Welcoming darkness

Welcoming darkness
Carrie
When my eyes opened again, I felt strange.
I felt clean.
But that feeling failed to override the disappointment I felt when I realised that I was still alive.
Darkness surrounded me as usual, and emptiness joined the party.
All I could do was stare at nothing and wait for the worst to happen.
The door opened after a long quietude, and the light came on.
Gary stepped into the room.
“You are awake,” he said, carrying a tray of what seemed to be food.
I could have scoffed at that sight if I had the strength.
At this point, eating is meaningless. I doubt I would be able to swallow anything.
“You should eat,” Gary continued. He knelt and dropped the tray on the floor. “It has been days since you had anything. You should at least eat something.”
“Gary…” My voice was greatly weak as usual.
“Yes, Carrie?” I listened as he dragged himself closer. “What is it? Do you need to go to the bathroom? You don’t have to make a mess here anymore. It is unhealthy.”
“I…” I focused on the dirty ceiling. “I have to leave.”
“Carrie…”
“Gary…” Without looking, I searched for his hand. “Please.” Once I gripped his fingers, our eyes met, and I saw that his were not wicked. “Let me go.”
“Carrie…” He shook his head and moved back. “I can’t do that.”
“Why?” I burst into tears. I sounded like a broken audio player that couldn’t produce sounds anymore. “Why can’t I leave?”
“You… Carrie… No. Car-”
I moved and wrapped my hands around one of his feet.
“Gary, please.” My teary voice pleaded. “I don’t want to die here. P… Please. I want to live. Please.”
“Carrie…” He gently tried to get rid of my grip. But I didn’t allow him.
“Please.”
“What is going on here?” My father walked in and ruined my plans.
Even though I can never understand why Gary allowed this to happen to me, when he walked in earlier, I felt that he could be a potential means of escape.
Not anymore, clearly.
Now that my father is here, I’m better off getting ready to lose more of myself.
So, I let go of Gary’s leg and slid back to the bed.
My gaze returned to the ceiling, but my father blocked my view.
“Are you taking me for granted again?” I barely sighed in response. “I was going to take pity on you and let you have a proper meal. You obviously don’t deserve it.”
Everything he said barely registered in my brain.
Soullessly, I stared at this man whom I could never understand. I let my tears fall and remained still for many minutes. Even when my father splashed water on me to jerk me out of my daze, and when he brought out another syringe and injected me, I didn’t flinch.
The only time I moved was when I closed my eyes and fell into that great darkness again.
I welcomed the cold feel of that emptiness and decided that I’d remain there forever.
~~~
Alessandro
“Sir, I…”
“Shut it,” I hoarsely commanded, and my eyes lashed at the man trying to explain how he made a crucial mistake in a recent job. Cautiously, I got up from my seat and approached the only window in the room. “I have always been clear about this. You are not allowed to make errors.”
“Sir! I'm a fool!”
I chuckled. “You definitely are.”
I intensified my stare at the sky; it reminded me of the time Carrie spoke about skies and clouds. I thought she was being very weird that day; Now, I don’t mind witnessing any form of weirdness she possesses.
“Just leave,” I muttered to the frightened man.
“S-sir?”
It has been three months.
Three fucking months and I’ve failed to find Carrie. I have now become a shadow of myself. I don’t know what is what anymore.
These days, besides chasing clues from city to city, the most I do is sit in darkness and pray that I get the tiniest chance to find Carrie. Even if it's just a hint I get, I want it.
This vicious cycle of failing to find her has to stop. If it doesn’t… I’m scared I might lose my strength to the gnawing emotions that keep weakening me.
“How distasteful.” A voice I didn’t expect to ever hear again reached my ears.
With prideful steps, my grandfather slid into the room, his glaring smugness irritating me so much that I turned my focus away from him.
“How long do you plan to be like this?” he asked after clearing his throat. “Alessandro, that woman is not worth this much devastation.”
I ignored him.
“What would it take to make you return to the Alessandro I used to know?”
My dry eyes blinked, my hands folded behind me, and I clenched them. “Find Carrie. Then, we can talk.”
“I-”
I faced him. “If you know where she is, speak now.”
His eyes softened. “You look terrible.”
“If you have nothing else to say, leave.”
He sighed, and my irritation grew bigger since it became clear that he wasn’t willing to leave.
