Ch.1

As the drops of rain hits against my glass window, I start to think about how my life would change in the next 2 hours as I was about to turn 18. My name is Dante Lorenzo and I'm the future boss of the Romano Mafia. At the moment, I am sitting in my hotel room thinking about how all that I trained for will finally pay off. Suddenly a knock on my door interrupts my thinking session. It was Mrs. Romano otherwise my foster mother. "Dante, can I come in please". I walk up to the door and let her in. I look at her and see this wide smile across her face and I know what is about to happen. "Dante my baby boy, or should I say my man because you turn 18 very soon". I laugh at her sleazy joke she says every year but this time I actually felt excited too. She then gives me the tightest hug and refuses to let go, for a 50 year old 5 foot 4 lady she was really strong. After a while my foster father, Mr. Romano walks in. "Dante my boy, finally ready to take over the Mafia". After that sentence I was hit with a wave of reality. In about an hour I would be in charge of over multi-billion dollar company and would have to settle disputes the Mafia way. I had no problem with killing someone because that's what I was trained to do but I really didn't know if this was the right choice for me. "Dante, you're going to be the best Romano leader ever my boy" Mr. Romano says. "Do it for you, for us and for your parents". As my foster mother said those words that horrific incident flashed back in my memory and I remembered my whole plan. I suddenly got an unhealthy amount of motivation and was ready to take this job on. I cannot let all those years training, studying and working hard go to waste and I cannot let my parents die in vain. Therefore I shall avenge them. I snapped back to reality and replied "I think I'll be just fine" hugging them both tightly and continuously repeating the words "thank you" because I would be ever grateful to them for giving me this chance. After a few minutes of chit-chat we hear a loud bell ring. It was Big Ben since we were in London at the time. That loud chime signified that it was twelve o'clock. I am finally 18…

I hear the loud chime of the bells. As I stand in front of the huge wooden door that's about to open any moment. I have a huge rush of emotions. Fear, anxiety, happiness and REVENGE. I take in a deep breath, dust off my suit and the doors open…

I take one step in the huge ballroom and everyone stands up and I walk. I walk towards the huge throne that is mounted at the center of the ballroom. All eyes are on me. I get to where the beautiful throne is, look to my left to see my wonderful foster parents, my right to see my trainer Mr. Hoggs. Tears start to flow from Mrs. Romano's eyes and Mr. Hoggs is reaching out for a tissue. "This is it. This is the moment you've been waiting for". I sit on the throne and everyone takes a seat. I then took an oath in front of everyone validating my loyalty to the Romano Mafia. And after a few document signings. It's done. I'm the new leader. I did it. I hear a well-organized applause as I stood up and walked to my mother and father. I gave them the biggest hug, as well as to Mr. Hoggs and then he says "Let's party!!!" and I happily walk with him on the dance floor and let myself go. I danced out of joy, relief and a bit of nervousness but I still quite enjoyed myself. It is a party after all. It felt so good to have fun for a while even though I'd start this dangerous line of work tomorrow but I am well prepared so I shrug that negativity off me. Then my closest friends came over and we chatted and laughed but I was still expecting someone. As I reached for my phone to call him I hear a loud car horn from outside. I instantly knew it was him. The doors open once again and the famous Adriano Lapal walks in. he scans the room looking for me and then runs towards me and gives me the biggest hug to the point I couldn't even breathe. "My dear best friend is now all grown up". You see, Adriano is a famous singer and also an underground mafia. I met him once at a meeting and we instantly clicked even though he is three years older than me. He trusts me so much and I trust him too. "Yeah" I simply replied and we continued a long and funny conversation till we found ourselves sitting on a balcony watching the sunrise. He then asks me something that made me come back to my senses. "So what's the plan for your revenge" I had a plan but at that moment I felt blank… empty. Then that traumatizing moment came back in my head. It kept on replaying and I got dizzy. "Woah are you okay, maybe you should lie down". I follow Adriano's orders and he go gets me a wet towel. Everything keeps on spinning and spinning. Round and round and I pass out…

I wake up in my bed, not my hotel bed but the bed from when I was a kid. It seemed bigger and everything had changed. Then I heard a voice that gave me joy and fright. It was my real mother's voice. A voice I hadn't heard in so long. That sweet and calm voice and she asked me to come down stairs for some breakfast. Still in confusion I walk down the stairs to see my parents' faces, they look older. I felt scared but I sat with them and my father gave me a big hug. And the next words I heard him say made me fall from my seat. "Happy eighteenth my boy, I'm proud of you". I was left in utter shock and then a surprise hug from my mom made me jump but I didn't let go. It felt warm. It felt so comforting. It felt, real… I kept hugging her till tears streamed down my face. My dad joined in too and I couldn't handle my emotions and burst into tears. "I love you my sweet baby" said my mom. I felt nothing but joy in this moment. But then they started to look sad and then suddenly I was upstairs. I turned my head to see my parents' room. I slowly walked closer and it was that scene once again. Their lifeless bodies on the bed covered in their own blood. The absolute horror on their faces, the ripped curtains, the feathers of torn pillows. Everything was so vividly disgusting. I couldn't take it anymore. More tears run down, this time not of joy but once again out of anger, confusion and fear. I kept screaming the word "why". WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY and everything faded away. The floor broke under me and I fell screaming and leaped out of my bed with a scream. I looked around me to see Mr. and Mrs. Romano and Adriano with concerned looks on their face. Adriano gives me a hug and I can feel myself shaking in fear. I realized that it was all a dream. But in that moment, it felt more like a wakeup call…