The Mafia Don That Murdered My Family

Aria's Point Of View They say that before you die, life slowly flashes across your face. However, in my case, it was quite different. I died a thousand times. I cheated the harbinger of death. A thousand times she called; not once did I respond. I made her feel worthless. I categorically told her it wasn't time for me to depart the Earth's surface. She was reluctant to let me go. She blocked the exit gate of the underworld. She did that to ensure I don't cross to the other side. How clueless can she be? I fought! I cried. Regretfully, my tears weren't just enough. Alas, I found my way back to Earth. “Where am I?” Those were the first words that slipped out of my mouth immediately I opened my eyes. My vision is blurry. I could barely get a glimpse of the least object in front of me. I don't feel the same anymore. It's as though a spirit possessed my soul. A migraine set in. It's as though my head was used as a stage for the Super Bowl halftime show. I won't be surprised if it uploads soon. Slowly, I regained my vision. I wake up to new walls. New rooms. Quite different from mine. At that point, it dawned on me where I was."The hospital?” My voice trails off. “How did I find myself here?” I asked myself rhetorically as the voice echoed back to me. “Aria?” A voice called my name. A familiar tone. I may be gone for a while, but I certainly won't lose my sanity. It turned out to be my father. It all makes sense now. He probably brought me to the hospital. “Thank the stars you're awake now,” he rushed to embrace me. In my clueless state, I barely reciprocate the energy. I kept staring at him like a total stranger. “How did I get here?” The first question I asked my father. He's in the best position to provide the answers since he brought me here. He ignores my question and dashes out of my ward. He returns with a doctor afterward. “Oh, you are awake now? Finally!” The doctor said to me. The new thing was meant to make me happy, but it didn't. Traces of a frown can still be spotted on my face like tiny particles. I narrow my gaze at my father. The gaze was enough to send a message. I didn't have to say too much. And it did! My father sighed and cleared his throat. To avoid missing out on what he had to say, I widened my ears. “You were rushed here unconscious,” the doctor explained on behalf of my father. "Collapsed?” I echoed. “Yes, dear. It was due to the shock of…" My father halted. Instantly, I regained my memory! The gruesome murder of my brothers by the ruthless Mafia Don. Darn it! How did I forget that? Their picture of their lifeless bodies drowning in the pool of their blood still lives rent-free in my head. I felt this strange eagerness inside my head. It surrounds me like a shield. I tossed off the bed. “Doc, when am I getting discharged?” My dad glared at me as though I was losing my mind. “Are you sure about this?” I snubbed him for how he snubbed me a few minutes ago. “Today!" If you feel better, you can leave in the next few minutes. The nurses will prescribe some medication for you,” the doctor disclosed. What a sweet doctor! He reads my mind and knows exactly what I want. How can I repay him? All thanks to my self-consciousness. I would have kissed the doctor thoroughly. “Thank you,” I said to the doctor. That's the least I could do to show my appreciation. The only person in the ward is my father. He widens his mouth in a fly-catching position. It took him a while to realize that. “What are you doing?” My father whispered to me. Many questions in his head that the greatest scholars in the world can't answer. Finally, the nurses showed up for the final checkup. In a couple of minutes, I was outside the hospital. Until we drove home, my dad never uttered a word to me. We all acted like strangers. Unlike my father, a different thought occupies my entire brain. “Hey, come back here.” My father's commanding tone seized my legs, making it difficult for me to leave. Like that Statue of Liberty, I stood at the doorway of the living room. The plan was to lock myself inside my room for the rest of the day. It's that time when I need to be alone to process a lot in my head. I hear some footsteps from behind. That's my father's "Is this the point where you start talking?” I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was accompanied by a voice. A pretense of a smile formed on my face. Slowly, I turned around in his direction. “I want to avenge their death,” before finding my way to the living room. It didn't take me long to come up with the decision. It's as though I've thought about it for a while. My father walked in majestically and sat next to me. A few minutes after I made the declaration, I realized that I may have sounded like a broken record. Like the F1 sport, my heart races faster. I was already second-guessing myself. The question that plagued my mind is, “Am I making the worst decision of my life?” I expect a hot, resetting slap on my back from my dad. A slap that can change the whole story and make me rethink what I just said. None of that happened. Gradually, he gets closer to me. Leaning forward, he holds my hands. “Hey, look at me." I struggle with self-confidence. I was gradually becoming a shadow of myself. It's my father, the last time I checked. He can't possibly harm me. But why am I still scared of him??