Elena Somehow, in my mind, the monster lurking outside would hear me and burst open my door. But this was real life, and there was no monster outside to burst open my door once I opened it. I met an empty hallway, and silence greeted me. I slowly walked down the slim staircase and made my way into the living room. I stopped once I reached the atrium. There was broken glass on the floor from the door, and a few potted plants had been injured in the fight. I turned to the living room, and my heart fell at the sight in front of me. Pablo sat hunched in his usual spot in the living room. From his bruised and bloodied knuckles, blood dripped onto the tiled floor beneath him. I was willing to bet that his face was just as bad. "What happened?" I asked, setting a bowl of cold water beside him, ready to clean his hands and face. Silence was my response as I wiped off the blood from his knuckles. Just as I was about to move to his face, he flung backwards and snatched the cloth and my hand.

Elena Unfortunately for them, I had many stops to go, and I had discovered that the bus had many other people that were going to the same place I was. I hit a stroke of luck when a flood of people highlighted before me, and so I got ready as well. I pulled out a scarf from my bag and covered my hair with it so I wouldn't stand out too much. The bus stopped, and we all highlighted. In the distance, I could see the car, but it was obstructed by many people, so I was glad. Luckily for me, most of us were walking in the same direction as my house, and it was very easy to move with them. I wanted to do a happy dance when I saw the bus move and was followed by the car. As soon as the car left and was a long distance away, I sped up my steps to my apartment. Only when I got home was I able to release a breath of relief. I struggled to find my footing once school resumed. There was so much to do, and the stark contrast between my way of life in Sicily and my way of life in Rome was more

Elena Paula, one of my roommates, was around when I got home. She flashed a cheerful smile at me, and her inquisitive self couldn't help but ask what I had in my hand. "Is that box dye?" she asked, pointing at the white plastic bag in my hand. Unable to hide it, I smiled back and gave her a short "yes." "Well, why do you want to dye your hair?" she asked, pushing further. "I just want to change my look," I told her, lying through my teeth. "You have such beautiful hair in… hm…" She looked at me for about a minute before concluding, "I think black would be nice on you. Your face, your skin, everything—it would pop." She held up her hands as though she was about to take a picture of me, and then I remembered she was attending fashion school. Her actions made so much sense now. I had always thought Paula was an unapproachable person when I first moved in. I would eventually be proved wrong as I discovered that she was simply busy. She was nice and always offered me smiles, but she

Elena Her eyes were still the same bright and vivid green, and freckles were still a light dust on her nose. Her otherwise pale skin was pink from the hot water of the shower. Perhaps the woman in front of me was unknown. Perhaps Cassandra was yet to see this version of me that was neither Elena nor Isabella. I played with the necklace I had fished out earlier. It belonged to the original Elena, as did my name and the life I was living. I shook my head, clearing my thoughts to get ready for work. A glance at the clock told me that I would be late despite trying to hurry. But I didn't care; I wouldn't have cared if Guiseppe rained down all the insults he could think of on me. At this point, I was completely unsure of what to do with myself. Granted, I had made some money from betting earlier, but I was yet to pick up the form from school. I don't know why I decided not to; perhaps I had some misguided hope that my past would magically disappear. It was no surprise when Guiseppe sta

Elena Either way, I didn't want to be a part of it suddenly, as I remembered the reason I was skeptical about him in the first place. I felt like I had to be true to myself, not fraternizing with those who tried to kill me. I turned towards my apartment and tried to go inside when he finally spoke. "Everything I have… everything I have built, my city into. None of it belongs to me. It belongs to her, the one who I'm looking for," he said, caressing my cheek as though he was speaking directly to me, but I knew better. “Lucky girl, huh.” I muttered to which he laughed in response. I didn't believe a word he said. I turned my face, trying to detach myself from the sweet warmth of his hand. Unfortunately, he didn't take the hint. Instead, he leaned closer and planted a kiss on my cheek. This man was a menace to society. I looked at him and took him in for the last time. I wasn't going to see him again. Perhaps that was why I indulged him, but I knew I wasn't going to see him again, at