Note: Just a nice fluffy story between 2 children. Absolutely no whump found here. :D
“Pavi, come back here now!”
Pavi just ran. He could hear her behind him. He had to get out of there. She was angry. Mama Irene was really angry. He didn’t know where he could hide. If he hid in his room or anywhere else in the house, she would find him. And papa didn’t allow them to go to the medical floors of GeneCo. He didn’t want to disturb papa either.
Maybe…
He hit the ground floor on the lift. The door slid shut on Irene’s furious face. She was really angry. He was going to pay for it if she caught him.
The lift doors slid open and he ran past legs. There were annoyed ‘hey’s but no one stopped him. He ran out the front door and stopped. Where could he go? He didn’t know anywhere to go.
Oh. Luigi brought him to the park once. Maybe he could find his way back there. Yes. He would hide there until Irene calmed down. He would hide there until dinner; she wouldn’t dare do anything if papa was there.
***
“Mr Largo, have you seen your brother?”
Luigi looked up to see a Gentern at the door. “No.”
“That’s odd. I haven’t been able to find him anywhere. Dinner will be ready soon.”
“Ok.” Luigi closed the book he was reading and headed towards the dining room. Carmela and her mother were already there. Luigi sat at his usual spot without sparing a glance at them.
The same Gentern came in, “Mrs Largo, I can’t find Pavi anywhere.”
“Leave him. If he doesn’t want to come for dinner, he can starve.” Luigi hated how callous Irene was towards Pavi. Isabella never treated him that way. He didn’t understand how Irene could be such a bitch.
“Pops wants us all here.”
Irene rolled her eyes. “I’m not your brother’s babysitter. It’s not my job to know where he is.”
Luigi seethed. No, she was their fucking stepmom. It was her fucking job to care for them. But she only had eyes on Carmela and even that was the bare minimum she did. “Did you see him today?”
“Yes. He broke my favourite make-up set. Instead of apologizing, he ran off. You should teach your brother common courtesy.”
Maybe if he had a fucking role model for it. “Did you see where he ran off to?”
“He ran into the lift and it headed to the lobby. I didn’t see him after.”
Luigi froze. “He went outside?”
“Please. Your brother wouldn’t dare go out by himself. He’s probably hiding in the lobby.”
He turned to the Gentern. “Call security at the lobby.”
She obeyed and shook her head. “They didn’t see him. They checked the cameras. He left early this afternoon and there’s no footage of him coming back.”
Luigi stood. “Why didn’t you fucking say something earlier?”
“It’s not my job to baby-”
“He’s been gone the whole day. You let a 9-year-old boy wander the streets by himself. It’s fucking snowing outside.” Something in Luigi’s chest twisted. He gripped the back of the chair. He had to calm down. He took deep breaths. He couldn’t get angry. He couldn’t get an arrest now. He needed to find his brother.
Luigi left the dining room. He headed towards the lift. He grabbed his winter coat from the rack. He froze when he realized his brother’s coat was still hanging there. Damnit. He took the lift to the ground floor. He ignored security telling him that they would search for Pavi and to stay inside.
He opened the front doors and he shivered. It was fucking freezing out here. Where the fuck did his brother run off to? Where would he go? Pavi hardly went outside. He…he couldn’t be just wandering the streets by himself. It was so cold. Could he have gone to a shop to wait out the cold? That was it right? That had to be it. Pavi couldn’t be walking around in the cold like this.
***
Luigi looked around the park. It was empty. He didn’t know where else to search. He’d search everywhere in a walking radius from GeneCo. Fear clenched in his stomach. What if someone took his brother? Easy ransom or worse… Luigi shook the thought off. He didn’t want to think about it.
Luigi pulled the coat tighter around himself. The snow was getting heavy. He had to get out of the cold. No. He needed to find his brother. “Pavi!” There was no one here. “Paviche!” Where else could he look? If he was just wandering the streets, where would he go for shelter? “Paviche!”
“Fra…fratello?”
Luigi looked around. He swore he heard his brother’s voice. It began to storm harder. The wind blasted in his ears. Maybe he was just hearing things. “Pavi!”
“Fratello.”
Luigi followed the sound to a large concrete pipe underneath the slide. His brother was there hugging himself. “Idiot! Where the hell have you been?”
“He…he…here.”
“Come on, Pavi, we have to go.” The boy didn’t move. Luigi cursed and climbed into the pipe. “Paviche, did you hear me?”
“Mama Irene is…is…is angry wi…wi…with me.”
“Fuck her. Who fucking cares what she thinks?”
Pavi didn’t say anything. He was holding his left wrist.
Luigi pulled the hand towards him and pulled up the sleeve. A bruise the shape of a handprint greeted him. “Did she do this?” Luigi growled.
“Sh…sh…she was fu…furious.”
“I’m going to fucking kill her.”
“I…i…it’s ok, fratello.”
“How is this ok? Has she done this before?”
“No.” Pavi looked down. “It…it was m…my fault. I br…broke her things.”
“She still had no right touching you!” Something twisted in Luigi’s chest once more.
“Fratello!”
Luigi closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He was fine. He just had to calm down. He just had to keep his temper in check.
“A…a…are you ok?”
“I’m fine, Paviche.” Luigi sighed. He leant on the wall on just focused on breathing.
“Fratello…”
He hated that worry, that concern. “We should head back. I won’t let that bitch touch you.”
Pavi nodded slowly.
Luigi felt his heart slow. “Let’s…” Luigi froze. It was storming like hell outside. Luigi couldn’t see anything further than 5 feet. “Maybe we should wait for the snow to slow down first.”
Pavi nodded again.
“Are you ok, paviche?”
“Cold.” He shivered.
Pavi was just wearing a t-shirt and pants. GeneCo was well-heated. He must have just ran out with whatever he had on.
Luigi removed the coat and draped it over his brother. “Better?”
Pavi nodded and pulled the coat around him. “Wh…wh…why does she ha…ha…hate me so much?”
“She doesn’t hate you. She’s a bully. You’re an easy target for her.”
Pavi curled deeper into himself. Luigi could see his breath from where he was sitting. “I tr…tr…try so ha…ha…hard to be nice.”
Luigi sighed. “I know. Some people are just assholes like that.”
Pavi shivered and hugged himself.
“Are you ok, Paviche?”
Pavi nodded but shivered more.
Luigi placed a hand on his wrist. “Fuck Pavi. You’re fucking freezing.”
“I…it’s ok.”
Fuck. Pavi was stuck there the whole day dressed like that. Of course he would be freezing. Shit. Luigi looked outside again. They couldn’t go through that storm. GeneCo was too far on foot. Luigi cursed himself for leaving his watch at home. He watched his brother shiver harder. The ground was freezing; the walls were freezing as well. He needed to minimize contact with anything cold. The warmest thing in here was…Luigi himself. He was an idiot. “Pavi, come here.”
Pavi just looked at him questioningly.
“Come here.”
Pavi cautiously approached him.
Luigi pulled his brother towards him; his skin was freezing against his. He pulled the coat tighter around his brother. “Better?”
Pavi nodded and curled tighter against him. “Does…does this mean y…y…you’re not angry w…w…with me anymore, fratello?”
“I’m not angry with you.”
“B…b…but you won’t t…t…talk to me anymore… Not si…si…since your arrest l…l…last year.”
Luigi sighed. “It’s complicated, Pavi.”
“Wh…wh…whatever it is, I…I’m sorry.”
“It’s not you, Paviche.” He just didn’t want Pavi to get attached. “Why did you come here?”
“It…it…it was the last place we had f…fun. I thought I…I…I’d be safe here.”
Luigi sighed. “Don’t you have fun with Carmela?”
“Si but… sh…sh…she’s so small. I…I can’t te…te…tell her anything.”
Luigi sighed. He knew Pavi was lonely but… “I’m sorry Paviche.”
“F…f…for what, fratello?”
“Pops being so busy all the time. I know you’ve been feeling neglected.”
“Neglected?”
“Left out.”
“A little. B…b…but I had you, fratello. But then y…y…you stopped talking to me too.”
“You need to find someone else, Paviche.”
“Why?”
“Because I won’t be…I won’t…” Luigi sighed. “I won’t be here forever, Paviche. You need to get used to me not being around.”
“No.”
Luigi sighed. “I know it’s not easy to understand Paviche but-”
“I understand, fratello. Papa to…to…told me.”
So everyone knew he was a goner except for him.
“He al…al…also told me that it was my j…j…job to keep you c…c…company. To ma…ma…make sure you we…we…weren’t scared or lonely. And…and I fa…fa…failed that, fratello.” Pavi buried his head into his chest and sobbed.
“Idiot. That’s…that’s too much to put on you.” Luigi held his brother tighter. “You’re too young to be dealing with this.”
“So…so are y…you, fratello.”
Luigi was silent. It wasn’t like he had a choice on this matter. And he was 14, he was practically an adult.
“Y…y…you ca…ca…can ha…ha…hate me, if…if…if you wa…wa…want, fratello. Ju…ju…just don’t hi…hide in your room a…a…anymore. Don’t…”
“Don’t what Paviche?”
“Don’t stop living.”
“It’s better this way Paviche.”
“Fo…for who?”
“Everyone.”
“It’s n…n…not better f…f…for me; Carmela is…is…is sad wondering why ‘Weegee’ won’t pl…pl…play with her anymore; Papa is…is…is worried. S…s…so better f…f…for who? Are you ha…ha…happy, fratello?”
“No.” Luigi hated how perceptive Pavi was. He was forced to grow up too fast. “I’m sorry.”
“I…I believe papa. He’s go…go…going to save you, fratello.”
Luigi sighed. “Maybe.”
Pavi’s eyes fluttered close.
“Pavi, stay awake!”
“Sleepy.” Pavi refused to open his eyes.
He tapped his face none too gently. “Eyes open, Paviche.”
“Ow.” Pavi glared at him.
His brother was not warm enough. He…skin to skin. That’s what they did in the movies right. Luigi’s hand moved to the buttons on his shirt. Why was he still wearing his gloves? He pulled off the gloves and placed it on his brother’s hands. They were too big but they had to do.
“Aren’t y…y…you cold, fratello?”
“No.” Luigi undid the buttons of his shirt. “I wasn’t as long out here as you.” He removed his shirt and cursed as his back pressed against the freezing wall. “I know it sounds weird, Pavi. But I need you to remove your shirt.” Pavi obeyed. Luigi wrapped his shirt around Pavi’s neck. He pulled his brother back towards him. He was still too cold. The storm still wasn’t slowing. What more could he do?
Pavi shivered against him.
“It’s going to be ok, Paviche.”
“Your sh…sh…shivering, fratello.”
“I’m not cold.”
“Fratello…”
“Just stay awake, Paviche. Pops will find us soon.”
***
Luigi blearily opened his eyes. Fuck. Did he fall asleep? It was so fucking cold. He looked at his brother in his arms. Pavi had fallen asleep too. He lifted his hand; it was stiff. Luigi opened and closed his hand to force the blood to flow. “Paviche, wake up. We shouldn’t have fallen asleep.”
Pavi didn’t stir.
He placed a hand on the back of Pavi’s head. It was so difficult to move. “Come on Pavi.” He shook his brother gently. “We need to stay awake. Conserve heat.”
Pavi still didn’t move.
Luigi was fully awake now. He shook his brother harder. “Pavi, open your eyes, now.” He tapped Pavi’s face roughly. “I mean it Pavi. Wake up, now.”
Pavi still didn’t move.
Fear filled Luigi. No. His brother wasn’t… Pavi was just being stubborn. That was all. He was just a deep sleeper. “Pavi, wake the fuck up now.” He shook his brother.
Pavi refused to stir.
Luigi felt something catch in his chest. This wasn’t happening. This wasn’t happening. His heart pounded. “Pavi, please. You have to wake up now.” His brother was so cold.
“Pavi! Luigi!”
Pops. “Here.” His voice was quiet. Luigi swallowed. “We’re here!” Luigi heard footsteps running. Luigi held his brother tighter. “Pops is here. Pops found us. We’re going to be fine.”
“Luigi!” Rotti’s face appeared at the mouth of the pipe.
“Pops. Pops, it’s Paviche. I…I don’t know how long he’s been asleep. I…I can’t wake him. I…”
Rotti reached into the cave. “Give him to me.” Rotti gently took Pavi from him.
Luigi just stared after his father. His father was here. They would be alright. Pavi would be alright. His heart skipped a beat. He had to be alright. He had to be alright.
Luigi heard Rotti talking with someone outside. There were people there; doctors maybe? Pavi would be alright. Pavi was safe now. Pavi was safe.
Luigi felt the freezing ground burn his side. He curled into himself. It was so cold. His heart pounded erratically in his chest. It was getting hard to think. He was so tired. He could rest now. Pavi would be find. Pavi would be…
***
The doctors took Pavi from him. They wrapped him in think blankets and brought him to the ambulance.
“He’s not breathing.”
Something clenched in Rotti’s chest. No.
One of the doctors climbed onto the stretcher and started performing CPR.
No. Not Pavi. Why hadn’t they found them sooner? What were they doing out here in a snowstorm?
“Mr Largo, we will take Pavi to the hospital first. The second ambulance will arrive shortly for Luigi.”
Rotti just nodded weakly. “He…He’s allergic to zydrate.”
The doctors nodded and pushed Pavi into the ambulance. Rotti numbly watched the ambulance speed off. Rotti took the thick blanket from the doctor that stayed behind. He shook. Pavi would be fine. Pavi would be alright.
Rotti turned back towards the pipe and froze. Luigi was lying in a foetal position on the ground. “Get off the ground boy, it’s cold.”
Luigi didn’t reply him.
Rotti turned the boy onto his back. His lips were blue. The boy was talking and moving just minutes ago. He couldn’t have deteriorated so fast. Rotti searched for a pulse. It was his heart. It was another arrest. “help me.” Rotti choked out to the doctor. He pulled Luigi out of the pipe and laid him on the ground. He pressed Luigi’s chest desperately as the doctor called for the ambulance to hurry.