“Alessandro…” He took a step forward and adjusted his crumpled jacket. “There is something you should know.”
“I said-”
“I know who took her.”
“What?” I dropped the hand I was about to point at the door. “What are you talking about?”
“You heard me.” He nodded. “After your wedding, I met her father. We struck a deal.”
Whatever it was that erupted in my soul was beyond anger. With that emotion, I charged at him and grabbed his collar. “What deal? What did her father do?”
“He… He took her back.”
My breath raged, and I tightened my grip.
“To where?” I demanded with great fury.
“I don’t know, Alessandro. He only asked me to make sure Carrie heard about his fake death. I don’t-”
“How could you?!” Every cell within me trembled. “What gave you the right to sell off my wife?!”
He scoffed. “Alessandro, she changed you.”
“So what? How…”
What am I doing?
I’ve finally gotten a headway on Carrie’s situation, and I should be acting fast.
“I did the best thing for you, Alessandro.”
I let go of him.
“Alessandro…”
I glared at him with the grim in my eyes and hollered, “Boys! Lock him up! Prepare his feet for the special treatment.”
“Alessandro, you bastard!” He struggled against the men who rushed in and held him down.
I didn’t spare him a last glance.
Instead, with haste, I took out my phone and rushed out of the room.
At this point, I can only hope that Carrie is fine and that nothing has happened to her.
~~~~
Many hours later, we arrived in New Jersey.
It turned out Mr. Edwards had a house tucked in a very quiet suburban area. And that was where he hid Carrie.
Thanks to one of our efficient investigators, they were able to locate one of Mr. Edwards' trusted bodyguards. They tailed that bodyguard, and moments later, the exact location was discovered.
The drive to the place didn’t take long, but it was worrisome that the area surrounding the building was mostly thick bushes. That means no one would have been around to hear Carrie cry for help.
Eduardo and I rushed out of the car, and our feet didn’t delay one bit. We swiftly moved toward the building before us.
“Let’s check for a basement,” Eduardo said after we moved past the front door and saw that the first room was unoccupied.
“Sì.”
Eduardo pointed out a corridor on our left. We followed that path until we reached an area that was draped with partial darkness. He turned on the flash of his phone, and immediately, someone lunged at us, attacking Eduardo with accurate moves.
Eduardo was more skilled, but that also meant the fight would take some time.
So, he assured me that he would handle the man whom I eventually recognised to be the one who tried to take Carrie away after she ran away from the Valante residence.
After taking out the little flashlight one of our men slid into my jacket before we came here, I moved with caution and noted every disturbing detail in that corridor until I met a door.
Somehow, I could sense that Carrie was behind that door.
While I struggled to understand why they would confine her in this smelly, deplorable place, I got rid of the unlocked padlock hanging from the door.
Total darkness greeted me when I pushed the door open, and I panicked and grew afraid for Carrie.
With haste, I searched for a switch. Once I found it, a cry bolted out of me. The sight I saw broke my heart beyond repair.
“Carrie…” I whispered.
She did not reply. Her nearly naked body didn’t move either.
My heart skipped a beat, and I rushed to her.
Upon closer look, I was plunged into bigger devastation, and every part of my soul bled tears for her.
“Carrie,” my voice cracked. Gently, I lifted her into my arms and hugged her to my chest. “Carrie, wake up. I’m here. Ahh!” I burst into loud sobs. “Carrie! Please, please, please, wake up. Please, wake up for me. Pl-”
I felt her move.
“Carrie?”
She stirred again, and slowly, she opened her eyes.
With great tremble, I felt some relief, and I studied every detail of her paleness. Then I nodded and told myself that she would survive this.
“Ugh…”
I was about to carry her out when she made that sound.
“What is it, my flower?” I whispered and moved my ear closer to her lips. “What do you want to say?”
“Uh…”
The immense pain she was in was written all over her.
“What… did those bastards do to you?” I bit back my tears. “Carrie,” I whispered with the hope that my words would warm at least a fraction of her soul. “I am here. A-Alessandro.” My hand found hers. “I am here, my flower.”
“Wh-”
“Y-Yes?” My quivering voice answered while a part of me was glad to hear her voice.
“Who…” She gently pulled her hand out of mine and placed it on my chest. “Are…” She blinked tiredly. “...You?”