The Escape

ALINA

It's heartbreaking to discover that the people you thought would never turn their back against you are the ones now serving you pain in a platter of gold.

It's shatters you when it comes from your family, the people who are suppose to be your moral support in times of distress and need.

It's more heartbreaking when you look into their eyes and you see those warm orbs, once clothed in care and affection now carrying nothing but hate and disgust for you.

When the person you thought was the best part of your life turns against you in such a brutal manner, it makes you wonder if there's anything like trust and loyalty.

If anyone ever told me that Dante could treat me like this after we had confessed our feelings to each other, I would have definitely not believed and call the person a liar.

Here I was, receiving all the pain, heart break and lies all wrapped together. It was an unending labyrinth of secrets for me.

I wanted to know who was behind all the attacks on us and yet I got myself caught in the web of lies instead.

And I know I do not have enough time left.

Today was my death day.

Yet the man that got me into this mess, my fucking father Nikolia, never bothered for once to come bail me out.

What sort of a man does this to his own daughter? Dante literally threatened to send my corpse within seven days and my father went mute like he concurred to the idea of Dante killing me.

I've been falsely accused here.  I felt like screaming my lungs out and pleading non stop but I know whatever I say now won't matter because Dante already made up his mind to kill me.

I had no more tears left to cry. My pain had numbed that beautiful ability to cry and I could only sit in waiting for my execution.

I know that whenever I come face to face with Dante again, I'll feel devasted, lonely, subdued and the heartache of all that has happened will kill me first before he even kills me.

My eyes slowly fluttered open once again the moment I felt a sharp sting of pain and the darkness welcomed me in, mixed with the rotten stench of the cellar.

I couldn't tell if it was six yet but one critical glance at the orange horizontal sky through the window placed in my cellar informed me that it was already evening.  Spotting a figure in the darkness of my cellar, I sat up straight and noticed the one face I never thought would show up for me.

It was my maid, Naomi.

"Naomi? What are you doing here?" I asked in apprehension.

If Dante saw her here or one of the guards, she could get into huge trouble.

"Ma'am I came for you" Naomi had tears streaming down her cheeks on seeing my heartwrenching situation.

"Leave Naomi please. If the guards saw you or worse Dante, he will deal with you" I cautioned her, fighting back my own tears.

She shook her head at me and sniffed her nose. "Mariposa is down watching out for me and no guard will come meet me"

I was confused and bewildered. Why was she so sure that no guard will come for her? Guards literally patrolled this cellar and today was the day I would die.

Obviously they would be on their toes.

"What do you mean? Here isn't safe Naomi" my hoarse voice told her.

" I can't watch you go through this. I know deep down you are innocent of whatever accusations Mr Dante laid on you. I overhead him earlier today on the phone speaking of killing you when he arrives back and my heart sank. He loves you and I don't understand why he wants to do this to you" Naomi told me with a shaky voice.

The tears I had been fighting to hold back spilled effortlessly and I buried my face in my hands.

"Don't cry please" Naomi tried comforting me.

"Naomi please go ok. I don't want you in any sort of trouble with Dante. He is murderous at this point" I cried.

"I won't go, not until I release you" she told me sternly.

I glanced up, locking my gaze with hers and my eyes widened. "How can you release me?"

"All the guards are asleep. I and Mariposa added a sleeping drug to their food in small quantities. It can only keep them asleep for like half an hour. But it was enough time for us. I have the key to your cellar. Dante entrusted it to the guard that was going to lead you to your place of execution" Naomi explained to my greatest surprise.

My jaws fell to the ground and my mouth was at agape. These girls are risking their life for mine!

If I did escape, Dante will definitely find out and I don't even want to imagine what he would do to them if he found out they were the ones behind it.

"If Dante finds out, he will kill you both. Don't risk your life for mine. I have nothing to live for" I whispered.

"You have your child to live for. That baby growing in your womb, you have to live for that child" Naomi reminded me.

I crumbled into tears once more, letting my emotions out.

"Nothing is going right in my life anymore but for the sake of my child, I will not give up. My love for my child will keep me going. I pray one day, Dante realises the fact that I was innocent from the beginning" I cried, clutching tightly to my stomach.

Naomi quickly brought out the key to my cellar and unlocked it.

"Alina come out please" She urgently told me as her eyes kept flickering back to the dark pathway of the cellar.

I quickly stood and sprinted out to meet her. Together we dashed out of the cellar.

My eyes landed on various sleeping guards. They looked so deeply asleep that they couldn't hear a thing.

"Ma'am you are out!" Mariposa exclaimed for joy, pulling me into a tight hug. She didn't even mind my foul stench.

"Thank you both so much. Honestly. You didn't only save my life but the life of my child" I held both their hands, looking at them with grateful orbs.

"Don't mention it. Now please go. Run as fast as you can and don't worry about us. We will leave too, our clothes are packed already" Naomi told me.

The atmosphere carried grief in it and we couldn't help but cry at the urgent separation we would have to go through.

I hugged them both once more. I will never forget these girls. Risking their safety and life for mine was something that will forever stick to my memory.

And if we all make it out alive, I hope we cross paths again.

"Be safe you two. And leave here as soon as you can. Dante will kill you both if he finds out so please leave and don't look back" I told them with a heavy heart to which they nodded.

Immediately, I took my heels, running through the doors of the mansion and heading for the iron gates.

Now I was going to make sure I survived this dangerous phase of my life and nothing was going to stop me.

I'm living not for any body else but for my unborn child.

Dante's child.