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Natalia

I suspect youof surrender

Cristiano’s distant words echoed through the darkness falling overto death, but the hands around my neck demanded that

The back of ainst the tile floor Oneih our bedrooht

Now, pinpricks of white light pierced the black Stars in the night sky, pro peace It wouldn’t be difficult to walk toward them The dark had always been a fierce presence within

Surrender would be siht back Orup to this point had been real Maybe this had all been a drea torn from sleep

As rip around it, my screams relented The shrill house alarm faded into a peaceful buzz My fear ebbed, an ocean of tranquility rising in its place

Heaven

Mamá waited with open arms

Go to her Be with her again Submit

I wasn’t waking up; I was dying Cristiano was the last person I expected to see at the gates of Heaven, but there he aiting in his suit and tie Thank God Wherever I was going, Cristiano was there, and he wouldn’t let anything hurt me

He and iving in to death

All I had to do noas succumb Go to him

Cristiano

“Cristiano is dead” A scratchyhands locked around ht for,” he said “Go to sleep”

The word scraped through the dregs of my consciousness Dead

That hy Cristiano waited for ates to eternity

But he could not die He was untouchable

What was a world without Cristiano de la Rosa? Grief flooded me, but just as quickly, it ebbed And in its place, fury swelled Someone had killed Cristiano