Aria's POV
This is the longest night of my life. After the last gunshots went off, there has been nothing but absolute silence. The cave is dark and humid. There are bats screeching and flying over my head. The space is so small, I often feel them brushing past me, their leathery wings flapping in my ears. My thoughts are running wild with me. I think it would have been better to stay in the house, even if they shot me, I would have known what was going on. I cannot stand being here all alone and not knowing what is happening. It has been hours since Stefano and I split up. Why has he not come back for me yet?
I wait until dawn, and still, everything is deathly quiet. Thankfully, the bats are settling down and the birds are starting to appear. The cave is also starting to light up and I can finally see my hand in front of my face again. I wait until it is late morning, and the sun is shining brightly through the opening in the cave. There has not been any movement outside the cave, so
