One Night Only

Two days pass and Franco is still unconscious. I keep washing his wound every moment I can. Hasan comes several times and brings us some food. He also stays a few minutes to chat with me; he says he keeps me company so I don’t feel lonely. I appreciate your company. I like him. The best thing for them is that we leave soon. He doesn’t want him and his grandfather to be in danger because of me.

“Dante, do you have children?” questions Hasan, who helps me to bandage Franco’s wound. I do not answer”. My parents had me very young. When my father found out that my mother was pregnant with me, he didn’t think much about it and stole her away to move in together. “He lets out a laugh”. It is customary to always do that in these directions.

“Well, not where I come from. “This makes me remember when I was about to kidnap my beast”. And no, I don’t have children” I answer your question.

“Don’t you have a wife?

“Not yet, but I hope to have it soon. “I smile when I remember her.

“Then that means you’re going to have kids, too” he says very confidently. I know how babies are made.

I am embarrassed by your comment. How does a seven-year-old know that?

Don’t you think you’re too young to know these things?

He shakes his head.

“Of course not, I’m already quite a man. Soon I will be like dad and I will go to work with the camels, just as my father went with some men, well, rather they took him away. I know he was worried about us. It was very small, but I could tell.

Damn, this kid is very mature and intelligent for his young age. The father of this creature was taken to recruit or perhaps to kill, while he believed that he had been taken for work.

“You’ll be a good man, rest assured. And your mother?” I don’t want to hurt him by asking, but I have that doubt.

Seeing him alone with his grandfather started to worry me. The old man does not seem to be very strong and healthy, and he is still very young. To be orphaned as a child and then to be left completely alone would be terrible for him.

“She got sick and… she died. “He hesitates. It hurts to talk about it”. It happened last year. Father left us and she then fell into bed for several months until she left for good.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

A few tears fall down her cheeks. I feel terrible for him. He is a child, a little one who needs his parents, I know that more than anyone, and although I did not lose my parents as a child, their loss still hurt. It’s a devastating thing, something you can’t understand unless you live it.

“You know, I lost my parents too. “I’m telling him so that he can see that he’s not the only one, so that he doesn’t feel lonely or unhappy”. I was much older than you, but it still hurt to lose them. I still miss them.

I never talked about them, much less about their death, and of course, no one knows the hell I lived when they were taken from me, not even my friend knows. They know they were murdered, but they are not aware of the details. Yes, they know that I was present when they were murdered, but what I lived there I kept only for myself.

“The good thing is that I am not alone, I have my grandfather, and soon I will be older to work so he can rest while I bring the food home.

He is an exemplary child. Despite her pain and her loss, she looks at everything positive. He is cheerful and charismatic. Maybe I’ll learn from this little guy. It also makes me want to protect him. Such an innocence should not be corrupted, but in this rotten world it is very difficult not to. That’s why I don’t want to have children. I don’t want them to suffer, especially if at some point they get to kill me; they would have to suffer for my loss. That makes me remember her. She must be worried about me. Damn, I had to come back two days ago and look for her. She’ll think I just played with her.

The night is coming. These days I tried to get about two or three hours of sleep. The advantage I have is that my nightmares do not let me sleep longer than necessary.

Hasan returns to bring dinner, but before he leaves, screams are heard and then gunshots. The little one jumps with fright. I put him behind me, along with Franco, who is still lying on the floor between some blankets, but has already woken up. He is still weak and not fully conscious. With my left hand I grab my gun and point it towards the door. Footsteps are starting to be heard closer and closer. I cover Hasan and Franco with my body. The noises disappear for a few seconds. With a single blow they open the barn door, showing three hooded and armed guys, but the worst of all is that they bring Hasan’s grandfather as a hostage. The guy who is holding the old man I will only be able to distinguish him by a snake tattoo that he has on his neck.

Unhappy people.

“Put the gun down or the old man dies” says the fucker who is holding the old man.

I take a long time to react until Hasan says: “Please release my grandfather.

That makes me realize how much can be lost right here if I don’t obey the guy in front of me. I don’t want them to pay because of me. Those guys are coming for me, and that’s the way it’s going to be.

