Family Comes First

Chapter 43

- A m a r a  R u s s o -

"Look! You finally mastered the art of throwing knives!" the voice - shadows works too - shouted excitedly, clapping it's hand in congratulations.

"Thank you!" I said gratefully, flipping the butter knife in the air, watching it as it slowly flew back down into my hand.

"No problem," the shadow answered, wrapping cold, chilly arms around me. "We're your family now. We'll keep you safe from your old family."

At the mention of my old and fake family, my expression hardened.

"Yeah. I had no real family." I agreed, "None of them bothered to make time for me, not like you at least. And, they keep secrets from me. Such big liars as well. Telling me that Samantha is my sister when she isn't, not telling me that they are in the Mafia. They kept too many secrets from me."

"Yeah," the voice hummed.

"They also ruined my life, making me get kidnapped, tortured..." I trailed off, not wanting to remember the painful memories.

The shadow, obviously noticing my distress, immediately tried to distract me. "The darkness is so much more fun! You can do anything here!"

See what I mean? This is what I call a true friend. Nothing like my fake-ass 'best friend' Elena.

"Mhm," I giggled, letting out a high pitched laugh on the way. "Throwing knives is really fun."

"Why else do you think we suggested it?" the voice laughed, "It's because it's fun that we do it!"

Suddenly, I felt myself topple over as I fell on my butt and the ground shook beneath me.

"That was gold!" I chuckled, trying to stand back up. However, it felt like my energy was draining out of me like water pouring out of a bottle. Rapidly.

"No!" the shadow shouted, reaching for me as I stretched out my hand towards it.

"What's happening?" I whimpered, and the shadow shook its head, a sneer painted on its face at it held my close.

"They're trying to take you back." it snarled, "I've managed to block them for a while now, but they're getting persistent."

It didn't take a genius to figure out who 'they' was. The shadow was talking about my old family.

"I don't want to go back though," I whispered.

"And we don't want you to go back." the voice growled as the ground shook again. The shadow tightened its hold against me as it muttered something under its breath.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," the voice murmured just as black, inky fingers appeared, grabbing onto my hair. It pulled, dragged me backwards with it.

"No!" I yelled, my shoulders stretched taut as the shadow held onto me with a grip so tight, my arm felt like it was about to be ripped off.

"Stop it!" the voice shouted, pulling me back as the black inky hands grabbed onto my ankle, dragging me on the floor as it pulled me into the black hole with them.

"I don't want to go back." I whimpered.

It was hopeless. The obsidian smudge looking fingers were stronger than the shadow as it tugged on my ankle one last time, successfully releasing me from the shadows arms.

"Don't worry, Amara." the voice whispered, though it sounded pained. "We'll be here for you when you sleep. We'll be with you every step of the way."