• "Antonio."
    Antonio looked up at his father, tears falling down his face.
    "What?" he snapped.
    "I know you're not exactly proud of me right now, but when we get the money, you cna get any girl. Forget about her."
    "But that's just it!" Anotnio admitted. "I don't want any girl. Mystique is the only one I ever loved...and I have to make things right."
    "But she did you wrong!" Mr. Donacelli pointed out. "She doesn't deserve you!"
    "I don't care," Antonio said as he left.
    "You're being stubborn, Antonio!" Mr. Donacelli yelled after his son.
    Mr. Donacelli stared after his son. Then he burst into Mystique's room.
    "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK..." he stopped mid-sentence.
    No one was in the room, and the bedsheets were torn, tied together, and thrown out the window.
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    Mystique ran faster as she heard her kidnapper's muffled shouts over the traffic sounds. By the time they caught up with her, it would be too dark to see. Figuring that it was safe enough, she stopped in an abandoned deli to rest.
    You would have thought that someone would have recognized me by now, she thought as she caught her breath. She went over her last encounter with Antonio. His attitude was different, something that was totally opposite of his usual self. Judgemental, accusing...just like his father. She should have known that he would become just like him.
    Then she considered another option:deception. What if his father had told him all these lies before they had that argument? Was he trying to break them apart?What would he have to gain from it?
    She heard muffled whispers just outside the door. Catching her breath, she peeked outside the window for just a second. Two men wereasking people a question, getting frustrated. She listened in on one conversation.
    "Have you seen a girl with dark hair?" the man asked. "About yeh high? Blue shirt and jeans?"
    "Hmm," the bypasser contemplated. "Well, I'm not sure, but I did see someone go into that abandoned deli there."
    "Bruce!" the other man called. "In here!"
    Mystique let out a whimper and hid behind the counter. She drew in a big breath as the men began looking through the boxes, calling her name.
    "Mystique!" the man named Bruce cooed. "We know you're in here!"
    Mystique tried to think of a plan while the two men narrowed in on her hiding place. She thought of sneaking out the back, but a stack of boxes blocked the door. She could try to sneak out the front entrance, but that was too risky. As she was thinking of a solution, she felt a heavy hand on her shoulder, then heard a chuckle.
    "You're a bit of a problem, aren't you?" Bruce asked. "Now are you going to cooperate, or will we have to drag you off kicking and screaming?"
    Knowing that there was no way out, Mystique nodded reluctantly. he followed the two men outside and back to her room, where Antonio was waiting. She stood at the doorway, quiet.
    "Um, hi," Antonio whispered. We need to talk." Mystique only glared.
    "Okay, so this will be a monlogue then," Antonio started. "Look, I know we have our differences, but I really hope that we can still be together. If my father gets his money, then this whole ordeal willblow over."
    "No, it won't!" Mystique interrupted. "It will never blow over! Antonio, you broke my trust. I don't think I can trust you now." She started to sob.
    Antonio wrapped his arms around her. "Mystique, if I had known that my father was doing this, I would have..."
    "Wait, you didn't know?"
    "No, of course not."
    "But, your dad told me that this was your idea."
    Antonio looked at her, confused. "That's strange. He told me that you were planning on taking our money."
    "What? WHy would he say that?"
    "I'll tell you why." Mr. Donacelli interrupted. Antonio and Mystique turned to look at him.
    "Why would you do something like this?" Mystique asked, still holding Antonio.
    "Since you two were joined at the hip," Mr. Donacelli explained, "I figured that this ransom would be easier to gain if Antonio supported me."
    "I would never support something like this!" Antonio yelled at his father. "Whether it concerned Mystique or not!"
    "Well, you won't be together long anyway," Mr. Donacelli threatened. Two men came in and seperated the couple.
    "You'll never get away with this!" Mystique screamed.
    "Whose going to stop me?" Mr. Donacelli laughed.
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    The night sky was illuminated bythe city lights below. The people went about their business, oblivious to what's going on around them.
    A distinct shout was heard above the crowd. Everyone turned to look at the fightened girl suspended in the air.
    "Dad, let her go!" Antonio yelled, restricted from stopping his father.
    "Let's see your dad save you now!" Mr. Donacelli shouted, lowering Mystieu by her wrists. Mystique screamed.
    By now the police, ambulance, and Mysitque's parents had arrived. Mr. Dorado grabbed a megaphone from the police chief.
    "Mr. Donacelli!" he yelled. "I beg you, let my daughter go!"
    "Not until I get money!" Mr. Donacelli screamed back, tugging on the rope.
    Mr. Donacelli kept this up for 2 1/2 hours. Mystique constantly screamed, staring at Antonio as if it was her last hour. Finally, Mr. Dorado opened a deal.
    "I'm prepared to give you $500k if you let my daughter go!"
    "I don't think you're in a position to make bargains!" He had officially gone crazy with greed.
    Little did he know, he had uttered his last sentence. Antonio broke free from his restraint, firing a gun. Mr. DOnacelli fell, dead.
    Mystique screamed. Mr. Donacelli let go of the rope, plunging Mystique to her concrete death. Antonio ran and jumped of the edge, grabbing Mystique mid-air. He whispered what he believed were his last words.
    "Mystique, I love you."
    Everything else was a blur.
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    It's a beautiful day as a newlywed couple run out of the church. Rice is thrown into the air as the limo drives off. Hours later, the couple is having dinner at a beautiful restaurant, dancing the night away.
    Antonio and Mystique Donacelli couldn't be happier.