Page 9 of Little Sparrow

She blushes and bites her lip. “Well, I did mention before that I heal faster than most people, that's all.” I remember she told me she heals fast, but something like that, impossible. It’s almost as though the crash never happened.

I can’t help myself but grab her arm and my eyes trace over each place there was a shard of glass embedded in her skin, but it’s all gone, not even a scar. I had hoped the blood on her head wasn’t actually hers, but it must have been.

“Do you know how?” I ask, while tracing every inch of her small arm, as though something will appear the more I look. But her skin is soft and I don’t want to let go either.

“I don’t know how to control any of this, it’s just….happening,” she admits, “My whole life has been a lie. My dad should have told me these things before my birthday, or my mum should have stuck around to explain what was happening.”

She doesn’t have a mother, it hurts my chest knowing that. I couldn’t imagine life without mine. Rose must be tough on the inside. Delicate on the outside. Like a petal. It makes me think how much her name suits her. But other things begin to settle in my mind. Roses have thorns too.

“Try to make something. I’m also curious how you got me here, since we haven’t met before.” I say, dropping her arm and circling her.

She opens her mouth, but her words don’t come out straight away.

“I can’t.” She drops her head and shakes it.

She stares down at the floor with her eyes closed. I’m guessing she is trying to figure out what all of this is. I don’t understand how no one has told her anything yet. I am curious about the healing. She told me a few things that had changed with her, but she was rambling and I didn’t catch everything she had said. I was too busy admiring her, and damn now I’m staring at that cute little nose with the upturned end.

She narrows her eyes at me, I hadn’t even noticed her look up, “What are you thinking?” Her hazel eyes stare at me. I shake my head. She wants answers from me, but I don’t have them.

“I’m guessing you don’t know anyone else who can do this?” I ask. She chews on her lower lip, again. My eyes zero in on it, always chewing on it.

“My dad is avoiding talking about it to me and I know my friends, they won’t understand. You know, since you’re here, we weren't really given a choice.” She waves her hand around our empty space.

I’m about to speak, but her eyes widen and she reaches out to me. Rose’s hand goes through me. “You’re fading.” She looks panicked, but I’m not sure what’s happening. I don’t feel anything, I lift my hands to see but it’s too late.

I blink and my mother stands above me, she's wearing all black and I know I need the same to blend in with the shadows. “It’s time to leave, right now,” she whispers. I look at my watch, just past two.

“Where’s father?” I ask while silently grabbing my backpack and shoving things inside, she doesn’t answer, but when I turn around she has her finger over her mouth, the universal sign to be quiet. I double check that I emptied my safe, my pistol and cash I had saved for emergencies. I just hope I have enough to get us through.

Sneaking through the halls, avoiding steps that squeak as we go through. Luckily we know the layout perfectly, my childhood games with my friends years ago has made this easier. I reach out for my mother to help her go down the steps so she doesn’t trip. Her breathing is heavy, I can tell she’s scared from the trembling in her hand and she grips onto me tight.

We wait for the outside guards to finish their rounds on this side of the estate. We won’t have long to leave. My mother grabs hold of me as we sneak towards the side door for the garage.

I press the button on my keys to unlock the black Maserati Quattroporte. Mother places her small suitcase in the backseat before jumping in the front next to me, her knee bouncing up and down while waiting. The key turns in the ignition, the engine almost silent when it starts. She flicks a switch for the garage door to open. I get ready to start our drive.

“Where are we going?” I ask, finally needing to know which direction to turn as the car crawls out onto the main driveway. My eyes dart around the dark, keeping a lookout for any guards that would have heard the garage door open.

“Airport, there’s a flight to France. We can lie low while making a plan. Then we can go to my family in Napoli, once it has settles with them searching for us. They will take us in, we need time away from here.” I only nod as I inch my way out of the garage. That won’t be our full plan, but she doesn’t know that yet. Her safety is the most important to me.

The gravel of the driveway crunches under the tires, I have to go slow to avoid as much noise as possible. My mothers dark ponytail swishes every time she looks around. We approach the keypad to unlock the large gates, luckily I don’t need to get out of the car to unlock it, we upgraded on technology and I only need to tap in a quick code through my window. The cameras might be a pain in the arse though, there is no avoiding those. My car may be black but it won’t fully blend in the shadows, if anyone is watching the cameras, they know we are leaving before the gates even open.

My fingers fly across the keypad to unlock the gate. We wait impatiently and the large, black iron gates groan as they open, drawing attention to us. In my peripheral, I notice my mother keeps looking back through the mirrors. Two guards are approaching. As soon as the gates open wide enough, I put my foot down on the accelerator to speed through. Thank fuck it didn’t stall.

I change gear, speeding down the dark curved roads of the city towards the airport. Mother keeps fidgeting in her seat, still checking the mirrors even though no cars are following. I’m not surprised she’s worried. The N’drangheta won’t let us go easily. Once you’re involved, they own you.

“Have you memorised Tomasso’s phone numbers? You will need to, it’s the only way to contact any of us.” She doesn’t answer, I can only hope she nods. “I have our new IDs and paperwork ready for us. You won’t be a Barelli anymore, not wherever you next go, memorise your new name.” I tell her, nodding my head toward the glove box. She pulls them out to check everything is prepared.

“Chuck your phone out the window. You need an untraceable one instead. Get one in France.” No old contacts. She fumbles with her bag before throwing the sleek black phone out the window. I watch as it clatters behind us along the tarmac. I sigh in relief. Quickly, we made it to the airport. I park in the darkest edge of the car park to avoid being seen.

“Stay close to the doors and against the wall so you can see everyone around us. I’ll grab the ticket.” We rush out of the car, I only grab her bags though, leaving mine behind. I bought one ticket, a direct flight to France. Mother looks up at me when I return, confused when I don’t have my own tickets. “I’ll go to Napoli. You stay safe in France, just in case Uncle Tomasso can’t help us. We both know Father won’t do anything to me.” She holds onto me tight and I wrap her in my arms. “I need to know you're safe, please. Come to France.Figlio mio.”

“Father is probably already on the lookout for my car. Get inside now. Go.” I kiss her on the cheek, her eyes shine with tears as I hand her an envelope thick with money. She looks between me and the gate to her waiting plane. I can see her struggling with which direction to go, but I already know that we should separate. With a small nudge in the direction of the gate, she takes a step away. “You’re nothing like your father.” She gives me a small smile and a kiss on each cheek before stepping toward the entrance. I wait in my car until the plane has taken flight before I make my journey to Napoli, hoping it’s safe enough for us. My plan is to detour as much as possible, stopping in motels. In the hope that Father won’t realise my direction. I do have to find somewhere to dump my car though and swap it for something less flashy. Something popular around here to blend in with the rest of the public.

Chapter six

Rose

London, United Kingdom

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