Never Let You Go | Short Story

Never Let You Go

2038, ROME, ITALY....

The rubble. It was everywhere. Sounds of death echoed through the alleyways, bouncing off every wall. Moaning and groaning filled my ears, women and children sobbed on the corner of every street. Dirt and blood painted the street signs. Shattered glass covered the floors of old restaurants. The food was stolen, and the furniture cut up to use as firewood.

Rocks crunched beneath my feet. My black boots dusty and covered in grime. I rolled one shoulder to give my arm a short break from the box I was carrying. Keeping my head down, I let a curtain of my curly brown hair hide my face from the world. People stared at me, their faces covered in soot. I held my box a little tighter. Blood flowed down my arm, the red vivid on my dark skin, one side of the cardboard box was already soaked with it.

War, famine, diseases, they had all hit Europe. Hundreds of millions died. What used to be a crowded city full of tourists was now a ghost town. Blood dyed the fountain a rusty brown. The coins tourists once tossed glittered at the bottom of the pool, like scales on a great beast. Bullet shells littered the ground, chiming as my feet kicked them into each other, singing the songs of death.

I opened a wooden door that led into a run-down apartment. I walked through the kitchen and into a small room at the back of the apartment. Laying on the bed was a thin girl, her brown hair tangled and spread across a pillow, the blond tips of her hair dripping wet as if she just bathed.

“Hey,” I gently set the box down. “How are you feeling?” I said as I ran my fingers through her hair.

“Sore,” she rasped. “I think it’s getting worse.”

I gripped her hand and dug out a bottle of water from the box of supplies I’d just set down. “I’m sure you just slept in a weird position,” I told her. The cap clicked as I twisted it open. I rested the bottle against her lips and let the water flow into her mouth.

“Silvina,” my sister, Esperanca, said when she finished drinking. “How can you be so optimistic in a world like this?”

I sighed. I tried to stay happy for her. Our parents died in the latest bombing of the city two weeks ago and Paulo, my brother, found them in the wreckage. He’d attempted to take revenge by killing the soldiers who’d committed the crime. He had not succeeded and had died in the process. Esperanca was helping victims of war and plague at the hospital and while bandaging someone’s wound, had caught a disease that could only be passed through blood. The disease would slowly paralyze her and eventually, she would die.

I refused to accept that.

“Silvina,” my sister’s soft voice shook me out of my thoughts. “Maybe you should just let me go. I’m going to die anyway. Don’t waste your time on me. Try to find a place where you can start a new life—”

“No,” I didn’t let her finish. “No, I’m going to find something to cure you, no matter what it takes,” Esperanca started to protest, I put a finger to her lips. “Esperanca,” my fingers tightened around her hand. “I will not give up on you,” I think my sister realized that there was no convincing me otherwise because she just nodded.

I stood up slowly, bending down to give Esperanca a kiss before leaving the room, “Get some rest,” I said as I pulled the curtains together.

I opened a cabinet and pulled myself up on the counter, I reached for the first aid kit I knew was on the top shelf, then carefully set myself back on the ground, taking the small red bag with me. The floorboards creaked as I walked towards the bathroom, I lowered the seat on the toilet and sat down. I wet a small towel and used it to clean my wound, a shard of glass was still stuck in my arm. It was an effort not to cry out in pain as I used a pair of tweezers to yank out the jagged sliver of glass, blood gushed out when it was finally out of my flesh. I made quick work of cleaning the wound and bandaging it.

I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, my hazel eyes hollow, shoulders hunched from a weight that wasn’t there mere months ago.

I was sorting through the food and supplies I’d stolen when a knock sounded. Standing across from me was an ancient woman, her olive skin wrinkled with age, but her chocolate brown eyes were the real indicator of her age. They were so deep and full of wisdom, I had to look away to clear my mind.

“Signora Chiara,” I said to the woman, “please, come in,”

The old lady smiled, showing a mouthful of crooked and missing teeth. Signora Chiara had mentored my sister during her time at the hospital, and she now came frequently to check on Esperanca. Not just to bring my sister snacks, but also to inform me of how the disease was affecting my sister.

I led the old lady into my sister’s room and left to give them some privacy. I sat on a chair in the kitchen and rubbed my hands together.

