~~~~~~~~~~

Without their hostess the party broke up early. Matt had taken Simon for a walk and Carolyn waited for Raisa. Nona had told her she had gone out on Furioso. Carolyn still hoped that they could work this out.

She was looking out of a window of one of the downstairs sitting rooms, towards the fields, as Raisa came in.

Carolyn turned around to face her and said with all the tenderness she could express. "I love you."

"You love me?" Raisa said to her in mockery as she walked around in her riding attire. "When were you going to tell me? You are worse than a whore! At least they are honest." Raisa kept her distance.

"Don't, please don't." Carolyn could barely speak. The day was taking its toll and she was barely hanging on.

"Well, you made a first class fool out of me."

"Raisa, let me explain." Carolyn walked towards her.

"Are you pregnant Carolyn?" She demanded.

"Yes, but..."

"No buts. I am so full of rage that I want to just scream!" Raisa spat at her.

"Let me talk to you!' Carolyn demanded.

"Don't you dare raise your voice to me" Raisa lunged at her and grabbed her by the face as she pushed her against the wall. "I honored you. I didn't treat you like the whore that you are. I loved you. I laid my world at your feet and all along you were with him. You lied to me. You said you were only mine. All along I was inside you, all the times my mouth tasted you. All those times... Oh God!" Raisa released her and put some distance between them again. The rage inside her was pouring out.

"Go before I kill you," Raisa said softly with her back to Carolyn. And somehow the softness of her voice was more menacing then the screaming.

Raisa felt Carolyn's arms come from behind her and she pulled away quickly facing her now.

"Don't come near me! If you do I know that I will hit you" Raisa growled and Carolyn kept walking towards her as Raisa walked backwards until a wall was at her back.

Carolyn's eyes were pleading as she continued her approach. She leaned against Raisa's body as she remembered the words that Nona had spoken. And she some how knew that Raisa would not hurt her.

Carolyn leaned deeper into Raisa and her head leaned on her shoulder her eyes closed and she began to cry.

Raisa's head was leaning back against the wall with her eyes closed. She could feel Carolyn's body against her and she knew that she was crying. She could not control what she did next. Her arms came up behind Carolyn's back as she held her to her.

"I didn't know I was pregnant till today," Carolyn said between tears. "All that I said to you was true." Carolyn was suddenly pulled away from the warmth of Raisa's body.

"For God's sake don't lie," Raisa walked away from her again. She walked like a person beaten by exhaustion. She ran her fingers through her hair, sat down on a sofa close by and let her head fall back. "Don't lie anymore Carolyn. I can't..."

"Raisa, when I called you that day I was desperate. I had had a fight with Matt that day. We had not been living as man and wife for a long time."

Raisa's head lifted from the sofa. She was now listening.

Carolyn became visibly nervous. "I wanted a divorce but he wouldn't let me take Simon out of Venezuela with me. I couldn't leave without Simon." Carolyn looked away but continued. Raisa was looking at her intently. "One night, Matt got home and ... I..." she could not continue.

"You fucked him," Raisa said coldly.

Carolyn faced her with a face full of pain. "He raped me." She began to cry and covered her face with her hands.

Raisa stared in disbelief. She got up not knowing whether to believe what she had heard.

"Please understand. Please, I love you." Carolyn began to beg her.

Raisa grabbed her by the arms and stared into her eyes. "You aren't lying," Raisa said as the rage took over. Nothing would stop the storm now.

Carolyn felt the coldness emanating from Raisa as if she had been physically struck. Raisa released her and walked over the mantle of the great room. She removed the rifle and walked over to the cabinet. She struck the glass with the rifle butt and grabbed a box of bullets. Carolyn stared in horror.

"No, no, you can't!" Carolyn rushed over to Raisa as she loaded and cocked the weapon. Raisa neither saw her nor heard her.

It all happened at once. Raisa and Carolyn's world exploded. Andreas walked in from one door as Matt was walking in through another.

Carolyn tried to pull the other woman back and Raisa's arm struck back and knocked her to the floor as Simon entered the room. Simon saw his mother fall, blood forming at her mouth.

Raisa then pointed the gun at Matt as Andreas rushed her. The shot went off into the air. Matt came towards her as she succeeded in pushing Andreas away. She hit Matt with the butt of the rifle in the gut and he fell on his knees gasping for air. She then screamed her rage and butted him in the head. Blood went everywhere as Matt fell to the floor.

Andreas and Carolyn stared in horror as she cocked the gun again to shoot Matt before Simon covered his father. Raisa had the rifle pointed at his chest.

"Get away from my father!" Simon yelled at the top of his lungs.

The hatred at the boy's eyes stunned her. Andreas came up from behind her and took the rifle out of her hands then pulled her back with him.

"I hate you! I hate you! You hurt my father. Mommy, mommy," Simon cried.

Raisa looked and noticed Carolyn on the floor as blood ran down her nose and mouth.

Raisa felt she was in a haze. She looked around her and suddenly all the horror rushed in at once and her world collapsed in front of her as she leaned against her brother in silence.

Carolyn went to Simon who sobbed in her arms. "She hurt you too Mommy. I want to go. She killed my daddy, she killed my daddy!"

Matt stirred and started moving as blood ran down the side of his head. "Daddy!"

Simon left his mother's arms and went to his father. Matt sat up slowly.

Carolyn looked at Raisa in a daze. Their eyes locked for a brief moment. Carolyn broke the connection. The whole world reeled around them. It was over.

