“Who’s the bitch now?” Genesis mocked as Giovanni growled before rushing in with a powerful right hook punch Genesis met him halfway with a dodge before thrusting a quick jab to the mouth and nose catching Giovanni off-guard as his head jerked backward.
Opening his eyes as he woke up from the expected daze, Giovanni spat a bit of blood on the floor before charging toward Genesis as he grabbed him around the waist, and hurled him into the dirt with such force that it scattered everywhere.
Genesis rolled over like a cat, gasping for air before rolling from under Giovanni’s driving foot as his brother tried to stomp the life out of him. Genesis scrambled to his feet, picking his hands up from the dirt before lunging at his brother, who crunches down in preparation.
Stopping Genesis with a sharp kick, Giovanni then tackled his brother to the ground, wrapping his hands around his neck and squeezing as Genesis grunted, pulling his shoulders upwards before driving a powerful punch to the side of Giovanni’s face, sending him sideways, giving Genesis enough time and opportunity to move and weakly get back on his feet.
Staring as Giovanni got back on his feet with blood trickling down his right eyebrow, and although Genesis was over with this unsolving fight, Giovanni wasn’t as he charged after his brother once again catching Genesis with two powerful swings to the head. Genesis’s skull roared with pain and dizziness as he braced himself and started swinging in a blind rage, both hands moving with every ounce of power he could muster.
Giovanni was slightly bigger and angrier, so his punches in return packed terrific power, but he was slow, and at this point, it was nip and tuck, dog eat dog, and the two battle until the breath gasped in their lungs and whistled through their teeth.
Giovanni ducked his battered face and started to walk in, stemming the tide of Genesis’s blows by sheer physical power. Genesis shifted his attack with lightning speed. He missed a right, and followed in with the weight of his body, slid his arm around Giovanni’s neck, grabbed his wrist with his left hand, jerked his feet, and sat down hard as Giovanni began screaming out in unbearable pain that shot through his neck and down his body while he was held in that position.
“What did she do to you to deserve this kind of treatment, Giovanni, what did she do?!” Genesis yelled as Giovanni continued to scream in pain until Genesis let him go.
“You know how much Rosalie means to us, why do that to her?” He breathlessly asked as they both lay on the ground exhausted and in pain, especially Giovanni, “The last person I trusted betrayed us, and our father was killed,” he said earning a sigh from his brother, “You think she’s like that?” He asked as Giovanni grunted, “Why not? Mateo already has his eyes on her and now Marcus, just like they were with Blake, besides, she’s the daughter of the man that abandoned our father,” he said as his brother turned his head to look at him.
“You know how Rosalie feels about Marcus, he was the cause of everything that had happened in our parents’ lives, including uncle Javon and Aunt Aaliyah leaving, it wasn’t their fault, and it’s not Rosalie’s fault either,” he said as Giovanni sighed in defeat, “You’re right,” he said before standing up as his brother followed after, “Then what’s the problem?” Genesis asked, “I’m scared, I can’t afford to lose any more people that I feel close to, first it was mom, then Uncle Javon and Aaliyah, Blake, and Dad,” he said as Genesis looked away, “At least we have Mel and Ben,” Genesis said as Giovanni laughed humorlessly, “Who are we kidding, ever since Rosalie came to Queensland, I been having this feeling that something is going to happen, and when it does, it’s going to cost us more loved ones,” he said as Giovanni signed.
“You feel it too, huh?” He asked as Giovanni nodded, “She does too,” he said as Giovanni looked at his brother with a frown on his face, “What do you mean?” He asked as Genesis sighed, “Ever since Rosalie got here, strange things have been happening to her,” he said as Giovanni raised an eyebrow, “Strange things like what?” He asked as Genesis cleared his throat.
“Weird dreams of her being mutilated by a creature with red eyes, sudden loss of memories, and bruises on her body,” he said as Giovanni frowned, “How long has this been happening, and does Benjamin know?” He asked earning a sigh from his brother, “He doesn’t, she’s acting like everything is fine, but that’s not all, Rosalie had already met Mateo,” he said causing Giovanni’s jaw to clench in anger, “When the hell was that?” He asked as Genesis stared back at his brother, “The day we left her in the forest,” he replied as Giovanni ran his hands over his face.
“Great! No wonder why he knew who she was,” he said causing his brother to walk towards him before placing a hand on his shoulder, “We have to protect her, Gio, she doesn’t know about us and Marcus will use that his advantage,” he said as his brother sighed, “And how we’re going to do that, I’m sure I messed up everything,” he said as Genesis shook his head.
