Finding Forgiveness

We drove for some hours more. Every now and then I brought my fingers to my tender eye to investigate the swelling.

Spoiler: it was bad.

On the plus side, my eye had caught the metallic shimmer of a blade in the pocket of the driver. Andrea was busy brooding at the time and I was able to discretely reach for it and slip it from his pocket and into my own. I took no joy in hurting people but if I had the opportunity with Andrea, I would hesitate for a second.

Eventually, the car came to a grinding stop at the edge of a muddy, fast-flowing river.

"This looks like the sort of place you bring someone to discretely murder them,” I mumbled as Andrea hauled me out of the car by my my arm and dragging me onto an overgrown jetty where a singular boat bobbed on the brown water.

"Don't tempt me, Blanca," he replied before reaching into his pocket and handing the silent driver a wad of cash.

The car was soon speeding back down the track, kicking up dust as it went and leaving us alone on the derelict jetty that was so rotten we could fall through at any moment.

Taking my arm once again, he began leading me to the tiny motorboat. I heard the high pitched buzz of a mosquito in the air. It landed on his tanned skin and he lifted his other hand to slap it off.

I flinched and closed my eyes for a brief second.

Of course, Andrea noticed and he looked down at me and his eyes fluttered across his face before he smirked and looked away.

"You're scared of me, Blanca," he stated.

I didn't respond.

"Tell me why," he said.

"You know why," I replied quietly.

"I want to hear you say it."

I hesitated for a few moments and took a deep breath, "You're terrifying.”

He gave me a sarcastic smile.

"Thank you," he said in a light tone before his face hardened. "Now get in the boat."

I looked down at the old wooden thing and the relatively fast flowing river. I then thought about where it was going to take me and felt a sudden urge to do anything in my power to not end up in it.

I backed away shaking my head.

"No," I refused.

"Now that your son is safe you think it's okay to be difficult?" he said grabbing my wrist. "Get in the fucking boat and don't make me say it again.”

"Fuck you,” I hissed withdrawing the stolen knife and surging it towards him.

His grip loosened on my wrist and I cowered away. He brought his fingers slowly up to his cheek and dapped the scratch I had left on him. Blood oozed onto his fingertips and a slight trickle dripped down his cheek to his jaw. He stared as the blood on his hands for a few seconds before lifting his eyes up to me.

"You better run, Blanca,” he growled as his face twitched with anger. "Before I fucking kill you."

I heeded his advice and bolted into the jungle. It was dense and the vines whipped and lashed as I fought through leaves and branches and roots.

His footsteps thundered towards me. Every stride of his covering twice the distance of mine.

In my panic, I lost my step and caught my foot on a protruding root which sent me onto the floor.

I rolled onto my back to see Andrea above me, still with murder in his eyes. He leant down and grabbed my ankles, pulling me underneath me and seizing my face in his hand.

"You fucking bitch, Blanca,” he snarled, his mouth so close to mine.

My pulse throbbed in my ears as watery tears built in my eyes. His glare was relentless and dark, and his claws dug into my cheeks.

"I was told that you knew how to fight but that was pathetic Sweetheart," he said ripping the knife out of my hand

The cut clearly only stretched across the surface of his cheek and the blood had already stopped flowing.

He slowly brought the knife to my throat and pressed the back of the blade against my skin.

“I am going to make you pay for this," he said slowly and clearly, every word deep and cutting.

I then briefly saw his fist flying towards my face before everything went dark and silent.