Rotti felt numb. He couldn’t lose his children like this. Why did it take him so long to find them? Why didn’t he find them sooner? Rotti continued pressing Luigi’s chest. The ambulance would arrive and take Luigi to the hospital and restart his heart like they did so many times before. He would be fine. They would both be fine. They had to be.
Note: So I asked myself many times if I would kill a 9 year old boy. The answer was: I’ll let you decide. ;)
Note: Ok. Comfortember is going to be comfort, damnit. This is fluff, nothing more. Possible sequel to Day 25 of Whumptober (possible because I like the open-endedness of the ending and I can honestly do so much with that).
Prompts: Cuddling, Warmth, Crackling Fire, Blanket Fort
Luigi paused when he spotted his brother sitting by himself in the living room. He was sitting on the ground, in front of the fire. Luigi hesistated. ‘It’s not better for me.’ He was right. He was sure he was right ignoring his brother like he had the past year but… He remembered how devastated his brother looked. Slowly he approached his brother. “Are you ok, Paviche?"
Pavi looked up at him then back at the fire. He nodded slowly, "I…i…it’s nice and w…warm."
"Are you cold?"
Pavi froze and slowly shook his head. He held the throw pillow in his arms tighter.
Luigi removed his jacket and draped it over Pavi.
Pavi stiffened. "P…p…please don’t, fratello."
But he was warm, Luigi nearly protested. But he saw the way his brother gripped the pillow tighter. He picked the jacket and threw it over the sofa.
Pavi visibly relaxed but still didn’t say anything.
"What’s wrong, Paviche?"
"N…nothing.” Pavi’s gaze still didn’t leave the fire.
His brother never used to hide anything from him. Pavi would tell him everything. But…he supposed, he had no right to complain after ignoring his brother for a whole year. He quietly sat next to his brother. “Pops said you refused to tell him why you left GeneCo that day. Why?"
"D…d…did you t…tell him?"
"No."
"I…I…I didn’t w…want to get her in…in…in trouble."
"You’re too nice to her."
"I…I…I think she feels b…bad. She’s b…b…been nicer."
"That doesn’t make what she did ok."
"I know.” Pavi still continued staring at the fire.
Maybe Luigi should leave him be. He was right. Ignoring his brother for the past year was the right thing. His brother didn’t need to miss him. His brother should get used to him not being around. He was right. 'You can hate me if you want, fratello.’ Luigi sighed. “Paviche, I…I need to tell you something. When I woke up.”
Pavi hugged the pillow tighter.
“Pops told me… He’s never been honest with me before. But this time, he was. With the frequent arrests, my heart is… He doesn’t think he’ll get the heart in time. He doesn’t think I have long left…maybe a year… I… I don’t want you to think I hate you. So I’m giving you the choice, Paviche. We can continue what we’ve been doing. You can get used to me not being around. You-”
Something barrelled into him. He felt arms encircle him. “I…I…I j…just want to s…spend what t…t…time we have l…left together, fratello."
Luigi sighed. "Ok Paviche.” He placed a hand at the back of his brother’s head.
“Are y…you scared?” Came Pavi’s quiet voice
Terrified. “No.” But nothing would compare with how scared he was sitting in that concrete pipe, clutching his too-still brother to him.
“T…then I’m not s…scared either, fratello."
Luigi held his brother tighter. "Everything’s going to be ok, Paviche.” They sat like that in silence until Pavi quietly broke it.
“Sorella’s watching us."
Luigi pulled away and spotted his sister staring at them from behind the wall. Luigi sighed. He supposed he owed his sister the same choice. Even if she’s probably too young to understand. "I’ll be back.” He told Pavi as he stood. He apporached Carmela quietly.
Carmela just stared at him quietly.
He bent to her level. “Hey, Carmie."
She just stared at him shyly, like she was meeting him for the first time.
Luigi was right the first time. She wouldn’t remember him if he just left her be. Talking to her now was just being selfish. He stood. It was different than with Pavi. She was so young. Luigi didn’t remember anything from when he was her age. Leaving her alone was better for her. "Are you waiting for Pavi to play with you?"
She just stared at him.
"I’m done talking with Pavi. You can play with him if you want.” He headed towards the door.
“Wee-gee."
Luigi froze.
"Wee-gee, play with me."
He turned to his sister.
She met his gaze and looked to the ground. "Wee-gee, play."
It was better if…if… Damn it. "Lu-i-gi.” He bent to her level. “Say 'Lu-i-gi’ and I’ll play with you."
She pouted. "Wee-gee."
"You’re not even trying."
She stuck out her tongue at him.
Luigi sighed. "Come on then.” He headed out of the living room and Carmela slowly followed.
“Wee-gee, what you doing?"
"I have an idea.” He headed to the supply closet and picked up a tall stack of blankets. They headed back to the living room. He dumped the blankets on the ground.
“W…what are you doing, fratello?"
He turned the sofas around and threw the blankets on top. "Making a blanket fort."
"W…w…why?"
Luigi shrugged. "Seemed like fun."
"Make it higher."
Luigi smiled at his sister. "I’ll go get chairs from the dining room then."
"Fratello, I… b…b…be careful."
"I’m fine, Paviche.” Luigi saw Pavi’s downcast look. “Come help me then."
Pavi quietly followed him to the dining area.
***
Rotti opened the front door. It was past midnight and he was exhausted. Why was he still doing this? The doctors had already insisted that there was no hope. Was foolishly working on the heart really the best option? Or should he be spending time with his family instead? He didn’t know. If he stopped working on the heart, it meant he was giving up. He couldn’t give up.
Rotti froze as he entered the living room. Blankets were strewn everywhere. Furniture that belonged to various other parts of the house were placed haphazardly. What was this mess? Weren’t the Genterns supposed to be keeping the house clean?
That was when he spotted his children. They were curled up against each other in front of the fire. Rotti let out a small smile and decided against waking them. He headed to bed.
Note: The next Comfortember entry is not being kind to me. I’ve been at it for the last 4 days writing circles and its not exactly…comfort. I really wanted to get that done but it just refuses to happen. This is just a really old story I had lying around (like 4-5 years ago old). Honestly, my headcanons and the way I write Luigi has changed alot since then. It could probably do with a rewrite. But I think 4 days without posting is really too long. So here’s just an old one-shot.
Luigi inhaled, letting the smoke flood his lungs. He glanced at the picture in his hands and looked once again to the woman he was following. It was her. Someone crashed into him. He slammed the man onto the ground and pressed the knife on his neck.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Here you go. I’m sorry.” He cried holding out the watch he swiped from Luigi.
He smirked as an idea formed. “You want that?” The man just stared wide-eyed at him, unsure how to answer. “See that woman there? I want you to rob her.”
“What?”
“Just rob her and the watch is yours. Just don’t hurt her.”
“Ye…yes sir.” He stumbled to his feet and approached the woman. He pulled a knife on her. “Hey, lady. Your money or your life?”
The woman raised her hands before her. “Please, calm down. I’ll give you the money.”
“Hurry it lady.”
Luigi approached the pair. He wrapped an arm around his neck and twisted his arm, forcing him to drop the knife. He pushed the man away, and he ran. He turned towards the woman. “Are you alright?”
“Yes. You saved me. Thank you.”
“It’s not a problem, ma’am. You shouldn’t be walking alone around here. The streets are dangerous.”
“It wasn’t supposed to be this late.” She laughed. “I just got carried away.” He looked at the shopping bags in her hand. Baby supplies. She couldn’t have been more than 7 months. A bit…excited, wasn’t she?
“Why don’t I help you bring your bags back to your home? Then you wouldn’t have to walk alone.”
“So, I’ll go with a stranger, to avoid other strangers?” She laughed. “I’m joking. You don’t have to be so serious.” She held out her bags towards him. “My back is killing me anyway.”
He didn’t know how to react. Half of him wanted to laugh. Half of him wanted to check again if he got the right woman. She wasn’t what he was expecting, that was for sure. He took the bags from her and followed her to her house.
“So, stranger, have a name?”
“Frank…Romano.”
“Italian?”
“By blood. Was born and raised here.” He paused, “From your accent, I’m guessing you are from there?”
“Well I was born there and I spent most of my childhood there. I came here when I turned 14. I’m guessing the remnants of the accent is from a really vocal family.”
“Must be nice.”
“It is.” She raised her hand, showing off her ring. “My husband is like you. Born and raised here. But believe me when I say, he is more Italian than I am. Those operas he love used to bore me to death.” Luigi chuckled. “Not your thing either?”
“No. But my dad loved it so I was practically raised on it. If I hear even one more aria, it’d be too soon.”
“Tell me about it. We are 90s kids. Give me some pop or something. Not what my grandmother used to listen to.” Luigi gaped at her. “What?”
“Pop? Really?”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing. Just didn’t peg you for a pop princess.”
“I’m not a princess. And please. You are my age. We should have been raised to the same music.”
“Not. My. Thing. Though you’d probably get along with my sister I suppose.”
“See. I should meet her. She sounds like she has taste.”
“More like she needs her ears examined.”
“Here we are.” She stopped in front of a house. It was decent. A typical middle class suburban home. He bit back a chuckle as the image of his father mowing the lawn like a stereotypical suburban husband. “Why don’t you come in for a drink? It’s the least I can do for dragging you all the way out here.”
Luigi considered refusing and letting her persuade him but he decided not to risk it. “That would be nice. Thank you Mrs-” He stopped himself. He realized she hadn’t introduced herself yet. He nearly gave himself away.
“Largo. But please dear, call me Angelina. I’m married but I’m definitely younger than you.”
Luigi gave a small smile. Definitely not what he expected at all. He followed her in. “Is your husband home?”
“Yes. Though he’s in his office, working. I try not to disturb him.”
Luigi nodded. The thing he first noted about the house was the abundance of photos. Angelina excused herself to keep the bags. He approached the mantel and picked up a frame.
“See something you like?”
He hurried and put down the photo, ashamed at getting caught. “No. You both just seem so happy.”
She laughed. “Why are you so surprised?”
“No. I’m not.” He sputtered. “I just…” He’s just never seen his father smile like that before.
“Not married are you?”
“No. And I don’t fucking…sorry…I don’t plan to.”
“Why not?”
“Doesn’t work. Doesn’t last.” He mumbled. He’d watched pops fall in and out of love with enough women to know that marriage is just an excuse.
“Cynical aren’t you?”
“Realistic.” He took a glance outside. The sun was setting. Soon, he would have to excuse himself like a gentleman. Which meant he’d have to do what he planned to now. He sighed, “Mrs Largo?”
“Frank dear, please. I’ve told you to call me Angelina. I won’t tell you again.”
“Angelina,” it tasted weird on his tongue but no weirder than ‘Mrs Largo’ had felt. “I know how this is going to sound but you have to abort that baby.” Well, let no one accuse him of beating around the bush. Luigi Largo, King of Fucking Tact.
The friendly smile dissolved into disbelief. “Excuse me?”
“The doctors were wrong. The baby will kill you.”
Her expression soured instantly. “I think you need to leave.”
“You have to believe me.”
“Now!”
“Listen!”
“Leave!”
“I’m from the future.”
She paused. She erupted into laughter, “You had me there for a second.”
“I’m not joking. I’m telling the truth.”
Her face turned serious. “You’re insane.”
He smashed his fist against the wall in frustration. “I’m not! It’s hard to believe I know. Rotti Largo will build up GeneCo, hailed as a hero for finding a solution for the plague.”
“Frank-”
“But he’ll do it alone. You’ll die giving birth to that baby. You have to get rid of it.”
“How do you know about GeneCo? Rotti’s barely made plans.”
“I told you I’m from the future. There isn’t a person who hasn’t heard of GeneCo. I’m not lying.”
She just stared at him and something in her expression softened. For some reason, she decided to believe him. “Does he survive?”
“What?”
“The baby, my son, does he live?”
He froze, “Yes…” the response slipped out before he could catch it. As he saw her brow harden, he knew he should have lied.
“The doctors suspected all along. I just never had the heart to tell Rotti. He would have forced me to get rid of him.”
He growled in frustration, “He would be right, wouldn’t he? You can have more kids! Give it a few more years when GeneCo has the technology to save you!”
“And what about Luigi?”
“What?”
“My son. What about him? Get-get rid of it?” She points an accusatory finger at him. “It’s a life, he’s alive. Just this morning I felt him kick. It’s so easy for you to say get rid of him but he’s my son. What you are asking for is murder.”
“Your son is a murderer!” He hissed. “He doesn’t give a damn about anyone but himself. He’s a monster.”
“So this is what it’s about? Some ‘hero’ being sent to the past to assassinate a baby.” He held back a shiver as her eyes grew cold. “You are going to have to kill me if you want to lay a hand on my child.”
He took the chair and threw it at the wall, smashing it to pieces. “Why the fuck are you so stubborn!? That thing in your stomach is a creature. It’s a murderer from the minute he was born and he’ll be a murderer until he dies.”
Heavy footsteps echoed outside as Rotti Largo burst through the door. “What the hell is going on here?”
His eyes widened, he never expected to see the man again and there he was looking younger and healthier than ever.
“He’s trying to kill our son.”
Rotti’s eyes narrowed murderously. Rotti pulled out a gun and pointed it at him. “Who the hell are you?”
“I’m from the future. I was given a chance to fix a mistake. If you let that boy be born, he will kill your wife in the process.”
“Stop lying.”
The gun went off and a sharp pain shot up his leg. He let out a curse as he fell to the ground. “I’m not!” He said through gritted teeth. “Why the fuck would I go through all this trouble if I just wanted it dead? I’m trying to save your wife’s life.”
“Why?”
He racked his brain ignoring the pain radiating up his leg. The blood wasn’t spurting out or bright red, unlikely to be an artery. “A favour. You saved my life, I owed it to you.” Not that far from the truth.
