Elena Sicilia was an excuse. It was the perfect excuse to escape work and the ever nagging feeling at the back of my mind that I was being followed. However, going there would also mean that I was facing another problem, which was Pablo. Just basically from the pan into the fire in my case. And so once my paycheck came in I all but ran back home and hurried to pack a few clothes and also quickly made my way to the train station. I was so absorbed in my thoughts when I didn't notice I had bumped into someone. “I'm sorry,” I apologized as I picked up my bag. “No problem,” the man muttered with a strong Italian accent. The accent itself wasn't a problem, it was the twist. It was strong with some of the raises of the Avalian drawl. I looked up at him. He didn't seem to be someone I knew, but his face betrayed some form of recognition. He was elderly, and on his head was a cloth cap. “You should look where you are going, miss. You don't want to end up in trouble,” he said as he hande
Elena He sat in front of an old restaurant I used to frequent when I was younger, drinking a cup of tea and trying to avert his eyes when I saw him. He was definitely not someone from around town because if he was, he would most likely be eating the restaurant's signature pasta. Feeling as though I was cornered, I picked up my pace and made a mental note to take another route from the farmers market when I was going back. Luckily for me, there were no more incidents on my way back since I took the other side, but I was still apprehensive. With every couple of steps I took, I would turn to check. "I need you to help me pick up something from Antonio," Pablo told me when I got back home. "Antonio? Who's that?" I asked as I stepped into the house. "You don't know him? He's my friend. He was supposed to meet up earlier, but he said he had a problem. Anyway, go help me pick up something. You don't need to know what it is," Pablo said, waving his hands as though to send me away, which
Elena Somehow, in my mind, the monster lurking outside would hear me and burst open my door. But this was real life, and there was no monster outside to burst open my door once I opened it. I met an empty hallway, and silence greeted me. I slowly walked down the slim staircase and made my way into the living room. I stopped once I reached the atrium. There was broken glass on the floor from the door, and a few potted plants had been injured in the fight. I turned to the living room, and my heart fell at the sight in front of me. Pablo sat hunched in his usual spot in the living room. From his bruised and bloodied knuckles, blood dripped onto the tiled floor beneath him. I was willing to bet that his face was just as bad. "What happened?" I asked, setting a bowl of cold water beside him, ready to clean his hands and face. Silence was my response as I wiped off the blood from his knuckles. Just as I was about to move to his face, he flung backwards and snatched the cloth and my hand.
Elena Instead of picking up the call, I simply turned off the landline and hung up. "What was it?" Pablo asked behind me. "Wrong number," I said, forcing a smile as I brushed past him to get to my room. I needed to leave. My presence might put Pablo in danger, and even though he wasn't the best of fathers, he had raised me and provided for me since I was 15, for which I was grateful. Looking around my room, I decided I needed to leave the day after. Without much motivation, I got up and stuffed the little clothes I brought back into the bag. It didn't take me too long, and by the time I was done, I almost considered leaving that night. Shaking my head, I banished the thought from my mind. It was too risky for a young woman like me to travel so late. Sicilia was not the problem; Rome was. If the following wasn't bad enough, if anything happened, it would be hard to get out of it being so late. I sat back on the bed, biting my fingernails and thinking of a way out of this. The me
Elena Unfortunately for them, I had many stops to go, and I had discovered that the bus had many other people that were going to the same place I was. I hit a stroke of luck when a flood of people highlighted before me, and so I got ready as well. I pulled out a scarf from my bag and covered my hair with it so I wouldn't stand out too much. The bus stopped, and we all highlighted. In the distance, I could see the car, but it was obstructed by many people, so I was glad. Luckily for me, most of us were walking in the same direction as my house, and it was very easy to move with them. I wanted to do a happy dance when I saw the bus move and was followed by the car. As soon as the car left and was a long distance away, I sped up my steps to my apartment. Only when I got home was I able to release a breath of relief. I struggled to find my footing once school resumed. There was so much to do, and the stark contrast between my way of life in Sicily and my way of life in Rome was more
Elena The next few hours went by in a breeze and I didn't see Damon when I came out. He had probably left with the woman but I didn't care, at least that was what I told myself. The next day school came by in a flash and it was back to work yet again. “They should give you employee of the Month.” Damon said as I was walking to the restaurant. He was sitting in the outdoor dining area with his legs crossed. He was clad in black slacks, brown loafers and a knitted white shirt that left his collar and the top part of his chest open revealing some of his tattoos. I close my eyes briefly. I shouldn't let Damon get to me. I told myself. “I don't think we have stuff like that here.” I said. “Come sit.” He said as he potted the seat next to him. While I hadn't resumed for work yet I had time so I decided to indulge him. “ You are so guarded.” He said. “Did you go through some sort of childhood trauma question?” He asked with a sly smile. I shook my head.” I can smell men like you comi
Elena Paula, one of my roommates, was around when I got home. She flashed a cheerful smile at me, and her inquisitive self couldn't help but ask what I had in my hand. "Is that box dye?" she asked, pointing at the white plastic bag in my hand. Unable to hide it, I smiled back and gave her a short "yes." "Well, why do you want to dye your hair?" she asked, pushing further. "I just want to change my look," I told her, lying through my teeth. "You have such beautiful hair in… hm…" She looked at me for about a minute before concluding, "I think black would be nice on you. Your face, your skin, everything—it would pop." She held up her hands as though she was about to take a picture of me, and then I remembered she was attending fashion school. Her actions made so much sense now. I had always thought Paula was an unapproachable person when I first moved in. I would eventually be proved wrong as I discovered that she was simply busy. She was nice and always offered me smiles, but she
Elena Trying to find a comfortable position with the Unicorn thing was weird. My head was uncomfortable as I had no choice but to hang myself over my pillow. Nonetheless, sleep came as exhaustion wore me down and closed my eyelids. The next day, Paula helped me remove the Unicorn thing, even though she was bouncing on her toes, claiming that she was running late. She hurried me out of bed and wet her hands with oil as she helped me take it out. My hair was frizzy normally, but whatever she had done changed the curl pattern of my hair to a bouncy wavy texture. The black of my hair stood out in stark contrast against the paleness of my skin, making my features stand out even more. Did I look different? Definitely. Did I look like a different person? Not really. In fact, I thought it was worse. I thought I looked exactly like my mother, meanwhile, my goal was to look further away from my heritage. Suddenly, the thought occurred to me that perhaps I should cut my hair, but I shook my