Hector would bother with something as pathetic as you I’ll never know. But I don’t ask questions.”
Her father’s eyes grew wide and he mouthed the name.
Papa, who is it? Who is Hector? What does he want with us? Papa, please...
Hija, hide. Get back!
His reprimand ripped like a lash through her mind.
She moaned and grabbed her brow.
Papa, I can’t leave you. I can’t leave mama. I’m scared.
Yes! You must. We knew this day would come. We have to protect who you are at all costs. Dejame ya, y vaya con Dios.
“But I pride myself on my fairness,” the leader continued on, none the wiser to the private conversation taking place before him.
A soldier snickered behind him. The leader narrowed his eyes and twirled on the man, stabbing his blunt finger hard enough into the man’s chest to make him stumble backwards. “If you don’t want to share the same fate as them, Alex, then you’d do well to mind that tongue of yours. Entiendes?”
“Si.” The man bobbed his head up and down, eyes bulging wide. “Lo siento, senor.”
The other soldiers stood as silent sentinels, guns pointed at her parent’s midsection.
The flicker of candlelight created dancing shadows upon the guerillas’ faces, transforming them from human to diablo.
“If you can cross this line,” the leader pointed to the ground, “then you and your family,” he glanced at the door she hid behind--she gasped-- “are free to go.”
Papa! Don’t step over the line. Don’t do it. Please. I’ll save you.
Arianna screamed telepathically. She knew the leader lied. Could taste the falsehood quivering on the air like the silky strands of a spider web.
No, Arianna, it is our time. The Father keep you, my lovely dove.
Her father stepped one foot over the line.
“Hector Delgado gives his regard,” the leader said. The roar of bullets entered her father’s gut. His eyes bulged as he grabbed at his stomach to staunch the blood.
Her mother screamed and clung to her father.
Arianna threw the door aside and ran. “No! Papa.”
“Arianna—” Her father coughed up a crimson puff, wheezing desperately for air. “Leave.” He closed his eyes.
“Filthy dog.” The pock faced man spit by her father’s foot.
One guerilla twirled on her, his gun raised, his hard black eyes reptilian in appearance.
“Arianna, go. Run away,” her mother urged.
“Papa,” she screamed and fell to her knees. There was so much blood. Everywhere. How could she heal him?
The leader smirked. “Gasoline.”
Arianna didn’t care what the men did now. Tears blurred her vision and her mind was tortured with dark images of hatred and agony. Rage rose inside her.
Three of the soldiers’ walked outside and returned with metal cans of sloshing fluid.
A guerilla grabbed Arianna by the scruff of her nightgown and threw her into her father’s kneeling body.
Breath left her on impact. She scrabbled to her knees and clutched at her mother’s arms. “Mama. Mama.”
The room filled with the metallic waft of gasoline. She choked on it. Dizzy and disoriented.
“Kill them. Then burn it down.” The leader’s voice was guttural, ruthless. He turned, walked out and never looked back.
A guerilla walked up to her mother. A hungry grin on his lecherous face. He took his machete and skewered her through the gut.
Her mother went stiff in her arms.
“I’ll kill you,” she said it so quietly that it was almost a whisper. She clenched her fist, shaking violently.
The last soldier pointed a rifle to her head. She saw his hand on the trigger. Saw his finger pull back and something inside her snapped.
She shot to her feet and lifted her arms. A consuming heat shot through her head and filtered through her body.
A scarlet shower exploded from her fingertips. The dagger shaped projections entered the soldier’s like cut glass. The sparks of her power ignited the gasoline.
Arianna’s body shook as the magic flowed through her. Then darkness invaded her mind and she
Her father’s eyes grew wide and he mouthed the name.
Papa, who is it? Who is Hector? What does he want with us? Papa, please...
Hija, hide. Get back!
His reprimand ripped like a lash through her mind.
She moaned and grabbed her brow.
Papa, I can’t leave you. I can’t leave mama. I’m scared.
Yes! You must. We knew this day would come. We have to protect who you are at all costs. Dejame ya, y vaya con Dios.
“But I pride myself on my fairness,” the leader continued on, none the wiser to the private conversation taking place before him.
A soldier snickered behind him. The leader narrowed his eyes and twirled on the man, stabbing his blunt finger hard enough into the man’s chest to make him stumble backwards. “If you don’t want to share the same fate as them, Alex, then you’d do well to mind that tongue of yours. Entiendes?”
“Si.” The man bobbed his head up and down, eyes bulging wide. “Lo siento, senor.”
The other soldiers stood as silent sentinels, guns pointed at her parent’s midsection.
The flicker of candlelight created dancing shadows upon the guerillas’ faces, transforming them from human to diablo.
“If you can cross this line,” the leader pointed to the ground, “then you and your family,” he glanced at the door she hid behind--she gasped-- “are free to go.”
Papa! Don’t step over the line. Don’t do it. Please. I’ll save you.
Arianna screamed telepathically. She knew the leader lied. Could taste the falsehood quivering on the air like the silky strands of a spider web.
No, Arianna, it is our time. The Father keep you, my lovely dove.
Her father stepped one foot over the line.
“Hector Delgado gives his regard,” the leader said. The roar of bullets entered her father’s gut. His eyes bulged as he grabbed at his stomach to staunch the blood.
Her mother screamed and clung to her father.
Arianna threw the door aside and ran. “No! Papa.”
“Arianna—” Her father coughed up a crimson puff, wheezing desperately for air. “Leave.” He closed his eyes.
“Filthy dog.” The pock faced man spit by her father’s foot.
One guerilla twirled on her, his gun raised, his hard black eyes reptilian in appearance.
“Arianna, go. Run away,” her mother urged.
“Papa,” she screamed and fell to her knees. There was so much blood. Everywhere. How could she heal him?
The leader smirked. “Gasoline.”
Arianna didn’t care what the men did now. Tears blurred her vision and her mind was tortured with dark images of hatred and agony. Rage rose inside her.
Three of the soldiers’ walked outside and returned with metal cans of sloshing fluid.
A guerilla grabbed Arianna by the scruff of her nightgown and threw her into her father’s kneeling body.
Breath left her on impact. She scrabbled to her knees and clutched at her mother’s arms. “Mama. Mama.”
The room filled with the metallic waft of gasoline. She choked on it. Dizzy and disoriented.
“Kill them. Then burn it down.” The leader’s voice was guttural, ruthless. He turned, walked out and never looked back.
A guerilla walked up to her mother. A hungry grin on his lecherous face. He took his machete and skewered her through the gut.
Her mother went stiff in her arms.
“I’ll kill you,” she said it so quietly that it was almost a whisper. She clenched her fist, shaking violently.
The last soldier pointed a rifle to her head. She saw his hand on the trigger. Saw his finger pull back and something inside her snapped.
She shot to her feet and lifted her arms. A consuming heat shot through her head and filtered through her body.
A scarlet shower exploded from her fingertips. The dagger shaped projections entered the soldier’s like cut glass. The sparks of her power ignited the gasoline.
Arianna’s body shook as the magic flowed through her. Then darkness invaded her mind and she
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