If It's The Last Thing I Do

Prologue

Crash bang clang

“Dominik!”

Thunk clash thump

“Dominik Ferosico stop that wretched banging and get your ass out the door!”

Dominik smiled smugly. He loved to aggravate the woman that that called herself a mother. The tall boy climbed out awkwardly from behind the bulky drum set that cluttered his tiny bedroom. Dominik ran a tanned hand through his spiked black hair. Grabbing his book bag the sixteen year old boy ducked out of the house before his ‘father’ could get home. Drunk; like always.

         Dominik quickened his pace as a truck rolled into the driveway, crooked. But yet, the teen didn’t move fast enough. Even Dominik, as muscular as the teen was, trembled as he felt the warmth of a hand on his shoulder. Although, the warmth was nothing more then an ice cube running down his neck.

“Where the hell are you going?” The words came out slurred but Dominik knew what they said. Words he had heard so often. They were the fear that crawled through his skin.


He froze.

Nobody ever asked Dominik how he got his bruises or scars. Nobody cared. Not even when Dominik showed up to school with a large plaster cast encircling his arm. Dominik was along.

Until now.













Part One

         People say things happen for reason, and sometimes it does. But do you really know why it happens?

Dominik didn’t.

Dominik didn’t know why his father was an abusive alcoholic, nor why his mother didn’t. Or why his best friend was a girl who hadn’t spoken a word to him before a year ago. And how they forged such a strong relationship.

And now… She was dead. 
                                                 ***

         “Dominik! Come on, you aren’t playing chicken are you? It’s not that high!” A petite girl clambered over wood piles and waved her arms frantically over her head.

“I’m not chicken!” Dominik’s face formed into a wide grin that reached his eyes. The two sixteen year olds could’ve passed for five year old’s on this act alone. This was their place. An old construction area that was now abandoned.

         The tall boy climbed awkwardly over some piece of rusted machinery, and finally, clumsily, made it to the top.

“Told you I’m not chicken.” The blonde girl smiled brightly. Dominik took a step towards her and they both smiled.

         In an attempt to imitate him, the blonde girl stepped forwards. A quiet yelp escaped her lips as she tripped over a notch in the wood.

         Dominik caught her in his arms and he started to chuckle lightly. Her frown soon melted and she looked up at him, her bright blue eyes innocent as a child’s.

         Brushing her golden locks out of her face and cupping his hand gently on her cheek, Dominik smiled. Their eyes met, he was taken in by the beauty, innocence and vulnerability portrayed at this very second by her. Dominik leaned slowly towards her, his heart racing. His lips met hers gently, and momentarily, and then he let them linger.

         The feeling of rejection hit him hard. The way it felt when she placed her hands on his chest and pushed him away. Dominik stared emotionless into the site. She left. He was alone. Again.

                                                 ***

         The flashing of red and blue, and the eruption of sirens all circled the tall apartment building. One male pushed his way through the growing crowd. His feet stopped dead as he saw what he feared most.

“Eva! Eva!” He yelled, his voice barley heard amongst the chattering crowd. His thoughts ran amuck as he watched the body of the petite girl being loaded onto the stretcher. Tears cascaded down his cheeks as he pushed his way to the front. He watched the paramedics work frantically on the blonde teenager.

         He tore through the remaining people, struggling against something holding him back.

“No! Eva! Please…” Something was exploding around his, and only then did he realize that his entire body was shaking.

“Son, I need you to calm down.”

The words went right over his head. His tears glistened as the sunlight hit them.

“Son! Calm Down!”

The boy gave in, he couldn’t fight anymore.

“Please… Eva…” He fell to his knees, and placing his head in his hands, the boy just cried.

Always the same.

Alone.

That was how his life went.

“Son, I need your name; if you know this girl. Please help.”

The boy looked up at the cop.

“Your name?”

Hesitation.

“D-Dominik Ferosico.”

The policeman wrote it down.

“And hers?”

Another pause.

“Eva… Eva Rosaline Linnius.”

“How do you know this girl?”

Dominik paused again but this time his thoughts ran wild. The police were all too calm as his best, and only friend was dying.

“Please, not Eva, please let her live.” Dominik began to shake again; the tears never seemed to end.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion then.  The doors of the ambulance slammed shut.

Watching it drive away without knowing was the hardest thing for Dominik to deal with. He watched the police take pictures of the scene whereas every other member of the crowd departed.

Why?

Why her?

Why now?






















Part Two

         The hospital room was blan, as long as you looked past the bouquets of flowers that brightened the somber atmosphere.

         The tiny blonde girl lay almost lifeless on the hospital bed. The only evidence that announced the girl was still alive was the respiratory machine that whirled loudly in the corner beside the bed.

