Oblivion

6

Adrian
We walk into the ballroom, filled with several people. I'd expect nothing less from my parents. I look around for my parents, but they are nowhere to be seen. Occasionally, I forget this girl is next to me, I look over, startled by her presence. But she stands by my side, never leaving.

"Make sure to stay by me." I order Alessia. She looks up to me, with her big brown eyes, growing in anticipation and what seems to be fear. I walked up to one of my good friends, Manuel, him and his mother doesn't partake in mafia actions, but are highly respected as his father is on the Mafia Council.

Manuel turns around, beaming a bright smile, "A! How's it been?" Manuel exclaims, his eyes dart to Alessia, "Who's the girl?" Manuel raises a brow. I sigh, adjusting my sleeves, "My arranged fiancé." I finish. Alessia says nothing, "Well she looks like a good one." Manuel smiles again. A girl comes from behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "And this is Emilie, we're getting married in the next few months, the exact date remains undecided yet because somebody can't seem to pick the perfect day." Emilie scoffs, "It has to be the perfect day Manuel." They share a small laugh and then they both cheese at the announcement, "That's great." Alessia smiles, I nudge her to quiet her. She backs down, "It really is." Manuel smiles as he looks to Emilie.

We walk over to the buffet, looking at what food was available. Then we hear my father begin to make a speech. "Welcome everyone, we are very glad you all could make it, in celebration of infiltrating the Hernandez Mafia." My father raises a champagne glass, with an evil grin plastered on his face. "By this I would like my son, Adrian Casanova, to come up to the stage." My father looks through the crowd to find me and makes eye contact with me. I walk up to stage, drowning out the raging applause in my favor. I walk up the stairs, not showing any emotion to the crowd.

But the emotion in my head runs haywire. I didn't appreciate my father for making me leave Alessia by herself, with several men in this room who I know will rape her. I made sure to keep an eye on Alessia while I stood on the stage, upon the hundreds of people. "And of course, his arranged fiancé, who is bound to blow up in our mafia. Alessia Hernandez." He smiles, pointing his hand to Alessia, then to the stairs on the opposite side of him, and the opposite side of me.

Alessia, being as naive as she can be, she smiles and waves as she walks up to the stage. I watch her as she gracefully walks near the stage and onto the first step, everything seems to be in a slow motion. Her hair, gently blowing, her smile sparkling in the spotlight, her eyes also sparkling, radiating happiness most of us would kill to ever have.

Then something clicks when she steps on the final stair. My eyes go wide, "Don't move!" I yell, but it's too late, once she registers my words, she's stepped off the step. My father jumps off the stage, as she stepped on it, knowing this would happen. Like the asshole he is. I run from the stage, jumping off and trying to take cover. Soon, everything blew. Screams were everywhere, but finally it went silent.

"Alessia!" I scream, sitting up, but struggling to. I look to my leg, I was impaled by part of a microphone stand. Once I realized what happened the pain was unbearable. But I fought through it. I had to find Alessia, but from where I was sitting, I couldn't see her anywhere. There was clouds of dust everywhere, and small fires here and there. People were evacuating, somebody tried to come help me.

But I pushed them away, eventually standing up, looking through the amounts of rubble. "Alessia!" I scream, my voice becoming raspy from the smoke. I let out a cough. "Alessia!" I yell, over and over. Hearing nothing in return. Finally I'm by myself, everyone has left, except me and Alessia. I continue to move what rubble I can. Finding nothing. I sit down, in pain, "Alessia, please, please, anything Alessia, give me a sign you still breathe." I sob.

I hear a small cough, near where the stage blew up first. I limp over to the pile of rubble, grabbing my leg in pain. I pull pieces of rubble up, revealing Alessia's dust covered face. When I pull I few more pieces of rubble up, she takes in a deep breath and lets out a cough. I pull up a few more, enough to get her free. Once I get her out, and into my grip, she goes unconscious. I struggle to walk with her paper weight of a body in my arms, and also with my leg being impaled.

Finally I reach outside, where everybody stands, passing out, dropping Alessia and myself to the ground, at the foot of my father.