“I’ll take her down, but first assure me that you won’t hurt them and let them go. “I know it’s stupid to trust a fucking murderer, his word is worthless.

“You’re not here to set conditions. I remind you that you are not the boss here. I give the orders. “He lets out a malevolent laugh. His companions followed him. Now let her go already! “I throw the gun on the ground. Kick her over here. “I obey.

One of the guys bends down to take it. Now I don’t know how I’m going to get out of this. With an injured arm I won’t be able to fight very well, maybe with the other one I will, but they are three against one and they are armed, and I have a lot to lose.

The guy releases the old man. He takes just a few steps when Hasan runs out to hug his grandfather. Fear takes over me. I’m afraid for them, not for me. The guns are no longer pointing at me, but at them. They got on the defensive believing that everything is a plan to ambush them, but it’s not like that. So the same guy who had the older man pinned down grabs Hasan hard. Damn, this is getting complicated. When I notice that they are backing up to leave the place, I take a step. One of them shoots towards the ceiling.

“Stop it! You take one more step and I break it. “His gun is at Hasan’s head. I can’t make any moves or whatever. If not, he will be killed.

I raise my hands in surrender to let them understand that I will not do anything stupid.

“They’re supposed to want me, right? “loose, as I see them wanting to leave.

“Indeed.

“Well, then let him go and take me.

He shakes his head and laughs.

“Wanting to want to take you with us no, rather we want to kill you. That’s what we’ve been sent for.

My suspicions were true.

“Okay, get it over with, but leave this family out of it. They have nothing to do with it,” I say irritably. What are they waiting for? !! Kill me! “These guys make me feel bad.

They start laughing again, but at that Hasan starts fighting and kicking. The guy yells some swear words at him, and when he takes the safety off the gun to shoot him, I run and throw myself at him to give him a fight. I had already pushed the little one aside.

“Get out and run away from here! “The boy denies while I am torn between life and death with the guy who is fighting with me on the floor- Get out! “Hasan reacts and leaves through another door together with his grandfather.

The others do not shoot because they are afraid to hit their partner while we are rolling on the ground. One shot is the only thing that stops the fight between us. The guy is on top of me, but with a push I throw him to the side. I win the battle and I also manage to keep his gun. I get to my feet quickly and without waiting for the other two to react I shoot them until they fall to the ground. I see how they fill the floor with blood.

I won’t stay watching, so I hurry to get there with Franco. I talk to him, but he’s still gone, so, with the only strength I have in my left arm, I lift him up. He tries to stay on his feet and let himself be guided by me. We left the barn. I can see an SUV maybe from them. I’ll take it. This is our chance to get out of here, but first I’ll make sure Hasan and his grandfather are safe before I leave. I place Franco on a wall to lean on while I return.

“Stay here. I’ll go and see if Hasan and his grandfather are safe.

“Sir, be careful” he makes an effort to speak.

I don’t say anything, I just nod and walk away.

I’m heading to Hasan’s house, but I stop when I see the little guy, who is at the window watching me, and I smile. That makes it worth it for me to have risked for them.

When I’m about to arrive, the little guy’s smile is completely erased and his eyes open in alarm.

“Dante, be careful!

When I manage to turn around, but without being able to raise the gun, a shot rings out in the open place. In that I feel heat and burning. The bullet pierced me in the side.

When I try to pick up the gun and aim at the guy I thought I had killed, two more shots hit my body, one in each leg, causing me to fall to the ground completely. I can’t move. That bastard shot me in the legs. Another bullet goes through my side. He comes up to me and looks at me smiling. The damn pain won’t let me say a single word. I want to insult him. I don’t want to please him in his feat. He bends down a little to speak. From here I can see his dark eyes, black as night, and the snake on his neck. I will take those characteristics with me to the grave.

“I’ll see you in hell soon, Devil, but first I’ll give my condolences to your girl. “He raises the gun to point it at my chest and without waiting any longer he shoots.

I think this is the end for me.

My eyesight starts to darken and I’m shaking like I’m cold. However, I feel that my body is burning like fire, but it is a very different burning than other times I got to feel a gunshot. This one was different. This is the one that will lead me to hell, to my death.