Page 38 of Saved By A God
If he’s in such bad shape, what are the chances that Rosie survived?
I hear cars, and as the man exhales his last breath and drops to the ground, his shirt ripping out of my hold, the rest of the family pulls up, one after the other.
“What the fuck happened?” Adriano roars as he runs toward me.
“Rosie.” My voice doesn’t sound like my own, and it feels as if I’m outside my body. “They got in and Rosie…”
Suddenly, unbearable pain tears through me, ripping me limb from limb to get to my very soul, and as it’s flayed open, there’s nothing but relentless agony.
I grip my shirt and struggle to breathe, inhaling a lungful of dust that makes me cough. Covering my nose and mouth with my forearm, I glance over the destruction with ungodly terror.
Rosie!
Black smoke billows into the sky, stinging my eyes and coating the air with the acrid scent of burning metal and concrete. Orange flames flicker between slabs of broken concrete and twisted steel, the occasional pop cutting through the air as damaged equipment continues to burn.
A sickening weight settles in my chest as my gaze drifts over the mountain of debris.
Rosie is in there.
The thought crashes into me with brutal force.
She’s buried alive!
I run to where the entrance used to be and begin to dig with my bare hands, my breaths speeding up faster and faster until a wounded roar burns up my throat.
“Rosie!” The shout doesn’t sound like my own, but something demented from the pits of hell.
Arms lock around my chest and haul me away from the rubble and flames, but I fight against the hold, managing to get free.
She has to be alive.
She has to be.
Get to her.
“Rosie is alive!” I dig faster, the heat from the intense flames making sweat pour down my body. “Rosie!” When I’m grabbed again, I wrench free without even looking at who it is.
“ROSIE!” My hands keep moving, clawing through the rubble as panic and desperation consume me. “Rosie!” My voice cracks as I search for any sign that she made it.
I listen for her voice and search for any glimpse of her.
Christ, give me any sign she’s alive.
Any sign that I haven’t lost her.
Strong hands grab my arms, and I’m forcefully yanked backward.
“No!” I roar as I fight against the hold. “I have to find her!”
I hit and shove, and breaking free, I launch myself at the debris, but I’m seized again and hauled off my feet. My back slams into the ground, and my sight focuses on Christiano and Dad as they hold me down forcefully.
“Now, Carlo!” Dad roars.
I barely notice the prick of the needle and begin fighting to get free so I can find Rosie, but my muscles grow heavy, and my vision blurs.
“Rosie,” I groan.
“Papa’s here,” Dad says as he pulls me into his arms. “I’m so fucking sorry, son. I’m here. Just go to sleep.”