“Even if you are telling the truth. You are asking me to choose between my wife and my son.”
“It’s not much of a choice! You’ll hate him. You can have more kids, better kids. And she’ll be there. She’ll be alive.” To his dismay, he found tears running down his face. He hurried to wipe them off before they saw.
“What’s your name?”
He froze, “I told you, it’s Frank.”
She knelt in front of him ignoring her husband’s cries of protest and raised his chin, forcing him to look at her. “Who are you?”
“Please.”
“Luigi?”
He couldn’t protest any longer. He dropped his head in defeat. “I’m sorry.” He knew somewhere deep inside, from the short time he’d spent with her, she wasn’t going to abort her child. He failed.
“Fuck!”
He turned towards his father and changed tactics immediately, “Pops please, you have to stop her. You’ll regret it, if you don’t.”
“Fuck!” Rotti repeated.
“You’re the only one in this family who has any sense. Convince her!”
“Why are you doing this?” He doubled back as he saw the tears in her eyes.
“There were only 2 events in my life of my own doing that I wanted to change. I figured if I change this, the second one won’t even happen. I know what I’m risking but this might be the only chance for our family to have a normal life.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Even with a different mother, they might still be born. I know it’s a risk but what we had…have can’t be called a family.”
“And you think me living will change all that?”
“I think you not dying will change everything.” He choked out. “I… I can’t say anymore. I was only allowed to change this. Please, listen to me. Luigi fucking Largo doesn’t fucking beg, but I’m begging you now.”
“What will happen to you? You’ll die.” His mother-no calling her his mother seemed too foreign as well-looked at him with such a depth of pain that he couldn’t help but feel guilty.
“I don’t care!”
“How can you not care!?”
“How can you!?"Maybe he hadn’t inherited his stubbornness from his pops after all. "Which part of this don’t you understand? I killed you! Don’t you understand that!?”
She bent down beside him once again, cupping his face in her hand, “Oh my boy, my son, how… how can you think that?” Her other hand reached out to stroke his hair back. She noted how he flinched from her touch.
“Please… I’m begging you. Please. Let me fix this. I need to fix this. Please.”
“It’s not your job to fix this.”
“No, you’re right; it’s yours.” He said turning to his father. “Pops please, if you love her like you always said you did, you’d stop this. Pops please.”
“I need to think.”
“What’s there to think? You never forgave me for this! Never thought I was worth losing her over.” The words flowed off his tongue; everything he held again this father come slipping out. He’d known, he’d always known his father never loved him. So he tried, he worked his ass off to keep his Pops proud. He thought he’d succeeded, he’d actually thought he’d done something right.
Rotti looked at him with abject horror. He’d seemed so different than the man he remembered. Had losing his wife really changed him that much?
“Look at me.” His eyes met his mothers’. “Luigi, if this is the only chance I’d get to meet you, I want you to know I’m so proud of you.”
“You know nothing about me. I wasn’t lying. I’m a murderer with a temper I can’t fucking control. You would hate me too. Please, save yourself.”
She pulled him into a hug. He froze, unsure of how he should feel or react. Slowly, he melted into her embrace. He wished he could have known her. She was as wonderful as his father would say on the rare occasions he was drunk enough to let down his guard.
He pulled away from her, hands shaking. "I am so sorry. Please forgive me.“ His hand tightened around the knife and drove it into her abdomen.
A cry of pain escaped her lips as her eyes widened in shock. He turned towards his father, "Get help.” Rotti rushed out of the room and he turned towards his mother. “I’m sorry.”
He grabbed her as she fell forward. “Why?”
“Don’t you dare die. The knife wasn’t long enough to reach your internal organs and by the flow of the blood, no arteries either. So you better not fu- kick it.”
“You sound like an expert on stabbing pregnant ladies or something.”
He looked away. “I told you I’m not a good person.”
“So what happens now?”
“I don’t know. There’s no way I could have missed so-” Blood trailed down his chin. He looked downwards and the front of his shirt turned red. “Lungs, there’s no way the baby would survive that.” He felt so much calmer than he should be. He leaned on the wall behind him.
“You have no right.”
“I know. But I take what I want. No one tells me what to do.” He felt weak. “Stable yourself, I can’t hold you up.”
He helped her sit down, leaning on the same wall he was. “This is annoying.” She reached to the knife in her stomach.
“Don’t pull it out. You’ll bleed out.” She obliged.
“You’re awfully relaxed for someone with a stabbed lung.”
“Had bad lungs for years. Was one of GeneCos first patients. Guessed I got used to it.”
“Luigi… I can’t let you do this.”
“Can’t really do anything about it now.” He shifted slightly, fuck it hurt. “Just promise me something. Don’t… don’t let this be a waste. Promise me you’ll live… and you’ll be happy.”
“I can’t promise something like that. I…” She paused and looked at him. “Tell me what I’ve missed. Your life, what’s it like?”
“There isn’t much to tell.” He placed a hand on his chest against the pain. “Spent my whole life in Gene Co really. One brother, one sister. Lung transplant at 15, GeneCo was already thriving by then. Liver transplant every couple of years since I started to drink.”
“Girlfriend?”
“None of them lasted long, not with them always pissing me off.”
“Two siblings huh?”
He nodded slowly, it became harder to initiate movement. “Pops married twice. Nearly a third. But I don’t think he loved any of them. Attracted to maybe but not love. He wouldn’t have had them killed if he loved them. ”
“That’s horrible.”
His eyelids fluttered, it was hard to keep them open. “I guess. Had to learn it from somewhere. Told ya the whole family’s screwed up.”
He felt a hand on his cheek again. Her hand was warm, she wasn’t going into shock yet. “Luigi, don’t.”
“I’m fine. I’ll wait for help with you. Make sure you don’t do anything stupid.”
“Yea stupid seems to run in the family.”
A grin formed on Luigi’s face, “Yea it does.” A cough escaped his lips, spattering blood on the front of his shirt. He leaned heavily onto the wall. “Pops could certainly hurry it up though.”
Tears flowed down her cheeks, “You don’t have to hold on for me. It’s alright.”
“Nah, am full of shit. Just want more time. I…” He faltered.
“What is it?”
“May…may I call you mom?” He looked at the ground.
A choked sob escaped her lips. She pulled him towards her, resting her forehead on his. “Yes…” She choked out, “yes.”
“Mom…” He breathed out. Tears flowed down his face before he could stop them. He wished he could have it both ways, he wished he could have her. He wanted to get to know her. He wanted more.
“Angelina.” The voice was soft, caring, an emotion he wasn’t used to in that voice. He pulled away from his mother and hid his face so his father wouldn’t see him cry.
“Mrs Largo, we’ll take you to the hospital now. How are you feeling? Do you feel cold?”
He felt a hand on his shoulder, “Sir, are you alright? Can you tell me what happened to you?”
“Leave me alone.”
“Sir, you are bleeding badly. You need help.”
“I refuse. Now fuck off.”
“Sir-”
“I said fuck off.”
“Luigi…”
He reached out and laid a hand on hers, “Goodbye.”
She stared at him, “There has to be-” He shook his head tiredly. “Luigi, please…” The paramedics told her to go with them. “I…” She placed a warm, gentle kiss on his forehead. “I love you.”
He couldn’t reply her. The words were stuck in his throat. He had never used those words before, not in his family.
The paramedics placed an IV drip into her hand. “Please,” She whispered, “Please save my baby.”
He closed his eyes in frustration, stubborn woman. The paramedics approached him again, “Sir, are you sure you do not want help? It looks serious.”
“Fu-”
“Yea, fuck off. Got it.”
The paramedics carted his mother to the ambulance. Rotti stopped one of them, “Save my wife. If it comes down to her or the child, save her.”
The paramedic nodded, “You are not coming with, sir.”
“No. There’s something I need to do.”
Tiredly, he raised his head to look at his father. Hesitantly, Rotti approached him and sat in front of him. “Pops.”
“I…I wanted to apologize.”
“For?”
“For not being a good father.”
“Pops, no. It’s not-”
“No. From what you said, from the way you act. It’s obvious. You deserved better.” He swallowed, collecting his words. “I’m proud of what you’ve done today, for your mother. You’re very brave.”
He stared at his father, not comprehending his words. “What did you say?”
“That you were brave.”
“No before that.”
“That I’m proud.”
“I’ve waited my whole life to hear you say that. Guess all it took was for me too die.”
His father looked at him with a mixture between pity and regret. “I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t be. It wasn’t like…it wasn’t like I was an easy child. Jealous of a sibling who had what I wanted…a mother. I just…never tried to get along with her, rebuked all her attempts to get to know me. After she died, you’d think I’d have felt sorry for him but I hated him even more. He was miserable and weak. He could be weak and no one cared. I spent my childhood learning how to run GeneCo and he spent it playing. I hated everything about him. I continued acting out more and more until one day I did something I could never take back. I can’t blame you for hating me. I hate me too.” A bitter laugh erupted from his throat which soon turned into a bout of wet coughs.
“I wish I had a chance to try again.” Rotti said quietly. “I wish I could give you the childhood you deserve. I wish there didn’t have to be a choice.”
“It’s alright, pops. I’ve made peace with my choice. I think it’s the right choice for once, don’t you?” Luigi’s face fell, he nearly forgot. With a shaky hand, he reached into his pocket and passed the crumpled paper to Rotti. “She said they wouldn’t be erased. But if m…mom cannot have more kids…Paviche and Carmela. These are their date of births and their moms’ names. It wouldn’t be fair for them to be erased as well. They deserve a better life. I know you and mom can give it to them.”
Rotti pocketed the note and laid a gentle hand on his arm. “I understand. I will do everything in my power to ensure that they will be born.”
Luigi nodded. “Thank you.” It was hard to keep his eyes open. He was so tired.
“Luigi?” Luigi forced his eyes open and looked at him questioningly. Why was his vision so blurry? “No never mind, I thought…” There was a pain in his voice that Luigi didn’t understand. The same pain in his mother’s voice. It didn’t make sense. He was no one to the, A stranger they’d barely known. An idea, that’s all he was. An idea of a child they’d never know. Luigi shivered, it was getting cold. As his vision blurred, the man in front of him looked exactly like his father.
“Pops…I’m…glad…I got to…see you again. I’ve…missed you.” If Rotti was surprised or affected by the fact that he was dead, he didn’t show it. “I’m sorry…I never realized you were sick.” It was getting harder to clear the iron in his throat and he began to choke. Rotti turned him to his side, allowing the blood to flow out of his mouth.
“That’s enough, son. It’s alright.”
On his side, he could no longer see his father, could no longer see much of anything. A pained gasp, “I love ya, pops.” A final sigh.
Note: Just a little something I wrote awhile ago. A Haunting of Hill House AU/reimagining. Knowledge of Hill House not required but certain events are referred to in the story without explanation but I don’t really think prior knowledge is required. I love the sibling dynamics of Hill House and how they explored and dealt with grief (and I can’t help thinking that Steve was done dirty in the show). I just wanted to explore what would happen if the Largos found themselves in a similar situation. Setting is current world so the Largos may not be as…extreme as they are in Repo but they’re still every bit as broken. Enjoy
Summary: “The person who completes suicide, dies once. Those left behind die a thousand deaths, trying to relive those terrible moments and understand…why?” - Clark 20 years ago, their mother’s suicide tore their family apart. But slowly, they picked up the fragile pieces and put their lives together. Then one call, a second suicide, threatens to destroy those fragile pieces holding them together.
Luigi pushed open the door. He nearly jumped at his sister standing silently in the hall staring quietly at him. “Fucking hell Amber. You scared the fuck out of everyone.” He growled. His sister didn’t say anything. She just stared at him, shaking. “The fuck is wrong with you?” He took a step towards her. His phone rang. He gave a quick glance at his shaking sister before glancing at the caller ID. Fucking fantastic. He answered the call. “Pops. You don’t have to come. She’s-”
“She lied.” Rotti’s voice was thick. “She went back to the house.”
“Pops. I’m not living there anymore.” Amber just continued staring at him. “She came to-”
“Mag called. They…they found her.”
Mag? Mag as in Magdelene Defoe? That was a name he hadn’t heard in years. She was their old housekeeper at their summer home. He must have met her only a handful of times. Last he heard, he was still staying at that house. He glanced at his sister again. “Pops, listen to me. Amb-”
“Amber…she…she’s dead.”
Luigi’s heart dropped. He looked at his sister again. “No pops. She’s right-”
“Mag found her body. She…she killed herself.”
What was he going on about? Amber was right here. He turned. She appeared right in front of him. She turned white right in front of his eyes. Blood trailed down her eyes like tears. Her eyes turned white. She opened her mouth and screamed. She crumpled to dust before him.
“Luigi?”
The phone dropped from his hands as he stared at the spot his sister had been. “Car…Carmela?”
‘Amber…she…she’s dead.”
No. No, she was right here. She was right in front of him. She was right here. “Amber, where the fuck are you? This isn’t fucking funny!” She was messing with him. A big practical joke. That was it. “Amber!?”
‘She…she killed herself.’
No. Pops was wrong. Mag was wrong. She saw someone else. How the fuck would Mag even know what Amber looked like? She got the wrong person. Some junkie or something broke into their old house and killed herself there. That was is. She just got the wrong person.
He picked up the phone and ignored Rotti shouting his name. He shut the call. He scrolled to find his sister’s number. It rang. Pick up. It rang. Fucking pick up. It rang. Please pick the fuck up. The call connected. “Finally. You stupid sl-”
“This is Detective Wayne speaking. Who is this? May I know how you are related to the owner of this phone?”
“Lu…Luigi Largo. I…I’m her brother.” No.
“We would like to apologize, Mr Largo.” No. “The owner of this phone was found dead in Hill Manor. We will need someone to come in to identify her-” No. The phone clattered to the ground. No. He looked at the spot where his sister had appeared before him. She was right there. She was right… Not even dust stood where his sister had crumbled.