~~~~~~~~~~

Suddenly, all the sounds of the horror around her filled her head. Some servants rushed in followed by Nona. Simon was sobbing. Carolyn seemed frozen and Andreas held on to Raisa from behind. Raisa seemed like a rag doll slumped against him, lifeless.

Nona directed the servants to lock all the doors and windows of the room and keep all of the other guests out. The shots had woken up many of the people in the house and the buzzing of voices could be heard approaching.

Andreas snapped out of it first. He turned Raisa around and sat her down in a nearby chair. She did not move. He believed her to be in shock, when he released her she got up quickly and tried grabbing for Carolyn,

"Carolyn! Carolyn!" Raisa screamed as Andreas pulled her back.

Simon's cries became more hysterical as he reached for his mother. "Mommy! Mommy!"

"Carolyn! Please.... Please Carolyn!" Raisa continued to beg.

Matt started getting up. Nona directed one of the servants to help him to the sofa as she went to Raisa.

"Mi angel...ella no es para ti." My Angel...she is not for you Nona said gently as she tried to take Raisa into her arms.

"Yo la amo....ella es mia Nona. Yo la amo!" I love her...she is mine Nona. I love her! Raisa screamed almost as a plea.

"No mi angel...ella no es para ti." No my angel...she is not for you Nona held her tightly.

Raisa let out a scream that released all the pain that one soul can bear inside and sobbed in Nona's arms. "Yo la amo....Yo la amo." I love her...I love her. She whimpered as a child. And as she fell to the ground Nona knelt down and took her in her arms again and rocked her in her embrace.

Andreas went to Carolyn and helped her up. Their eyes met briefly. "I think you can still fix this." He whispered to her.

"No...we can't." Carolyn held Simon to her and walked over to Matt.

~~~~~~~~~~

Andreas took over things. To Raisa the world seemed to stop. She knew that it was over. She had seen it in Carolyn's eyes. And somehow she could not accept it.

Raisa suddenly woke from a daze and realized that she had lost track of time. She knew that a doctor had been called and that Matt would recover from his concussion. She had not killed him. He had taken from her all that mattered to her and she hated him now more than ever. Then she realized that Carolyn would be gone with him. Like when her mother had left...she could no longer really hear or smell or taste. And somehow she knew that she had to find Carolyn. She had to find Carolyn now!

~~~~~~~~~~

She walked out of her room with a purpose. All she knew was that she had to find Carolyn. She had to make her stay. She would not let her go. She had to make her....

Raisa shook her head. She felt out of control. All she knew for certain was that her life was ending. Nothing had prepared her for this. She was complete emotion, unbridled and unrestrained.

She searched the house and then ran to the verandah that wrapped itself around the second floor of the house. As she turned her head she saw the silhouette of Carolyn. Instinctively Carolyn turned her head at that same moment. Both eyes locked; one set unsure the other filled with sadness.

Raisa stood before Carolyn before she had a chance to catch her breath. Raisa reached out for her and Carolyn took a step back.