11. Blood

"ANASTASIA!" I heard someone yell out while shaking my body. I jolted up and started gasping for air.

" Huh?" I said, looking at my brother as my chest rapidly moved up and down.

" You were having a nightmare and you were screaming," He sadly explained and I sighed aloud.

" What's the time?" I asked, dragging myself out of bed as he looked at me quizzically.

" It's nine," he said, and I nodded.

I walked out the room, went to the bathroom, turned the shower faucet on, took off my clothes, walked back in the shower and showered. The water camouflaged my tears. It didn't take a while for me to get out of the bathroom with a clean body wrapped in a towel and brush my teeth.

I walked back into my bedroom, grabbed a pair of black jeans and the diner golf shirt. I put on some body cream and then some deodorant. I tossed my hair into a messy bun, grabbed "my" bag, and walked out of my room, to find my family seated on the kitchen stools eating quietly.

" Uhm...go-good morning," I stuttered. Their faces shot up and they glared at me.

" Where are you going? " Andrea asked, his voice a little raised.

" Work," I said, and he frowned.

" You can't go to work, Nana! You were crying yesterday and you wanted to-" he said before his mind trailed off, making me flinch.

" We need money. So, I must," I responded.

" Nonna stop her! " Andrea said, but my grandmother's brain was far from here. " Nonna?"

" Let her go," she said. " She is safer at work than here."

" What does that mean? " Andrea yelled out.

" I'll be okay," I softly reassured him.

" I'm coming with you!" He roared, but I stopped him.

" NO!" I roared. " You are staying here."

" Andrea, why don't you go to Tae's house and sleep there?" My grandmother said, shocking both me and my brother.

" No," Andrea said, but my grandmother frowned.

" You will go to Tae's house today. Your anger will let you destroy your own sister. Go to your friend," my grandmother chastised, and Andrea frowned before he nodded.

I walked out the apartment but a pair of warm hands stopped me. My grandmother. Her face was solemn yet she was smiling.

“Nana, you are strong. You are powerful, even though you can't see it yet, but soon you will find out. I'll always be there for you and your brother and you guys are all you have. Protect each other and know I'm there whenever I'm needed. Te amo mucho y sé que lo lograrás,” she said in Spanish, with a soft smile on her face.

"Te amo nonna," I replied, confused, as she slowly walked back into the apartment.

What was all that about?

Every time my grandmother spoke in Spanish, I knew something was wrong. She was a feminist. Believed that she should follow her own customs rather than that of the man she married. Her speaking using my grandfather's mother tongue usually occurred when she was going to be with my grandfather's side of the family or she was entirely disturbed by something.

I shrugged it off and rushed down the staircase of the apartment. I ran down the sidewalk, rushing up to the diner before I was late. I felt the hairs on my back stand. I froze to the spot. Something was wrong. And for some reason, my soul started feeling down and unsettled.

I turned to check if someone was following me but I didn't see anyone. I shrugged it off and continued to run up to the diner. I finally reached the diner, pushed the doors open and entered the building. I rushed to the back of the shop to place my bag on the shelf. Jorja emerged from the kitchen wearing black shorts and a golf shirt as well as Nikes.

" What the hell?" she roared, examining my face. " Your nose is red. Your eyes are red, puffy, and swollen and your lips are bright red! Who is it?"

" No one," I sighed aloud and before she continued to shout, I interrupted her. " Eric's out of prison."

She gasped, loud enough that even the kitchen staff peaked their heads through to see what was happening. Kenneth glared at us with curious looks. I pulled Jorja away towards the staff bathroom.

" I know, but you need to calm down. I don't want the entire world now trying to sniff into my business," I seethed and she groaned before grabbing me and engulfing me in a hug. I tried not to cry but I broke down and she dragged me into the bathroom and placed us in a toilet chamber and she tried to calm me down.

" I'm tired."

" I'm sorry," she exclaimed.

" It's not your fault." I said softly, wiping off my own tears. Trying to gain the strength I knew I didn't possess. So weak.

" How about you spending the night at my house tonight?" She spoke

" After my shift at Dark Crystal?" I said and she nodded.

She handed me a tissue and I wiped the tears off. She rushed out the bathroom and came back with my reading glasses. I always wear them when I cry and she knows that. I pulled them on and we both rushed out and started serving people.

When it was twelve, we decided to take a lunch break. We grabbed a sprite and cola before heading out. We sat down at the outside tables with me facing away from the entrance.

" So how are you handling things?" she asked as she twisted the bottle cap.

"I think I'm, okay? I don't know hey," I said, gulping down my cola.

" Should we go to a club or something, just to get your mind off things? " She suggested and I shook my head no.

" I'm not one for clubs," I said before I heard someone squealing my name. I turned to face the culprit, only to find little princess.

" Aunty Anastasia!" she squealed running to me.

" Tania, don't run!" the velvety voice warned, but the little girl didn't listen.

I rushed up to her, picked her up, and straddled her around my waist. She started giggling as I smoothed my fingers around her face. I looked up to find her father walking towards me. It was only him today and he was a bit formal, wearing a black polo and shiny black pants and a pair of Nikes.

" Hi," he greeted.

" Hi", I greeted him back with a smile on my face, catching him off guard. I turned my attention to the little princess on my waist.

" Little princess, you look beautiful," I said, playing with her locks.