“Amber?” He croaked. “Carmela?” Nothing answered him. All he could think of was when was the last time he spoke to his sister? Why couldn’t he remember the last time he spoke to her? If he had tried to keep in contact, would he have realized something was wrong? Why would she kill herself? Why?
A choke cry escaped his lips. No. His sister couldn’t be dead. His baby sister couldn’t be… He crumpled to the ground. Choked sobs escaped his lips. Not his sister. Not his baby sister.
***
Pavi glanced at the entrance and his face fell as he realized who just walked in. Wonderful. He scanned the bar trying to find an exit. Fuck. His brother spotted him and headed straight towards him.
“You didn’t pick up any of my calls.”
“Was-a busy.”
“Did pops call you?”
“Didn’t-a feel like-a picking up his-a calls either.”
“Pavi, we need to talk.”
“I’m-a busy.” He smiled at the girl at the other end of the bar and told the bartender to send her a drink.”
“I’m fucking serious, Pavi.”
Pavi rolled his eyes. “Oh, now-a you want to talk-a.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Pavi smiled bitterly. “Nothing, fratello. Absolutely nothing.” He headed towards the girl who accepted the drink. A hand grabbed his jacket.
“Paviche, please.”
Pavi raised his eyebrow at both the name and the magic word. Since when did his brother ever learn to use please? He finally turned to his brother and actually looked at him.
Something was wrong.
He looked fine enough. His suit was pristine as ever, every hair in place. But his face. Something was off. Did he look this aged the last time he saw him? There was a haunted look in his eyes. And his hand shook when he thought Pavi wasn’t looking. Was he sick?
“Fine, fratello. One last-a drink and then we’ll go.” He turned to the bartender. “Two glasses of whisky.”
“Make it double.”
Pavi just shrugged. The bartender poured them their orders. Luigi took the glass and downed it. “You’re not-a making me go any faster, fratello.” He took the drink and sipped it, watching his brother. If Luigi was sick, he should have been cut off from alcohol right? Papa had been calling too. Was it papa? Was papa sick? A pit settled at the bottom of his stomach. He finished his drink and followed Luigi outside. “Ok, talk.”
Luigi just pointed at his car. Pavi nodded and followed. He looked at Luigi trying to figure what was wrong but Luigi would only stare ahead, refusing to catch his eye. Pavi got in. “What is it fratello that it-a couldn’t wait until morning?”
He watched his brother’s hands tremble. He gripped the steering wheel and his knuckles turned white. “It’s…” Luigi swallowed. Something was very wrong. “It’s Amber. She killed herself.”
An icy pit filled him. “No.”
“Pops was at the police station this morning to identify the body. The coroner confirmed it was suicide.”
He couldn’t breathe. “No.”
“She hung herself. She would have died instantly.”
Pavi grabbed Luigi’s ascot and forced him to face him, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. Luigi refused to look at him. “What do you mean…What do you mean killed herself? Why would-a she kill herself?”
“I…I was hoping you would know. You two have always been close.”
Pavi choked as his chest tightened. How could Amber have done this? She told him everything. She always told him everything. Why wouldn’t she have told him something was wrong. “She wouldn’t.” He choked out. “She wouldn’t have. Not-a after mama. Not-a after she knew what-a mama put us through.”
“There was no sign of a struggle.”
“She…she called-a me two days ago. I…I was-a busy. I didn’t-a think it was-a urgent. I…I called her last night. She didn’t-a…Oh god. I thought-a if it was important she would have called back. I didn’t-a…I didn’t-a pick up. If I had-a picked up…she-”
“You don’t know that.”
“I could have stopped her.”
“She called pops too. She didn’t say anything about what she was planning. She lied to him and said she was coming to LA to find one of us.” Luigi paused, his voice becoming small. “She called you. She called pops. She didn’t…whatever she was going through, she didn’t think she could have come to me.” Luigi’s gripped tightened as his nails dug into his palm.
“She didn’t-a leave a note? Anything?”
“No.”
Silence fell on them. They both just sat there staring forward, unable to say anything. With a shuddering breath, Luigi turned on the engine. Pavi hadn’t noticed where they were going until he stopped in front of his house.
“What-a now?” Pavi said quietly.
“Once the paperwork’s done, they’re sending her body to Shilo’s. We’ll have the funeral there. We’re flying down tomorrow.”
Pavi nodded silently. He numbly thanked his brother for the ride and staggered into the house.
***
Luigi stepped out of the rental, staring at Shilo’s place. ‘Eternal Peace’. Fuck whoever came up with that name. Everything in him was screaming at him to turn and run. He didn’t want to be here. He didn’t want to do this.
“Shilo.” Pavi greeted warmly as he hugged her.
Shilo released him and turned towards Luigi who just glared at her, daring her to touch him. She just raised her hands in defense. But still smiled warmly at him. Everything in him wanted to knock that smile off her fucking face.
“Your dad’s waiting inside. Come in.”
He wanted to run.
They followed Shilo into the funeral house.
He wanted to run.
Rotti was sitting on the couch waiting for them.
He wanted to run.
Rotti stood. “Pavi, Luigi.”
“Papa.”
“Pops.” He greeted shortly. They stood there awkwardly just staring at each other. If he turned around now, he could catch the next flight out of there.
“Do you want to see her?” Shilo asked kindly.
No.
Pavi nodded. They both followed her into the parlor. He saw the coffin and his chest clenched and he just couldn’t. He turned away and headed straight for the alcohol. He couldn’t see her like that. He couldn’t make it real. His hands shook as he poured himself a glass of whisky.
“Sorella.”
Luigi clenched his eyes shut at Pavi’s broken cry. If he walked out right now, he could still pretend she was still alive. They barely kept in contact anyway. He could still pretend she was happily living her life somewhere else. He could-
“She left a voicemail two days ago, worried about Pavi.” He overheard Shilo talking to their father. “I…I didn’t think much of it. I left a voicemail telling her I called Pavi and that he was still in LA and that he was fine. But…I don’t know if she got it.”
Amber called Shilo but not him. She called everyone but not him. Pavi picked up Shilo’s call but not his. He drained the glass.
He numbly listened to Pavi’s cries when Shilo approached him. “You should see her before the wake tomorrow. It would be easier.”
“Nothing about this is fucking easy.”
“Don’t bite my head off. I’m trying to help.”
“Yes, help. With your smiles and your cheer. Forgetting of course our sister is dead!”
“Our sister now is it? After you’ve told me repeatedly that I’d never be one of you.”
“No. Never!” He hissed. “But to her,” His hand shook as he gestured at the coffin. “To her, you were.”
“You think this is easy? Standing here, pretending, smiling, doing my fucking job because it’s the only way I know how to help. The only way I can help.” He voice broke. “She was my sister too.”
‘No, she wasn’t.’ He wanted to say. He wanted to lash out and make them hurt as much as he did. He wanted to scream and curse and yell. But Shilo was right. Amber was always close to Shilo. And Amber called Shilo, not him. He didn’t count. He drained the glass. He poured another and drained it for good measure.
He heard footsteps behind him. He poured and offered Pavi a drink.
“Let’s sit in the hall.” Shilo said quietly.
Luigi nodded stiffly and took the bottle. They just sat in silence.
“Why…why would she do this?”
“She went to the house mom killed herself in and offed herself the same fucking way mom did. Want to wager a fucking guess?”
“I…I barely remember mama. Sorella…Sorella was-a younger. She’d…she’d have-a remembered less. It couldn’t-a…it couldn’t have-a been that.”
“She called me the night before.” Rotti said solemnly. “She said she was being haunted by the Bent-Neck-Lady.”
“Here we fucking go again. More fucking ghost stories.”
“Just because you never saw the ghosts doesn’t mean they weren’t there!” Shilo cried. She was always so fucking adamant the house was haunted.
“Are you listening to yourself? Do you know how fucking insane you sound?”
“Even if you never saw anything…you would have at least heard the banging on the walls? Or the crying in the middle of the night?”
“It was the pipes. And the only crying I ever heard were the three of you after claiming you saw a ghost.”
“Did you really not see anything?”
A flash of his sister’s face in his apartment. “No. Never.” He turned to his father. “So, what? She went back to the house to look for ghosts?”
“I don’t know why she went back there. She told me she saw the bent neck lady and that she was going to fly to LA to look for the two of you. I didn’t know she went to the house.”
“Play the message.” He growled at Shilo.
She obliged. “Shilo…I need your…could you just check in on Pavi? Is he here? I don’t know…I…I can’t help but feel something’s wrong. I just…Call me.”
Luigi went stiff at his sister’s voice.
“Does that sound like someone who’s planning to kill themselves?”
No. But she did anyway. She left and they were down to 3.
“She was-a traumatized by the Bent-a Neck Lady. As I grew up-a, I figured what we-a saw in that-a house was just-a kids having overactive imagination. She always believed they were-a real. What if…she was-a trying to get away?”
“But why would she go back to that fucking house? If she really was so scared, why would she go back?”
No one could answer him. They just sat in a tense silence.
“Luigi?”
“What do you want, Carmela?”
“I’m scared.”
“Ghosts again, Carmela?”
“I’m scared of the Bent Neck Lady.”
“There’s no such thing.”
“She’s going to hurt me.”
“Go back to bed.”
“She’s going to kill me.”
“I won’t let her.”
“Promise, brother?”
He sighed. “Yea I promise. I’ll protect you, Carmela. I’ll always protect you.”
Smash. He looked down as the glass dug into his palm. He couldn’t feel the pain. Not from his hand at least. His chest however burned and threatened to give way.
He hadn’t heard Shilo leave to get the first aid kid. He hadn’t heard her come back. And he certainly didn’t know what she was doing when she grabbed his bleeding hand.
“Don’t touch me!” She shoved her to the ground.
“Fratello!” Pavi helped her up. Because she counted. She meant something. He didn’t. He was nothing. He never counted.
He couldn’t do this anymore. He had to get out of there. No more of this shit. No more playing happy family when this thing they had barely counted as that. He stumbled out the door before freezing. It was the wrong door. His eyes widened at his sister staring at him from behind the coffin. She looked so sad. No, not again. He had drunk too much. He was seeing things. She wasn’t there. The sound of breaking deafened him as his sister’s neck snapped and twisted to the side. But she just stared. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t scream. She wasn’t real.
He threw the empty whisky bottle at her. It went straight through her and shattered against the wall behind her. See? She wasn’t real. Just a figment of his grieving imagination. That’s all.
“Luigi!” Something grabbed him roughly and turned him around. Something collided into his cheek. It stung. Numbly he felt his cheek. He barely felt the glass in his hand tearing into it. “How dare you!” He choked out. He glanced back at the coffin and she was gone. They didn’t see her. Just a hallucination. Nothing more.
He pulled away from his father. Everything hurt and he needed to do something, feel something or it would crush him. “Oh, now you want to play father, is it?”
“Luigi, you’re drunk.” Shilo said quietly. “Don’t say something you’ll regret.”
“Regret? What’s there to fucking regret. After the fucking funeral, he’d disappear again and live his own fucking life. It doesn’t make a fucking difference to me!”
“That’s not fair. Amber has always tried to get us together. You always refused to come.”
“20 fucking year, too fucking late!”
“You’re making it sound like I had a choice. The court decided-”
“No! Don’t play the fucking court card. I was old enough to fucking remember! You didn’t even try to fight for us!”
“How dare-”
“You could have just said ‘my wife went crazy and killed herself’ but no, you had to go on about ghost stories. And then suddenly refuse to say a fucking thing. If course they would have refused you custody. You sounded like a fucking madman.”
“Enough!” Rotti growled dangerously. But he was beyond caring. And while his hand was numb, his stinging cheek throbbed. And at least it was something. At least it was something more than the crushing pain in his chest.
“I read the fucking police reports pops. The bruises, the cracked skull. Did you fucking beat Mom? Is that why-”
Luigi gasped on the ground, his nose throbbing in pain. “How dare you? Police reports? You have no idea what happened that night!”
“That’s because you won’t fucking tell us! We’re not kids anymore! Tell us the fucking truth!”
“You’re drunk and you’re making a scene. Go back to the hotel and sleep. Before you make a bigger mess tomorrow.”
“You’re the own who should have died. Not her.”
There was a loud bang. The table collapsed sending the coffin onto the ground. Amber hung loosely out of the coffin. Luigi stumbled back. He thought the pain in his chest couldn’t get worse. If he thought it would collapse before…now it was as if everything was trying to burst out of his chest. He stared at his sister. Not his sister. His sister’s body. Her body. There was nothing else in there. Just an empty fucking shell. Just like mom. Nothing in there. Just like mom. Dead. Just like mom.
He stumbled out of the parlor and collapsed to the round sobbing. His sister was gone. His sister was gone. He couldn’t protect her. Just like he couldn’t protect his mom.
He felt arms wrap around him. “It’s alright brother. Everything’s going to be alright brother. Please don’t cry.” He tried to grab the arms around him but they disappeared. No. Don’t go. Don’t leave me.
“The workers will be here early tomorrow morning. They can help lift the coffin. Everyone is tired and upset. Maybe we should call it a night.”
Pavi thanked her. “Come on, fratello.” He couldn’t answer him. He couldn’t move. He didn’t care. “Fratello.”
“Fuck off.”
“Fine. Find your own-a way to the hotel.”
Numbly, he heard them leave. He dropped his head into his hands, rocking back and forth. He felt something touch his hand but he couldn’t find it in him to pull away. He took shuddering breaths as the hands finally released him. She sat there next to him, saying nothing. He closed his eyes as he forced his emotions down.
“Why do you hate me so much? I get you not liking dad and mom. But…why do you hate me? You were alright with me that summer in Hill House. What changed?”
“You counted. Even though you weren’t her daughter, you counted.” And I didn’t.
