She gasped.

No.

Нет.

She quickly turned back without making a sound.

Her heart beat. She could hear it, in her throat, as if it had somehow risen up there in exasperation, or perhaps it had wanted to escape free from Emma herself, because it had not been a fan of what it had seen.

Nor had Emma.

'Documents,' a gruff voice said. A voice that seemed strikingly familiar.

'W-w-wha-'

Another one. Again, too similar.

Emma peeked round the corner.

Yes.

No.

No, no, no, no, no

Luca.

'You bloody well know what documents I mean, you little-' the voice got cut off by a helpless screeching.

Emma flinched, and took half a step back, unsure what to do. She couldn't risk being tortured too by this- this- 

Wait.

She knew this person.

The voice... she had definitely heard it before.

The one and only, the one she loved, shared half her DNA with-

Had her dad gone mad..?

Her hands rolled up into fists. She could feel the anger bubbling inside of her, threatening to win her over, to cover her, taker over, but she stayed strong. Hot tears flowing from her face, she channelled all her anger into a single blow, gathered her courage and charged.

Charged round the corner.

Charged at-

No one..?

Her dad had gone, along with Luca.

They had disappeared from her life, once again.

She fell to the floor, tears blurring her vision.

'Give them to me... now...' a voice rang across the clearing. 

Or was it in her own mind?

She couldn't tell.

'...what do you mean..?'

Her hair engulfed her face.

'...tell me or you'll die..'

She groaned, placing her head against the ground. 

Why did all this have to happen to her family?

'...you'll die...'

Why was she always the one for these to be inflicted on?

'...I can see the guilt in your eyes...'

Why couldn't someone else suffer for a change?

An image of Luca popped into her head, screaming, banging his head against the wall.

Her dad, a mischievous grin on his face, merciless, remorseless, extending her poor brother's torture for evermore.

'No...' Luca. 

Yes, Luca. 

Go on.

Fight him.

Her head thudded, and she groaned, gripping her hair with her hands, formed into claws.

Why couldn't this be over?

Why could her misery never end?

Why should she lose everyone she had ever loved, over a silly misunderstanding?

A silly misunderstanding.

'Tell me your address.'

'N-noo.'

'TELL ME YOUR ADDRESS.'

No, Luca, don't-

Her head slipped and went backwards against a pole.

Something cracked.

The next few moments were a blur.

No.

Luca.

Please.

In my last moments, if I could choose someone to think about it would be you.

So please, don't fail me.

Don't fail me, Luca...