34

[ARTEMY]
A sudden loud bang jolted me awake, causing my eyes to snap open in fear. “Mommy?” I called out, desperately seeking her reassurance. I felt her hands urgently grabbing me, yanking me out of bed. The room was flooded with bright lights, and as I blinked away the remnants of sleep, another deafening bang echoed through the air. I flinched involuntarily, my heart racing as screams reached my ears.
“Mommy, what’s happening?” I stammered, my voice trembling with dread.
She knelt down in front of me, and the sight of sheer terror etched on her face widened my eyes in disbelief. My stomach sank, and my chest constricted with a sense of impending danger.
“Mommy,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
“Artemy, listen carefully,” she began, her voice quivering with fear. “I want you to hide under the bed, okay? No matter what happens or what you see or hear, you mustn’t come out. Do you understand?” Mommy gripped my shoulders, shaking me gently, urgency radiating from her.
I nodded, but confusion clouded my mind. I couldn’t comprehend the gravity of the situation. The fear in her eyes scared me even more. My mommy had never been scared before. She was always cheerful and full of smiles. I had never seen her like this. Tremors ran through her petite frame, tears welling up in her eyes. Her hands roamed over my body, pulling me close to her chest.
She showered my face with hurried kisses and then pulled back, meeting my gaze. “Mommy, what about you? Why do I have to hide under the bed?” I mustered the courage to ask.
“Artemy, please don’t ask questions,” she pleaded urgently. “Just listen to Mommy. Hide under the bed and don’t come out, no matter what. Only when Papa, Nona, or Howard come looking for you.” Mommy’s words were laced with desperation as she grasped my shoulders, shaking me gently.
“But why?” The question lingered on the tip of my tongue, ready to escape, but she silenced me with a sorrowful shake of her head. A tear escaped the corner of her eye.
“Please, my baby. Promise Mommy that you won’t come out,” she implored, her voice choked with emotion.
Without hesitation, I quickly promised, and her tears flowed freely. Pulling me into a tight embrace, she whispered in my ear, “I love you. I love you so much, my sweet boy. Never forget that.”
Reluctantly, we separated as another loud bang reverberated from outside the room. The sound seemed closer, more ominous. I trembled with fear, and a look of sheer horror crossed Mommy’s face.
She pushed me toward the bed, her voice barely audible as she stood up. “Go, my baby. Don’t come out. Don’t make a sound. No matter what happens, do you hear me?” Her words were soaked in tears as she ushered me under the tall bed.
A wave of sickness washed over me, and my throat tightened, making it difficult to breathe. I nodded, unable to find my voice. She cast one final glance at me before tucking the sheet down, creating a barrier between us.
My heart pounded wildly in my chest, and I desperately gasped for air, but my attempts were futile. My heart ached with confusion and fear.
The sound of the door being forcefully flung open echoed through the room, crashing against the wall with a resounding bang. Startled, I instinctively curled up under the bed, drawing my knees closer to my chest. Peeking out from under the covers, I caught a glimpse of my mommy’s feet.
But then, a chilling and unfamiliar voice sliced through the air, sending shivers down my spine. “Celia. How delightful to see you again,” the voice sneered.
“Herman,” Mommy replied, her voice laced with steely determination.
“I’m surprised Damian left you defenseless.”
“Why have you come?” Mommy demanded, her tone filled with a terrifying intensity. It was the first time I had ever heard my mommy speak that way.
“You know perfectly well why I’m here, my sweet Celia.”
Suddenly, Mommy let out a piercing scream, causing me to flinch. No, he was hurting her. The bad man was hurting my mommy. My eyes widened in horror as I watched her crumple to the ground. Her face collided with the floor, and her swollen belly bore the brunt of the impact. Clutching her stomach, she cried out in agony.
I couldn’t bear it. Princess! My mind screamed. The villain was hurting Princess too. I couldn’t stand idly by. I had promised to protect both Mommy and Princess. Just as I was about to emerge from my hiding place beneath the bed, Mommy’s eyes met mine. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she subtly shook her head, barely noticeable but there nonetheless.
