Chapter 153 ARE YOU GONE ALREADY?
LUCIEN’S POINT OF VIEW.
Ghost.
That’s the first word blaring in my mind as I stand face to face with the entity that’s supposed to be my mother. But it can't be my mother. She can never be my mother. Because my mother died…..I clutched her cold, still hands as my grandmother pulled me away from the doctors dressed in white coats, masks covering their faces, working on her body……she’s a ghost….a fucking ghost.
‘Mom….” I asked, staring at my mommy as she knits away at a sweater. I told her I wasn’t cold, but Mommy never listens to me.
“I want ice cream.” I pouted, my small hand gripping onto hers so she stilled in her work. She sighs, releasing an exaggerated sound, and I know what's gonna come next.
‘Lucien…you already had some an hour ago.” I mimic, saying words with her. She pauses with her mouth slightly agape. With a giggle, I stuck my tongue out and took a running.
“Lucien!” She calls from behind me, and soon after, the sound of her running after me hits my ears, forcing me to speed up. In no time, I make it into the kitchen, but the spot she hides the ice cream in is too high up in the huge refrigerator. So I climb onto the stool the head chef sometimes uses.
“Gotcha.” I grinned as soon as my hand made contact with the vanilla ice cream she had hidden when she thought I wasn’t watching.
“Not so fast, young man.” She says, and grabs the tub from my hand, startling me in the process.
“Ah!” I hiss as the stool wobbles, as does my stance on it. And next thing I know, she and I fall to the floor, but with her under me, her hands cradling my form softly so I do not make any harsh contact with the marble floors. Ice cream pours out of the tub in huge frozen chunks, and some of it lands on my face, her hands, and my hair.
“Look what you’ve done, you naughty boy.” She groans, but I giggle in response, licking away at the ice cream on her arms.
“Ewww, stop that. It’s so disgusting.” She says with a smile, feigning an annoyed look, but I know my mummy doesn’t mind it.
“If you had just given me the ice cream when I asked, none of this would be happening. So this is oauback, mummy.”
“One day, I won't be here, and you’ll be a big boy. Then, you can have all the ice cream in the world.” She smiled, grabbing some tissues to wipe my face and arms,
“No, mommy, you’ll always be here. And if you ever try to leave, I’ll make sure to bribe the angels with all my candy. I’m sure they’ll let you stay longer then, because everyone loves candy.”
“If you say so, baby.” Her responding giggle bounced off the walls as she scooped some ice cream from a fresh tub and fed me with it.
She died a month after that, and so did my love for ice cream or anything sweet….and the crushing guilt started, because I felt as though I had offered to bribe the angels that made them take her away in punishment. So I swore off sweets, not just because they started to taste bitter in my mouth, no matter how many times my grandmother had her special team of experts whip some form of rare candy for me, but because it reminded me too much of that quiet day at home. Sloane was the reason I started eating chocolates a couple of weeks ago, because for the first time since then, seeing someone eat something sweet didn’t fill me with a wave of nausea.
“It can’t be,” I whispered as the figure before me whimpered and froze at the sound of Eldric’s maniacal laughter.
“Yes, it is, though!” he yelled. “I fooled you all! You thought she was dead, and although I did try to kill the bitch; she just wouldn’t die. Maybe it was cause she had you to fight for, but when I realised everyone thought she was dead, I said, What better way to torture my son, than making him think his beloved mummy is dead!
And I’d love to ask….do you feel tortured? Please tell me you do, or else,” He said, his voice raised a tempo higher as he pointed the gun at her head instead of Sloane’s. “I’ll kill her now, and this time, it’ll be in front of you.”
“Eldric……” I said cautiously, my gaze bouncing from the gun, his hand, my mother’s face, Sloane, and his face. “We really did come here with the signed papers. Just let them go.”
“No, you came with the papers and the police. You think I’m dumb!” His eyes were full of crazed now; his pupils dilated, and his iris much darker than I’d ever seen.
“They‘re only here to make sure everything goes smoothly. You and Valour can leave peacefully. No one will stop you; just please….let both of them go.” I plead.
“Hmm.” He paused with a sick smile. “I have an idea… on your knees.”
“What?” I whispered, confused.
“Are you slow, boy? I said Get on your knees, and beg me.” He snapped, sick joy in his eyes.
I didn’t waste a second; I fell to my knees before my father, my mother’s attempted murderer, and my wife’s kidnapper, because if he wanted me to eat glass shards, I would do it. As long as both of them come out of this safely.
I could hear Sloane's muffled cries, but I didn’t dare look away from Eldric, who still pointed the gun in different directions as if it were some kind of toy. From the corner of my eye, I saw Valerian and his brother fighting over a gun… and I knew in my gut;
We might not all make it out of here alive….
My eyes flitted from the scuffle a few steps beside me, my father, my mother, and my wife… next thing I knew, the sound of a gunshot went off, sending the entire warehouse into silence.
“No!” Eldric screamed as he stared at his partner, Valerian, and Ace standing still in a circle, as if they couldn’t comprehend what had just happened. All of a sudden, he fell to his knees with a thud, blood spilling from his mouth in huge spurts while he clutched his belly and midsection.
Valerian’s younger brother groaned for a second before falling face-first on the floor, whispering; ‘This isn’t over, brother……I’ll see you in hell,” And with that, his eyes closed shut… as did the sight of his chest heaving up and down with life in it.
He was gone…
“Fuck! Valour.” Eldric screeched, but didn’t move an inch towards where his partner's body lay lifeless. “It’s over for you, Eldric.” The police chief yelled into the speaker from behind us. “Surrender now, or we will not be responsible for what happens from here on out.”
“No! You think you can embarrass me like this? Huh?!” Suddenly, Eldric grabbed onto Sloane and pushed my mother away with a vicious kick. Ace swung in, grabbing her before she could fall. But my father's attention wasn’t on either of them; it was on me, his grip on Sloane back, as was the gun pressed against her head.
“Eldric….please….you can get out of here, and I swear, no one will follow you. Just please, let Sloane go.” I begged while still on my knees, but he wasn’t having it.
My eyes took in the massive grinder whirling away with its blades behind him, but Eldric wasn’t looking in its direction. Instead, his eyes were solely on me while he walked back.
“I love you,” Sloane yelled through the gag bound to her lips….But I still heard it.
“No, don’t say that. You can say that when I get you out of here.” I replied, tears streaming down my cheeks as well. “Please, I’m begging you, Eldric, please don’t do this!”
“You think you can just win, after all my efforts? No, no one gets to have a happy ending!” And with that, he stumbled, grabbing Sloane with him, dangerously close to the grinder.
And next thing I knew….the floor was bathed in blood….along with screams…
I screamed her name until my throat tore, but all I could see was red. Red, and the monster who’d made it