Her wet eyes patted slowly. Sam felt a hand brushed against her hair tenderly, looking up she saw Nanny Angela smiling carefully into her face, her eyes seemed to be hiding something. It was Shame, guilt and fear for Sam that it hid!
“What happened?” Sam asked. She saw that her wig was off and her heels were lying carefully on the chair where Nanny Angela had placed them.
“You don’t remember? You passed out” Nanny Angela said, her eyes filling with love, her lips gave way to a melancholic smile.
“Sam” Nanny Angela started. “You know you have to be careful, Ethan needs you” Nanny Angela chose her words carefully, she did not want to step on a ruptured part of Sam’s heart. She had brought them up and she knew all the dark stories behind the Addison’s family.
“Not now…!” Sam groaned, suddenly attacked with the memories of all that had transpired earlier between her and Alec. She reached for her lips in a bovine manner, unsympathetic memories of Alec’s touch consumed her and she found herself back in his car …
“Stop!” Sam spoke now in her mind’s eye to halt his kiss.
“Sam, I know you love me!” She heard Alec persisted. There was something about him! Something that agreed with everything about her! There was something that called out for her from him.
“No!” Sam groaned meanly. Horrifyingly, she clasped her hand together and out she came from the shackles of her imagination!
“Ma’am” Nanny Angela placed her arm on Sam’s shoulder but she brushed it away nastily.
“Please I need a cup of water or tea” Sam said before lying on the sofa.
“I will get you the tea” Nanny Angela walked briskly away. She felt her trembling legs giving way to the despair that now enveloped her. It’s not tea that you need my little girl, it’s peace, Nanny Angela asserted sadly in her thought. Nanny Angela made the tea quickly but when she when got back, Sam was asleep, curled up on the sofa like a weeping baby fast asleep. Her mouths were opened slightly. Nanny Angela noticed her toe nail paint was peeling off lightly.
“Sleeping beauty” Nanny Angela said dreamily, a tear trickled down her cheeks. She hurried to Samantha’s room and brought out a nail polish, she sat beside Sam and placed her legs on her thighs.
“Nicole would have done this for you!” Nanny Angela wimped.
“Alec…” Sam called out lightly in her sleep, Nanny Angela saw a smile coiled up coyly on her face.
“You have to find the root of your bitterness and pluck it out” Nanny Angela heaved. The fresh smell of blood hit her petite nose and that was when she spotted a slight cut on Sam’s feet. Her depressed heart sank, she grasped the sofa snugly, squeezing her lips roughly with her hand as she tried to repress her pains and fears but her courage was not obedient; memories of the innocent, happy Samantha raced before her eyes, Nanny Angela galloped to the wall, she buried her head on it and let her tears of love and sympathy flow.
“She used to be a safe and happy child, little Sam, times have become sour, Oh Sam!”
When all that was left to do was heave and sigh with the little energy she had, Nanny Angela brought out some medication and ointment and applied it on Sam’s leg. She was pleased to see that the coy smile on Sam’s lips hadn’t disappeared. She concentrated on Sam’s light breathing that seemed like slow beautiful water bubbles dancing in the air.
The living room assumed a tranquil disposition. Nanny Angela watched Sam, she read the stories each part of her body seemed to be telling. Sam’s dizzy smile was enchanting and serene so much that Nanny Angela stared for long at her tapping from the peace oozing out from her. She drifted off into a beautiful sleep, her hand laid moonily on Sam’s legs.
The next morning Sam woke up feeling very gay. Angela was still sleeping on the sofa. Sam contemplated waking her or not but she went for the latter. She went to Ethan’s room immediately, his door was opened ajar.
“I am sorry little brother” Sam planted a kiss on his cheeks. She noticed he had lost weight drastically and he appeared pale. He had her picture wrapped around his arms as he had his queasy sleep.
“I live for you, you have to be strong and healthy” Sam fondled his hand slowly. Then, she thought she should prepare breakfast, her eyes lit in ecstasy as her legs found its way to the kitchen.
“Yes” A cry of happiness escaped Sam’s mouth. She hadn’t felt so lively in a long while.
Breakfast was almost ready when Samantha heard someone coughed from the kitchen door. For some unknown reason, she swirled and jumped around, clasping her arms, she let her eyes bulge in pride as she watched Nanny Angela cast darling glances at the food.
“Oh, you can really be a sweet girl!” Nanny Angela complimented, folding her arms lovingly around her chest but she and Sam knew too well that they were just inaudible words which would be carried away by air or wind.
“Who’s is Alec?” Nanny Angela asked as she walked to the cabinet. Her question tore through Sam’s essence, the plate she was holding slipped off her hand. It fell to the ground with a crashing thud! Her heart skipped beats! She shivered languidly.
“No one is Alec” Sam said, his name sounded exquisitely in her ears and she had called it hurriedly and delicately as if, she would be denied access to speech. She stumbled out of the kitchen but his smell chased after her even still!
Sam went back to Ethan’s room but he was still asleep and she noticed that he had wrapped himself up in thick blankets. She walked down to the living room and that was when it occurred to her that Ethan had been sweating a lot and she heard him complain of headaches to Nanny Angela.
“Angela” Sam called out weakly. She asked if anything went wrong with Ethan the previous night.
“No, he is fine” Nanny Angela lied. The truth was Ethan had run a high temperature and vomited but Angela had treated him with some medications, although he went to bed early, but Angela thought his temperature was somewhat okay.
“He doesn’t appear fine” Sam said downcast, her head fell and that was when she noticed her fresh finger toe paint, her eyebrows rose in appreciation but she said nothing.
“What’s the date today?” Sam asked.
“it’s 17 today” Nanny Angela announced absentmindedly.
“Damn!” Sam panicked, her forehead curved into a furrow, she dashed to her room, her hair was being a nuisance so she roughly packed it, it dropped again and she just left it. Hurriedly, she checked through her calendar, she had an operation by evening!
She went downstairs to get her phone and she saw missed calls from Douglass and other members of the gang. Her heart sank in rhythm to her twitching eyes. Just then a call came in from Douglass, she kept silent and waited for him to say something but Douglass was just playing the same game with her, Douglass spoke finally.
“Why didn’t you report after last night’s operation with the others?” He tried to conceal his irritation and anger in a feigned feminine voice.
“Douglass?” Sam mocked angrily.
“Yes!” Douglass answered with a roar.
“I attended to something important” Sam felt her anger rising.