It must have been ten minutes before Signora Chiara stepped out of the room, a grim expression on her face. “What is wrong?” I got up to lead the woman to the door.

“Mio Figlio, your sister doesn’t have much longer,” The woman said, I sucked in a breath as she continued. “Ten days at best, I didn’t tell her but I thought you should know,” I closed my eyes tight, choking back a sob and nodded.

Signora Chiara put a hand on my shoulder. “Though if you are truly desperate to save her, Silvina, there is one way,” I lifted my head, almost not believing the words that she was saying. Everyone who had had this disease had been told it was incurable, and now—

“Tell me,” I said, looking at the old woman with fierce determination in my eyes.

The woman smiled, “You must travel to Pompeii, once there you must take a boat to Palermo, where you shall travel to Mt. Etna. At the foot of the volcano, you will find the cure, bring it back for your sister.”

“What is the cure?”

The woman smiled sadly. “That, I am afraid I cannot say. To this day, no one has been able to find it, legend says that it only shows itself to the one who needs it most.” I nodded and got up, looking around the small space for things to bring on this journey.

“Bambina, are you sure you want to do this? Most who venture out on this journey never return,” Signora Chiara said worriedly.

I picked up a backpack and began to stuff it with necessities. “I need to at least try,” I turned towards the old woman. “Could you please keep an eye on Esperanca while I travel?”

The woman nodded sweetly as if to say it was no trouble. “I’ll be back in a few hours, I just need to get a few things from my home,” Signora Chiara came up to me and gripped my hands tight. “Safe travels, my child,” She said before walking out of the cabin.

I spent a few more minutes filling up my bag, then I went to my sister’s room. I stood by the threshold, watching her sleep. She looked so peaceful, like she belonged in a different world, a world without the horrors of war and famine, a world where she had time to live.

I shook the thought away, she was going to live, I was going to make sure of it. “Esperanca,” I shook her. “Wake up,”

Esperanca’s eyes opened and glared at me. “Can a girl not get sleep around here?” I smiled at her sarcasm and scooted her to the side so I could sit on the bed. Esperanca studied my face and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I’m leaving, I’m going to find a cure for you,”

Esperanca looked at me with shock written on her face. “That isn’t possible, there are no cures—” I shushed her with a finger, Esperanca looked at me with hope in her eyes. “How?” She whispered.

I told her all that Signora Chiara had told me, I told her that I had to go and that I would be back before she could start to miss me.

Esperanca started to furrowed her brows. “Silvina, you’re not going,”

I shook my head, “You don’t tell me what to do if there is a way that I can he—”

“You’re not going!” She slammed her fist onto the soft mattress. “I refuse to let you risk your life to save mine. I’m nearly dead anyway, you still have a life to live,”

I shook my head again, gripping my sister’s hand tighter. “My life won’t matter if you’re not here,” Esperanca pursed her lips, I tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “I have no one left, no one but you. I have to try,”

“But if you die—” Esperanca started, a tear sliding down her cheek.

“I won’t,” I said firmly, tears were sliding my own cheeks as well. “I’ll come back, I promise,” I pressed my lips to her forehead and held her tightly in my arms. “I promise,”

Esperanca was asleep again when I left, the sun had started to set, bathing the city in a warm glow. My backpack slung over one shoulder, hair tied back into a tight bun, I began my journey to find the cure.

Stars shone brightly in the night sky, and I felt like I was walking on needles. Miles of walking without stopping had caused my feet to ache, and pain shot up my leg with every step I took. Thankfully, I soon found a small inn that seemed to be open.

The bell chimed as I walked through the door, classical music filling my ears as I breathed in the smell of basil and Marinara sauce. A woman who looked to be in her mid-thirties was wiping down small wooden tables. The inn was inside a charming little chalet, and there was a stone fireplace in the far back, the heat from it made me sigh.

The woman looked up, saw me, and said, “Can I help you?”

“Do you have any available rooms?” I smiled with exhaustion.

“Yes I do believe we have a few,” the woman said as she walked behind a counter and pulled open a drawer. “Would you like some dinner as well?” She asked before handing me a key that was attached to a wooden plaque carved with the numbers 207.