“What? You hate me because your mother was nice to me? Is that it? She knew how weird things were for me. She was just being kind.”
He shook his head but said nothing. None of them read the police reports. His father managed to get them sealed off before the others turned 18. But he…he read them during the trial when they’d left him unsupervised, while his father made statement after statement. If he knew what was it he was seeing that night, would he have been able to stop it? But that didn’t matter, because reading that report, he finally understood. He didn’t count. He never counted.
“If you want to stay here, I have a spare bedroom. Or I can get you a cab?”
Luigi just shook his head. “The spare bedroom is just up the stairs. If you need anything just wake me.”
He heard Shilo leave. He looked at his right hand and it was bandaged. Shakily he got to his feet and approached the coffin on the ground. At least they put her back into the coffin. She looked…dead. “Amber?” Nothing replied. No ghosts. Just a hallucination. That was all.
***
Shilo woke the next morning. She checked the guestroom and Luigi wasn’t there. Of course he wouldn’t take anything from her. She headed downstairs when she realized the parlor lights were still on. Did Luigi forget to turn them off?
She headed to the parlor and froze. She too in the sight before her and sighed. Luigi was lying beside the coffin, holding Amber’s hand tightly in his.
“Why are you still up?”
“I don’t like the dark.”
“Then turn on the light.”
“Shi can’t sleep with the light on. And it is her room.”
Luigi glared at her. “Hey, I said it was fine.”
Luigi sighed. “Fine. I don’t think I can stand another night of Pavi crying out for…” He lay on the ground beside Amber’s bed.
“How will I know you’re still there?”
“Give me your hand.” He held her hand tightly in his. “I won’t let go alright? No one will take you.”
“Brother, is mommy coming back?”
She put a careful hand on Luigi’s shoulder.
“Carmela?”
“No.” She said softly. “The guests will be here soon. You can go upstairs and take a shower first.”
Luigi looked around, blinking. He sat up looked at the hand in his then at his sister. She watched the grief and realization wash into him. He nodded stiffly.
“I’ll call Pavi and ask him to bring a change of clothes.” He didn’t agree but he didn’t yell at her either. So she decided to take it as a yes. She headed to start preparing the place before the guests arrived. She looked up as the doorbell rang. She opened the door to see, “Dad. Mom.” She hugged them.
“How are you, Shi?”
“I’m handling things.”
She brought them into the parlour. Marni let out a sniff as tears ran down her face. Nathan held her. He didn’t cry but his eyes were red. Marni gently kissed Amber on the forehead. They turned to see Luigi staring at them. “Luigi.” Her mother said gently. “Are you alright?”
He just stared at them. Nathan placed a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t touch me.” It lacked his usual venom. “She’s not your daughter.” He muttered.
“We raised her Luigi. It counts.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
“Uncle Nathan. Aunt Marni.” Pavi hugged the two of them. Luigi sighed and walked off.
“We need to talk.” The four of them were sitting in the living room around Nathan and Marni. “The verdict has been reached. Your father…he won’t be able to take care of you. So you’ll be staying with us for awhile. We’ll be your guardians until the appeal comes through. We’ll sign the papers in the morning.”
“No.”
“We’re not related Luigi. It will be the only way you can stay here. Or they will put you into the system.”
“What do you mean papa can’t take care of us. I want to go home. I want to stay with mama and papa.”
“Pavi…your mama is dead.”
“What? No…No she’s not. She’s just gone for a vacation. That’s all.”
“What…what does dead mean?” Carmela asked quietly.
“It means she’s gone and she’s not fucking coming back.”
“Luigi. Language.”
“Why? You’re not my fucking mother. Don’t tell me what to do.” He headed towards the door.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to find dad.”
“The court has taken away custody Luigi. They find you with him, they could put him in jail. At the very least, they will take away visitation rights. Give it a few months for things to settle down and for your father to appeal the case.”
“So what happened to mama?”
Nathan sighed. “She…she had an accident. She fell and hurt herself very badly.”
“Yea fell right onto a noose.” Luigi muttered.
“So, when is she coming back?”
“She’s…she’s not coming back.”
“Why? Did we do something wrong?”
“It’s not like that.”
“I promise I’ll be good.”
“Carmela, sometimes…sometimes people die. Sometimes there’s no reason for it. It…it just happens.”
“I don’t…I don’t understand.”
Luigi finally walked up to her and grabbed the doll in her hand. Mommy gave it to her the day after everything that happened in Hill House, hoping to comfort her. Luigi threw it to the ground and stomped on it until it shattered. “Dead. Destroyed. Broken beyond repair. Nothing anyone can do about it except throw it away.”
Carmela started crying.
“Luigi, apologize to your sister.”
“You should have told them from the start. Not dragging things out like this.”
“We thought it was best if your father explained things.”
Pavi was hugging Carmela, comforting her.
“When’s the funeral?”
“The police released her body. We should be able to settles things in a couple of days.”
“Will papa be there?”
“Yes. Yes he will.”
***
Luigi felt hollow. He stared as they lowered the coffin into the ground. Marni fell to her knees sobbing as Nathan held her, tears falling from his eyes as well. What did they know of pain? They weren’t fucking related.
He watched everyone give a little speech about Amber. Pops talked about the sweet girl she used to be. That’s all he’d really know about her. But Amber forgave him the easiest. Luigi didn’t know why. She was the one who accepted the Wallace’s the easiest. She was the once raised mostly by them. Their father could mean shit to her and it wouldn’t matter. But then again…she was the one who always believed Nathan’s lies. He’d buy them extra presents for birthday’s and Christmas and say they were from pops. Forget the fact that half the time, he’d forget to call.
Pavi and Shilo talked about their relationship with her. The three of them were inseparable. Shilo and Amber were almost the same age, they went to the same school, same classes. They were close. Pavi didn’t accept Shilo as his sister like Amber had but they were friends at the very least.
Nathan talked about what a bright girl she was. She had the Wallace’s wrapped around her finger. She knew how to get whatever she wanted from them. She knew they felt sorry for her and she milked it any chance she had. He caught her calling Marni ‘mom’ once. He yelled at her to the point of tears. It worked; he never heard her call her ‘mom’ again. Was he…was he wrong? She had the most chance to be normal. She was almost normal. She was normal. Why did she…
Shilo asked him to speak. He felt everyone staring at him, waiting. “No.” She just gave him a tense smile as she asked her coworkers to speak. What could he say? ‘I abandoned her as soon as I turned 18 and could legally get the fuck out of that house.’ He went back for Christmas, birthdays, that was it. He left. Just like pops did. Amber always tried to keep in contact. Pavi never forgave him for it. He never gave him a reason why he left. ‘I went to find pops. He was fucking some married woman and playing happy family with her children. While he abandoned us.’ Family meant shit. So he left and never looked back. Family did nothing but cause pain. Like this open hole in his chest that continued to tear through him.
Pavi approached the hole in the ground. Probably to say goodbye a final time. All Pavi had was Amber especially after he left. They were close. They were always so close. Which was why he never understood why Pavi moved all the way to LA. Why didn’t he just stay here with Amber and the Wallace’s?
A scream of pure terror jolted from his thoughts. Pavi was on the ground, half in the hole the coffin was in, screaming like a madman. He ran there to pull him up. He froze for a second. He watched his sister stare at him from inside the hole, one hand around Pavi’s right wrist. He shook it off and pulled Pavi back.
“Pavi are you alright?” Shilo ran to them.
“The fuck was that?”
“They were-a pulling me in. They were…” He took deep breaths and tried to calm himself down.
“They?”
“Sorella and-a…mama.”
Mama? He didn’t see their mother down… Wait. Why was he indulging him? It was just a hallucination. Just like how he didn’t see his sister.
“Sorella grabbed my right-a wrist and-a mama my left. They were-a both trying to pull-a me in.”
“Enough Pavi, people are staring.”
It was a coincidence. Pavi screamed, half in the hole with the coffin. Of course he’d hallucinate Amber pulling him in. The same wrist was just a coincidence. That was all. A coincidence… Right?
But as the funeral went on, he couldn’t shake the feeling. He had seen Amber too many times now. He never saw mom after her death. Why would he be hallucinating as an adult but now as a child? And…he saw Amber before he knew she was dead. He had a sick feeling the whole day. But it wouldn’t be enough to spark a hallucination could it?
He didn’t know why Amber killed herself. He didn’t know what drove his mother insane those last few days. But…the connection was that house. That fucking house. He needed answers. Maybe…maybe that house could give it to him. If not, at least he’d prove once and for all that there wasn’t anything wrong with that house. Just children with overactive imaginations. Just a mother with an undiagnosed mental illness. And just a delusional old man trying to absolve himself of guilt.
***
“Fucking bastardo took the car and-a left me behind.” Pavi cursed under his breath. Why the hell did he decide to share a rental with his brother? All the guests had finally left and lo and behold, his asshole of a brother was nowhere to be found.
“I can give you a ride to the hotel.”
“Grazie Bella. I need-a to take a long hot shower and get-a drunk at the hotel bar.” Pavi froze.
“What is it, Pavi?”
Something was wrong. “No, it’s-a nothing.” He shook off the feeling. “It’s just I didn’t-a give fratello the hotel key yesterday, he wouldn’t-a have been able to get into the room.”
“He probably went to find a bar or something.”
“Maybe. I just-a have an odd feeling.”
“What’s that? Are you kidding me? I’ll be right there.” Rotti shut the call.
“What is it-a, papa?”
“The rental was a silver Honda Civic right?”
“Si. Why?”
“I just received a call from Mag. She saw a silver Honda Civic heading up to the house.”
Pavi sighed. “Maybe it’s-a his way of-a finding closure.”
“I’m going to go get him.”
“Papa, he needs-a time alone.”
“You don’t understand. None of you understand. Everything you saw in that house as children was real. Luigi is in danger going back.”
“Papa, please. Enough ghost-a nonsense.”
“It’s not nonsense. You don’t get it do you? It keeps calling you back. We escaped. It’s not happy. We’re a half-eaten meal they let go free. They want us back. They got Amber back there. Now they have Luigi.”
“You really are as-a delusional as-a fratello says.”
“Even so, maybe your dad is right. We should go get him. He’s…not exactly been stable the last few days. He…I’m scared he’ll do something stupid.”
Pavi groaned. But Shilo’s words stirred a sick feeling in his gut. “Fine. Let’s go.”
“No. Just lend me a car. I’ll go there myself.”
“It’s a big house. It’ll be faster if all of us look for him.”
“No. I’m not risking the two of you too.”
“No offense-a papa, but if-a fratello is-a really planning to hurt himself, you’re not exactly the right-a person to talk him down.”
“It’s too dangerous.”
“It’s my car. I’m driving. We’re both going. End of story.”
***
The house was dark and dusty. Everything was falling apart like no one had stepped into the place for years. Luigi didn’t know where he was going or what he planned to find here. But he knew where his mother killed herself. And then he found out that Amber killed herself at the same spot as well. If there was any place to start, it would be there.
He refused to look up at the spot. Slowly he climbed the stairs and froze. The red door was open. Strange. That room never opened. They searched for the key everywhere but they never could find it. The room was empty, desolate. He took a breath and entered the room.
“Luigi. We’re having a tea party. Come join us.”
Luigi froze. The room was brightly lit. A table sat in the middle of the room, filled with biscuits and a tea set. And in front of him stood, “Mo…mom?”
The woman smiled warmly at him. She was as radiant as he remembered her. “Come have tea, Luigi.”
“Don’t.”
“Ca..carmela.” There sitting in the chair opposite him was a 7-year-old girl. “Carmela, is that really…” No it couldn’t be. Why would she be 7? “I’m fucking hallucinating again.”
“Luigi, language.” His mother chided him like he was a child again. “Now, come join our tea party, Luigi. It’s no fun just the two of us.”
“Don’t.” The child warned again.
“I’ve missed you, mom.”
“I know. My poor sweet boy. Come, sit down. Tell me how you’ve been.” Slowly he pulled the chair back and sat. She poured the tea for him.
“Don’t drink it!”
Luigi just stared at the cup.
“Drink, Luigi. And everything will be alright.”
“Don’t do it.”
“I read the police reports, mom. I know what’s in the tea.”
“Oh.” She looked disappointed.
“Run, brother!”
He stared at the cup. “I don’t understand why.”
“I knew how dark and cruel the world could be. I wanted to keep my children with me here, forever. Safe.”
“No. That…that I figured. You…you passed me that night with the tea set.”
“Me and your siblings are having a tea party Luigi. Go back to bed.”
“You took both of them with you. You…you even took Shilo. She wasn’t even your child. She was just a bastard pops had. Why…why didn’t you…”
“Invite you to a tea party? You were too old for that. You’d have said no. And Shilo asked if she could join. It would have been rude to say no.”
“If…if you’d asked, I would have joined you. I would have done anything for you. You know that.” She could have told him what was in the tea and told him to drink it and he would have been a good little boy and done it. “You told me to go back to bed. You told me to go to bed while you planned to kill everyone else and yourself. You were delusional enough to think you’d be together in death so…why didn’t you want me?” Luigi sobbed as 20 years of repressed hurt and pain escaped.
“Oh my boy, my sweet boy, it wasn’t like that.” She approached him and stroked his hair gently. “You were always so strong and brave. Not like your siblings. I thought you would be alright out there. I thought I wouldn’t need to protect you from the world.”
“I didn’t count. You didn’t want me. I didn’t count.”
“Oh my boy. My poor boy. I see I was wrong. The world has hurt you so much. I should have asked you to join me too. The world was too cruel even for one as strong as you. Come. I couldn’t protect you then. Let me protect you now. Have some tea Luigi.”
“Brother, don’t.”
“No one can hurt you again. We’ll be together forever. You, me, Carmie. We won’t leave you ever again.”
“Brother, don’t listen to her.”
He looked at his baby sister for a moment then at his mother. “I love you.”
“I love you my son. My poor, poor son.”
