42

Mia

I was laying on my back on the bed, wide awake, staring at the dark ceiling. I had not been able to eat or drink anything at all since the moment I had returned from school.My fingers kept playing with the locket in my neck. This was the only thing left to me now. My dad had gifted it to mum and mum had given it to me to wear when I turned thirteen.

That red cloth that I hid and protected was the one that she had worn the day she was killed. It was barely a patch the size of a hanky but it meant everything to me. The scent of her had faded from it but having it close to me at all times made me feel like she was right next to me. When I got nightmares of seeing her and dad getting killed, that cloth gave me strength to go on and live despite all hardships.

A knock came on my bedroom door. Startled, wondering who it could be at this time of the night, I sat up straight quickly, alerted. But then the familiar scent of rain wafted past me. It was Alessio.

Even though I did not wan