Her eyes pleaded with me not to come out.
Tears welled up in my eyes, my nose tingling, and my cheeks growing damp. I realized I was crying.
Mommy locked eyes with me one last time, then turned away, still clutching her stomach. “Please, don’t do this. I beg you. Have mercy,” she implored.
A booming laugh filled the room as the man knelt down. I strained to catch a glimpse of his face, though it was difficult. However, in that fleeting moment, I despised him with every fiber of my being. How dare he? He had harmed my mommy and Princess.
“I can spare you if you agree to come with me. Become my plaything, and maybe then I’ll show you mercy.”
I didn’t fully understand his words, but a wave of relief washed over me. He said he wouldn’t harm my mommy. Thank goodness.
Mommy’s eyes widened, her brows furrowing in disgust, as she uttered her defiant words with a venomous spat. The gravity of her statement sent a surge of panic coursing through me. “No!”
I desperately wanted to scream, pleading with her in my mind. “Please, Mommy, listen to him. He won’t harm you. Please!”
The man grunted, his voice laced with resignation. “Is that your final decision?” he asked, seeking confirmation. Mommy remained silent, but her unwavering gaze never wavered as it bore into the man.
“Well, then,” he resignedly conceded.
In the blink of an eye, the man’s hand was now holding a firearm, aimed squarely at my mother’s forehead. Horror washed over me, and I trembled with fear, desperately hoping for a different outcome. “Why are you doing this?” Mommy whispered, her voice cracking, betraying her vulnerability.
“Don’t you see, Celia?” the man whispered back, his words filled with malevolence. “The most effective way to bring a man down is through his weakness. And you, my dear, are Damian’s weakness.”
And with those chilling words, a deafening bang echoed through the room.
I squeezed my eyes shut, my heart pounding fiercely against my chest. Curling up into a tight ball, I brought my knees closer to my chest and wrapped my arms around them, attempting to stifle my cries. I had made a promise. I had sworn not to make a sound.
The pain in my heart was unbearable, and a numbing sensation slowly crept through my body, making me feel detached from everything. After counting to ten, I mustered the strength to lift my head and cautiously open my eyes.
What I saw before me took my breath away. Dizziness overwhelmed me, and tears streamed down my cheeks, blurring my vision. My mother’s head lay tilted in my direction, her face covered in a crimson mask. Her lifeless, open eyes stared directly into mine, devoid of the warmth, sweetness, and love they once held.
My heart pounded relentlessly, refusing to accept the truth. “No. No. No. No,” I repeated, my voice a mere whisper. My mommy-this couldn’t be happening.
Mommy.
Mommy.
I wanted to scream, but no sound emerged from my lips. In a futile attempt to contain my anguish, I gasped for air, my body convulsing with each sob. Clutching my knees tightly, I buried my face within them, weeping silently.
As tears streamed down my face, I mourned the fact that I would never have the chance to reciprocate her love and say those three simple words: “I love you.”
—
I sank to my knees, overwhelmed by a torrent of memories that mercilessly replayed in my mind. The weight of it all felt suffocating, like a vise tightening around my throat. Frantically, I reached up and began vigorously rubbing my hands against my neck, desperate for relief.
Gasping for air, my stomach clenched in agony. The pressure in my chest was unbearable, a searing pain that seemed to squeeze the life out of me. I pressed a trembling hand against my fiery chest, hoping to ease the torment, but to no avail. Nothing ever seemed to work, no matter how hard I tried.
The pain had become my constant companion, a relentless force that had haunted me for twenty-two long years. You would think I had grown accustomed to it by now, but each time it struck, it seemed even more excruciating than before. The ache never subsided; it held me captive to my past, an unbreakable chain.
Leaning against the side of the piano, I rested my head upon its smooth surface, tears streaming down my cheeks unabated. I couldn’t control them-they flowed freely, while I squeezed my burning eyes shut, trying to shut out the world.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. So sorry,” I whispered through a voice shattered by pain.