It happened on a Wednesday, though later Bambi would swear the night itself refused to have a name.
Mateo wasn't home.
He hadn't been for two days.
Bambi was washing a pot in the tiny kitchen, and Jade was folding clothes on the couch, humming a tired melody under her breath. The barricade they'd built weeks ago—the couch pressed against the door—stood like a quiet reminder of everything that had gone wrong.
Inside their small apartment, the air hummed with unease.
Bambi opened her mouth to ask Jade if she wanted tea.
She never got the chance
The door slammed inward, couch and all, as if an invisible giant had kicked it.
Bambi screamed.
Jade froze.
Three men entered the apartment like a storm—one bald, one masked, one smiling like a man who enjoys breaking bones.
The smiling one stepped forward. "Good evening, ladies."
Bambi stumbled back, heart hammering wildly. "Mateo isn't here—please, he isn't here—"
The bald one backhanded her. Bambi's vision exploded into white.
Jade rushed forward. "Stop! Don't touch her!"
The masked man grabbed Jade by the hair and shoved her into the wall, knocking the breath from her lungs.
The smiling one clicked his tongue.
"You girls made this difficult."
Bambi POV
I tried to crawl away, but my legs felt like sandbags. The bald man kicked my ribs.
Pain shot white-hot across my side as I choked on a cry.
"You know why we're here," he growled. "Your boyfriend owes money."
I tasted my own blood and the terror didn't let me speak .
"He's not my—he's not—please—"
Another kick.
I curled in on myself.
Then I heard Jade scream her name, desperate, wild:
"BAMBI! GET UP!"
I tried. God, I tried. But my body wouldn't move.
Jade launched herself at the masked man, nails digging, fists flying, a feral, reckless swing of pure adrenaline.
He shoved her so hard she hit the floor and slid.
"Feisty," the smiling one laughed. "No wonder Mateo used her name for the loan."
"Don't say his name," Jade spat, wiping blood from her mouth.
The bald man grabbed her arm and twisted it. Jade screamed as something cracked sharply near her shoulder.
I whimpered.
"Please… stop… please…"
But the men didn't stop.
The smiling man crouched beside Jade, gripping her chin, forcing her eyes open.
"Your boyfriend ran," he said softly. "He left you to pay."
"Mateo wouldn't—" I whispered.
"He did," the man replied without looking at her. "And he didn't even hesitate."
My heart broke—not from pain, but from realization.
Mateo didn't run because he was scared.
He ran because he chose himself.
The smiling man straightened and waved a hand.
"Take her."
I lifted my head weakly. "Wh—who?"
The masked man pointed at Jade.
"Her. The loan was in her name. She pays."
I screamed heck I even begged.
"No! No, take me—take me instead—please—"
They ignored me and took her anyway.
********************************************************************
Jade:
I kicked, punched, thrashed—but the men overpowered me easily. They bound my wrists with coarse zip ties, yanked me toward the door, dragging me through broken wood and shattered glass.
Bambi crawled after them, nails scraping the floor.
"JADE! PLEASE! DON'T TAKE HER! PLEASE!"
I twisted to look at her one more time, eyes wild with terror and apology.
"Bambi—stop—"
My voice broke.
"Bambi, don't let them—"
A punch to my stomach cut off my words.
Bambi sobbed harder, choking, shaking.
She reached the doorway, gripping my ankle for one last desperate second—
The bald man stomped on Bambi's hand, breaking three fingers.
She screamed, releasing me. I couldn't do anything else but watch, the punch to my gut weakened me significantly.
They dragged me down the hallway. Her voice echoed once—
"BAMBI!"
Then a van door slammed.
Then silence.
Bambi:
I crawled into the doorway, body trembling, vision blurred.
I stared at the empty hallway, my broken fingers cradled to my chest, blood dripping down my chin.
My world had just been ripped in half.
The apartment was shattered.
My ribs ached.
My face was swollen.
My body felt foreign.
But none of the pain compared to the hollow scream inside Me:
They took Jade.
And Mateo was nowhere.
I wasn't sure if I fainted or chose to let the darkness swallow me.
The last thing I whispered before slipping under was Jade's name.