Sharing Nightmares

Belit Am || This Way Walk Sinners

This Way Walk Sinners

by BelitAm

He opens the door.

Shoes in the foyer. Stella's pretty pink pumps. Another pair. Black Ferragamo's, newly shined.

He drops the suitcase and gets his gun out.

They're in the bed. In their bed, his and Stella's. Vinny tries to explain - BAM, Vinny goes down. Stella's screaming, she's crying, she's cradling that bastard's head in her lap and now she's got blood on her hands too and he's got the gun on her-

Wrong. She had gotten out of the bed. He remembers her standing.

Rewind.

He opens the door.

Shoes in the foyer.

Gun in his hand.

Bedroom. Bed. Stella and Vinny, his goddamn friend Vinny with his hands on his goddamn wife. Stella's trying to explain-

Wait. No. Wrong.

Biagio snarls and slams his fist down. The bench rattles. Someone gasps.

Biagio's eyes snap open.

There's a kid staring at him. Tiny thing with baby-fat cheeks and large, dopey eyes. It's got its thumb in its mouth, for God's sake. Biago scowls.

"Where's your ma, brat?"

The boy gurgles. His chin is shiny with spit. The skin's red and bumpy under it. Biagio grits his teeth. He needs a goddamn cigarette. The park is dark. The streetlamps almost make it worse, their light thin and ghostly. There's no one around. Biagio frowns at the kid.

"Were ya out trick or treating?" A slow blink. "Did ya get separated from your parents?" Another gurgle, not at all informative. Biagio tries a different tactic. "I like your costume."

The boy smiles shyly. He tugs at his stained shirt, puffing his chest out to better show off the faded emblem. Biagio grins. It's not a good expression on him - fucking terrifying, Vinny used to say - but the kid doesn't seem to care. "Yeah, real nice. Best Superman costume I've ever seen." Except it's just a ratty old tee. The boy fidgets, obviously pleased. Biagio keeps on smiling. He's gonna pop the kid's dad one when he finds him. Fucking neglectful piece of-

"What do you think you are doing?"

Biagio's hand goes for a gun that's not there. He catches himself before he can get surprised over that, too. The newcomer does not as much as flinch. Biagio's less pissed at that than he probably should be. He doesn't want to be feared. Not tonight.

"You got a fucking death wish, kid?" he snarls.

The man lifts his brows, unimpressed. Biagio almost laughs. Vinny used to give him that exact look-

Biagio does not laugh.

"What'd you want," he growls at his feet.

The young man steps closer. The tips of his shoes come into Biagio's field of vision. Leather, by the look of them, and a three-piece suit on top. Biagio would've thought he'd been made, but he's pretty sure the Rossi family doesn't bib their soldiers with ruffled collars. He squints at the guy's face. White as a ghost. His mouth's red, though. A shade lighter than the fake blood splattered over his vest and shirt.

"It does not matter any longer," the man says. Biagio snorts.

"Yeah? Well, aren't ya a rude little -" Biagio grits the rest of it between his teeth, remembering the little boy.