“Dinner sounds great,” I sighed as I took the key.

“I’ll have it sent up to your room,” The woman said as she walked away.

I adjusted my backpack and walked up the stairs then down the hall until I reached my room. The bed was soft as I collapsed upon it, a loud knock woke me up not long later. The sweet taste of basil filled my mouth, the silky olive oil lined my tongue, the pasta was soft and perfectly cooked. But I couldn’t focus on the marvelous taste of it as my mind wandered off to the journey ahead of me.

Falling asleep wasn’t hard, a heavy blanket of darkness covered my senses and I was dragged into a different world.

I was walking through the streets of Rome, the sun was shining bright and reflecting off the clean water in the fountains surrounding me. People were smiling everywhere, children laughing and jumping around. I could feel a smile forming on my face, I looked at my family.

My mother and father had their arms around each other, smiles so wide that their cheek muscles must have hurt. Paulo was having another argument with Esperanca, both of them clearly enjoying it. I laughed at some of their words, I gasped when my brother muttered a colorful string of curses. Esperanca slapped him hard, all three of us were laughing now.

My parents told us to wait outside while they went to grab us some food inside a restaurant. So we did as we were told, arguing about something while we waited. Then suddenly I heard a faint whirring, it got louder and louder, and then there was a huge shadow blocking the sunlight. I heard a big boom and then people were screaming, more crashes followed as bombs fell onto the streets.

Paulo told us to run, he carried Esperanca when she tripped. We were sprinting towards a safe house, covering our mouths as gasses were released. Esperanca was crying, my own cheeks were wet, and Paulo was holding us both close to his chest. We waited for who knows how long until finally it was quiet again.

When we finally dared to peek outside, we saw bodies littering the streets and blood running down the sides of the walls. Smoke still lingered in the air, making it impossible to see more than ten feet ahead of us. We walked slowly, not quite believing what we were seeing.

A thought hit me and I gripped Paulo’s arm. He turned towards me and I whispered, “Mom and dad,” Paulo’s eyes widened and before I could stop him, he ran off into the smoke. Esperanca and I called after him, running after him as fast as we could.

We found him hunched over two figures in the debris. Their once joyful faces were now set in an expression of terror. Blood streaked down their mutilated bodies. I was shaking. My parents. Dead.

Dead.

Dead.

Everything was silent, there was a faint ringing in my head. Esperanca was screaming as she tried to reach them, I just stood there and held her back. She was sobbing now, clinging on to me like I was her lifeline. Paulo was shaking as he lifted my mother’s head. He turned back to us, his eyes rimmed red and so full of hatred.

“I’m gonna kill them,” He rushed away and I made to grab his arm.

“Paulo, don’t,” He ignored me and started sprinting.

The scenery changed and I was opening a door and looking at my brother’s lifeless body. His green eyes glazed over and his dark hair stuck to his skin. But his skin…

It was so pale, so cold. This wasn’t him. No.

Paulo was gone.

I forgot everything as I began to scream. The ringing in my head turned into a roar. And then I was clutching his body, my tears making his dirt-stained shirt wet—

I jolted awake, sweat sliding down my back, something salty flowed down my cheeks. I ran a hand through my hair and then down my face. I started sobbing. I was still trying to forget those days. Those days that seemed so far away and yet so close.

I calmed myself down enough to get out of bed and walk towards the window. The sun was beginning to illuminate the city that I had not been able to see yesterday. The hills that looked over a clear blue ocean were dotted with pastel-colored houses. I could hear the waves crashing against the shore, I could smell the light sea breeze. Small boats floated on the water, the sunrise was like orange paint on a blue canvas.

Napoli.

I was halfway there.

I packed up my bag and jogged down the stairs. There was a different woman at the reception, I gave her my key and paid for my stay.

The streets of Napoli were much like those of Rome, full of dirt and blood. But this city seemed to recover better than Rome, little vendors already started to litter the sides of the streets, selling food and clothes.

I passed a small stand, and my eye caught on a small figurine. It was a small wolf, howling at the moon. Its fur was black except for a spot around its eyes. Esperanca loved wolves, she’d always wanted something like this. I was smiling as I put the newly bought figurine in my backpack. This would be my hope. My hope that I would go back home and give it to my sister.

