SHADOW OF REVENGE

Yvenne's P.O.V

Dad’s voice shook as he asked again, quieter this time while we knelt. Even though fear was written all over his face, he managed to speak, standing protectively in front of us while the three of us clung to his back.

“What are you here for?” he asked.

The gunman pointing his weapon at Dad didn’t answer. Instead, the one who looked like their leader stepped forward, his eyes cold and merciless.

“Why are you still talking?” the leader hissed.

Before we could react, he swung his rifle and slammed the butt of it into Dad’s jaw.

“Dad!” I screamed, my voice breaking. Mom and Jenna screamed too, our cries echoing through the room.

Dad staggered, clutching his face, his knees buckling. But even through the pain, he held his jaw with one hand and stretched the other back, steadying us, guiding us.

“Dad, are you okay?” Jenna cried.

He nodded weakly, his words muffled. “Don’t say anything. I’ll handle this… just be quiet.”

Mom suddenly lurched forward on her knees, slipping past him before we could stop her. Desperation filled her trembling voice as she raised her hands.

“Please! Don’t hurt us again. Don’t hurt my husband, don’t hurt my children. Please, spare our lives and just leave us alone. I’m sure… I’m sure we’re not even the people you’re looking for.” Her words cracked.

By then, hot tears poured down my cheeks, unstoppable. My whole body shook violently, my sobs loud in the suffocating silence. I kept my head down, too afraid to look up.

“If you do as you’re told, maybe I’ll think about it,” the leader sneered. “But now, shut your mouth, or I’ll kill you, woman.”

Dad immediately pulled Mom back behind him again. “Stay quiet, please. Just stay quiet. I’m okay. I’ll handle this,” he whispered to her trying to keep his voice from trembling.

The room went silent then except for my sobs, Jenna’s ragged breathing, and the soft whimpering from Mom.

Then the leader’s voice cut through the silence. “You’re a pretty one.”

My blood turned to ice as I noticed his footsteps drew closer to me, it felt predatory.

“No! Don’t… don’t touch her!” Dad’s voice burst out, raw with fear. But then came the sound of a punch, followed by his groan of pain.

My heart hammered in my chest when he got me, gripping my chin tightly, forcing my face upward.

I gasped, hyperventilating and not looking at him as his rough fingers dug into my skin and his thumb dragged slowly across my cheek, as though he were studying me like prey.

“Look at me,” he whispered, his voice low and chilling as he tilted my chin higher.

Tears blurred my vision as I stared into a pair of cold, gray eyes set in a rough face carved with deep wrinkles and ugly tattoos curling along his jaw and neck.

He smiled when our eyes met, and my stomach twisted. His teeth were yellow and crooked, with one missing, leaving a dark gap that made his grin even more grotesque.

I tried to look away, but his grip on my chin tightened, forcing me still.

He sneered, his hot breath brushing against my skin. “You know… I might just spare your life because of that pretty face.”

“What exactly do you want? I’ll give you anything. Just… Please, don’t hurt my family. Leave them alone.” My dad's voice broke through the tension.

At that, the leader shoved my chin away with a flick of disgust and straightened to his full height. His boots thudded as he walked toward my father, his presence filling the room with menace.

“You think money can save you?” he said, his voice sharp and mocking. He chuckled darkly, joined by the two men flanking him. “We’re not here for your money.”

He leaned closer to Dad, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper. “We’re here for something much more valuable.” His eyes swept over us, drinking in our terror. Then his lips twisted into a cruel grin.

“You see, I’ve been paid a handsome sum… to kill you.” He raised his gun and aimed it directly at my father then at me.

A sob tore from my throat, and I slapped my hand over my mouth, but it was no use.

“No, no, no… you’re not doing this,” Mom cried out, her voice breaking. “Whatever they paid you, I’ll pay more!”

Dad’s voice followed, desperate and shaky. “Yes! Take my offer instead. Kill me if you must, but spare my daughter!” For the first time in my life, I saw fear carved into his face.

“Dad, no!” I clutched his arm tightly, but he kept pleading.

“Please,” he begged, his hands clasped together. “I’ll pay triple the amount you’ve been given. I’m a wealthy businessman so just let my family go and I promise that no police will be involved, we will pretend like this never happened.”

It broke me to see my strong, unshakable father begging for our lives.

But the leader only sneered. His tone dropped, darker than before. “I’m afraid I can’t do that, Orlando. You’re too late. Orders are orders.”

He cocked his gun and pressed it to my father’s forehead.

We all screamed, clinging to him desperately. “No, please stop!” Jenna cried out, but Dad only held us tighter.

The leader tilted his head mockingly. “Any last words for your family? Or maybe you three have something to say before your father dies?”

We begged, pleaded, sobbed but he only chuckled at our misery.

“I guess that’s it, then.” He steadied his aim. “Time to finish this.”

The gun fired.

The shot thundered through the room, and Dad’s voice came out one last time, weak but full of love: “I love you all. Never forget that.”

He fell instantly, collapsing into a pool of his own blood.

I froze as his body hit the floor, his blood splattering onto my face. The sound of the gunshot echoed in my head as I stared in horror.

Jenna’s piercing scream ripped through the air, followed by Mom’s wail as she threw herself over Dad’s lifeless body.

But me… I couldn’t move or scream. I couldn’t even breathe. I was trapped in shock, staring at his body and ft his warm blood droplets sliding down my face.

I kept hoping everything happening was just a nightmare, that I’d wake up any second. I didn’t even react when one of the men walked over, threw me onto his shoulder, and carried me away. My body and mind were frozen in shock, too numb to fight back.