" Aunty Syd did them before she left," she said and I frowned.

Whose Aunty Syd?

" Well, Aunty Syd, did an excellent job. Are you happy now?" I asked her and she nodded while clapping her hands. " Wanna see Aunty Jorja?"

" Yes! " She squealed and I turned around, placed her on the ground and watched her run towards my best friend.

I smiled at her. She was such an adorable child with an incredibly angry father. She continued to bond with Jorja, me being oblivious of the man behind me.

" She loves being around you for some reason," I heard the man say, and I turned to face him.

" Well, is that a bad thing? Cause I love her presence too," I said, smiling and glaring at her from the corner of my eye.

" How do you love someone you don't know?" he asked, and I frowned.

" I don't need to know her fully to love her. But I know that she is not happy," I scoffed, turning back to face her and Jorja.

" What do you mean?" he asked, pulling me back.

" She is not happy. She is happy when she is here and she clings to me more than to you and we just met three days ago, so do tell me, do you think she is happy?" I said before pulling myself away from him and walking over to Jorja and Tania and playing with them.

I left her father somewhere, but I didn't care about him. He is a rude man. After an hour or so, our lunch break was over and we had to go back to work but Tania was not having it. I searched for her father but I couldn't see him. We carried Tania to the diner and placed her on a table before handing her a bowl full of ice cream before we went back to work.

Her father entered the diner after a while, glaring at me and I pointed over to where she was. He strutted over to where she was before taking a seat across from her. He then assigned me to their table as he ordered donut cakes for himself and a bottle of juice for Tania.

I rushed to the back of the kitchen and got their order before running over to them and placing their order on their table and going back to work. When it was five pm, Jorja and I knocked off and she walked with me to Dark Crystal before reminding me about the sleepover.

Onika was behind the bar. She waved up at me before I disappeared backstage, heading to my make-up room. I entered the room and stripped off all my clothes before grabbing a one-piece, black lace bodysuit with thin spaghetti straps and then I paired them up with black velvet, thigh-high boots. I placed a barricade, full face, black mask to cover my face and let my hair loose. I looked very sexy and dangerous if you asked me.

I left the room and headed up to the stage and, as always, married men crowded around the stage. The song began and my hips involuntarily moved to the beat. And that is how I ended up with my legs wrapped around the pole.

When I was done, the whole stage was blanketed by money, making it hard for me to walk off stage. I rushed over to my glam room and took off the costume before placing it back on the shelf, including the boots. I put on my clothes and ripped the mask off my face before placing it back on the shelf. I grabbed my bag and rushed backstage and headed out of the club. Fernando ushered me over to the taxi.

In fifteen minutes, I stood outside the apartment building with a very heavy soul. Something was wrong, and I didn't know what it was. I started feeling more gloomy than usual at every step I took going up to my apartment floor.

I strolled along the corridor before I realised the door was open. I frowned, my grandmother was probably in the kitchen cooking, but the more I moved closer, there was no warm aroma slapping my face but only a coldness that had caused me to shiver and grow goosebumps all over my skin.

" Nonna?" I called out to her but I couldn't see her, as the house was dark and the moonlight shone through the lounge, illuminating everything.

I yelled out to her yet again, but I didn't see her or hear any movement. The more I moved towards her bedroom, the more my body shivered due to my fear.

What was happening to me?

" Nonna?" I softly called out as I strolled over to her bed after switching on her bedroom lights, but she wasn't in bed. A metallic scent wafted past my nose making me heave.

Blood.

I glared up at the drapes and saw splatters of blood on them. My body became rigid as I moved closer to the drapes and saw a foot peak out from the side of the bed. I rushed up to find my grandmother on the floor, covered in blood while more blood dripped on the floor, creating a dam.

" NONNA!" I yelled, dropping to the floor to feel her pulse, but she was gone and her body was cold. A bullet to the chest. I gathered her body up and cried, placing her head on my chest. " Wake up! You can't leave us! Wake up please!"

I rocked back and forth trying to wake her up but she didn't. She was long gone but my heart wouldn't accept the situation, until I heard footsteps. That must be Andrea. I placed her properly on the floor and rushed out her room, pushing the door wide open as I rushed to my brother.

" ANDREA!" I yelled out to him, but it wasn't him. Instead, there stood big men not far from me.

" Take her," one of the men ordered and my breath hitched.

I tried to run back into hiding but it was too late. I was gathered up and placed on broad shoulders. My thick frame didn't even slow them down. They were wearing gloves, making sure they didn't leave any of their finger prints.

I started kicking and punching at the man but he didn't budge. I hope Andrea doesn't come now or else he might end up dead like me. I screamed for help but none of my neighbors came out to see what was happening.

Are these people deaf or what?

I screamed more and one of my neighbors peaked his head out, but sadly he got shot in the head; his body slouching over the door frame. I gasped. Tears blinded my sight as I tried to stifle the scream back in my throat. It felt like a hot ball was plunged up my throat. When we reached the outside of the building, I was pulled down and shoved on the sidewalk. Tears were cascading down my cheeks.

" È questa la ragazza?" A deep, groggy voice said.

" Si. Il re sarà molto felice. Buttala in macchina," the a very familiar voice said, but I don't know where I knew it from. A bag was placed over my head before I felt an object at the back of my head and lights out.