YARA’S POINT OF VIEW
I am dressed in a red hip hugging gown. The red of the gown contrasts my light brown skin, the red mirror’s how I feel, enraged.
I never agreed to this, I told him that I did not want to go for this masquerade ball but as usual he got his way and I am now here seated at the back seat of this black tinted limousine, next to him being driven to the venue.
He pours some golden colored champagne into a champagne flute.
“Here this will help you with your anxiety.” Raphael said, I took it and had all the drink down in one gulp.
I have always battled with social anxiety it became worse after my father’s infamous arrest, after our family was thrown into a whirlwind of media frenzy, it was a long time ago but I remember every bit of the trial.
Raphael knows about my social anxiety because I told him, the day I told him was that day my father got this huge award and he chose me to give a speech, I was so sure I couldn’t do it but Raphael helped or should I say the thin line of white powder he laid out for me on the kitchen table helped.
I got over my anxiety that day, gave a good speech, I thought I had found a solution, this solution was the white powdery stuff, I was never anxious whenever I had it in my system.
At first I only used it whenever I had to be in a crowded place but later I became dependent on it. I was eighteen the first time I had this white powdery stuff, it took me two years to stop needing it, two year to get over being dependent on it.
I held out my flute for another round of champagne, Raphael poured some into my glass.
I don’t think I can get over today without any form of alcohol in my system.
I took the drink down in one gulp. Then held my glass out for another, I drank until I felt like I was bold enough to carry on with the night, bold but still in touch with my sanity.
“Don’t worry I’m here for you, none of them can lay a finger on you as long as i am here. I will always protect you Yara.” Raphael said, taking the glass out of my hand. He placed my head on his shoulder, I did not protest instead drop of tears slipped out from my eyes.
The memory is still ingrained in my head, the day of the court hearing.
It happened at the time when I still used to see my father as perfect, when I still used to see my life as normal even though I was sleeping with a man who is at least twice my age, a man who is also my godfather, even though I always had cocktails of drugs and alcohol in my system, even I used to see the questionable things my father used to do, I still saw him as perfect, just like every other child sees their parent so when he got accused of trafficking those women I did not… could not believe it even though I had seen him do much worse things, I still couldn’t believe that my perfect father was the monster the media and the rest of the world was making him out to be.
He was perfect in my eyes, I only started to see the crack one year later when I found out something that none of my other siblings should ever know, that was when I started to see my father for what he truly is… A monster.
I breathed in and then out, trying my best to steady my pacing heart as we walked out of the limo, Raphael had his hands around my shaky hands.
I saw the amount of people in there and panicked, they looked too much like those people outside the court house, too much like those people that stayed outside hurling insults at us, yelling things at us. I panicked, could hardly breathe.
“I can’t do this, I’m sorry.” I said in a panicky voice, ready to bolt.
“I am here for you, nobody can ever lay a finger on you.” Raphael said in that firm steady reassuring voice that I had fallen in love with when I was just a girl.
DELVIN’S POINT OF VIEW
If she’s with me all the time, if I never let her leave my side then he will have no chance to take her away from me.
There is this masquerade ball that I am supposed to attend on my father’s command. I don’t want to piss him off any more than I already have so I kinda have to do whatever he wants.
I have to go with Zara to this ball because I never want her to leave my sight, because if I am here to protect her then he would have no chance at all to harm her.
I look in awe at how stunning Zara looks in the ball gown she has on, I can hardly believe that she is mine.
“You look amazing baby!” I exclaimed and then picked her up and spun her around, she giggled.
My baby is so beautiful!
We got into my car and I drove to the venue which is literally in a castle, I handed in my card at the first castle gate, it was scanned on the automatic card reader, the gate opened i drove in, it then closed behind me.
I continued driving until we got into the main compound where we were both handed our masks we walked into the most beautiful ballroom ever, there were people already on the dance floor doing the Walts, people standing around chatting amongst themselves, the normal setting.
DIEGO’S POINT OF VIEW
We were still on the dance floor, Valentina and I, still smiling from the nostalgia that the old song that was playing brought, she was still grinning from ear to ear when I leaned in to whisper to her just how gorgeous she is, I was still intoxicated by the flowery scent of her perfume, by the awareness that being this close to her brings. We were still dancing when it all began.
Choas broke when the whole place went completely dark, everyone started to scream in fear when the numerous sounds of gunshots encroached the previously happy atmosphere. Nobody could see anything, we just kept hearing guns get fired.
I couldn’t move from where I was standing, it was like someone or some people were holding me in place. I tried to feel around for Valentina but I could not find her.
“Valentina!!”
“Valentina!!” I yelled panicked, I swear if anything happens to her!
“Valentina!” I yelled still held in place.
“Diego.” I heard her voice say, it was low as if it was coming from the other side of the room.
I tried to follow her voice, I tried to run to her but these people restraining me did not let me move! The gun shots were still being fired, for the first time in a very long time, I actually felt terrified… terrified for Valentina’s life, terrified that those gunshots will take the one good thing in my life, that these unknown people will kill the only girl I have ever loved, the only girl I will ever love.
“Valentina!”
“Valentina!” I yelled but there was no answer.
I started hearing footsteps, heavy ones, the footsteps was sounding closer and closer, I reached into my pocket for a shot gun. I aimed it at the direction that the footsteps was coming from.
The light were turn on and I saw that I had my gun aimed at my father and he had his gun aimed at me.
“Father,” I said in shock, I thought I had killed him, he had laid at my feet dead… how is he alive now?…