Page 32 of Care: Part 1

Her mother was sitting on the couch, but she looked worried about something. The second she heard Avelina's voice, Mama shook her head as fast as she could.

"Listen to me; you go back to your room. Now!" Mama shouted, leaving Avelina to flinch.

Avelina didn't understand why her mother was yelling at her; she rarely yelled. Stepping further in the living room, Avelina saw a man standing in the corner. Worst of all, she saw her father lying on the floor, face down with blood all around him.

"Papa! Papa!" Avelina shouted, running over to him.

In the corner, the man didn't say a word as the young girl threw herself on top of her papa and tried to hug him. Even with the blood that covered every speck of his body, she wanted to hold him.

"Don't you mess with her! No one knows about Avelina," Mama pleaded, her eyes dripping with tears.

"Everyone knows about everyone in the Favela's," the man spoke.

Avelina looked up at him as he got down on the ground and lifted her head by her chin. He saw the streaks of tears that fell from her eyes and could only stare at them. Slowly, he peeled back his hoodie and lifted his mask. His blue eyes were piercing into her own. Although, what caught her attention was the bird on his neck that stood screeching at her.

"Go get your things ready. I'm taking you to grandma's," The man ordered before he moved a strand of her hair from out of her face and tucking it behind her ear.

Avelina tried to look at her mother, who let out a sob, but the man pulled her attention back to his own eyes.

"Go. Now! We don't have enough time. They will be here soon," he ordered.

Fear struck her hard as she did exactly what he asked. She grabbed her bags and packed them up before running back into the living room. Her mama was gone, but the man was still sitting in the corner. He was looking at a picture of mama, papa, and her.

"Where's mama?" Avelina cried.

He didn't say anything as he lightly grasped Avelina's hand and walked her toward the front door. She tried to look behind her in search of mama, but the man was far too fast. Just before they stepped outside, he wrapped her small body up in a blanket and carried her to his car.

Harshly, he threw her in the backseat before stepping into the driver’s side. She did not say another word as a silent tear fell, and her eyes looked up at the sky where she knew her parents were now resigned.

She knew they no longer existed, and she knew the man with the bird tattoo had killed them.

One question was left on her mind; was Vincent Santos the man who killed her parents?