Jaysanerd

Thanks for giving Tina's Second Shot... A Shot. (sorry)

My name is Valentina Maria Santoro Di Vittorio, but everyone calls me Tina. I'm the daughter of the most feared mafia boss in the world. And let me tell you, growing up in the world of organized crime is not for the faint of heart. But I was born for this. I was born with a gun in my hand and a fire in my heart.

Speaking of guns, let me introduce you to Petunia. She's a Berretta 92FS and she's my most prized possession and my trusty companion. We've been through a lot together, and I love her with all my heart. I named her after my favorite flower, the petunia.

One day, I was out on a mission with my father's men. My father had never really wanted me to go on a mission, but after enough begging and showing him my puppy eyes, he gave in and allowed me to join Marco, his right-hand man, on a mission.

"Hey, Tina, are you sure you're ready for this?" asked  Marco.

"I was born ready," I replied, trying to hide the nervousness in my voice.

The mission was to take out the enemy gang's leader, and I had been chosen to be a part of the hit squad. When we approached the abandoned warehouse, I couldn't help but feel a rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins. I had trained for this my entire life.

I had grown up in the world of organized crime, the daughter of one of the most powerful mafia bosses in the city. I was trained to fight, to shoot, to kill. And yet, I stood there outside that warehouse, and I couldn't help but feel like I was in over my head.

But then I felt Petunia, my trusty pistol, resting against my hip, and I knew I had nothing to fear. We had been through so much together, and I trusted it more than anything else in the world. I had even given it a name, for crying out loud.

Finally, the signal came, and I burst into the warehouse, adrenaline coursing through my veins. The room was dimly lit, and I could barely make out my target across the room. But I didn't need to see him clearly. I just needed to get the job done.

I raised my pistol, my finger hovering over the trigger. And then, with a sudden burst of energy, I pulled it.

The sound of the gunshot echoed through the warehouse, and I felt a jolt of satisfaction run through me. But then, just as quickly as it had come, that satisfaction turned to horror when the bullet ricocheted off a nearby metal pipe and flew straight back at me.

I watched in disbelief when it hit me square in the chest, knocking me to the ground. I struggled to breathe as I lay there, my mind reeling.  

As I lay there on the cold concrete floor, the reality of the situation sank in. My own bullet had killed me, the daughter of the most feared mafia boss in the world. 

"Tina!" Marco shouted and he rushed over to me. "Are you okay?"

I looked up at him and shook my head, unable to speak.

My father's men quickly took control of the situation, eliminating the members of the enemy gang. But I was too far gone. The bullet had pierced my lung, and I knew that I didn't have much time left.

"Petunia," I whispered, reaching for my pistol. "Take care of her."

I took a deep breath, my eyes closed and my arms crossed over my chest. This was it - the end of my life as the young boss of the mafia. But instead of a solemn farewell, I met my death with over-the-top drama.

The sound of wailing and crying filled the room. My father's men, tough and stoic in any other situation, were now a group of weeping messes. It was as if the world had come crashing down without me there to hold it together.

"Young boss! How could this happen?" one of my men wailed, tears streaming down his face as he clutched onto my lifeless body.

Another one fell to his knees beside me, his head in his hands. "You are too young to go, young boss! Too young!"

And then there was Marco, the most dramatic of them all. He had taken my beloved Petunia into his arms and was now sobbing uncontrollably, his body shaking with each tear.

"Don't worry, Tina. I'll take care of Petunia. She'll never leave my side," he cried, cradling the pistol as if it were a newborn baby.

I don't know what was more embarrassing, the fact that I missed my target or the fact that I managed to shoot myself. The scene was almost too much to handle. I wanted to tell them all to calm down, that it wasn't the end of the world. But alas, I was already gone.

When I took my last breath, I couldn't help but smile. After all, it was only fitting that I should go out like this - with Petunia by my side, and the memory of my own foolishness forever etched into the history books of the mafia.

My father and his men continued to mourn me for days, the news of my death spreading like wildfire throughout the city. They had lost their young boss, their future leader, and their friend.

