THE WINNER

"No!" I hope Damian gets the memo. "If I had the balls to come into a monster's territory, then you bet on anything you hold dearest to that, and Ellie will definitely not lose today. Then again, what possibly can you bet on, Gracia, huh? You have got nothing on you except your pathetic name and ID. Even if the devil pours all his buckets of blessings on you and you manage to kill me right now, you will still remain a pathetic, miserable, and pitiful soul your entire life, Gracia Andriano! With no one on your side!"


"Don't you dare mess with me, or else I will dismantle your skull with all the bullets in this gun."

"Truth hurts, right?" I challenge myself, wiping off blood from my nose. "How does it feel to have no one in this world by your side, huh? Is it enjoyable?" I mock, loving how the truth is merely stroking her cool.

"Don't you dare..."


"My friends! Where the heck are they?" I cut her off.

"And your husband? Where the fuck is that moron? You two are so much in love, right? I will unite you today in a colorful, bloody union and send your souls on an eternal honeymoon. So where is he? Out there waiting to come and save you? Tell him to come in now!"


I laugh at her face.

"I was never taught to insult older people, but I just need to say this to you—you are so stupid, Gracia! But I don't blame you somehow. I mean, you never got to love or be loved in your entire life. So, you definitely wouldn't have any idea how love works. I will give some advice, just in case you get a chance to love in the afterlife. Love means doing everything to protect your loved ones. That's why I am here, in your territory, for the sake of the ones I love. And Damian? I would rather die than bring him to you."

"Then death, Ellie, is what I will give you. A painful one for all the hatred you've shown me ever since we met. Then I will go get your husband and send him to you in hell!" She cocks her gun.

"What the heck! We are coming in right now, Ellie!" Damian's voice echoes in my ear.

"NO!" I yell.

"What?" Damian asks.

"Ooh! Don't tell me you are scared now, Miss Balls! Don't worry. I'm not going to kill you yet! Since you already know why I did all that I have done, all thanks to that traitor of a daughter I have, I would love to do you the honor of giving you a very short and sweet story about this house." She chuckles really loudly, taking a step back. "Ooh, I am sure you will love it!" Her laughter echoes throughout the whole building as she holds the gun steady in her arms, not lowering it from my head.

Now she has lost it! She is a total maniac! But, story? What's the story behind this house that is getting her so elated? And why would it interest me?

"What do I have to do with this supposed story of yours?" I ask, and she stops laughing, her face turning into ice in a flicker.

"A lot, you bitch! Actually, everything. Now, move and stop asking me questions." She says, pointing in the direction she wants me to move upstairs, that the gun is now pointed at the back of my hand.

I start moving.

"And my friends, where are they?" I ask as we continue the walk up.

"Don't you worry? I will let you all bid goodbye before sending you to hell, where you all belong. Stop!" She says, and I halt in my tracks as she kicks the last door in the hallway on the third floor open.

Do we belong in hell? And she, where does she belong because, definitely, we can't belong together, huh?

"Get in!"

I drag my feet inside the huge, lit room, but the first thing that catches my eye is the sight of my two friends and Nelly tied up together in bed. Their mouths are covered, and they are badly beaten. Those marks! Those same marks!

On the bed still lie all the weapons she probably has prepared to torture me. The baseball is the first thing I notice. Her signature. There are several knives, a belt, and some tapes.

My eyes dart to the three hopeless souls again. Their eyes speak nothing but fear and hopelessness. Their red faces and sore marks show just how much she enjoyed torturing them.

"Rose? Sherry? Nelly?" I cry as I rush to them, but Gracia pulls me by the hair and pushes me back.

"I didn't give you permission to go near them!" She says.

"Why did you have to hurt them? Didn't we have a deal?" I ask, and she smirks.

"I make deals with no one. Nobody, no fucking person gives me orders, you hear?" She yells.

"What sort of monster are you that doesn't care about even her own child? Did you really give birth to her, or did you kidnap her from someone?" I ask because, for a mother to torture her own child like this,? Hell, no freakin way!

"I can do what I damn please with my child, and I am not here to talk about her. I am here to tell you about the secrets of this house. I will make it quick since I don't have much time."

God knows this can't be anything close to good at all.

"Why don't you first let them go, Gracia? It's me you should hurt. We can talk all night if you want, but let them go." I plead.

"First, I am not an idiot, you fool! And second, I said you all are dying here today itself. Here, Ellie—where it all started with your mother!"

Who again? My mother? My poor mother?

Is this where she tortured her?