He picked up the teacup as his mother grinned at him. He gulped down the tea.
***
“Why do you think I never sold the house? My wife kills herself in there and I keep the bloody thing?”
“I always-a figured you couldn’t-a sell it. Not with the press-a surrounding the house.”
“I wanted to starve it. Keep it weak…I just made it desperate.”
“It’s a house.”
“No. It’s not just a house. 18 months after your mother died, you took a cab by yourself to Hill Manor.”
Pavi froze. “No I didn’t.”
“Yes you did. You were a child who barely even knew the address of our home. How would you even know the address of the summer home we just bought.”
“I…I don’t-a remember.”
“Luckily the cab driver had sense. He saw the state the house was in, turned around and took you to the nearest police station. Marni was hysterical. You running away in the middle of the night. Nathan attributed it to sleepwalking but I knew better.”
“That doesn’t-a make sense.”
“The house wants you. All of you. It had been silent for 20 years. I thought it finally gave up until your sister…”
“Amber killed herself.” Shilo supplied, eyes still on the road.
“Carmela was the most well-adjusted of the three of them. She accepted you and your parents as her family. She barely remembered Angelina. She had a good career. She was…happy. She wouldn’t have killed herself. She had no reason to.”
“So what, the house-a made her sleepwalk there?”
“Remember the voicemail? She was convinced you were in trouble. I checked her phone. She didn’t get Shilo’s voicemail. She may have been the most adjusted but she also saw the most ghosts in that house. She was the only one who understood how dangerous the house was. I think the house convinced her you were in trouble and she had to go find you.”
“Then how did-a she wind-a up hanging herself?”
“I don’t know. But right now the house has your brother. He may not believe in ghosts but…he is the least stable.”
“And whose fault is-a that?” Pavi hissed.
“He’s the oldest. He remembered your mother the most. He’d have felt her loss.”
Pavi shook his head. “You still don’t-a get it do you? He spent-a every birthday and Christmas waiting for-a you to show up. And when they said-a you could visit once a week, he was-a so convinced you would-a make it but you never did. And the appeals…” Pavi shook his head. “He was-a so sure you would succeed. And Nathan tried-a so hard to keep it from us. He called-a me the Thanksgiving 5 years ago, drunk-a out of his mind. ‘Pops never appealed the case. The courts never took away visitation rights.’”
Rotti was quiet. “How long has he known?”
“Since the first so called appeal. He snuck out of-a the house to go to the courts to watch. But-a you never showed up. And when he came home, Nathan told him that-a you tried your best but-a the appeal failed.” Pavi let out a bitter laugh. “He hated that-a Nathan helped lie for you. Then he put it into his-a head that-a Nathan and Marni were the ones who didn’t want-a you to take us from them. So he counted down until he was 18. He left-a on his birthday to look-a for you. No one knew what-a happened to him for-a almost 6 months when you finally made your yearly Christmas call and fratello was-a not with you. Nathan and-a Marni were worried sick. But-a he was-a over 18. The cops couldn’t-a call it a missing case or a runaway. They found-a him on the streets barely able to feed himself. They paid-a for college and told him you paid and insisted he go.” Pavi took a shuddering breath. “You see; I gave up a long time ago of-a you ever being in our lives. It came to a point where I’d even forgotten what-a you looked like. But fratello…fratello thinks the fucking world of-a you, no matter how many times-a you disappoint him.”
“When did he-”
“Finally give up? After I fucking OD’d.”
“I…I’d accidentally walked in on him. He left dozens of messages begging you to come back. That he was scared and that he needed you.”
“But you never did. Did-a you even know or cared that I nearly died?”
“I…Nathan said you were fine. That you’d survive.”
Pavi gave a hollow laugh. “So you didn’t-a need to come see me did you?” He shook his head. “Nathan paid for rehab. Fratello left his-a job in LA and stayed with-a me until I got clean. And-a I feel so sorry for-a Nathan. Because it was-a so much easier for fratello to hate him than-a hate you. Even though Nathan has-a been a better father to him, to all of us than-a you ever been. But fratello blamed Nathan even though all he ever did was-a cover for you. Even after you fucked his wife.”
Shilo looked away.
“She wasn’t married to Nathan yet.”
“Oh so that-a made it ok? Fucking her the night before the wedding? She may not-a have been married but you definitely were. You fucked-a Marni while mama was-a pregnant with Amber. I always-a wondered if that-a contributed to mama’s breakdown at the end; finding out about an illegitimate child.”
The car stopped. “We’re here.” Shilo said quickly, unable to look at either of them.
Rotti took a breath. “We find Luigi and get out. No matter what you see, what you hear; don’t follow. Just get out of here.”
Pavi exited the car breathing heavily. Everything he held in for the past 20 years just came spilling out. A part of him felt guilty at what he said. Part of him felt satisfied. He wanted papa to know how much he’d hurt all of them. He looked at the house. Memories of ghosts flooded him, He shook his head. He didn’t believe his father’s delusions. He’d spent too many years convincing himself everything he saw in that house wasn’t real. He wasn’t going to spoil it all now just because his father was going senile.
They stepped through the doors.
“Woah this place is huge.”
“Can we stay here forever, daddy?”
“You have school in the fall.”
“I hate school.”
“Now listen to me. Shilo will be staying with us for the summer. I want all three of you to be nice to her.”
“Are her parents really getting a divorce?”
“Pavi, don’t be rude.”
“Sorry.”
“Come Shilo. Let’s pick a nice room before these two idiots hog them all. I always wanted a sister.”
“Did you see that too?”
“It’s-a just memories Shilo.” Pavi muttered shaking off the visions.
“Memories don’t work that way and you know it.”
“Just-a memories of a better time.” He repeated, even though he himself barely remembered the conversation. Even though he barely remembered what his mother looked or sounded like anymore.
“We need to find Luigi now.”
“We should-a split up.”
“I think I know where he is. If he isn’t there, then we split up to find him.”
“It’ll be faster if-”
“He’ll be there. And I don’t want either of you wandering this house on your own.”
Pavi sighed and followed his father. From the corner of his eyes, he saw the same hallucinations he always had. A predisposition to mental illness Luigi had said. He was right. There was nothing supernatural about this house.
“Can you see them too? Please tell me I’m not the only one.”
“Papa scared us with-a ghost stories.”
“But we wouldn’t imagine the same ghosts in the same place right?” She pointed at the bottom of the stairs where a beautiful face stared at him, marred by the hole in her forehead. “She blew her face off.” She pointed towards the kitchen. “Maid. She has scalds all over her body.” She pointed to the living room. “Young girl.”
“Naked. Slit her wrists.”
“See? We can’t have hallucinated the same ghosts. We just can’t.”
Pavi knew she was right. But if the ghosts were real then…did Amber really not kill herself?
“Oh god. Pavi I know where he’d bringing us. The red room. Where your mother was having the tea party.” The last time they saw their mother before papa dragged them out of the house.
Shilo screamed and jumped back.
“What is it?”
“Nothing. I…I thought I saw Amber hanging up there.” He looked up above the stairs but saw nothing.
“It’s where she hung herself. The both of them.”
Pavi shivered. He didn’t know. Amber couldn’t have known…could she?
They headed up the stairs, the room firmly locked shut. Rotti tried to force the door. “Find something to pry it open.”
“It’s-a always been-a locked papa. No one was-a ever able to find the key.” But they had their tea party here. Meaning the door must have been opened. But…but it’s never been open. No one could ever open it. Did Mama find the key?
Rotti moved towards the stairs searching for something, anything to force the door open.
“Pavi, the door!”
Pavi turned and…the door was wide open. On the other side lay, “Fratello!” He lay on the ground, convulsing. Pavi ran into the room. “Fratello!” He tried to hold his brother down. Luigi seized in his arms. “Fratello, what’s-a wrong with you?”
“Pa…Pavi.” He turned as she picked up the opened bottle of rat poison from the ground. No.
“He needs a hospital.” Rotti turned and the door slammed close. “No!” Rotti slammed himself onto the door but it stayed firmly shut. The room was empty. Nothing they could use to pry the door open. Nothing. They were trapped.
A horrible gurgling sound escaped his brother’s throat. Foam and blood escaped his brother’s lips.
“Keep him on his side. Don’t let him choke on it.”
Pavi obeyed. Luigi just convulsed harder.
“How much did-a he fucking drink?”
“I…I don’t know. Half the bottle’s gone.”
“What can we do? What the fuck can we do?”
“I…I don’t know.”
“Fratello, please.” He froze. A ghostly pair of legs appeared before him. He looked up. “Ma…Mama?”
“Pavi. My sweet boy.” She placed her hands on his cheek and he was no longer in that room. He was sitting in the living room of his childhood.
“Pavi, come play with me.”
“Sorella?”
“Pavi, come play with me.”
“No one wants to play with your dolls Carmie.” Luigi muttered from the couch.
“Shilo will play with me.”
“Shilo isn’t here.”
“No but soon. Soon we shall all be together again.” Mama said in a warm voice that made him want to forget everything.
No. Pavi was forgetting something important. He was forgetting something. Something he had to do.
“Pavi.”
“Mama?”
“Oh I missed you my beautiful boy.”
“Mama, why did you leave us?”
“Your father took you from me. We can stay here forever, Pavi. You, me, your brother and your sister.”
Brother. He had to remember something about his brother. Luigi.
“Your father and Shilo as well if they want to.”
“Fratello…”
“Your brother is here with us, look.” Luigi sat on the couch watching the tv. But something felt wrong. It was like he wasn’t really there. Like he was looking at a projection.
“Fratello is…fratello is-a hurt.”
“Your brother is quite alright. It’s taking him a bit of time to come here, that’s all. Soon. Soon he’ll be here.”
“Mama, you don’t-a want to do this. The house is-a making you do this.”
“No. The house opened my eyes to the truth. The only way I could keep you safe, keep all of you safe, is to keep you here forever.”
“Safe? Sorella is-a dead.”
“She’s right here and safe with me. So will your brother.”
“No.”
“You don’t want to be alone do you?”
“No.”
“Come Pavi. You will never be alone again. You will never be abandoned again.”
“Mama.”
“Come to me my sweet boy. Just one more dose of poison in your veins. No one will hurt you again. You won’t hurt yourself again.”
A syringe and needle appeared in his hands. Another overdose?
“Paviche? You’re awake.”
“What-a happened, fratello?”
“You fucking OD’d is what happened. Amber said it was just parties. How the fuck did you end up like this?”
“A good party?”
“Don’t fucking bullshit me!”
“What does it-a matter? I’m-a fine. Go back to LA and do whatever shit you’ve-a been doing.”
“Your heart stopped. It stopped beating for 5 fucking minutes. And I wasn’t here. Fuck. I wasn’t here. All I heard was Amber crying, no one knowing if you were alive or dead. And when I get here no one knowns if you would fucking survive. How could you do that? After everything we’ve been through, how could you do that?”
“I just-a took too much that’s-a all.”
“Fuck you.”
“I’m-a fine.”
“Until the next time you take too much?”
“I won’t.”
“You have to stop.”
“It-a was an accident.”
“I can’t get a call like that again. I can’t…”
“You were-a fucking fine going to LA by yourself and-a leaving us behind. Continue on there. You don’t-a have to give a fuck what happens here. Visiting hours are over.”
“I’m sorry.” Luigi refused to look at him. “I know I fucked up. I’m sorry.”
“I didn’t…I didn’t mean…It really is-a just parties. I just-a fell in with the wrong crowd. It’s-a not a cry for help or-a whatever you want to spin it.”
“I’m begging you to stop. Nathan has agreed to pay for rehab. I…I don’t make half as much.”
“I don’t-a need rehab. I don’t-a want to stop. I’ll cut-a down on the parties, I swear.”
“I’ll come back. I’ll quit my job and move back home.”
“Really, fratello?”
“But only if you stop. I won’t stay here and watch you kill yourself.”
“How-a long will you stay for?”
“As long as you want me here. I won’t abandon you again.”
Liar. That fucking liar. They were all fucking liars. They were leaving him one by one. Why should he have listened?
“Brother, please don’t do this.” Carmela still sat on the living room floor playing with her dolls ignoring them but…Amber stood next to him.
“Sorella.”
“Please don’t do this. Don’t listen to her.”
“You left-a. You killed yourself and-a you abandoned us.”
“I didn’t kill myself. She killed me. I didn’t want to die.”
He turned and he was on top of the staircase outside the red room. He watched his mother put the noose around Amber’s neck but she didn’t notice. “It’s a beautiful necklace mommy.” She led her over the edge and she stood tethering. She blinked and looked down. “No.” She gripped the banister. “Mommy help me.”
“Come join me my baby.”
“I don’t want to die.”
“Come my little one. My beautiful little girl.”
“Mommy please.”
“I love you.” Mama pushed Amber off the ledge. Her scream was cut short by a firm breaking.
Pavi stumbled back and he was once more in the living room. “You killed her. She didn’t-a want to die. You killed her.”
“I was saving her. Before the world could ruin her. I saved her. Before the world could turn her into your brother. I didn’t even need to convince him.”
“You did that to him. You and-a papa and killing sorella. You did that-a to him. Not the world. If-a you have any shred of decency left-a in you, if any of our mother is still-a in there, you’d-a let me save him.”
“He doesn’t want to be saved.”
“All-a we have is each other. Please, let-a him go.”
“He left you. After you got cleaned as he asked, he left you and went back to LA.”
“And I followed. Because I knew he didn’t-a want to be alone. But he couldn’t be in that-a city anymore. Not with-a papa there. So he could-a fool himself into believing he left-a papa. Not-a the other way around. Not papa refusing to see him, to see us. I can-a beg him to stay. He will-a stay with me. I know it. Please mama. Don’t-a take him too.”
“I don’t want to be alone anymore.”
“I’m here mommy. I’m here. You’re not alone, you have me.”