         The large oak door creaked open slowly. It was a few moments before Dominik made his way into the dimly lit room.

“Eva?”

         He paused. There would be no answer. None. He sat beside her, holding her hand tightly.

“Eva, please… I need you to live…” Dominik paused as he held back the sobs arising in her throat. Inhaling deeply, he swallowed them. “Eva, think of everyone. Your mom, dad, sisters. Live for them.” He felt stupid… Talking to someone who wouldn’t respond. Anger whirled inside of him; he stood up and threw his fist into the large wooden door as hard as he possibly could. He didn’t notice the pain at first, or the oozing red liquid that dripped out of his knuckles.

“I swear to god Eva, I will find out who did this to you… Even if it’s the last thing I do.”

         Footsteps grew louder, probably surgeons or nurses responding to the loud noise that just occurred. On the plus side it was a good thing because Dominik was sure that he had shattered a few knuckles.

He opened the door and greeted the nurse wearily.


“Hello Ma’am.”

“What happened in there?”

‘I fell.” Dominik held his disfigured, bloody hand out, the smell of blood making him nauseous.

“You must have fallen pretty damn hard.”

Dominik nodded as he shut the door to Eva’s room and followed the nurse down the interwinding halls.

Over the years Dominik had gotten to know the staff at the hospital very well. He seemed to be known as, ‘one who constantly hurt himself’ or a klutz.

And, Dominik wouldn’t dare tell them the truth.

                                               ***








































Section Three


         Dominik paced the floor of his bedroom, furious. He wanted… Needed to know what happened to poor, sweet, Eva.

         Thoughts stormed through his mind, but he still couldn’t pin it on anyone. Who would try and kill someone so innocent? His thoughts were interrupted by the burning pain that seared through his knuckles; the pain killers were wearing off.

         With a grimace and a moan, Dominik made his way downstairs. Opening the cupboard Dominik swallowed painkillers and rushed back to his room.

His room felt like a ‘safe zone’. He couldn’t be touched by the horror of his life while he was in it.

         The pain killers made Dominik drowsy quickly. It wasn’t long until Dominik was thrown into a fitful sleep.

         ‘I don’t want to go home today, perhaps; perhaps I’ll go to Eva’s place.’ The male voice spoke softly. A smile broke across as he spotted a girl off in the distance.

“Eva! Eva!”

The screeching of tires caught Dominik off guard. A speeding wavering car whirled around the corner, speeding towards the girl.
He tried to yell.

She screamed.

He froze…

Dominik woke whilst tossing, he had broken a sweat and his face was drenched in tears. He opened his eyes and found himself staring into the eyes of death.

“Wha-”
         
         Dominik was caught off guard when something slammed against his stomach. He watched wearily and a man walked away while holding a liquor bottle.

         The teenage boy curled into a ball, holding his stomach. He didn’t want to relieve that moment. Everything was too much to handle for him. Everything hurt. And then…. Black.



Section four

         Dominik cursed his inaccurate timing. He should’ve known, it was 4:30. He was always there at four. He should’ve known… He should’ve known.

         Dominik wrapped his arms around his knees and leaned back against the wood piles. The sun beat down on him, following through to his black t-shirt. He pulled the shirt up and over his head to reveal multiple bruises along his torso.  Most of which were a few days old, but one was just turning purple. Tracing the bruise with his finger, Dominik winced. Pain; it seemed to be the root of his life.

         Dominik looked to the sky; his entire world was crashing in on him. And it was all too much to bear. Dominik closed his eyes tightly and struggled with his thoughts.

         The episode between the car and Eva was the first thing that popped into his mind, there had to be something there… Anything. Dominik forced himself to run through that moment, he needed to help Eva.

         The screeching of tires against the pavement. The wavering vehicle… Something flew out and shattered, what was it?!?

         Dominik racked his brain to figure out what was so familiar about the incident.

         “Dominik! Dominik! Get out of the driveway!” A small boy looked up as he heard his name being screamed.
         “It’s alright mommy, I’m fine! I just need my soccer ball!” The little boy picked up the soccer ball as the mom screeched loudly.

Black.

         “Will he be okay?”

         “It’s hard to tell. How did he blackout?”

         He- he was riding his bike and-and he fell… Hit his head.”

         “It had to have been pretty hard.”

Silence.

         “Yes.”

         “I have a few more questions if you don’t mind.”

         “Yes of course.”

Papers Shuffling.

         “Mommy?” The little boy opened his eyes to the unfamiliar room.

         “Dommie!” The woman wrapped her arms around the little boy. “I love you.”

