Redamancy

The threat

"Girl I'm so in love with you," I sing absentmindedly as I paint. 

Uncle Raf introduced me to my new favourite thing in the world, music. He's making me listen to all his favourite artists, my personal favourite being Mac Miller. I must have cried for an hour straight when he revealed that he died.

Dad sits on the armchair in the corner of the sunroom, furiously talking into his phone as I quietly hum to myself. It's been three days since we watched Tangled and ever since then he's been extremely stressed for some reason.

I've been walking on egg shells, trying not to speak out of line just incase he gets angry and decides he doesn't want to be nice to me anymore.

I yawn while trying to rub the sleepiness out of my eyes.

I've been having really bad night terrors lately which has never happened before. I think it's because when I lived in that cell I was completely unaware that most people didn't live that way but now that I know there's a better life for me out here I can't handle the idea of going back.

What makes my dreams so scary is that they're completely normal. I'm always back in the cell and lying on the floor, having just waken up which terrifies me because I start to question which version of my life is reality. Could my dad, my uncle and all this freedom just be a dream?

I try not to think about it, knowing it sends my mind down a pretty deep rabbit hole. 

I turn my attention back to my painting which is a picture of the rising sun emerging from behind  the hundreds of trees that line the house.

It's currently five am and I feel really bad about making him wake up so early. My nightmares usually leave me waking up in a panic while screaming my lungs off which obviously wakes him up and causes him to come hurtling to my room.

He comforts me and tries to get me back to sleep every time but it's impossible, I'm too scared that if I close my eyes I'll open them again and be back in that cell. So he stays awake with me, regardless if it's at two, three or five am.

He pulls himself off the armchair, pacing around with a concerned expression on his face. "I'm sorry sweetheart I have to take this outside," He apologises, exiting the room.

I continue painting contently until a persistent tapping on the long floor to ceiling windows draws my attention. 

I curiously stare at the cute animal that is peering through the window. "Awhhh," I marvel at it's adorableness.

I go to stand up, wanting to get a closer look at it but as soon as I do my vision becomes blurry. I stumble towards the closest wall, the room feeling as if it's spinning as I desperately try to keep myself upright.

My attempts are all in vain though because not even five seconds later my eyes darken and I go tumbling down, feeling my head hit the corner of my arts table before landing on the floor.

"So what are you saying?" I desperately seek clarification again. 

"I'm sorry boss but the bounty on your's and Rafael's head is eight hundred million and since it was released world wide every mafia, cartel and freelance assassin across the world will be coming after you," He says regretfully.

I suck in a deep breath, clutching my phone tighter with my sweaty palms. "Is it..." I trail off, mentally crossing my fingers in hopes that it's not what I think it is. "Yes no survivors," He confirms my worst nightmare.

If the sentence no survivors is featured on a bounty notice it means that whoever the target is with at the time of the killing needs to also be exterminated. This means that not only is my life in grave danger but so is Aria's, Raf's and anyone that happens to be around me at the time.

"What do advise," I ask him while trying to keep my calm. "I have an idea but you're not going to like it boss," I says reluctantly.

"Speak." I order, causing him to sigh. 'Well I recommend that you and Rafael both go into hiding in separate locations," He explains. 

I nod my head, knowing that this is protocol for any bounties above ten million. "And..." He trails off. "Your daughter can't stay with you," He reveals.

"Absolutely not," I say sternly, the idea of being away from her for more than an hour filling me with an unbearable sense of anxiety. "I just got her back I'm not letting her go already," I tell him.

"I know boss but it's the only way to ensure her safety, if she's with you she's a target," He continues. "We can find the safest location to hide her and put together a skilled team of guards and-" He rambles but I cut him off. 

"No fuck off and find me another solution," I command before hanging up, the anger and stress finally boiling over.

I sigh, running my hand through my hair as I think for a few moments.

I recognise that what he was saying is probably the most sensible course of action but I just can't do it. Aria is finally warming up to me and becoming more comfortable around here, what kind of parent would I be if I ripped all that away from from her?

Suddenly the sound of knocking at the door pulls me out of my thoughts. I open it, surprised to see Raf standing on the other side.

"Well done," I praise him sarcastically, shocked that he actually knocked for once. "Yeah yeah," He rolls his eyes, pushing passed me.

"Why are you here so early?" I ask him, knowing that he never wakes up before twelve pm. "Why do you think," He deadpans.

"What are we going to do," I ask in a hushed voice, not wanting to scare Aria. "You know what we have to do," He sighs, looking as worried as me.

"We'll talk about this later," I decide, now just wanting to spend time with Ari. "Yeah where is my girl?" He asks excitedly. I lead him to the sunroom, opening the door slowly as to not startle Aria.

But when I open the door I'm met with a horrible sight.