“If you die outside, I will never see you again. If you bring Luigi out of here and he dies in a hospital, I will never see him again. You can’t take him from me. You can’t. Stay here. All of you. We can be a family again. Just as we were all those years ago.”
“But that’s not me mommy.” Amber pointed at the little girl still playing with her dolls. “it hasn’t been me for a long time. Even with me here, you still want what we were, not what we are now. That isn’t love.”
“You called your brother here, not me.”
“This house called him here, not me. This house is making you hurt us, not you. This isn’t you, mommy. You’re letting this house kill us one by one. But you can stop this. I’m here. Not that memory. Me. I won’t leave you alone. Just let them live, please.”
“No.” Her face turned cruel. “No. I will keep you here with me. All of you.” A smile appeared on her face; warm but twisted. “Oh, your brother’s coming. I hope he still likes tea.”
Ice filled him. “No.”
“Go. Pavi, go.” Amber placed two fingers on his forehead.
***
Pavi jerked awake. He was back in the room. Shilo and Papa were passed out on the floor. “Fratello!” Luigi was still. “No. NO. NO. Nononono.” He placed a hand on his neck. “No.” There was no pulse.
He pulled his brother onto his back and started CPR. He just needed to get his heart started again. He needed to start his heart. “Fratello, please don’t-a leave me.”
“Pavi?” Shilo woke. Of course mama couldn’t convince her to stay.
“Get the door open.”
“Is he-”
“Get the fucking door open!”
“Oh god.”
“Fratello, don’t you fucking dare abandon me again.” 30 and 2 breaths. 30 and 2 breaths. But he couldn’t count. He couldn’t. Not with his shaking and his fear. And… 30 and 2 breaths. “Fratello please.”
***
“Fratello please.”
Luigi glanced up for a minute. His brow furrowed. He shook his head and took another biscuit from the table.
“Can’t you hear him?”
“Fratello, I won’t fucking forgive you. Please.”
“Ignore the voice, Carmela. There’s no such thing as ghosts.”
“You’re leaving him alone?”
“He’s not alone. He has-”
“He has no one else!” She slammed her fist on the table. It was always comical coming from such a small child if not for the anger on her face. “Can’t you hear his heart breaking? Go back Luigi, please. Don’t leave him.”
“Like you left us?”
“I didn’t kill myself. I didn’t want to die. I had so much going for me. I was happy. I didn’t want to die.”
Luigi froze, a chill ran up his spine. “You’re lying.” His voice was little more than a whisper.
“No. When she couldn’t convince me to stay, mommy pushed me.”
“You…you kept coming to find me.”
“I heard your heart breaking. Just like I hear Pavi’s heart breaking now. I wanted to tell you it wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known because I didn’t kill myself. I didn’t want this.” She shook her head. “But I couldn’t speak, couldn’t say anything. I could see you, all of you. But I kept shouting and screaming but none of you could hear me. I saw all of you blame yourselves for what happened. But it wasn’t anyone’s fault. The house tricked me and brought me here. Mommy tricked me into hanging myself. She pushed me. It’s this house brother. It’s no one else’s fault. Just like how mommy’s death wasn’t anyone’s fault. Not yours. Not daddy’s. It’s this house.”
“If I hadn’t gone to LA-”
“Shi was here. Nathan and Marni were here. Daddy was here. It didn’t matter. You couldn’t have stopped it even if you were here.”
“I should have believed you about the house.”
“You should have. But it wouldn’t have made a fucking difference.”
“Language.”
“I’m not a child!” And as soon as she said that, she aged into the woman she was before she died.
“Amber.” Luigi choked. He trembled as he walked up to her and clutched her. “I’m sorry.”
“Did you not hear a word I said?”
“I’ve missed you.”
“I miss you too brother. But you cannot stay.”
“I can’t do this without you.”
“You can and you will. We will see each other again brother, I know it. Just not now. Not like this. Go back to him please.”
Luigi closed his eyes. “How?”
“Destroy the cup. You drank the poison. You have to choose to leave.”
He nodded slowly. He raised the cup above him.
“Luigi, don’t do this.”
“Mom.”
“Don’t leave me.”
Slowly, Luigi lowered the cup, staring at her.
“Luigi, don’t listen to her.”
“I don’t want to be alone again.”
“She has me, brother. The house is manipulating you.”
“Luigi, I’m so lonely. I’ve been alone in this house for 20 years.”
“Brother she has me.”
“Drink another cup, Luigi. Stay here with me.”
An animalistic how of pain echoed through the room.
“Listen to him, brother. You’ll kill him.”
“He can join us too. We’ll be a family again. All of us.”
“Pavi already refused. He doesn’t want this, brother. Don’t force him to do this.”
“Luigi-”
“Enough!” Luigi shook. “Both of you just…enough.” He stared at the cup in his hand. “I…I love you both so much.”
“I love you too brother. I will always be with you.”
“Luigi, don’t.”
Luigi’s eyes never left the cup. “For so many years, I wondered why you never invited me to that fucking tea party. I’d gotten it into my head it must have meant you didn’t love me. I see now, you are not you.” He finally looked at his mother. “You are just a vessel this house uses to get more victims. You were right.” He took a breath. “I was too old for the tea party. I would have figured something was wrong and stopped you or called dad or made a scene. Sending me to bed was to keep me out of the way. I see that now. I finally see that.” His eyes burned. “My mother was a wonderful woman. She was beautiful and kind and forgiving and she would have done anything for us. She was not the kind of person who could murder her own daughter, no matter how lonely she felt. I don’t know if you’re still in there, mom, but I love you and miss you so much. It’s not that I don’t want to be with you. But I’ve abandoned Pavi too many times now, convinced that if you didn’t love me, no one else ever did. So I did all I could to push everyone away, keep my heart safe. I can’t do that to him again. I’m sorry.” He closed his eyes and smashed to cup against the ground.
***
Shilo grabbed his hands. “Pavi…Pavi enough. He’s gone.” She choked.
“No.”
“He’s gone.”
A broken cry of grief escaped Pavi’s lips. He’d just lost his sister…he couldn’t…he couldn’t… He curled against himself, head pressed into his hands. Painful sobs escaped his lips. No. “You bastard.” He choked out. “You fucking-”
Luigi gasped.
“Fra…fratello?”
Luigi coughed and gagged as more blood escaped his lips. But he was breathing. He was breathing.
“Fratello.” He felt his pulse. It was weak and thready. “He needs a hospital.”
“The door is still locked.”
“Mama, please. Please.”
“You want someone, Angelina, take me.”
“Pa…papa?”
His father stood quietly, staring at the empty spot below the window. “Let them go Angelina. Take me.”
“Pops, don’t.” Luigi choked out.
“I kept making screw up after screw up. Everything that I thought I was doing that was right just made things worse. Let me fix this. If you want someone, Angelina, take me. Let the boy live.”
“Look at him Rotti.” Came a disembodied voice. Slowly, his mother appeared translucent at the spot his father was staring at. “Look at what the world has done to him. I can keep him safe.”
“What we’ve done to him, Angelina.”
“No. I want to protect him.”
“You’re taking the rest of his life from him.”
“I’m protecting him.”
“No, you’re not. That’s not being a parent. You have to let them go and screw up and learn to survive the world. That’s living.”
“I don’t want to be alone.”
“I will stay with you. Just open the door.”
“Pops, please.”
Her features turned cold. “Or I can keep all of you here with me.”
“Look at him, Angelina. He’s suffering.”
She looked sadly at him, “It will end soon. I promise.” She gave him a warm reassuring smile.
“Do you remember when Luigi was born? What hope we had for him, for his future? You’re taking everything away from him. You have to let him live. Please, let him go.”
Her eyes softened and he swore he could see his mother fighting to break through. Tears leaked from her eyes. She nodded. The door swung open.
Rotti bent next to Luigi. He grabbed his wrist. “Pops, don’t do this.” He gasped out weakly.
“I’m sorry. I never realized how much I hurt you, hurt all of you. I thought you could have a normal life, a normal family with the Wallace’s. I didn’t want to ruin that.”
“I didn’t want them, pops. I wanted you.”
“I see that now. I’m sorry.”
“Pops, please. Don’t do this.”
Rotti placed a gentle hand on his face. “I want this. 20 years ago, if it wasn’t for you three, I would have hung myself right next to her. I loved her so much. And I grieved
Note: I have not written any Rotti whump I’ve noticed. I did this a few months back. This is based on the solo RPG Frankenstein using the Wretched and Alone engine. You play a version of Victor Frankenstein chasing after the monster he created.
I have been tracking him for months. I’ve followed him all the way to this frozen tundra. I have finally found him. This monster I have created must be destroyed. My arrogance at playing God…I have lost everything. I will destroy this creature if it’s the last thing I do. I swear it on all those taken from me by this monster.
I managed to make it deeper into the island. I found supplies. I found my daughter’s diary in my bag. I shook as her childish scrawl greeted me. Luigi doesn’t even look at me anymore. Did I do anything wrong? Mommy says to leave him be. He has never been nice to me. Never cared for me. But…he looks sad all the time. I want to ask him what’s wrong but I know he’ll ignore me like he always does. Did I do something wrong? I never wanted this for them. I didn’t expect Luigi to react the way he did. I never knew what Irene said to him until it was too late. I would have told him not to listen. I…I just wanted him to have a normal life.
“Pops please, I don’t want to do this. We don’t know if it’ll work. Please pops. Don’t do this.” I keep having the same nightmare. The same desperate begging. Why hadn’t I listened to him? Why hadn’t I listened to anyone? Dr Smith refused to play along. He tendered his resignation on the spot. Why didn’t I listen to him? Maybe…things would have been different. There are times where I begin wondering if this monster is even real. Maybe I had lost my mind and began imagining things. No one else alive has seen this thing. Could I have just gone mad?
I was attacked by a bear. A passing by lumbar jack saved me and showed me a way deeper into the forest. He asked what I was doing here and I could only tell him half truths. We parted ways and deeper I went into the frozen Tundra. I…I still can hear the monsters voice in my ear. Why did it have to be his voice? I could have given him any voice. Why did I give him hisvoice? How did I fuck things up so badly?
I awoke hearing the sounds of an old Italian lullaby. My wife, my first wife used to sing that while pregnant with Luigi. She…she never got to hold her child. Luigi never heard his mother’s voice. It’s been years… Why am I thinking about her now? Because I failed her. I failed her and I failed our son. I never gave the creature a name. Stubbornly I held to the belief that I succeeded. So I never gave it a name. Lorenzo. It tried to call itself. A common Italian name. Foolish. I keep wondering what I would say if I saw it. I would ask it why. Why did he kill my children? Why did it take everything from me? Why…why didn’t I succeed?
I was foolish. I ate berries from a bush that I thought were safe. I began hallucinating. It took me to that night. The night I found out exactly how much of a monster I created.
“Carmela. Carmela I’m home.” Silence greeted him. “Carmela?” He entered the room and found the monster sitting on the bed.
“I…She wouldn’t stop screaming. I thought…I thought she would bring the guards. I just wanted to keep her quiet.”
Rotti’s eyes widened. In the monster’s arms was his daughter’s limp body. “What…what have you done!?”
“She wouldn’t stop screaming. Why wouldn’t she stop screaming?” He held the child up to him. “Fix her. Father, you can fix her. Fix her.”
With shaking hands he took his daughter from it. She was cold and stiff. Her face was ashen and her lips were a horrid shade of blue.
“Father please, fix her.”
“You killed her.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt her.”
“You fucking bastard. You killed her.”
“Father please.”
“I will fucking kill you.” Rotti aimed his gun at him. The monster pushed him down and ran out of the room. Rotti held Carmela to him and sobbed.
I had finally found where the monster was hiding. The villagers spoke of a monstrous creature hiding in the caves in the mountains. There. Now I knew exactly where I was headed. I will find this creature and destroy it once and for all.
I found the entrance of the cave. A fire was burning in front of it. On the side was a roasted hare, still warm. A chill filled me. Was the monster making sure I had enough food? I closed his eyes ready to kick the hare aside. My stomach growled in protest. No reason to waste good food… I sat down to eat the hare when I felt eyes on me. I looked up to see the monster watching from the edge of the cliff. It smiled, took a step back and jumped. “Luigi!” The cry tore from my throat before I could stop it. I ran to the edge of the cliff. The strong currents carried the monster downstream. There was no way it would survive that. Was…was coming here a waste of time?
I wondered what would be engraved on my tombstone. Rotti Largo. Fool. Failure. Child killer. Survived his children. ‘Sorely missed’ would not be there. There was no left to miss me. I’d lost three wives, three children. I deserved death.
I headed down the mountain following the river. I had to see for myself if the monster was dead. I found him from a distance panting heavily by the river bank. His eyes widened when it saw me. It turned and ran. I wondered if it was trying to convince me it was dead so I would leave him be. He killed my daughter. I know he claims it was an accident. Maybe that I could forgive. But…
Rotti froze when he saw the monster standing in the living room. “You!”
“I just wanted you to love me. Why didn’t you love me?” The monsters back was facing him.
Rotti reached for his gun. “Because you are a failure of an experiment and a monster. That is all.”
“I…I have his face. Is that not enough?”
“You have the face of a monster.”
“You will never love me will you?” It laughed a hollow laugh. “Well, no one will love you either.” It turned around and dropped something onto the ground.
“Pavi!” He picked his son up and turned him. Pavi’s eyes were open, staring blankly into his. His neck was twisted to an unnatural angle. “NO!” Rotti screamed, hugging his son to him.
“He didn’t suffer.”
Rotti let out a howl of rage and pain. He pointed the gun at the monster and shot. Bang! Red splattered over the monster’s shoulder. It stared wide eyed at him and ran.
I once again tried to find the monster. The cold was biting. I felt it seep into my bones. If I do not find this creature soon, this cold will soon take me. I had to find him. I had to end this.
