Falling With Grace

I gasped, my blood pooling in my temples with a thundering thump.

Did he come for me?

Was that Elias’ cries?

Was he hurt?

My chest compressed as I hyperventilated, my lungs wheezing under the constricting grip.

Andrés is here.

He found me.

I covered my ears with my hands, focusing on the rhythmic thumping of my heartbeat. The whoosh in my ears transformed into a comforting echo, reminiscent of the seaside villa my parents once took me to.

Seagulls weave intricate patterns in the vast canvas of the sky, their raucous calls an exuberant melody seeking the promise of a quick feast.

Cool grains of sand dance between my toes, with whispers welcoming a chill into my core.

The ocean’s gentle waves reach out to touch the shore. Salt tinges the air within the mist, spraying off the waters.

“Grace, come see this.”

Another guttural cry pierced through my sanctuary, my eyes shooting open into darkness.

This wasn’t right.

This doesn’t feel right.

I pulled myself out from beneath the bed, my fingers trembling as they curled around the edge of the mattress, sliding my body across the cool, marbled floor. My gaze flickered towards the door shrouded in darkness.

Antonio’s feet—or whoever the guard was tonight—remained still, casting a foreboding serenity upon the room.

I turned my ear towards the muted sounds, waiting for that inevitable plea for mercy to cut through the silence again. Tense moments stretched into an agonizing pause.

Hescreamed.

The shriek assaulted my senses, a visceral cry that transcended the realm of mortal suffering. My head snapped to the side.

A vent?

I inched across the floor as if a sniper lurked just outside the window, ready to blow my head off if I dared to stand. I dragged myself towards the vent, every movement calculated and cautious.

“No lo diré de nuevo.” I won’t say it again.

Elias?

Concentrated lines creased my brows as I pushed myself up from the floor and cracked the door open.

Antonio sat beside my door in a wooden chair with a small, flowered cushion billowing out from the sides of his thighs, his shoulder-length hair veiling his face as his head hung low. The unsettling rise and fall of his shoulders accompanied a snore that mimicked the growl of a discontented bear.

I shifted my gaze to the right, the flushing toilet like nails on a chalkboard in a quiet room. The light burned from the door frame’s edges, and the sink squeaked as the second guard turned it on.

Stepping into the hallway, I closed the door behind me with the quietest snick, then hurried down the steps before the second guard could return.

Disquieting wails charged the air, leading me through the house, my feet gliding in silence upon the marbled floors.

My breath burst through my lips, my cheeks and ears burning hot as though I’d stuck my head in an oven.