LOGINEnzo:The train soon came to a screeching halt. Finally, we were at Westlean. The sky was already dark, and the familiar stars had already begun dotting the sky. As we stepped out of the train, the clean countryside air filled my lungs. It was so familiar and brought back familiar memories. “So how are we going to get to our destination?” Chase asked, looking around. The only sources of light were the stars and the dim lamps of the train station. “We take a cab,” I answered, heading to the exit. “We have no time to waste.”A shiver rippled down my spine. That assistant had to be part of the Mafia. He was watching us. It was the only thing that explained how fast he vanished. They were watching us; it was expected. I also expected them to attack us as soon as we reached Vincent’s home. We had to be cautious. As soon as he left the station, I felt my mind flooded with memories as soon as I stepped into the Westlean night life. It was beautiful, simple, devoid of the hustle and bustl
Tabitha:Dinner was quiet… too quiet. My fork floated carefully above the plate, skimming food gently as I tried my best not to break the dangerously delicate silence with the sound of silverware against ceramic. Now and then, I would catch the black gun through the corner of my eye. The feeling that that wasn’t the only one on the table continued to gnaw at me. My body trembled, but I managed to finish my meal. I didn’t even ask for a second helping, but my plate was automatically refilled. “We wouldn’t want you to lose weight, now would we?” Collin said, his voice light. His hands grazed my hair, sending a shiver down my spine. “Just because we are in a gang doesn’t mean we should throw away our manners, right?”There was a stiff murmur around the table. The cheeriness in Collin's voice now had an edge to it that I just couldn’t get rid of. Had it always been there, but I had been the one who chose to ignore it? Enzo was right. Why didn’t I just listen? Without another word, I pi
Enzo: “Is everyone alright? Is anyone hurt?” There was a slight murmur, but everyone had found their footing. The windows had shattered from the impact, and glass shards were everywhere. Chase had a cut on his cheek that was bleeding. Everyone else had a few grazes and bruises. “What the hell happened?” one of the girls said. “I have no idea,” I replied. “Let’s try to get out…” The coach doors behind us groaned open, and someone popped their head in. “Is everyone here all right? Please try to get your bags and make your way this way.” Mothers cradled their babies, husbands guided their wives, and everyone made their way to the exit. My team and I grabbed our bags and followed suit. The sun was bright, and the grass was soft, littered with people sitting on it and tending to their injuries. On the five-coach-train, only our coach had turned over. The conductor stepped out and did a quick head count of everyone, asking for their tickets and double-checking with the nam
Tabitha:There was a soft knock on the door. I opened my eyes and sat up. Everywhere was hazy, and it was still cold. The bottle of whiskey had been reduced to two-thirds of its original volume. At the door stood a tall black man in a suit. He walked slowly towards me, but I still couldn’t make out my face. My heart started to race; I rubbed my eyes furiously as I backed up against the chair. I wanted to scream, but I was too weak, too dizzy. My bones felt like a sack of rocks.“Stay away! Stay away! Stay…”The figure stopped, and slowly, my vision began to sharpen. I would have been surprised if Enzo hadn’t told me already. “Hello, Tabitha.” Collin purred, his eyes resting calmly on me. He was smiling softly; that soft smile he always gave me, the smile that made me think that he was safe to be around. It was not a lie. He was a monster. “What are you doing here?” I snapped, still squeezing my body against the velvet cushions. “So much venom for someone who has drunk most of my w
Enzo:The train moved slowly along the tracks. Everyone else was conversing in low tones while I was looking at the security footage. From what I could see, Tabitha had left her room for the kitchen. She was sitting at the kitchen island, talking to Edwardo, who had just made a tray of samosas.Nothing looked out of the ordinary. I had checked the time stamps, and everything was in place. There was nothing strange going on. Maybe whatever Edwardo told her must have lifted her spirits a little. Maybe we would actually have a better chance of figuring this mess out as soon as I got back. “So are you sure that you have no idea of what the Ma..”The girl was pinched sharply, and she immediately kept quiet and looked around. Even though we were alone, we couldn’t risk talking so carelessly. “If I had the faintest idea of what they were after, then there would be a point to me dragging you all along on this,” I muttered, not lifting my head. “I would have given them what they wanted with
Tabitha:I opened my eyes, and the first thing that hit my lungs was the smell of wine mixed with cigarette smoke. I tried to stand up, but my head hurt, and my wrists felt raw. I looked down at them; they were red like someone had used a sponge and aggressively scrubbed them.“Where am I?” I sat up, and I looked around. This wasn't a familiar place. The ceilings were too high. The furniture looked old and distinguished. The rug smelled slightly of alcohol and smoke. This was not a place that I knew.I tried to stand up, but my knees gave out, and I collapsed to the floor. My mind was going haywire, questions popping in and out, and slowly, I began to remember how I got there.Edwardo…I was talking to him in my room, and then he gave me some samosas to eat, and then the next thing I knew, it went dark, and I ended up here. I sat up and hugged myself tight, looking around the dimly lit exotic ancient room. Why did he have to do this? Who was asking him to do this? What did they want
Tabitha:I wasn’t sure how long I had been lying on the bed. The tears had stopped, and my body ached. I sat up and saw the sheets on the floor. The quiet of the mansion got to me, and I imagined the worst. “Enzo. No…”I got up from the bed and opened the door slightly. It creaked, and my breath c
Tabitha:I wanted to run upstairs, but I couldn't move. I held the sheets tighter to my body, my eyes darting faster between the chef and Enzo, who was holding him by the collar. I saw the fire in Enzo's eyes. He knew that something was up. He knew. That was the only reason why he was holding the
Enzo:The morning was warm… too warm. I stretched, and my chest pressed against something warm and soft. The sun wasn’t yet up, but I could still see her silhouette. I couldn't resist running my hands along her smooth, curvy body. My fingers grazed the stitches slightly, and she groaned a little, s
Tabitha:I lay in bed, curled, hugging myself tightly. I was trying so hard to remember, but even now, even after so many years, I could still see it, still see Gregory’s face after everything that had happened. He looked different, he sounded different, but it did nothing for me. I could still se