Meanwhile, up in heaven (or wherever it was that I had ended up), I found myself surrounded by other souls, all of whom had met their end similarly dramatically. I was a bit out of my element, to say the least. But then again, so were they.

"I got hit by a truck," one man explained to me, looking down at his crumpled body with a mixture of confusion and disgust. "Can you believe it? All these years of running from the cops, and I get taken out by a damn truck."

"I fell off a roof," said a woman beside him, shaking her head in disbelief. "One minute, I was up there, scouting out the perfect target, and the next thing I know, I'm plummeting to my death. Talk about embarrassing."

I listened to their stories, amazed by the sheer variety of ways in which one could meet their end. It made my own death seem almost ordinary in comparison. 

When days turned into weeks, I found myself growing restless. I had always been a doer, someone who took charge and got things done. But up here, there wasn't much to do other than sit around and listen to the other souls' stories. I needed a new purpose, a new mission.

And then, one day, I suddenly found myself summoned to a different place, it was even more heaven-like than the last and it made me question if I was actually in hell before; I mean- it would make sense, sending the daughter of the most fearsome mafia boss to hell.

"Ka-ka-ka, welcome, Valentina Maria Santoro Di Vittorio. Welcome to paradise," she said in a tone that dripped with grandeur.

I furrowed my brow, perplexed by the woman's demeanor. "Uh, who are you? And please, call me Tina. My full name is too damn long."

Before she could answer, I interjected with a more pressing question: "Wait a minute, how do you even know my name? Did I sign up for something without realizing it?"

The woman chuckled, clearly finding my confusion amusing. "Oh, Tina. You never cease to entertain me."

I was growing more and more irritated by the second. "Okay, seriously, who are you and what do you want from me?"

She put on a more serious face. "Tina, my name is Euphemia. I'm a God, and I've brought you to my paradise to live out your afterlife in eternal happiness."

“A god?” I said skeptically. “God’s a woman?” 

Euphemia sighed. "Well… Kinda, there are multiple gods. We don't have much to do here in paradise, so we tend to keep an eye on what you humans are up to on Earth. Sometimes, one of us will take a particular liking to someone, and when they pass on, we'll welcome them here with open arms."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "Well, I'm honored, I guess. But if you were watching me for the past 18 years, couldn't you have, I don't know, made my ending a little less embarrassing?"

Euphemia let out a sudden burst of laughter, covering her mouth with her hand. "Oh, Tina, you really are a character."

I was starting to feel like I was being toyed with. "Okay, fine. I'll admit that it's nice here, but I don't think I can handle eternal happiness. It's not really my style."

Euphemia’s eyes widened in shock. “W-what do you mean?”

“I said what I meant. I can’t stay in your paradise. It kinda sucks, not having anything to do.”

Euphemia’s eyes teared up, like a child who was feeling lonely. “But…” she said before I interrupted her.

I shook my head. "Sorry, Euphemia, but I need adventure. I need action. I can't just sit around in paradise for all eternity. I’m the daughter of a mafia boss, after all."

Euphemia sobbed. “As a God, I can’t force you to stay here against your will,” she said while snorting. “Very well, I will send you somewhere more exciting.”

My eyes widened with excitement. "Really? That's amazing! And hey, could you also bring back my trusty Petunia? I kinda need it."

Euphemia's expression turned to one of confusion. "Petunia? You mean that piece of metal you used to end your life?"

I nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, that one. I know it's weird, but it's kinda my thing." 

“Ehmm, sure. I feel bad for laughing at you, so I’ll grant your request.” Euphemia said.

“Thank you, Goddess!” I said, excitingly.

“However, this world I’m sending you to is far more dangerous than you’re used to. And I can’t bear watching you die a second time, so I will give you something else that’ll help you survive.” Euphemia scoffed. She seemed disappointed to let me go. 

I thanked her profusely before she began to send me away. "Good luck out there, Tina. Try not to shoot yourself again.”

Jaysanerd

How did you like the first chapter? Let me know in the comments!