The cemetery was covered in a thick, somber fog, matching with the heavy rumbling of thunder. The rain hadn't yet fallen, but it felt like it was going to drop at any moment. A chilling breeze rustled the leaves of the old oak trees that framed the graveyard. The man giving the eulogy stood before the crowd, his voice was steady yet filled with emotion.
"We gather here today to honor a man who was taken from us far too soon," he began, his eyes glancing at the casket draped in flowers. "He was a loving husband, a devoted father, and a cherished friend. His life, though tragically cut short, was filled with moments of joy, laughter, and love." He paused, his gaze briefly meeting the teary eyes of the man's wife and daughter, who clung to each other.
"In his final moments, he was not alone. He was surrounded by strangers who, despite the circumstances, showed great compassion. It was a sudden event, unexpected, and as swift as the wind." The speaker's words hung in the air, hinting at the cause of the accident that took his life without revealing the full story.
---
Elsewhere, under the gray, overcast sky, Gia stood under a shed, her clothes clinging to her from being soaked by rain. She clutched a shopping bag, her fingers felt numb from the cold. The bag contained a diamond ring she had purchased from a hidden jeweler in the city's most dangerous district. Unaware of the area's notorious reputation, Gia's thoughts were elsewhere. She felt a strange mix of emotions, but mostly resentment.
Death had never felt more better.
She couldn't understand the resentment she felt towards her father, now lying cold in a grave. A family she felt disconnected from. Probably because he kept reminding her of the pain her birth brought to him. She sat up most nights crying. Wishing she had never been born.
The rain drenched her to the bone, yet she barely noticed. Folding her arms tightly around herself, a bitter laugh escaped her lips as she hugged herself even tighter against the cold. Her thoughts were agitated with self-loathe and blame.
The rain continued to pour, and she sighed deeply, still lost in her thoughts.
A man, soaked to the skin, stood behind her, and another in front. She barely noticed them, assuming they were simply seeking shelter like the old man nearby. The old man standing nearby seemed harmless enough, but the presence of the two others made her uneasy.
A car's headlights flashed through the rain, and as Gia covered her eyes, she felt the bag snatched from her grasp. She turned to see the man who had been standing behind her now running off with it, the other man following close behind. Without thinking, she chased after them
"Thief! Stop! Give me back my bag!". Her cries for help were hidden by the rainfall.
They ran into a narrow, dark street; slanted and bending. Which was bright only by the occasional flash of the intra-cloud lightning. The streets were dark and twisted, making it difficult to catch up on them.
The rain falling, made the ground slippery. She ran with all her might, her breath coming in short. The street lights were blurred in the downpour, casting an uncanny glow on the wet pavement. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her wet clothes clung to her, weighing her down.
She rounded a corner too quickly, her foot slipping on the slick surface. Her arms swung, trying to steady herself against the rough brick wall. Her fingers dragged against the rough surface, regaining balance just in time to avoid a fall. She pushed off the wall, using her energy to push herself forward.
She bit her lower lip so hard it nearly drew blood. Thoughts of her stepmother's unforgiving nature fueled her desperation. The woman was unmerciful, cold-hearted, and believed that everything had a price. Gia knew that losing the diamond ring would be seen as a failure, something her stepmother would never forgive. The consequences of returning empty-handed filled her with dread. "She'll never let this go," Gia thought.
As she ran into another corner, she nearly lost her balance again, her feet slipping into a puddle. Her hands instinctively held the walls on either side, her fingers stretched wide as she pushed off, using the narrow alleyway to maintain her balance. Water poured down her cheeks like tears.
Her surroundings became a blur of dark alleys and occasional flashes of lightning. Her muscles were beginning to hurt. The rain showed no sign of ending, and the men ahead seemed to be gaining distance. Panic began to creep in.
She didn't want to lose them, not with the kind of stepmother she had. The woman's harsh voice echoed in her head, always critical, always demanding. "You're useless," she'd say. "Always sick, always a burden." Gia had heard those words so many times they had become a part of her, a constant reminder of her inadequacy.
Her eyes spotted a brief opening as the men slowed down, perhaps thinking they had lost her. With all her strength, Gia rushed forward. Her fingers brushed the hem of one man's jacket, but he swerved away, causing her to stumble once more. She caught herself, barely, and continued the pursuit, her lips now split from the force of her biting.
They led her deeper into the alley, each turn was more confusing than the last. She knew she was far from the main road, the darkened paths barely bright by the flickering streetlights. Her breath came in rough gasps; her lungs burning, but she pushed on.
When the men finally stopped, she halted, nearly crashing into a wall. Bent over, hands on her knees, she tried to catch her breath, pointing at them with one hand. "Give... it... back," she panted, her voice barely audible over the heavy rain and thunder.
They laughed. The one on the left drew a pocket knife.
"Oh, shit". Gia's eyes widened in terror, and without a second thought, she turned and ran.
"Don't let her get away". The man with the bag warned.
The one with a knife ran after her, his footsteps splashing through puddles within seconds.
"Don't run away from me, princess".
She could hear him gaining on her, his taunts mixing with the sound of the thunder. Every corner she turned, every puddle she splashed through, brought her closer to giving up. But the fear of what would happen if she stopped kept her going.
---
Back at the house, the atmosphere was markedly different. Gia's stepmother and stepsister were surrounded by the guests, a variety of the deceased's business partners, investors, and friends. Conversations filled around the room, casual and detached, as if they weren't gathered for a funeral. Occasionally, someone would mention the deceased, but it felt more like an obligatory gesture than a heartfelt tribute.
Gia's stepmother was full of attention, her attitude far from that of a grieving widow. A group of Gia's friends arrived to offer their condolences to Gia, but she was absent. When they questioned her stepmother, she responded with a dismissive, "She's probably somewhere jubilating in schadenfreude about her father's death." There was a venomous edge to her words, which indicated her disgust for Gia. She hadn't been worried about Gia's disappearance, having instructed her to retrieve a diamond ring from the other side of the city instead of attending the funeral.
---
Gia's feet splashed through puddles, her slippers were ruined, and her sweats and crew neck were soaked. She was shivering. She didn't care. Her hair clung to her face in wet strands as she ran, her mind solely focused on escaping from the man who was holding a knife.
Suddenly, she collided with a young boy carrying a wooden bucket, causing him to fall into a puddle. She quickly helped him up, apologizing, but there was no time. The man with the knife was closing in.
Gia untied the rubber band from her hair, and flung it at him to "buy time" -_-
It wasn't helpful.
She ran down an alley, her breath coming in uneven gasps. She spotted an opening ahead and ran towards it, leading into the main road without looking. Headlights blinded her, and she cowered as a car swerved to avoid hitting her, crashing into a bus station instead.