tactition

**Savannah**

I suck in air, panting heavily.

"Cry! Scream!"

I won't. It's been almost a week since that dream and my body is weakening. I will have to surrender to protect him.

Two weeks.

I know Luciano is searching for me, I just hope he finds me in time. I feel like giving up. I strengthen myself, and make sure I make no movements that she would pick up on.

She has a temper tantrum, screaming and bashing my head against the wall.

My vision starts to blur, blood trickles down my temple.

"Why won't you break?!"

Fiona tosses me away, kicking my side. I can't let her.

I can't.

"When I get out," She stops. "And I will get out. Luciano may be your savior."

Her body is frozen. I've never talked to her like this.

"You feel you have power over me, but you're only dooming yourself. See, the more you injure me, the worse Luciano will injure you."

I smirk, copper taste of blood in my mouth.

I meet her eye, sitting up against the wall.

"He knows who you are. He knows what you did. Didn't anyone tell you?"

The shock reaches her so deep she staggers back.

"Isn't that why you want me dead? Because I took someone you love?"

The recognition of what she's done seems to settle nicely on her shoulders.

"You're nothing but an intelligent middle aged woman. I am smaller than you are. But he towers over you. You can't beat him. You can't outsmart him. He will kill you."

"He will kill you, Fiona. You understand. After all you kidnapped me for something I didn't do. I was six. You are forty."

I'm tired, but the more I talk the further she creeps.

I have to keep going.

"What did you think would happen, Fiona? I guess because I'm unlovable," I cough, hacking up blood. "There's no possible way someone would care?"

I spit the blood on the concrete. I act hard, but this is very bad. Coughing up blood indicates internal bleeding.

"Why are you telling me this? You wanna scare me, little girl?"

She tries to shift the power, but I snatched it back.

"No. It's not to scare but to prepare. You're in too deep. I would advise you stop now. Even if you don't let me go. Flee. Leave me here, and flee."

"He'll catch you, but you'll have a few days to live. Once he sets his sights on something, my Lucy is like a dog to a bone. He chased me for two years."

"Now I'm married to him. If it's one thing I've learned, is that Luciano Vitale will get what he wants by hook or by crook. But he enjoys the crook method much more."

Fear creeps into her, I see the color draining from her face. We both know I'm right.

I cough again, more blood. She looks at the glob of blood I've hacked up in horror.

My insides burn again, my chest aching. I cough violently, choking, spitting blood and mucus.

The chemicals. My body is trying to get rid of them.

She leaves the room, and I wheeze. Still may have killed him, but I stopped her from beating the child out of me.

I can't breathe correctly, I'm seeing doubles. Faintly, I hear a doctor come in, to diagnose me.

Then I fade away.

I'm in that white place again

I'm in that white place again.

"Luciano!"

He doesn't appear. "Luciano where are you?!"

My husband materializes behind me. His strong arms wrapped around my waist, his lips resting on the bare skin of my shoulder.

"Luciano, I can't hold on much longer. I don't have the strength."

He doesn't speak, something is different this time.

"Luciano?"

No answer.

His arms vanish and I am left alone. The white is frigid. My tears crystalize into ice before they can fall.

"Where are you Lucy? When will you come for me?"

Pain wracks my body. I want to scream. I want to paint these walls red with my screams, blue with my cries, green with my fear, black with my pain.

I need help. I'm too weak to escape right now. I haven't eaten or drank anything in two weeks. I'm slowly dying of dehydration. Starvation will follow if the internal bleeding doesn't get there first.

The wounds on my back are healing, because of the alcohol, but everyday dirt and grime gets wedged into the cuts, driving the risk of infection up.

I cut in and out of consciousness. I have lost track of time, space, reality.

All I need is Luciano. I need him to hold me, to kiss me.

To tell me stories in Italian, and stroke my hair.

I need him to play with my ring as my head rests on his solid, toned chest, his heart beat so soothing.

I need him to nuzzle my nose with his, hug me. I need him to make love to me, teach me Italian, and cook me Italian food.

I need him.

But as time blurs, I doubt I'll ever see him again.