call him? . I know he is on a job ,but I need someone to tell all this . This is foolish of me ,he is also clueless . So is Daniel,they both don't know the truth about that night because I didn't tell them .

    The quiet sky ruptures once more and it begins to pour even harder. Even the heavens don't want to give comfort ,I dig my own grave . I never thought it'd blow up in my face this soon ,seventeen years dammit . She should've stayed dead .

    My thoughts return to the conversation I had with Damien. If that spoiled little boy speaks I'm done, the chamber will make sure of it, they do not take betrayal lightly. I need to find out what she wants.

       I worry my little secret will soon be uncovered. My body begins to feel cold and I retreat into my vehicle. I plant my rain-beaten head on the car wheel, tomorrow is going to be a long day. I can feel it .

       My buzzing phone pulls me out of my thoughts. His name appears on the screen, Jason.  I feel suffocated just like that night.

        Seventeen years ago, I was nine back then . My mother just began working for the deadliest drug Lord at the time, Emilio. He took a liking to her when she worked at the brothel in the slums we lived in . I had no father figure around,my father didn't die he was probably one of her clients,she never said anything of it but I knew. I never asked anyway ,not like she would've answered ,she never said much.

        The scary man, which is what I called Emillio back then would come to our little one bebedroompartment in the suburbs. I don't call him that anymore but he still holds his title. He'd always frequent our home to see my mother, I was sent out whenever he would come, never to hear their conversations or what would come after.

      
      That same year she got pregnant and he asked her to move in with him, I thought she'd leave me to her friends but surprisingly she took me along.
 

       We lived in his mansion in the hills surrounded by nothing but trees. It almost had no connection to the outside world, which proved to be a huge mistake for those living in it. This is where I met Daniel and Jason, Emillio's son and nephew , we'd play for hours in their enormous garden. They were nothing but kind to me, they both had to leave from time to time for school.

      Emilio made sure I was homeschooled, living with him wasn't  as treacherous as living with my mother, he was kind to me  but he wasn't to those who cross him, he kills them on the spot. This made me fear and respect him, several bodies slumped dead right in front of me.  As days went by her attitude drastically changed.Her motives were unclear but they soon became clear, she would speak to a person over the phone every night in secrecy. I never heard their full conversations but I knew something was off. I thought she was having an affair but it was deeper than that.

          She gave birth to my sister in September of that year,  Emilio adored her and he spoiled my mother with whatever she asked for. I was glad, she named her after  Emillio's sister Anna who happened to be living with us at the time. Anna too also just had a baby girl. A few days after she gave birth to my sister I noticed she would disappear for hours during the night.

    
      The next day, Jason and Daniel had to return to school in the city. They bid farewell and they were off with Emilio. The evening arrived and the sun began to retreat, soft hues of yellow filled the sky. I watched the sun begin to set. I loved sitting in the garden, reminiscing about my departed friends. Screams of terror tore away the calm serenity of the evening, I ran to the mansion which was a little far from the garden.

       Flames, everything was on fire. The  flames burned brightly, smoke filled the night sky and I just stood there watching the house fall to its knees. She stood before the crumbling house with a deranged look in her eyes and a gun in her hand. I payed her no attention.

"Please call for help! " No one answered, the guards were nowhere to be found. As I moved closer to the burning building I saw bodies laying on the ground.

     With no sight of Anna and the children I had no choice but to enter the burning house. My hair sizzled, and my dress caught flames. At the top of the stairs, I saw her with one infant in her hand. She laid on the ground with a hole in her chest, I took the wailing baby from her hand, and that night I confirmed that my mother was a monster who would kill her own,she left my sister in the flames .

     I escaped the fire barely . In the distance, I saw her dark figure dissolve into the woods. I was shaken to the core, there was something about that night. The forest was silent, it was like they knew that an atrocity had been committed. Barefooted, with burns and half of my dress gone I began my long march to the road, I was afraid and the baby wouldn't stop crying. It was dark but the moonlight was a faithful companion.

       After hours of walking, I could see no sign of any one passing by ,no cars and no one.

         I returned to the site of the fire and it was almost Dawn, the sun reached its eager fingers and quickly covered the land. I sat in the ashes, in silence, in fear, and sadness. I rocked the wailing child In my arms .Emillio and his men  returned to find me in the crumbles of his building. They asked me what happened ,I lied and said i ran out the back door and hid in the garden with the baby when it all happened.

     They all just accepted it as revenge from a rival cartel , he grieved  the loss of his sister ,his daughter and my evil mother who he thought was one of the corpses . Jason mourned the death of his mother ,she was all he had.

     Only if he knew that I knew what they all didn't. What the sky knows ,what the trees saw . From there on I was a belonging of the mafia ,theirs to use . To pay off the debt of my dead mother  and to do their biding . I owe them for raising me and putting food on my table . I'm indebted to them till the day I take my last breath .

              
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