THE shadow project

"No, please! Don't do this, Mom! Please, no!" My cry seemed to get lost in the waves of water flooding my mind. Then, a voice broke through the inner screams: "Anastasia! Anastasia" I woke up suddenly, breathing hard. It was just another nightmare. I reached for the glass of water on the nightstand, and as I tried to calm myself down, I heard voices outside the door. Someone was knocking insistently. I slowly stood up, still flustered, and opened the door.I hated his walk, his voice, his existence. But most of all I hated the fact that his mother was the reason my mother was no longer here. Dialogue with Nicolas: What do you want? I said coldly. It was Nicolas, my half-brother. Or rather, the one I hated more than anything. He lived in the room next to me, and there wasn't a day that went by that he didn't remind me of everything I had lost. I hated him. Easy, easy, little one, Nicolas replied with a sarcastic smile. I heard some screams. I came to check if there was an attempted k********g or if I should congratulate someone on their success . Very funny, Nicolas. Now go back to your mother... in hell. I slammed the door in his face without another word. I collapsed onto the bed and I put on my headphones, letting the music drown out my thoughts until sleep overtook me again. In the car, the next day: In the morning, the atmosphere in the car was tense. The radio was blaring loudly, and I couldn't help but, and I couldn't concentrate. -Dad, can you turn the volume down? I asked, looking at him.I asked, looking at Nicolas with contempt. "-You i***t, it's because of you that I didn't finish my homework last night. Who the hell remembers?"homework at midnight and makes me do it? If I get a bad grade, it's your fault!That's it! -Enough! our father shouted.That's it! Enough! our father shouted. Nicolas turned to me with a cold look. -Do you think I care? You're not my sister. -"And I don't want to be either!" I replied. . At that moment, everything changed. A loud gunshot shattered the silence. The car stopped abruptly, and Dad collapsed on the steering wheel. Blood was slowly flowing down his shirt. Nicolas jumped out of the car, trying to run after the attacker, but he was too far away too late. I stood still, holding my father's head, trying to understand why. Why him? Why now? In the ambulance: The sound of the siren seemed to shatter my eardrums, but I couldn't move. My father was on the stretcher, unconscious, and the paramedics were working frantically to to steady him. Nicolas stood next to me, silent for the first time. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, but his expression was hard to read. His eyes were red, and his fists were clenched on his knees. -This wasn't supposed to happen, he said softly, almost in a whisper. I wanted to say something sarcastic, but I stopped myself. For the first time, I realized that he was suffering too. At the hospital: I waited for hours in the cold hospital hallway. Every second seemed like an eternity. Nicolas was walking nervously back and forth, and I felt too tired to follow his movements. Finally, a doctor appeared. His face was impassive, but his serious tone made me freeze. -Your father He's stable for now, but his injuries are serious. We need a statement on what happened. Does anyone know why he was attacked? -Nicolas took a step forward, but I stopped him. We don't know anything, I said quickly. It was an attack out of the blue. . The doctor left, and Nicolas looked at me with a strange expression. -Anastasia, you're lying. I know our father has secrets, but what he's hiding is bigger than us. Do you think the attacker was random? I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. The Discovery: Later that night, I snuck into my father's hospital room. I rummaged through his things,hoping to find answers. In one of the pockets of his coat, I discovered a small but thick file. On the cover was written in large letters: "The Shadow Project."