Behind us, Mom’s frantic screams echoed through the room. “Let her go! Please, let my daughter go!” She rushed forward, but before she could reach me, one of the men slammed the butt of his gun into her head. She crumpled instantly to the floor.

That was the moment reality snapped back into me.

“Mom!” I screamed, my voice breaking as I thrashed against the man holding me. I needed to reach her, to make sure she was alive. But his grip was like iron.

“Let me go! Let go of me, right now!” I fought with every ounce of strength I had, kicking and clawing, desperate to break free.

But then a sharp, searing pain exploded at the back of my head.

And just like that, everything went black.

*~*

“She’s such a pathetic loser,” a deep, mocking voice sneered as I slowly drifted back to consciousness. His words cut into me before I could even open my eyes. “I wonder what I ever saw in you. Honestly, I never had much of a choice. You were nothing but a tool for my gain.”

“Oh, don’t pretend you didn’t enjoy using her,” another voice chimed in. This one was sharper, feminine, dripping with cruelty. Her laugh was high-pitched and piercing.

“Well, I won’t deny that,” the man replied coldly.

“Whatever… just look at her now,” the woman said, her tone full of spite. “Helpless. Broken. She can’t even lift her head. She always acted like she was better than everyone, like she mattered. I hated that. Hated pretending to love her, to bow to her.” Her voice dropped lower, darker. “If only she had stayed invisible then this would never have happened.”

My eyelids fluttered, heavy as stone, and I groaned as pain shot through my skull. My clothes were damp and gritty against my skin. I realized I was lying on a sandy floor.

“Oh, the loser’s waking up,” the woman mocked. Her words were followed by a sudden thud. A boot slammed into my ribs. My scream tore out of me before I could stop it. Their laughter rang out, cruel and satisfied, feeding on my agony.

“Pathetic,” the man spat.

I forced my eyes open again, but at first everything was blurry. Slowly, two figures loomed above me. Before I could focus, a rough hand yanked my hair back so hard my neck cracked. I screamed as my scalp burned, hot tears streaming down my cheeks.

They dragged me across the filthy floor like I was nothing. Splinters and rough wood scraped my skin, cutting me as I was pulled along. The damp boards tore at me with every movement. I clawed at the ground, my nails breaking as I tried to resist, but it was useless. My cries only made them laugh harder.

When they finally let go, my head hit the floor with a sickening crack. A white flash burst in my vision, and I screamed in pain.

“God, I hate you,” the woman hissed, her face close to mine, her breath hot against my skin. “I hate you so much I’ve dreamed of killing you every single day. Every. Single. Day. Do you hear me?” Her spit hit my cheek as she raged. “And now, finally, I get to make it real. You’ll die by my hands.”

“If I had time, I’d carve you apart piece by piece. I’d make you beg me to kill you. But…” a sharp metallic click rang in my ears, the same sound I heard before they murdered my father. “…time isn’t on my side. So I’ll have to end it quickly. With all this said, goodbye, bitch."

The gunshot rang out, and in the next instant, something sharp tore into my stomach. A raw scream ripped from my throat as I clutched at the wound, pain exploding through me. Warm, sticky liquid gushed between my fingers. It was blood. My blood.

Tears blurred my vision as my lungs constricted. Each breath was agony, like knives stabbing deeper inside me. I tried to inhale, hoping it would ease the pain, but it only burned worse.

Laughter echoed around me as I fought to keep my eyes open.

Slowly, my vision cleared and my gaze locked with the shooter.

I widened my eyes in shock, horror freezing me in place. A mix of pain and betrayal filled me as I realized who it was.

“Why?” I choked out, my voice trembling, blood spattering my lips.

I searched their eyes for any trace of mercy, any explanation but there was none.

They narrowed their gaze and crouched beside me, their face cold and hard. No remorse. No guilt. Only hate. “Because I despise you,” they hissed through clenched teeth. “Do me a favor and don’t come back in the next life where I’ll be. You should’ve stayed out of my way. Yvenne.”

My chest trembled as I tried to speak, blood spilling from my lips. No words would come. The pain in my stomach slowly faded, leaving behind only a hollow emptiness.

My eyelids grew heavy as I thought of my parents, of Jenna, of the friends, and the life I would never live.

Tears pricked my eyes as a final question screamed silently inside me. ‘What did I ever do to deserve this?’

But no answer came.

“How… how could you… my own…” I whispered to the figure in front of me, but my voice broke off, too weak to go on. My strength ebbed away, and as the last bit of life slipped from me, the final thing I saw was my killer’s face, smiling down at me.

Yvenne's P.O.V

My eyes blinked open as the sunlight hit my face.

“Fuck…” I let out a low groan and closed them immediately, feeling the sun's beam. I took a moment before slowly opening my eyes again to adjust to the brightness.

Once I could see clearly, my eyes furrowed in confusion as I realized I was lying on the ground, surrounded by bushes and tall trees. 'Where am I?' I thought, looking around my surroundings.

Then, all of a sudden, yesterday's memories flooded back, hitting me like a thunderbolt. I remembered everything - the vacation, the gangsters, my dad, being kidnapped, the familiar voice, and the gunshot.

My eyes suddenly filled with unshielded tears as reality sank in. My father was dead, and I would never be able to see or talk to him again. He died for no reason at all.

“No, no, no… please, let this be a dream,” I cried.

I couldn't comprehend why anyone would be so cruel to our family, to him when he had always been nothin