“You almost got caught” Douglass fired back.

“NO!” Sam barked, lifting her hand to hit her head in annoyance. Then she heard Ethan’s sniff behind her. She flushed.
“Tonight is very important. A lot has been paid on his life. 6pm” Douglass hung up. Sam heaved and rolled her eyes, then she threw her phone on the sofa. She turned to face Ethan.
“Ethan!” Sam threw herself in his fragile open arms. He was covered in goose bumps.
“Oh no, Ethan!” Sam cupped his chin and ran her hand over his face, his hair, then she planted a kiss on his hairs.
“I am fine. I am not sick. I only feel cold” His lips shivered but he managed to relay his words in a bold fine voice. He felt very weak from his speech and he managed to say he wanted to lie down, scared that his legs might give way to his facade of courage. Sam helped him to her chair, he pulled her hand away slowly but she kept holding him.
“I want a hot tea and a hot bath and I would be fine” Ethan gasped. Sam couldn’t think straight, she staggered to the kitchen, colliding against the sofas and hitting her feet several times but it did not hurt her or maybe she just didn’t feel it
“I am dying” Sam breathed hardly as she made the tea. Ethan had always been a sick child, she had been managing him but Sam right now she felt as if her world was starting to crumble.
“Sam?” Sam called out vainly to herself not sure if she was her real self anymore. All she wanted was to revenge Nicole’s death and satisfy her thirst for blood. She lived in the world but had no sympathy for other humans. She was bittered and saw almost nothing beautiful about life. Sam believed that she was created for evil and destruction. If anyone’s life was demanded, then they deserved to die but what of if Ethan’s life was demanded? Sam thought.
The blood thirst came again, it tasted sour, Sam fell weakly on the floor, she hit her back against the kitchen cabinet but sprung up to her feet. She rushed out of the kitchen, Ethan was still awake. She gave him the tea and he drank everything.
“The hot bath right?” Sam peered sadly into her eyes. She tried to hide her fears, her eyes met with Ethan, her eyes fell. She rushed to prepare his water when she got back he was already asleep. Sam looked at the time, she had just four hours before her operation. She stared at Ethan with her eyes opening widely, she was engulfed in wet fears. She kept staring until she dozed off into a deep sleep.