I walked until the city was behind me, just a little dot of color. I took a bottle of water out of my backpack and drank. I was about to zip up my bag when I heard rustling in the nearby bush. I froze. The bush moved a little more and then a man jumped out. His eyes were crazed and his solder’s uniform torn in multiple places.

A soldier.

I didn’t have a chance to scream as he took a gun out and shot at me. I felt it rip through the air next to me, narrowly missing my ear. I grabbed my bag and sprinted into the bushes as fast as I could. The branches tore at my face, I could already feel the sticky, red blood oozing out of the cuts.

I still heard the soldier chasing me, I looked back and saw that he was approaching fast. That look cost me. I tripped on a root sticking out of the ground. The soldier was upon me in a second, pointing the gun to my head. Before he could pull the trigger, I sent a swift kick to his groin. The man doubled over, dropping his gun in the process. Seconds later, I had the gun pointed at the man. He looked up at me, fear clouding his eyes. There was only pure rage written across my face. His men had killed my family, they had ruined the place I lived in.

I didn’t hesitate before pulling the trigger.

Some of my supplies must have fallen out of my bag while I was running, because I only had a bottle of water and some bread left, the wolf figurine was also safely tucked away in the front pocket. I’d have to move quickly if I didn’t want to starve.

I didn’t bother to hide the dead soldier’s body as I continued my journey. I made it to Pompeii just as the sun was setting. The city of ruins looked even worse than it had before.

Stone people were still laying down on the floor, the mouths open like they were trying to scream for help. I looked away from the people as a shudder ran through me. I found an empty space inside a stone house and decided to settle here for the night. I used my backpack as a pillow and soon my heavy lids fell.

I knew I was dreaming. Darkness surrounded me, a great howling wind blew my hair back. Esperanca stood beside me and was staring off straight ahead. I turned to see what she was looking at. My parents and Paulo stood with their backs turned to us.

I tried to walk towards them but a strange force was holding me back. I banged on the strange wall of air, I turned to see Esperanca walking through the wall. I banged harder on the wall, it was no use.

“Esperanca!” I yelled in desperation.

She turned around and in her melodious voice, said, “You were too late, I’m gone now,” I was crying and my punches turned softer. “Go home, it’s no use anymore,”

“No,” I rasped and stopped my banging, I pressed my hands on the wall. “Don’t leave me,”

Esperanca put a hand through that wall and stroked my cheek. I leaned into the touch. She pulled her hand back and began walking towards my parents.

No amount of yelling could get her to turn around. When she finally reached my parents, all four of them began to fade away.

I was screeching now, and just as they fully disappeared, I whispered, “Don’t leave me,”

Then I fell to my knees, crumbling completely.

My eyes snapped open, I looked around me. Pompeii. It was all a dream, my sister wasn’t dead, I still had time. I squinted at the watery light that filled that ruins. Morning already.

I drank some water and ate some of my bread. Soon I was ready to walk again.

The port wasn’t far away, I could already hear the water slapping against the shore. I avoided looking at the ruins and people inside as I walked to the water.

There were already two men standing next to a small boat when I arrived.

“—need to get home,” I heard one person say.

“I know, but we need to wait, the current isn’t in our favor right now,” Said another.

“My wife, my children. I don’t know what happened to them,” The first one said.

“I know, I know. Just wait a bit okay? Then we can—” The man stopped talking as he noticed me standing there.

“Can I help you, mademoiselle?” French, if his accent was any indicator.

“Yeah, I was wondering if I could use one of your boats? I’m traveling to Palermo,” I said shyly.

“Oh mon Dieu! Another one,” The man muttered, “I do have a bit of space if you don’t mind being a little squished,”

“It’s no problem,” I said.

“You will be traveling with Marcus,” The French man nodded at the other man. “Palermo is close to where he needs to go,”

Marcus ignored me and continued to plead the French man. “We have to go now. If my family is hurt, if they are dead,” He choked back a sob. “Please,”

The French man looked at me. “It may not be safe, you could take the next boat if you don’t want to risk it,”

“When is the next boat?” If there were indeed dangers, I didn’t want to put my mission in jeopardy.

