Hellfire

A bright clear sky greeted Anai'ya as she opened her eyes on Monday morning. The weekend had flown by so quickly she felt like it wasn't enough. Sitting up and stretching her limbs she climbed off the bed heading to the shower. Rubbing the sleepiness away and yawning like a cat she made the decision to take an extra day off and not head to Renal-Sal.

She called her secretary to inform her of her absence, telling her to not bother her for the day and hand over any matters to the VP. She hung up on her flustered secretary before heading to her closet.

Choosing a simple low-cut black halter top, fitted blue/black high waisted jeans with her long black Oscar de la Renta coat, and her favorite Stuart Weitzman boots she made sure her outfit was perfect before she applied light makeup and some accessories. Staring at herself in the mirror she couldn't help but curve her lips upwards. She looked great! A little over the top with the high-end clothing but great nonetheless.

Growing up with parents who racked up thousands in student loans her family lived on a tight budget. Clothing and shoes were only bought to last and from second-hand stores or on sale at the mall. The most expensive item she owned back then was a Coach purse she got on her 12th birthday. She treated that purse like it was the most precious item on the planet keeping it in outstanding condition for a long time.

That is until her parents died and she sold it for $70 online to buy food for her brother and herself. They went through tough times for a year before they were brought before the Michael's enormous villa and they met Andre's dad; the man who adopted them. After that, she never touched a second-hand item again. The Michael's had a fortune and they dressed them in luxury items and fed them the finest foods: it took a long time to get used to living like rich kids and some habits were hard to get rid of. Even after she left the villa and moved on her own Anai'ya liked to wear fine clothes. Of course, she worked hard to earn enough to dress any way she wanted. Even at the early stages of her company when funds were tight she didn't cut back on her extravagant wardrobe spending.

In her opinion clothes could make you feel better about yourself no matter how awful or horrible you truly felt on the inside. If your outward appearance looked nice it affected your feelings. She clung to whatever made her feel good, even something as insignificant as clothing was a means of bringing her happiness, however small that happy moment was. Life took a drastic turn for her and her brother after they lost their parents, it became a dark hollow path, and clinging to materialistic fleeting things to make them feel better was how they coped with it. It was just a series of small happy moments but it was enough.

It was little things like these that had kept her sane for the past few years after she found out the truth of her parent's death and all the events that led to the fall of her family. She managed to keep some semblance of a human being by indulging in fashion to distract her rage and keep a smile on her face.

Shaking her head she finished getting ready and headed out. Reaching the lobby of her building she took a left to go to the flower store around the corner. She had important people to see today.

-

Heading to Queens, Anai'ya drove with her hands clutching the steering wheel so hard it made her knuckles white with the pressure. She could feel the turbulent emotions deep inside her body start to stir. It was always like this, even after so many years her pain, her rage and her sorrow were buried deep into her bones. The façade she upheld for the outside world would always crumble whenever she took a trip here.

Arriving at the entrance, she turned off the car and headed towards the center, taking small deliberate steps she arrived at the location.

She knelt down in front of two tall black marble tombstones. Placing red roses in front of the right one and sunflowers on the left one she sat down on the neatly trimmed grass.

"It's been a while since I've been here. I know I haven't been checking in as much as I use too and I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?" She asked in a guilty voice. Her hand reached out to caress the rose petals in front of the grave.

"I finally have all the pieces I need to enact my plan. That's why I have been absent for so long but I now have everything I need to collect the debt that's owed to us. That's owed to you both." her voice cracked at the end. Pain and sorrow evident on her face.

"I will avenge you both. I won't let those who took you from this world, from Lucian and me, live peacefully. I promise they will be punished. I swear that on my life. I just hope you can forgive me for all the evil I've committed to get here and have yet to commit to finally avenge you." Anai'ya promised as wave of melancholy washed over her. Looking at the two portraits in front of her, her stone heart began to ache with inexplicable pain.

She stood up closing her eyes as fat tears threatened to fall. Taking a deep breath she opened her light amber eyes to look up at the sky and released her breath.

"I'll be back Mom and Dad. I'll visit as much as I can."

She turned on her heels and slowly walked back towards her car. Gazing up at the light blue sky as she did so, she clenched her hands into tight fists.

Her amber eyes flashed with a cold light as she stopped for a moment and looked back at the graves behind her.

She'd bleed him dry if it was the last thing she did. She'd bleed them all to the last drop because that's what they deserved. That's what he deserved.

She would return all the pain inflicted on her family tenfold. There was no line she wouldn't cross to achieve her goal. The interest had accumulated and it was time to collect.

Her brother suffered physical torment.

Her parents were killed in cold blood.

Her life was turned inside out. She was marred for life. She hardly resembled a human being because of it.

The monster inside her was raging and ready to come out, the cage she had kept it in was collapsing.

They had no idea what was coming.

Reigning in her murderous aura she continued walking back to her car and drove off to her base. The rage she let take over her for a second began fueling her body and mind like hellfire. No matter how well he had behaved as of late, hell awaited him in the future.