Alessandra
The breath fled from my body. I felt a weight against my chest, pinning me down. I thrashed my arms in every direction as the stickiness of the tape muffled my scream. I tried to breathe, to see in the darkness. I could only see a shadowed figure above me before a blindfold covered my eyes. I tried to push against the weight holding me down, but the person was too strong. Their frame was sturdy, and their skin was firm and chiseled. Their grip was harsh, but not so intense that it caused me pain, only discomfort. There was no way I could fight back. They were way too strong.
Various thoughts of what would happen ran through my mind. Would I be raped? Killed? Tortured? I thought I’d heard my brothers being hurt earlier in the week, but it was muffled. There was no telling if it was just in my head or if it was really happening. Even at that moment, everything felt like a dream. My mouth was covered in duct tape, and I lost all hope of screaming for help, not that it would matter. I was in the hands of the Cavettis. Whatever they wanted to do with me was up to their imagination, and it would be done without repercussions. Screaming for help would likely only make them want to hurt me more. There was no doubt that they had me in a secure location, far enough from prying eyes and ears that there would be no help sent my way.
I was alone, and I was bound.
I kicked my feet against my assailant, and I felt his ribs against the palm of my foot. He grumbled slightly but held me down quickly. I breathed in through my nose, trying to calm myself. I was forced up onto my feet with nowhere to go. I could feel his breath against my neck. I wasn’t sure how many were in the room. Still, he held my hands down tight against my back. My breathing was quick, and I could feel my heart thrashing in my chest and hear it like a drum in my ears.
“Just shut up and do as I say,” a voice stated, gruff and breathless. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
So, he wasn’t going to hurt me? That was believable. It wasn’t like I was tied up and being led to God knew where. How was I supposed to believe him? Those words did nothing to ease my anxiety. But it was enough to give me an idea of who I was dealing with.
Although I was still wracked with fear, I did recognize the voice. Years of practicing with melodies had taught me to recognize the tones in various voices, and there was no doubt it was him. I could remember his kind words that night when the Cavettis massacred my parents. It was Savio.
I nodded slightly and followed his lead. He hadn’t seemed similar to his brothers. His actions had taken me by surprise. I was sure it had been Angelo or Romeo who had bound my hands and forced duct tape over my mouth. Knowing that it was Savio only cemented the idea that the Cavettis were all the same—cruel.
I could feel the cold ground against my feet as he pushed me up a set of stairs. The air grew warmer as we ascended. So I was in a basement. That’s where we were being kept. I couldn’t see a thing through the blindfold, except the darkness. I felt as though I were trapped in a black hole. He’d done his research. It was strong enough to keep me from seeing any kind of light through the fabric. That was worrying. This was premeditated. I had no doubt that the Cavettis would have things like duct tape and blindfolds around the house. They were, of course, criminals. But the way Savio had gone about finding me in my sleep, tying me up, and binding me as quickly as he did, it made me believe that he’d been thinking about that very scenario for a while.
He said he wouldn’t hurt me, but I wasn’t convinced.
I just had to remind myself to remain calm. There was no point in fighting. Whatever he would do, he’d do. I just had to survive. I’d see Chiara again. I had to know that my siblings were okay and that we would make it out of this fucked-up situation together. So long as we had each other, there was hope. I had to stay alive, even if it meant going along with the dark whims of a monster. It was only physical. They couldn’t take my heart or soul. I wouldn’t let them.
He pushed me along, up a set of stairs and into a part of the place I was being held. I couldn’t recognize the feel of anything around me. It wasn’t until we were outside that I felt the cool air against my skin, reminding me that the world was still spinning. Despite my being trapped in a cell, the world had continued to move on as though I didn’t exist. It caused my stomach to twist into knots as the thought dawned on me. I didn’t even know if anyone was out there worried about me or looking for me.
Who would look for me, anyway? My dead parents? Or my brothers of whose fate I knew nothing. For all I knew, they were killed the same day as my parents. Or they were in other cells in the basement as I had been. Whatever the case might be, it was better to assume that no one was looking for me, and if I was going to get out of this situation, it was up to me, Chiara, and whichever of my other siblings might or might not still be alive.
My feet felt cold, and I curled with every step I took. The floor wasn’t kind to my soft soles, and I could feel the cold climbing up my legs and spreading through my body. The air was chilly. Other than my footsteps, Savio’s footsteps, and the chirping of crickets, the night was as silent as the grave.
I had no idea where he was taking me or why. I wanted to ask him, but the tape was tight against my lips. The blindfold was slightly ajar, but it was too dark to see anything. All I knew was that we were outside, and it seemed as though he was taking me to another building. My heart was racing in my chest with the thought of him raping me. I didn’t want to consider it, but there was a nagging voice at the back of my mind, and the images of him hurting me flew before my eyes with each step we took.
The grass parted beneath my bare feet as we walked. He continued to hold my bound hands with one of his as he pushed me ahead. There was a heaviness in the air as well as silence, and that made me worry even more. Did he intend to kill me? I tried to push the thoughts away. I couldn’t think like that. There was no reason to kill me. He probably just wanted me to sleep with him. The thought made my body stiff. I still hadn’t been with anyone. It would hurt. But I’d survive. I’d still have the hope of saving my family. That was what really mattered.
He opened a door ahead of me and pushed me in. I waited in the corner as he closed the door, the metal hinges screeching as he pulled it closed. I just had to stay calm. I repeated those words in my mind.
Stay calm. Breathe.
I inhaled in and out through my nose, wishing that there wasn’t tape on my mouth. I needed a solid, deep breath to calm me. I remembered practicing that very scenario with Chiara, growing up. Just count to three and breathe. Don’t forget to breathe and calm yourself. I began to hum, as I always did. I hummed softly, just enough for the vibration to rise up my throat. It was like white noise and always put me into a sense of calm.
The issue? It wasn’t working as well as it normally did.
I felt him lift my arms up above my head. I shivered as he backed me up into a cold pole, which pushed into my back. My dress didn’t help against the cold, which I could feel right through the fabric. My hands began to tingle from the tightness of the rope around them.
He cleared his throat as his hand grazed my face. “Don’t scream, or you’ll be punished. I don’t think either of us want that.”
I nodded. He surprised me as he began to rip off the tape slowly, making sure not to peel my lips along with it. I flexed my jaw and pursed my lips, glad to have that off. There was a strange taste leftover from the tape as I inhaled deeply. He was acting strange, and I was anticipating what he would do next. I had no idea what he had planned, but I would go along with it. It was all I could do.
“I want you to sing,” he finally said as I heard his footsteps moving away from me. “For a little while.”
I adjusted myself against the pole, almost wanting to laugh. “You want me to sing?”
He couldn’t be serious. Why the hell would he go through that much trouble just to hear me sing? He could have easily just asked me to sing through the door to my cell. It was weird. I stared at him for a while, waiting for his response.
“I’m serious,” he said. “Sing.”
He sounded serious, and he wouldn’t peel his eyes away from mine. I swallowed hard, unsure if it was some kind of test. Would he hit me once I started singing? It was possible that one of their grunts had complained about it. Still, Savio had stepped away and seemed as though he was patiently waiting for me to start.
“What do you want me to sing? I mean, I can start once I know the song.”