“Five days,” The man said, I shook my head sharply. Damn the risks, I didn’t have enough time to be safe.

“Leaving now is fine with me,” Marcus looked relieved to hear me say that. The French man scrunched his eyebrows but left us to go untie the boat. We were seated in the small wooden boat in no time.

I watched the shore get further and further away, listening to the waves as they lapped against the side of the boat. Marcus was busy manning the boat, tying and untying ropes. It was a while before he sat down and announced that we would be able to sail peacefully for a while.

“You escaped the bombings,” I noted while studying the man. He had light blonde hair that was graying on the sides, his pale skin was beginning to wrinkle, and his blue eyes shone with hope.

“I ran into a safehouse as soon as I heard the planes,” He said, twisting his fingers together. “I don’t know if my family was as lucky,”

I nodded. “My parents and brother didn’t survive the bombings,”

His eyes held sympathy. “I’m sorry,” He was silent for a minute. “Are you looking to start a new life?”

I shook my head slightly. “No, I’m looking for a cure. My sister is sick,” His lips tightened and he looked at me with pity.

Marcus looked away to readjust the ropes and then said, “What is your name?”

“Silvina,” I replied, “Silvina D’Amore,”

“A beautiful name,” He whispered, then cleared his throat. “You should rest a bit, there won’t be anything for miles,”

I smiled and laid my head down on a small sac in the corner of the boat. Sleep found me easier than I thought.

I woke a few times, Marcus showed me how to tie the ropes, and he himself went to rest when I had mastered it. Darkness was falling quickly, stars reflected in the surface of the water were like little diamonds. I leaned back against the side of the boat and looked at the star-flecked sky.

The moon shone bright, I hadn’t seen it like this in a while. Not since before the war.

I was thinking of better times when a faint roaring filled the space around me, the roar got louder and louder. I looked up and nearly screamed when I saw a fighter jet approaching us. I kept my head down as whispered loudly to Marcus. His eyes opened and he looked around, confused.

He opened his mouth to say something, but I held a finger up to my lips and pointed up to the plane above us. His eyes widened, and he gestured for me to lay down. I did as he asked, pressing my body to the hardwood of the boat, I squeezed my eyes shut. As if that could shut out the cold, terrifying feeling I had.

I stayed like that until the roaring noise faded. I didn’t even realize I was shaking until I sat back up, the feeling from a moment ago still haunting me. Lingering like a layer of oil. Marcus looked the same.

The next day was free of incidents, Marcus and I shared some food I’d brought and he took the night shift. It was two days before the incident happened again. I was sleeping when I heard the engines of the plane again.

Not again! I thought. We were so close to shore, only 2 miles or so. I lay down again, hoping that the plane would go away, Marcus did the same. But this time the plane didn’t ignore us.

I heard the rat-tat-tat of the bullets before I saw them. I didn’t think about anything as I jumped into the water. The cold surrounded me, freezing my muscles, but I ignored it and began to swim away from the boat. Long broad strokes, and as quietly as possible.

I looked back to see if Marcus had followed and swallowed a scream. The blond man was hanging bloody off the side of the ship. As if he’d tried to escape but got shot in the process. Hot tears were running down my face, but they were lost in the water as I began to swim again.

My teeth were chattering, my limbs numb, dark spots were blurring my vision. But I continued to swim until I reached the shores of Palermo. I let myself collapse on the white sand, darkness dragged me down so fast that I didn’t even notice the bloody gash in my stomach.

There was a light, I squinted to let my eyes adjust to it. My sister was standing there, glowing. She extended a hand to me.

“Silvina,” I savored her voice. “You made it, you found me again, you came back,”

As I inspected her, I realized that she looked like she did before the sickness; plump rosy cheeks and eyes filled with light.

“I don’t understand, how did you recover?” She didn’t answer me, and her glow dimmed just a bit. I had a feeling I knew what happened.

“It doesn’t matter anymore, Sorella,” She smiled again. “All that matters is that we are together again, and we will be—” She walked towards me, her hand still extended. “—forever,”

I was smiling too now, and that smile didn’t fade as I took her hand and we walked into the light together, leaving behind my body.

As well as a small wolf sculpture that had floated to shore.

∼END∼