Iris POV
“I don't think I can do this—” I felt a wave of panic wash over me completely taking over my ability to think clearly. “I need you to hurry!” My voice was filled with desperation and the urgency of my words pierced through the heavy feeling of fear that was building up inside of me.
“Excuse me ma’am please—” the operator kept trying to say something but their voice started to fade into the distance. It was like their words were being swallowed up by the overwhelming noise of panic and fear that surrounded me.
All I could focus on was Hugo lying in front of me completely motionless and the heavy weight of the secrets that seemed poised to take over my mind and my life. I could feel time slipping through my fingers like sand in an hourglass and I knew that every single second was incredibly important.
I suddenly ended the phone call and a strong wave of shock surged through my entire body. It felt as if I had completely lost my connection to what was real leaving me in a state of disbelief that was almost hard to comprehend.
In a rush, I threw my phone onto the passenger seat of my car and the dull sound it made as it landed barely registered in my mind as I slammed the door closed with force. “I need to get out of here,” I said softly to myself the words slipping out almost like a whisper while my heart raced loudly in my chest beating like a drum and drowning out every other sound around me.
I turned the key in the ignition and the car hesitated for a brief moment before it roared to life. The loud noise filled the quiet around me sounding like a desperate cry for help as I prepared to escape.
As I sat behind the steering wheel of my car I gripped it firmly with my hands feeling the strength in my squared shoulders. A strong sense of determination pushed me onward as I drove into the thick darkness of the night.
Outside the windshield, the world was a chaotic blend of bright lights and dark shadows swirling together in a confusing dance. The night grew deeper around me and I could feel an uneasy sensation in my stomach as if it were being clawed at by a wild untamed animal.
With every mile I covered the distance felt like it was stretching on forever while adrenaline rushed through my body making me go faster than what the speedometer could even register.
However, as I got closer to Raf’s house a heavy feeling of dread instinctively settled deep in my stomach making me feel uncomfortable. I could sense that something was wrong it felt like it was gnawing away at me from the inside.
“Please... I hope you are okay” I whispered struggling to express the deep feelings that were swirling around inside me. I found myself praying—partly to myself and partly to the unpredictable forces that seemed to control this crazy world we live in.
As I parked the car I brought my hands up to cup my face. I was trying hard to calm my breath and to quiet the chaos raging in my thoughts. I had finally made it to this place yet the overwhelming weight of uncertainty felt so heavy that it made me feel like I might fall apart under its pressure.
The house stood before me large and looming shrouded in darkness and silence. It felt almost like a predator waiting patiently for its next move. As I stepped out of the car the quietness around me was so intense that it felt as if it might envelop me completely pressing against my ears with a weighty and foreboding sound.
A sense of caution began to spread through my body making me feel more alert and aware of everything around me. I slowly made my way toward the back door my heart pounding furiously in my chest like an excited creature.
Each step I took was deliberate and careful and the sound of the old floorboards creaking beneath my feet seemed unnaturally loud echoing around me like a chorus of anxious whispers warning me of possible dangers that might be hidden in the shadows.
I took a deep breath to calm myself before looking inside. As I carefully glanced in I noticed the shadows moving slightly beneath the weak light. A chilling sense of fear gripped my stomach tightly reminding me that Campani’s men might still be hiding nearby.
I squeezed my body through a narrow opening in the window and as I did so I let out a grunt because pain shot through my arms and legs. My body was shaking as I moved uncomfortably but after a bit of effort, I finally made it and landed safely inside the room that I recognized so well.
“Iris...” I said softly my voice trembling with emotion. I clutched tightly to the edges of the window frame feeling as if holding onto it would help keep me steady amidst the strange and chaotic events happening all around me. “You need to pull yourself together.”
I carefully moved further into the quiet house feeling a little nervous with each sound that the old wooden floor made beneath my feet. The floorboards creaked loudly almost like they were trying to speak to me warning me that I should turn around and leave.
My heart was beating very fast and I could hear it pounding in my ears making me feel even more anxious. I knew that I had to find something—anything at all—that could help me defend myself or keep me safe from whatever dangers or threats might still be hiding in this eerie place.
My feet seemed to guide me toward the living room where a lamppost stood innocently in the corner a strange sort of comfort amidst the chaos. Gripping it tightly I felt its cool surface bite into my clammy palms. “I’m not going to die here” I muttered fiercely the thought both a defiance and an empowerment igniting a flicker of courage within me…