Secrets Revealed
My heart hammered in my chest like a drum of approaching disaster as the men in black closed in on us.
Richmore, we have to leave this place, Natalia says. I worry that those men are here for us; they are dangerous.
Richmore looked about him, eyes searching for a way out, his jaw tightening with resolve.
Richmore : They can't possibly catch us. Take after me, Natalia. Stay near.
Richmore took my hand at that point and led me into a neighboring alley, our footsteps resonating off the walls like a dreadful symphony.
But before we had even turned the corner, we came upon another group of men, their faces covered by dark hoods.
Natalia : We have Richmore encircled. How should we proceed?
Richmore looked at our predicament and his face hardened, his thoughts racing with alternatives.
Richmore says, "We fight." We are not going to let them take us without fighting.
Richmore raced ahead, his fists flying, and engaged our enemies in a desperate struggle for life.
I did as well, fighting with all of my might as my own dread stoked the flames within me.
Nevertheless, I couldn't get rid of the impression that we were outnumbered and outmatched even as we held our own against the assault of foes.
Richmore, this is not something we can do forever. Too many of them exist.
Richmore fixed his steely determination in my eyes.
Richmore: Natalia, we have to figure something out. Let them win, we cannot.
Finding a means of escaping our adversaries' grasp was our only hope, I realized as the mayhem of combat raged around us.
But with Fernando's shadow looming huge over us, I thought our fight was far from done. And I readied myself for whatever atrocities lay ahead of us in the darkness as it drew in around us.
Grunts and metal clashes dominated the melee, with the odd sob of agony interspersed in between. Richmore attacked his opponents with deliberate strikes, his movements fluent and accurate.
Richmore, we have to get out of here! Natalia says. They are over abundance!
Richmore repelled another attacker, his speech labored with effort, his brow wrinkled in concentration.
Richmore : Work is being done on it, Natalia! Just give it up!
I evaded a strike meant for my head with fresh urgency and retaliated with all of my might. But it seemed like two more opponents replaced each one I vanquished.
Natalia : Richmore, this is not sustainable for much longer. Finding an escape route is urgently necessary!
Richmore looked around him, trying to find any indication of a way out of the mayhem of combat.
Wells: Ay! Come with me, Natalia! `
I hurried after Richmore as he raced down a little alleyway, our adversaries close behind. Every stride we took seemed to cause the walls to encircle us and ensnare us in their oppressive hug.
Richmore, hurry, Natalia. Nearly there we are!
Richmore noticed a ladder that went up to the rooftops as we got to the end of the lane. He sprang onto the ladder and used all of his effort to pull himself up.
Richmore : Natalia, come on! We have the capacity!
Adrenaline pumping, I trailed Richmore up the ladder, our assailants' voices vanishing into the distance below. My chest heaving with effort, I fell to my knees as we arrived at the rooftop.
We made it, Natalia. For the time being.
Richmore squatted next to me, resolve and relief in his eyes.
Richmore: Natalia, we have a ways to go yet. We can, however, handle everything that comes our way as long as we're together.
With that, knowing that our fight against Fernando's cronies was far from done, we prepared ourselves for the challenges that lay ahead. But we were prepared for whatever obstacles lay ahead of us in the shadows because we had our love and willpower as our guides.
Richmore looked at me as we gathered our breath on the rooftop, the night air thick with anxiety, his eyes reflecting the seriousness of our circumstances.
Natalia, we can't stay here, Richmore says. We have to go on and locate a secure place to assemble.
Natalia, nevertheless, where can we go? Fernando seems to be everywhere at once.
Richmore looked about us, his jaw tightening with resolve, looking for any indication of safety in the shadows.
Richmore: Natalia, we will make it work. We always do that. Still, we now more than ever need to stick together.
A chill went down my spine as we got ready to head back into the darkness, a sense of dread.
Richmore, I worry that Fernando and I have a long way to go. Till he has us back under his control, he won't stop.
Richmore encircled me more tightly, his voice determined.
Richmore: Natalia, then together we will fight him. He cannot split us up.
But a gloomy creature with night-obscured features appeared from the shadows even as we were talking.
Fernando is not far away, Natalia and Richmore, even if you have managed to flee for the time being. You cannot hide; only run.
We had a sensation of dread that hung over us like a dark cloud as the figure disappeared into the darkness, and I knew our struggle with Fernando was far from done. And the stakes got bigger, the shadows got darker, and the danger got closer than it had ever been.
I couldn't get rid of the impression that the worst times of our trip were still to come as we prepared for the challenges that lay ahead. And I could just hope that we would come out of the darkness unhurt, Fernando's shadow hanging over us, ready to strike at any time.
We had a sensation of dread that hung over us like a dark cloud as the figure disappeared into the darkness, and I knew our struggle with Fernando was far from done. And the stakes got bigger, the shadows got darker, and the danger got closer than it had ever been.
In the tight hush, Natalia spoke, her words determined.
Richmore, we have to quit escaping Fernando. Returning the favor is necessary.
Richmore looked at me, a little doubt flashing in his eyes.
How, though, Richmore? We lack both numbers and strength.
But Natalia was certain.
Richmore, there are men I know who can aid us. Men prepared to take Fernando and his cronies on. We cannot just let him get away with all of this wickedness.
Richmore took in Natalia's words, his jaw tightening in resolve, the weight of our common load bearing down on us.
Richmore : Right, Natalia. He cannot win. Not after all he has done.
But a terrifying conclusion hit me even as we got ready to confront Fernando.
Think about it, Richmore, says Natalia. Fernando first had me poison your drink. And he's attacked us multiple times since then. He has always been one step ahead.
Richmore's voice was resolutely steely, his face softened with empathy.
Then we should flip the script on him, Richmore. Gathering Natalia and our allies, we'll demonstrate to Fernando that he can no longer rule us.
I had a nagging sense that the real test of our fortitude and resilience was still to come as we prepared to face Fernando head-on. And the danger appeared closer and the shadows darker with every second that went by.
But knowing that our willpower would be our compass, I knew we were prepared to confront whatever atrocities lay ahead of us. And as we got ready to fight, I couldn't help but worry if this would be the turning point in Fernando's terror reign or if it would just be the start of an even more difficult survival struggle.