COLD TRAP

60%P

MIRABELLA

Tears uncontrollably roll down my cheeks as I observe myself in the huge mirror, and I ask myself what wrong I’ve done to deserve this level of punishment the universe has chosen to deal me.

This is my life, misery. One month since I’ve been married to this monster, and every day, I’m one step closer to death. A death I know will be delivered to me by my husband. Matteo.

In one month, I’ve been buried alive and made to stay underneath the earth five hours each day for three days. I’ve been stripped and flogged with a leather flogger until I passed out. I’ve been locked up in a dark room with no food for so many days until I was close to losing my sanity. I’ve been pushed into the pool and left to drown by Matteo after he found out I couldn’t swim.

This has been my life with Matteo for a long one month. He doesn’t talk to me but when ever he does, there’s always punishment accompanying each word.

Punishments that seem too extreme and well thought out as though he has them planned out and waiting to find fault within me.

How does my husband come up with such wicked ideas?

I look pale as a ghost, my eyes are sunken into my skull, I’m loosing a lot of hair from the excessive stress, I can barely fit into any of my clothes, and my blood pressure has started to peak high.

F**-k my life.

Who’d have thought, a multimillionaire if not a billionaire of my status looking like a homeless girl on the streets.

1 observe myself through the mirror a little longer until I finally realize that I’ve had enough. Enough of the torture, enough of the insults, enough of the belittling. I am ready to leave d n d the consequences. I believe I have the resources I need to protect myself if need be.

I immediately put a call across to a friend, making arrangement for transport while I plan on how to escape from this estate which would be easy, considering Matteo and his friends are absent

I begin pacing back and forth in my room until my timer beeps, alerting me that the time has come for me to make my move. I scurry my way down the flight of stairs on my tippy toes in order not to alert the maids, but the moment my finger tips come in contact with the door knob, a very familiar, thick, intimidating voice thunders, causing me to halt my movement and let out a loud gasp.

“Where the f**k do you think you’re going? Wife?”

It’s Matteo, f**k! How’s he here? I thought he had a meeting to attend? When did he get here and why didn’t I hear him come in?

My brain go wild with different thoughts.

“This is not you keeping the promises you made to me in the presenc d,” Matteo snickers with a smirky smile and I look him up and

down.

“You have kept not one of your promises either, so I guess we’re both committing the same sin,” I clap back at him and his jaw instantly locks as his eyes darken.

Another night of another well thought out punishment, bring it on.

12:25 Fri, 21 Jun b

“I asked you a question, Bella, where do you think you’re running off to?”

“I just wanted to take a walk around the estate,” I blurt as my hands tremble from how much Matteo’s presence intimidates me.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

He chuckles dryly and looks me up and down with a lopsided smile.

“It’s snowing ever so lightly outside,” Matteo leans down and whispers to me through his giggle and I lock eyes with him.

Speaking of eyes, I’m one step close to becoming blind from constantly applying this s t upi d lenses.

He tsks and mutters the word ‘shame’ with a shake to his head and I swallow hard on nothing.

“Since you want to step outside so desperately, why don’t you stay outside a while? Maybe come back in tomorrow?” Matteo yanks my coat off my shoulders, pushing me outside with a great force that I almost crash face down to the ground while he chuckles in amusement.

“Make sure not to go anywhere, Annabella, don’t dare me.” He seethes and slams the door shut on my face before I can even plead with him.

Great, I’m outside till dawn without any form of appropriate clothing to shield me from the cold.

I’d freeze to death by the morning; perfect way to go.

“Matteo?”

Less than an hour of being locked out of my home and my teeth has begun jamming uncontrollably as my lips tremble vigorously from the intense cold I feel. I can barely breathe and my head has become fuzzy.

G o d, I’m about to freeze to death…didn’t think it was going to be this difficult.

I’d consider making my escape since this seems like a great opportuni ut ot s tu i d enough to let Matteo find out even a thing about me. I’m well aware that he’s watching and waiting for me to make tha t st p d move just so I can give him more reasons to punish me and kill more of my friends.

But I’d rather die than give him that which he so desperately wants.

I bang and kick the door, screaming as loud as I can in attempt to get any help but nothing. Everyone in this house seems to avoid Matteo like he’s a plague and they wouldn’t dare go against his orders.

I’ve done all I can to feel warmth even the slightest bit. I jogged around the estate, vigorously rubbed my palms together to create some sort of friction and placed them on each part of my body, but nothing seems to be working.

I let out a sigh when it hit me.

There’s so much effort one can put into an endeavor and I know I’ve put in as much effort as I can to be let into the house but nothing has worked thus far. So, I give up. I walk right out to the front yard and allow my body sag against the cold ground. At least if this is how I die, I should allow myself absorb the beauty of nature before death comes.

“I hope he’s watching me take my last breath,” mutter as my whole body goes limp and the pain in my rib cages intensify to a point where I’m unable to inhale or exhale a breath.

I gulp as tears blur my eyesight. Every part of my body seems to have frozen and I can only mange a few blinks and a whimper. Tears roll

H

12:26 Fr, 21 Jun

down the side of my face and it feels so cold against my skin, making me aware that I’m still out in the cold.

Vulnerable.

W e k.

Stupid.

Helpless.

I think back to how far I’ve gotten in life without actually living, how far I’ve let Matteo ruin me in every way possible without even putting up a fight and defending myself because I am too afraid.

I’ve always allowed fear take control of my life and it’s a shame that I realize this in my last moment. I silently ask for a second chance at life, a chance to actually live, a chance to become as rebellious as I want to be. I ask for a second chance with a faith as small as a mustard seed.

But I know in my gut, that there’s very little opportunity at that second chance I ask for.

Everything is becoming dark or maybe it’s just my consciousness shutting me out and a very peculiar image flashes before my eyes over and over again before my consciousness completely shut me out….

“Mamma?”

0