Reborn Heart of Steel

The sound of the heart monitor was now a constant song that kept on playing in my head as I remained seated next to Alessandro’s bed. The featureless white surface appeared to be coming down on my head to remind us of defeat. Chase leaned against the wall, his shadow looming on the window like a scared young man I once knew not long ago. “Any change?” I whispered. Staring out the window still, Chase shook his head. As he was yesterday. No, actually, as he was the day before yesterday and the day before it as well. The guilt was sinking its claws into me, making it even difficult to breathe. This was our fault. Our stupidity, our stupid desire for heroism has placed Alessandro in this bed, at the edge between life and death. I extended my hand towards him, holding Alessandro’s lifeless hand in mine. He was fragile, his body now not reflecting the vitality that used to surround him, it was cold. ‘I’m so sorry,’ I whispered to him, although there was no way he could hear me say it. “This should never have happened. We should have heeded your counsel, we should have been more cautious!” Chase was finally looking directly at the window, with eyes that were red and most terribly sad. “Do you suppose he can hear us? Do you suppose he knows that we are actually living?” I shrugged helplessly. And with that, he looked down and said, “I don’t know, I hope, so I hope he knows we haven’t left him. ‘ Chase got up and transferred to the opposite side of the bed, and he sat on the chair there. ‘These friends we became,’ he said with anger. “We brought him into this, and now he’s in this situation of receiving bullets in his chest from the Australian Kelpies. ” I felt like the guilt that had been brewing for several weeks was cooking and when it finally reached its boiling point, I erupted. ‘This is all my fault’, I managed to say through a lump in my throat that had formed in my throat. Finally, she says, “Well, it was my idea to attack The Raven if I hadn’t been so headstrong, so certain that we were capable”. “Hey,” Chase interrupted, slipping his hand into mine, which lay on the empty side of the bed. “It means everyone is to be blamed since everyone made the decision of getting involved, Bri. ” I simply agreed, but the feeling of guilt did not leave me entirely. We remained silent for some time, watching the steady rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor as well as cigarette-streaked breaths from the hallway. “What are we supposed to do now?” I mentioned at last, asking what had lingered in my head for more than two days. “We told Agent Harris that we would not interfere and watch what happened but, “Chase stopped for a second, glancing around the car nervously” how can we just sit by and do nothing while The Raven is still on the loose?” Chase let out as I sighed, raking fingers through the mess of curls on his head. “I don’t know… every fiber in me wants to go after him, make him suffer for what he did to Alessandro… But look where this thinking got us before, huh?” he shook his head, “We are out of our league, Bri. ” I knew he was right, but the sense of hopelessness overwhelmed me and I could not fathom what to do more. ”At least all the efforts must be made to make some difference. ” This was obviously not a good time for someone to come and knock at the door before Chase could develop a suitable reply. A nurse came in, and while her facial expression was warm, she was strictly business. “Sorry, sir/ma’am, but you can’t attend to the patient anymore because visiting hours are over, you have to go home. ” We both looked at the other and quietly began to pack our belongings. I placed my hand over Alessandro, whose face was red by this time, and gave him a light squeeze. “We will be back tomorrow,” I said to him. Exiting the hospital and stepping into the chilly night, I almost yielded to the feeling of despair, it felt as if everyone was going about their business oblivious to the fact that our friend was on the brink of death. “Hey! Want to grab some food?” Chase inquired, thus bringing me back to reality. There is probably a need to eat something at the moment we notice the hunger. I just agreed, but I also knew that we have to eat, and it wasn’t about being hungry, it was actually about being healthy. Hence, we found ourselves in this tiny eatery, around the hospital, eating batches of fries and sipping on cups of concisely brewed coffee. This must not be allowed to continue,” Chase told his counterpart, as he could no longer sit back and watch them go on as rag-tag as they were.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Then, turning to the table, he took my hand. ‘I’m not sure, Chase,’ I said softly, but I didn’t have to say anything else; we got up and started walking, for Alessandro, as if he was urging us ahead with his eyes. I nodded as tears pricked in the corner of my eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I understand you are right, it is just so complicated”. When we stepped out of the diner, it was as if the gravity of the situation came down on me like a ton of bricks: we had no way of stopping The Raven from whatever it is he had planned but, at the same time, we couldn’t just turn our back on it and go back to our everyday lives. We were about halfway there when my pocket buzzed. I took it out anticipating to find a message from my parents asking about my expected time of return. However, my blood froze when there was a new notification from an unknown number. I took it with trembling hands, and opened it. The words on the screen made my heart stop:

“Really believed that would be the end of it? The game’s not over yet, baby girl. In fact, this is only just starting. You will receive an email with the next instructions. You have 24hrs to follow orders, otherwise I’m sure your sick friend might find his life support shutting down on him. Time running. ” I turned to Chase and looked up at him. My face was white with fear and shock. “Chase,” I said softly, and my voice echoed the fear that rested in my heart. Chase’s eyes narrowed as he read the message and gave an angry glare at the screen while nodding his head, and as I took note of both his expression and the contents of the message, I could not help but feel that the fate that befell Agent Harris would soon come true for us. This wasn’t the end of the game.