na

dn't

e for th

still hold onto the hope

d into

, pressing physically

washcloth fr

it in t

d Luca

ot of the city f

ned his hos

p over his face, shrouding the e

for a moment, the

thought I

later, that he could comfort me then,

ad just killed the

the hear

atorium waiting r

handed me a he

as w

s left of my brother

axi to the

erable New York drizzle th

nd th

he only one I could afford

a garden trowel I had bou

ied t

here in

ho

e h

ve h

t down. The

clothes, chilling me to t

as just waiting for

stood up, my

the main road a

Villa,

ont door of the house t

lled of lil

em in the

The friction o

ast the op

he sofa, Sofia

thrown back

ere grippin

d up as

ightly, seeing my m

d out, his voice

dn't

n't b

y footprints ruining the pristi

room and cl

off my we

the water ran cold, scrubbin

r handl

e en

lled o

rfume an

d. I dry heaved,

," I r

the room in

ace, forcing me

demanded. "You disappear

him," I sa

paused

uc

just had the machines turned off

dn't

't even

. This monster I had

ca was dead, he

t me on sui

never let

lieve he still

was hollow, devoid of life. "I'

rel

in and k

ssive, bruisin

myself no

ng him take what he

u need me. If you ever try to leave agai

odd

ithout you, Dan

smile of a predator wh

d gi

o go back

d five

one b

ht LH404 depar

t pack

t pack

et and pulled out

ndful of soil f

as all

out the b

bed th

night, and I di