“It's the farthest place I know, but we can't stay here for long, sooner or later they'll come.” Dante whispers, his voice is distant in my ears, my senses are focused on Sarah.
“Sarah... Sarah, my love.” I breathe fresh air into her lungs, her lips are still warm, but her mouth is dry. “Sarah!”
The room is in completely silent. She doesn't answer, and the fear consumes me alive, I try again; I put my mouth on hers and all my stupid brain can think is:Let it not be our last kiss.
Suddenly Sarah takes a big breath of air and sits against the wall. She tries to get up, but I hold her down.
“Easy, easy…” I inspect her face, forehead and her body.
Wait, a second… she has no underwear.
I look back at Dante; he notices my remark and takes a few steps back.
No, no, no, no, no.
I throw myself at him, smashing him against the nearest wooden wall.
“What the fuck did you do to her?!” I scream in disbelief; my nose twitching and my teeth exposed.
“Bruno!” she calls me with a raspy voice. “Let him go. He did nothing, for fuck's sake!”
“Then explain to me why you're hurt and not wearing any fucking underwear!” I'm still holding Dante.
They look at each other again with that fucking complicit look. I lose it and make a fist, cock it, and as I ready myself to punch my recently found brother in the face, I notice he doesn’t try to cover his face. Why?
In midair Amira yells. “It was my brother Wasim, Dante rescued her! That's why he's dead!”
A black cloud starts to blur the corners of my sight, it's the damn adrenaline doing its job of knocking me out.
Dead?
“Bruno, calm down, now is not the time!” Sarah growls, still weak from the fire.
I release Dante to go directly over Sarah, cradling her jaw gently.
“Tell me he didn't, for God's sake, Sarah...” I press my forehead over hers, begging for an answer.
I knew it was a mistake to bring her here.
“He didn't, Dante walked in right on time,” she strokes my face with her hand “Bruno, you're scaring the boy.”
Remembering the child's presence, I turn to see him in Amira's arms; he cries and looks at me with fear.
I take a deep breath, giving myself a few seconds to calm down.
“I’m sorry kid, Are you all right?” He nods, hitting Amira's face a little.
Dante fixes his clothes and lets his guard down. I hadn't had a single conversation with my brother, and yet I accused him of something terrible.
“I owe you an apology brother, I wasn't thinking clearly.”
He puts his heavy hand on my shoulder and taps it. “Don’t apologize, I understand perfectly.”
He glances at Amira for just a second. Fuck, is she a rape victim? How is he not killing everybody? I know I would.
“Alright, you’re up, Dante. Tell me how we can get the fuck out of this shithole?”