A little girl passed me a note from the monster. Stop following me. Turn back. You will die. I scoffed and threw the note to the ground. The wind blew it and I realized there was writing on the back too. Why won’t he stop screaming? What…what was the monster talking about?
Rotti finally found the monster hiding in a riverside cave.
“You’ve found me.” The monster looked defeated.
“Yes.”
“Are you here to kill me?”
“Yes.”
“I just wanted you to love me. Why was that so hard?”
“You’re not my son.”
“But you made me!”
“Imade a mistake.”
“If I had pretended to be him from the start. Could you have loved me?”
Rotti was silent.
“Go on then. Kill me.”
“You murdered my children.”
“I…I’m sorry. Carmela was an accident. And Paviche…I…I just became so angry. I just wanted to punish you. I didn’t…”
“Then you should have come for me. Not my children.”
“I just wanted them to love me. I was their brother. They were supposed to love me too.”
“You are a monster.”
“I know.”
“What did you mean when you said he won’t stop screaming?”
The monster was silent.
“What did you mean?”
“I hear him sometimes. It was nothing more than an occasional whisper. But when I killed Paviche…He won’t stop screaming.”
Rotti froze. “It worked…”
The monster shook his head. “No! This body is mine. I’m alive. I’m real.”
“If I’d known Luigi was in there all along…”
“You’d what!? Treat me better? Treat me human? Treat me like your son!?” Tears flowed down the monster’s face. “All I wanted was for you to love me. But you failed even that.”
“Luigi? Can you hear me?”
“He’s powerless. He couldn’t even stop me from killing his brother.”
“You bastard.”
“Nothing I do is going to be enough for you. So go on, kill me. Kill me and destroy all traces of your only child left. That would be the sweetest revenge of all.”
“Stop this.”
“Stop what? You followed me here. I was resigned to this isolation but you wanted your revenge. So here I am.”
Rotti’s hand shook. “I just wanted to save my son. All I wanted was to save my son.” Rotti collapsed to the ground sobbing.
“He didn’t want any of that. He begged you not to do it. He begged you to let him stay.”
“And I didn’t listen.” Rotti sobbed. “because I was arrogant enough to believe it would work. I murdered my son.”
“Come on then. Let’s end this once and for all.”
Rotti didn’t move, he couldn’t. He was ready to kill the bastard. But if there was a chance his son was still in there.
“Go on then. Kill me! Just make him stop screaming. Please.”
Rotti closed his eyes. He aimed the gun at the monster’s head and pulled the trigger. BANG!
***
(Bonus scene ;))
Carmela screamed at the sight of the monster.
“Please. Please stop screaming.”
Carmela screamed more. The thing was disgusting. It didn’t look human.
“The guards will come running. Please.”
She backed away. “Daddy!!! Pavi!!!”
“I’m your brother. Please. Just listen to me.”
She couldn’t hear what it was saying. She was terrified. The thing ran towards her and grabbed her. She screamed even louder. “Let me go!!!”
“Please keep it down.”
“Let me go!!! HELP!!!! DADDY!!!!”
The monster clamped a hand over her mouth. “Please stop shouting.”
She fought against it. She bit its hand. “DADDY!!!!!!!!!”
It grabbed her waist and clamped a hand over her face once more. “Please. I just want to talk.”
She struggled some more. She couldn’t scream.
“Just calm down. I just wanted to meet you.”
She couldn’t breathe. She struggled harder. Daddy!!!
It held her more tightly. “Please calm down.”
She fought harder. She tried to bite his hand again but his hand was too tight. His hand was too tight. She couldn’t breathe.
“Father made me. So I’m your brother you see.”
She scratched desperately at his hands trying to make him let go.
“If you promise to stop screaming, I’ll let you go. Ok?”
She tried to scream but her cry was muffled by his hands. Tears pricked her eyes as her chest burned.
“Please just listen to me. Father won’t listen. I know you will.”
She was beginning to see stars. She arched her back desperate to breathe but his grip was too tight. Daddy! Help me!!!
“My name is…my name is Lorenzo. Do you like that name?”
She blindly slapped the monsters hand. She was losing coordination. Pavi. Help!!!
“Shit theres someone outside. Shhhh.”
Using her last bit of strength Carmela tried to scream as loud as she could.
The monsters hand clamped harder to muffle her cries.
Her hands fell to her side. She gapped desperately for oxygen that would not come. Darkness crept at the edges of her vision. Her legs twitched. Her vision turned black.
Note: I’m really sorry. I’ve been sitting on this for awhile. I’ve just started a new job with insane hours and I’m exhausted when I get home. I played with the idea in my head a bit but… I honestly feel it’s nothing great or new. I’m determined to finish Deadcember eventually but it will take a lot of time. And with me only writing a couple of sentences whenever I can spare time…I don’t know… I like it more when I write it all in one sitting. Writing piece by piece always makes it feel very disjointed.
Pavi was cold. He hadn’t stopped being cold since that day… It didn’t matter how much he wore or how heated GeneCo was. He was always cold. The Genterns had started a fire in the living room. They’ve been doing it for him since he left the hospital. Pavi found himself spending hours in front of the fire. It was nice.
Pavi spotted Mama Irene watching him. He ducked his head; hugging himself. She would find a reason to be angry with him.
“Are you ok, Pavi?” The voice was hesistant. Not something he was used to in her voice. She was always loud end she never said anything nice to Pavi. But since he left the hospital… She never said anything to him but he caught her staring at him.
“Why did you leave GeneCo by yourself, Pavi?”
“I…I just wanted to go to the park and play.”
Pavi knew his father saw through his lies. But Pavi didn’t want to get Mama Irene in trouble. Even if it was her fault. No. It was his fault. Pavi should have never left GeneCo. Why did Pavi leave GeneCo? There were so many places he could have hid. Why did he leave?
Pavi stared at his brother’s room door. Luigi never left his room anymore. He didn’t even join them for dinner. Dinner was quiet. Daddy was home more often but…dinner was always so quiet. He thought if anyone, their father would be able to convince Luigi not to hide away. But no one even commented about Luigi’s absence.
“I’m not angry with you, Paviche.”
It had to be a lie. Why would his brother still ignore them after all they’ve been through if it wasn’t a lie? He missed his brother. But Luigi never left his room. Pavi tried knocking on his door once. But Luigi refused to answer.
Pavi shivered and hugged himself. He wondered if he would ever feel warm again. He still could feel the freezing air bite into his skin. He could still remember feeling so tired, he couldn’t keep his eyes open. He remembered-
“Pavi?”
Right. Mama Irene was talking to him. She would be angry he didn’t reply her. He hugged himself tighter. “I’m ok.” His voice was so small he could barely hear himself.
He felt something warm being draped over his shoulders. He looked up to see that Mama Irene had placed a blanket on his shoulders. “Is that better?”
Mama Irene was never this nice. “You don’t have to pretend, Ma-.” He cut himself off. She hated him calling her mama. “I won’t tell papa anything.”
“I shouldn’t have yelled.”
“I’ll pay for a new set.”
Mama Irene sighed. “You don’t have to, Pavi. It isn’t….It isn’t a big deal.”
No? It sure felt like it. Pavi glanced at Luigi’s room once more. Fratello would tell papa what happened. He should warn her. But he didn’t want to get fratello in trouble either.
Pavi caught Irene watching him with a strange look. Pavi glanced back to the fire.
“Do you-” She cut herself off.
He’ll have to come out eventually. He must be bored in there.
“We’ll be…leaving early tomorrow morning.”
Another GeneCo event? Pavi didn’t feel up to it. “Do I have to be there?” No. Why would he ask Irene that? She was only pretending to be nice because she didn’t want him to tell Papa. He didn’t want to anger her.
“It’ll be better if you do. You’ll regret it if you don’t.”
She was back to her threats. Her voice still sounded kind. But it was still a threat.
“Ok.”
“Rest early, Pavi.”
“Ok, Ma-” He just hugged himself tighter.
*
Pavi woke up and put on the suit the Genterns had prepared for him. It must be a big event then if he had to dress up. Strange how papa didn’t tell him he had to be on his best behavior.
He stopped by his brother’s door. He knocked softly. “Fratello?” Once more, only silence greeted him. “I’m sorry, fratello.” Still there was no reply. His brother must really be angry with him.
He headed to the hall where Carmela was sitting quietly on the sofa. She was wearing an adorable black dress. “Sorella.”
“Pavi.” She looked at him for a moment and looked down. “Pavi, I don’t understand what’s going on.”
“There’s nothing to understand sorella.”
“Oh.” She looked down. She seemed sad.
“Sorella, what’s wrong?”
Nothing.“
"Are you two ready?”
“Si.” Mama Irene was well dressed up as well. She wore a long black dress. She matched with Carmela.
“Mommy, I-” Carmela cut herself off.
“It’s going to be ok.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
Why was Mama Irene acting so off? Even to her own daughter she was never this nice. What was going on? This was just a normal GeneCo event right? Why was everyone acting so weird?
Rotti exited his bedroom. He looked somber. Everyone was acting so off. “Let’s go.”
Pavi followed them slowly to the door. “Is fratello not coming?”
Rotti froze.
“It would be good for him to get out of his room once in a while.”
Rotti knelt down before him. “Pavi, where do you think we’re going?”
“I don’t know. Some GeneCo event I guess.” Pavi pulled his jacket tighter around himself. It was getting cold again.
“Pavi…” Rotti sighed.
“Si, Papa?” He’d wished the Genterns picked for him a thicker coat.
“After you woke up in the hospital…do you remember what I told you?”
“No.” Pavi said quickly.
“How are you feeling, Pavi?”
“I’m ok.”
Rotti sighed. “Bambino…Luigi-”
“No.”
“Pavi, I need to tell you something.”
“What is it, papa?”
“You have to face this, Pavi.”
“No.”
“Luigi…Luigi had another arrest. The doctors couldn’t restart his heart.”
“What are you saying papa?”
“Luigi is gone.”
“Pavi, your brother is dead.”
“No.”
“Pavi.”
He felt tears burn his eyes. No his father was lying. Luigi wasn’t dead.
“It’s going to be alright.”
“No. It was my fault. If I hadn’t left GeneCo… If he hadn’t come find me… He kept trying to keep me warm. He-”
“Pavi…it wasn’t your fault. We knew it was just a matter of time. He had an arrest. It wasn’t the cold.”
“Then tell me he wouldn’t still been here if he hadn’t gone out that day.”
“Pavi…” Rotti sighed once more.
“it’’s my fault he’s gone.”
Arms wrapped around him. “No, Bambino. It’s not.”
“I shouldn’t have left.”
“No, Pavi. You shouldn’t have left GeneCo on your own. But it wasn’t your fault. It was just a matter of time. His heart was too far gone.”
“Do you think he hates me for this?”
“No, Bambino. Your brother was so worried about you. He held on long enough to make sure you were safe.”
“Do you hate me, Papa? If it wasn’t for me-”
“No, Pavi. I don’t hate you. And I don’t blame you. I couldn’t get the heart in time. This is not on you.”
Rotti held him tighter but Pavi couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. He just felt so cold. He felt so cold. “I’m sorry.”
Yo any artists in the repo fandom who wanna do Aggie.Io with me? It’s a website where you can draw with other people! I’d love to draw repo stuff with someone!
(Welcome! to my ramblings as I think about the intricacies of Repo! The Genetic Opera.)
So! Rotti Largo is such an interesting character to me because he’s not as clear cut as he appears to be? From a singular glance, he’s just a clear cut villain character with no real purpose or motivation other than, you know, being evil. But I have to admit, the more I think about it the more I find that he does, in some strange way, have some redeeming qualities.
I know, ‘Rotti? Redeeming qualities?’ JUST HEAR ME OUT. Rotti Largo is this super powerful politician type who can literally kill people whenever he wants. It’s honestly kind of scary. But there are things about him that make me question if there is truly, even a sliver of good inside of this man.
First thing is his children. He hates them, right? But he has also shown to care about them just a tad. He hates them for being creations of his own doing, as all of their behaviors are just byproducts of the society that he created, but he clearly doesn’t hate them that much. My evidence for that? Two things. 1.) He could have easily killed them if he wanted to. If he truly hated them that much, he could have gotten rid of them. But something somewhere cares for them, and that has to count for something. 2.) Amber. She’s a big deal in this whole point, given that he has stated himself that all he has ever tried to do is give the kids the life that he wished he had growing up. Which, in and of itself is sweet in retrospect, but it did end up turning the children into exactly what he despises about them. Furthermore, I have to believe that Rotti chose Amber as the backup heir for geneco, despite how ill suited for it he initially thought. If the company was just inherited by blood, Luigi would have inherited geneco, as he is the oldest child. Instead, it went to the youngest, meaning that Rotti must have specified at some point that if his plan to have Shilo as his heir for geneco fell through, Amber would be the next in line.
Which brings me to my next point, which is the entire thing with Shilo. While kind of messed up, Rotti did end up getting Shilo her cure by revealing that her father had been the one poisoning her. And it is also inferred that he did truly want to give her geneco, and that Nathan dying was not originally part of his plan and only came into the picture once he refused to kill Mag. I think perhaps that not only did he want Shilo because she was responsible and respectable unlike Luigi, Pavi, and Amber, but because he may have felt bad for killing Marni, someone who he had truly loved, and seeing as Shilo is her daughter, it may have been in some crooked twisted way, an apology.
This brings me to my final point: Geneco as a whole. Yes, the whole organ repossession thing is fucked up, but the fact that they are making these organs to save people from death is a good thing, even if they will be murdered upon missing a payment.
Am I saying that Rotti is a good man? Absolutely not. But, I do think he is much more interesting the more you think about him, and It’s interesting how the character who is shown as ‘bad’ occasionally actually does good things, where as the character who is shown as (and I say this loosely) ‘good’ aka Nathan, is shown doing horrendous things, and yet the audience is made to feel sorry for him.
I still do not like him, but it is certainly food for thought!