The hall sparkled magnificently. The dim colorful lights and terracotta decorations were amusing. Fanciful laughters and sultry chuckles that fell from the amorous faces of the ladies littered the sparkling hall. Several people were seated admiring the couples and lovers who danced, most of them had a cup of wine in their hands. A band was playing beautiful melodious music from a corner, it was alluring.
The admirable lovers, the flying hairs and flowing ballet gowns all looked like a beautiful garden from where Sam and Ashley watched from a hidden corner, Sam was holding her rifle, ready to attack.
Sam watched her target, Fredrick, Donald Macpherson’s son, a famous New York tycoon. He was still clinging to the lady he danced with and she was waiting for the perfect moment to fire.
Sam couldn’t concentrate well, thoughts of Ethan flew in through the punctured parts in her heart. She felt her eagerness fading away like the fog meeting with the sun. Wrapped in mischief, nervous sweats broke out on her, her heart became an abode for thorns and pricks, they caressed her heart hardly.
“Concentrate Sam, concentrate, Take away his damn fucking useless life” Sam panted, her hands shivered, yet she held to her rifle determinedly. She closed her eyes for a second and when she opened it, the adorable lady clinging to the Macpherson’s son was talking to someone else and Fredrick was standing alone! Just then Sam’s phone vibrated! Her heart sank. She had told Angela to beep her if anything went wrong.
“Sam, what are you doing! You can’t pick the call!” Ashley whispered, her eyes lit with momentary hatred and irritation.
“Fire now! Now Sam, he is alone!” Ashley whispered fiercely. Sam brought out her phone from her pocket, it was Angela!
“Angela!” Sam gasped, obstinate tears that refused to trickle swelled in her eyes.
“Ethan, convulsing, Convulsing! Convulsing!” Angela managed to say in voice that vibrated from agony and fear, she dropped the call.
“Angela, Angela!” Sam’s voice shriveled. Her rifle fell to the floor.
“This is our only chance to execute him! Fire now! The lady is walking back to him!” Ashley panicked, her eyes shone with fear and concealed pity.
The distressed angel, Sam picked up her rifle but it fell weakly from her hands. Sam faltered before taking to her heels, her heart placing a million plagues on Ashley that called her back. Confusion and terror taking over her, as she ran, she felt she was running into darkness, yet she plunged harder into the bleeding darkness.
“Ethan, no Ethan!” Sam shrilled in a failed scream. Voices like scream! Hit your head against the wall! Run! Scream again! All echoed in her head. Her eyes turned blurry, her knees wobbled. She fell and stood up again, she was almost out of the doors when she heard a gunshot, Ashley had fired but with the scream that followed and her experience, Sam was experienced enough to know that Ashley had missed the shot. A bomb of terror exploded in her head. She headed to her car, lifted her hand to open it but it dropped feebly. She was successful on the fourth attempt. She sank into her driver’s seat. She tried to kick the car but her hand trembled vehemently. She tried again and again but it was a futile endeavor!
“I need help!” Sam surrendered, no one but Alec came to her mind. She reached for her phone lethargically. The phone had barely rung when he picked it up.
“Alec!” Sam gasped.
She waited as a cold hotness kept her company...

TO BE CONTINUED...

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