         “I love you to mommy. Where am I?”

         “You’re at the hospital.” The boy tilted his head.

         “Just a little owwie, you’ll be fine.” The little boy lifted his hand to his bandaged face and whined.

         “Owwie.” Dominik smiled and sat up. “Can I go home now?”

Dominik sighed and pulled his shirt over his head. Time to go home, or, to where he lived…

         Dominik shuffled his feet along the road and rounded the corner. He spotted the man who ‘raised’ him.

         “Dominik!” Dominik flinched and looked up.

         “Yeah?”

         “I’m going to visit Eva. Such a sweet girl… Didn’t deserve…” He looked like he was choked up… the man that never felt emotion? Dominik stared at him… Startled…
What was in his pocket?

         Dominik stiffened; most people would if they saw somebody’s grip tighten around a gun. Everything became clear. It was him… the person in the car… The glass smashing… It was him!

         “You… tried… to kill her!” Dominik growled through his clenched teeth. His hands were twisted into fists, his knuckles white. “You bastard!”

         Dominik threw the first punch, again and again. His ‘father’ followed back with quite a few of his own. Dominik thrashed at his father, hitting and hitting.

         The front door swung open and there stood Dominik’s ‘mother’.

         “Frank! Frank, please leave Dominik alone! Stop!” Her shrill screams were left to float away in the wind.

         “You could have let me be happy! She didn’t deserve this! You f***ing bastard!” Dominik yelled.

         “Shut up boy…” Frank pulled the gun from his pocket and pointed it at Dominik. “You’ll never be happy; you’ll never make anyone happy.” Dominik froze and backed away.

         “No-no please…”

         “You’re useless… Pointless. Just think of this as a favor.” His finger twitched on the trigger.

         “Frank! Frank! Don’t-
She raced towards him. Dominik tilted his head. She cared, all this time. She really cared.

         Mom, go back into the house.”

BANG
                                                 

***

         Eva’s eyes fluttered open as the day drew in. Where was she? She sat up and found herself staring into the face of a nurse.

         “You’re awake! What great news! Oh, there’s a note beside you’re bed from a handsome young fella.” With that the nurse ran off to go find a doctor.

         Eva looked into the mirror, tracing every aspect of her face. Scar on the left cheek, her forehead was bandaged. Not the prettiest sight, yet eager to read the note.

         Dear Eva,

         I have sworn to myself that I would find who did this to you. I wish you could talk to me right now. I think you know who did this.
         But never fret, I will find out.
                                                           Love always,
                                                                     Dominik Ferosico

         Eva smiled. But, who was this mystery man? She didn’t recognize it at all.

                                                 ***
         “Dominik!” his mother raced towards the limp body. She touched her ear to his chest… No heartbeat. “No… Please not Dominik…” Her sobs echoed through the dead of the morning.

         Frank stood, overlooking the two bodies. A smug grin on his face. He had won.

         Sirens and flashing whirled around the corner. Frank started to run. He wasn’t getting caught, not while he was ahead.

         By the time the police reached the house, Frank was long gone. Anna lay across her son’s body; sobbing, her hands and clothing were covered in his blood. A stain that would never disappear.


                                        10 years later

         Anna stood at the kitchen sink, scrubbing her hands. She looked at them and cried out. The blood just wouldn’t come off. She hadn’t stopped washing her hands since she put her son in the ground. His blood always on her mind.

         The front door opened and a tall blonde woman walked into the room.

         “Good morning Anna.” Her vivid blue eyes traced to the sink and she laughed. “Anna, why is it that every time I come to visit, you are washing your hands? They’re clean you know.”

         “Hi Eva and yes… Of course.” Anna smiled gently and dried her hands on a tea towel. “Where’s little Dominik?”

         “Oh, hold on. Dommie… Dimitri! Grab Dommie!”

         “Oh yes, how is Dimitri?” Anna asked softly, there wasn’t a day that went by that Anna tried to imagine how things would be if Eva remembered the boy that attempted to save her life.  If Dominik was still alive would they be together? And Anna wished everyday that she was seeing Eva and Dominik together. Yet, Eva, Dimitri and Little Dominik were her family.

         “Grandma!” A little blonde haired boy ran towards Anna. All heads turning as the radio mentioned a police chase.

         “After ten years of chasing the killer of Dominik Ferosico, police have finally caught him. Frank Ferosico was caught this morning, more on New at six.”

         Eva ignored the radio all together and smiled. Her child had been named after Eva’s mysterious admirer. The one who left her the note so many years ago.

         Anna looked at the wall, there sat a large framed portrait of Dominik.

         “You’ve been redeemed at last.”