“It’s not all your fault, things between us aren’t good either,” he said, “Yeah, I know, I sort of said some fucked up things to her,” Giovanni said, “We just have to keep our distance for now, slowly build her trust,” he said as Giovanni nodded before pausing, “Something is wrong,” he said, Genesis’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
“What do you mean?” He asked as Giovanni sniffed the air, “Do you smell that?” He asked as Genesis sniffed the air, “It’s smoke,” he said as Giovanni nodded before they saw a trail of black smoke raising in the air, “That looks like it’s coming from-
“Oh shit!” They both yelled in sync before racing back to Benjamin’s house with one question on their minds.
How was Rosalie going to react?
…
I was currently in my room. After everything that happened down in that kitchen, I’ve had an urge to just pack up and run away, but I can’t do that to Melody and my grandfather, so I decided to do what I do best and let off some steam by painting.
I have gone through two canvases already and for some reason, I had a hard time being inspired as the two other paintings turned out to be a complete disaster.
I was already in such a depressing mood because of Genesis and then Giovanni had to come make it even more shitter, really, what’s his problem.
Things had been so complicated lately, and honestly, I expected my life to be boring and lame, but it’s like I’m a beacon for trouble and misery.
I felt myself go into a daze as my hand moved uncontrollably, it was like my subconscious was watching an empty shell of myself move on its own. I watched as the paint pieced together an unknown scene and unlike my recent paintings, this was different.
It was me. In the painting, I was lying down in the forest on a cliff where the moon appeared at its highest and brightest as it shined down on me. I was unconsciously dressed in a nightgown that was shredded on my body, exposing my left breast, and right leg up until my hipbone. Surrounding me in protective stands was two wolves, they looked vicious and possessive as their mouths held pieces of cloth from my nightgown.
It was strange because the more I paint, the more the painting came to life, and the more I remembered this happening, in my dream, the emotions I felt from the wolves in the dream felt so real and raw that goosebumps appeared on the skin of my body.
The bursting in of her door snapped Rosalie back to reality as she looked towards the twins that entered her room, “What the hell is going on, and what happened to the both of you?” She asked as they both froze in the spot while looking at her painting.
“What the fuck is that?” Giovanni asked as Rosalie glanced at her painting, “It’s a painting,” she replied watching as the twins grew pale, “Was that from one of your dreams?” Genesis asked as Rosalie shrugged, “Maybe, maybe not, I’m having a hard time remembering,” she replied as Giovanni’s eyebrows furrowed.
“What do you mean?” He asked as Rosalie ignored him, “Why are you here, why did you barge in here?” She asked as Genesis stepped forward, “It’s your grandparents, Rosalie,” he said earning a frown, “What happened to my grandfather and Mel?” She asked placing down her paintbrush, “No, it’s Louis and Marilyn, their house it’s on fire.”
…
The first thing that you notice about a burning house is not how it’s burning, but that it is burning with such intensity. I watched the house from across the road as fire engulfed it from all sides. There was fire everywhere; the roof was on fire, the doors, and windows were on fire, and fire even came out of the house through various openings, looking like a fire-breathing dragon was inside the house, puffing away vicariously.
The flames burned deep red and amber, almost livid purple. I saw various people and firefighters along with the twins trying to put out the fire. Unfortunately, Lewis and Marilyn didn’t make it out alive. They were locked inside the house as it burned and just like them, nothing inside was likely to survive the fire, I thought as I watched flames flicker up in the air with the wind.
Tears filled my eyes as I thought about my mother’s things that remained burning in the house. All of it was gone, destroyed, years and years of memories that I would’ve cherished were all gone and never coming back.
It didn’t make sense to me, how did this all of a sudden happen, I thought looking around for any sign of the twins as my heart began to race for some unknown reason before I locked eyes with Marcus. He was here, I didn’t see him until now, and that’s when everything made sense.
Marcus…
“I heard about the issue you had with your other grandparents and I came to introduce myself and to also inform you that the matter is being taken care of,”
It was him. He did it, but how could he do something like this, something so malicious and cruel? As I continue to look at him it was as if he had read my mind knowing that I know what he had done because before I knew it a disgusting smirk appeared on his face before he placed his finger on his lips, turning around before walking away.
“Hey, Rosalie, are you okay?”