Lost (Beautiful Beast I)

Chapter-3

Leia

'Can you join us tonight?' Marie asked without lifting her head up from the plate.

After shopping for the evening's event, we dashed into a near by restaurant to have lunch. Zach's been calling her for a while now, waiting for her to return so that they can reach their niece home to help them for the preparation.

'No. I can't' I replied before shoving a spoon of pasta inside my mouth.

'May I know the reason?'

'Got plenty of work' I replied nonchalantly.

She put her spoon down and leveled her eyes at me. I know that look. It's the don't-bullshit-me look, you-need-to-live-your-life look.

'And what exactly is the work?' she raised her perfect eyebrow at me.

'Well, I have to help Aunt May with gardening, and do my laundry, and clean the attic. It's not touched for years I guess' I can't go with you, you know that.

'We rarely hang out together, Leia,' She sighed 'It's not that you don't want to come, you can't come I know that but you need to work on it. You're 22 year old adult who's completely capable of handling herself in any situation and has complete right to enjoy her life' 

'I do enjoy my life' I defended.

'No you don't. The only places you've known in your whole life is work, home and creek'

'I'm here in a restaurant with you' I pointed my fork at her.

'That's irrelevant and not the answer to my question' She said in an agitated tone.

I sighed heavily, losing my appetite all of a sudden.

'Dad won't let me, Marie.'

I said the same sentence I've been telling her every time she asks me out.

'You always worry about your Dad and you worry a lot. You do everything you can to be the best daughter while he does nothing to even acknowledge your presence,' her voice held such determination and truth, I couldn't deny. 'I'm sorry to say this but sometimes I feel like he's...off. He doesn't mingle with people, doesn't make friends, doesn't even smile and talk much. It bothers me and I'm worried about you, Leia'

'He changed drastically after Mom died. You can't blame the man' I shrugged.

'Don't pull your mother into this! Your mother died 21 years ago, there is no way he's still weeping for her' She cut me off with her hard look.

'He loved her Marie. You can't expect him to be the way he was back then. That man died with his wife' I argued.

'That's exactly what I mean. The man who loved his wife died. What happened to the father who still has his daughter? Life has to move on Leia, weeping for the past will only haunt us, taking us far away from the reality'

I stared at her, hoping to see her give up and drop this but she's far from dropping the topic.

'Everytime we have this conversation and every time when it's over, I always ought to think we're passed over it but clearly we've not' I murmured.

'That's because I see the same Leia I saw four years back'

'What do you want me to do? Go to clubs, get hooked up with random guys, take reckless decisions and regret later?' I said gruffly.

'That's not what I mean, but the club part, yeah. I just want you to be happy and live your life' She looked genuinely concerned for me. She always is.

'I know, Marie and I want you to know that I do live my life —

'You rejected the offer you got from the world wide best musical institute from US. I know how much you wanted it. You threw it because of your Dad' She cut me off with a stern look.

'It was too far. Dad didn't permit and I didn't want to go either'

'Then why did you apply in the first place?' She asked.

'Can we drop this?' I hesitated. I never really told her what happened when I told my dad about getting selected in that institute. He didn't even know that I applied in the first place.

'Leia, your Dad is caging you, why don't you see it?' She said softly.

'My Dad loves me. He works hard for us and always wants the best for me. He's just...scared of losing me too' I reasoned, pushing away my insecurities.

Maybe he's caging me but for how long? Once I find a man for myself, I need to leave. I thought once I start working, I can use that as a reason and live my life the way I wanted to but since that was not possible, I'm hoping for the other.

'Leia ‒

'I think we're done' I stood up, letting her drop the topic unwillingly. 

* * *

House chores are the most annoying work.

After reaching home I helped Aunt May with gardening, did the laundry and ended up cleaning the attic, which was the biggest mistake in my life. I hardly go the attic, mainly because everything present their is rubbish which Dad says is important and should be left untouched. His meaning of untouch is not even bother to the ample of dust that decided to make home on everything. 

I listened to him like I always have but curiosity seemed to be building inside me slowly and now stood like a mountain. I know there must be mother's belongings. He didn't throw her clothes, her photos and everything that belonged to her once. I miss her a lot. I was one year when she died in a car accident and I hardly remember any memories of her. I've got few cd's which were given by my nanny Agatha and I watch the video when I am close to forgetting her face. Dad didn't allow me to even have a picture of her at the night stand.

The vast attic which is equal to my bedroom but the height is lowered, was the same when I stepped in. It was dusty. Thankfully I didn't find any rats or cockroaches but spiders were a terror to drive me crazy. Dad hasn't come here for a long time and might as well as not come today or tomorrow or for another few months or years and won't even know that I cleaned the place.

They were boxes full of my mother's memories and her belongings. The others were old and used kitchen items and furniture which Dad refused to throw as some contained past connections while some were costly when bought and the others, he thought would become an antique piece in future.

I was lifting up the boxes and keeping it back in their places when a last heavy one slipped out of my fingers and fell down with a loud thud, splattering all its content on the wooden floor.

'Damn'

I sat down on my toes and put back the heavy files, photos and papers back in the box. My eyes locked with the photos that I didn't mind looking into the files and papers. They were pictures of my mother and me. None of the photos are familiar to me, it's taken from the time I was born; hospital, the little me all bloody and crying in her arms, first month, second, third, till my first birthday. Father never showed me these and here they are locked up in a box in attic when they are supposed to be hung on walls as beautiful memories. I don't remember anything about my mother and my time with her. Sometimes I get dreams of her and me but I don't know whether they are true or my subconscious mind is making it up as I think of her awfully a lot.

My father is no where in these pictures. Not even in a single one, not even in my first birthday party. My nanny, Agatha must been the one who took all these pictures and they are pictures of her too. She was the next thing close to me after mother died. She spoke about my mother a lot and was with me like a shadow, but then when I turned ten, she just...disappeared, without any goodbye. I never got to hear about my mother ever again. When I grew up, I tried searching for Agatha but all in vain and finally gave up. 

Not seeing anymore pictures, I threw them back in the box hastily. Dad will be coming any time now and I don't want him to see these.

While filling up the box haphazardly my eyes landed on one particular picture which is different than any other. The picture has two young men smiling widely at the photo with their arms residing on each other, and one of them is my father. I looked at the picture curiously, I've never seen him smile like that before.

The man next to him is unknown to me.

Strange because my father doesn't look like my father in this picture.

* * *

I prepared Dad's favorite Italian dish, Saltimbocca, and he hasn't arrived yet. His phone keeps on ringing but no one attends it. It's not unusual for Dad to not to attend the calls and definitely not unusual coming home late so I finished my dinner without him and ended up watching The Vampire Diaries and fell asleep on the couch.

The next morning I expected him to be sleeping in his room he usually after finishing his dinner, but the food was untouched and his room showed no sign of him coming the previous night. His phone was switched off when I tried to reach him. Sometimes, sometimes he stays out if his work's been taking up all his time but always informs me. I convinced myself that he'll come to my work place to get the house key and left home tensed.

I tried to reach his call several times but no use. I called his work place but they said he never came to work since yesterday morning. I was distracted throughout the day and couldn't play my piano. Marie who noticed my concern, sent me home soon and promised to come at my place when her work is over to lodge a complain at the station.

As I waited for Marie in the evening, the screeching of tires made me take my purse and walk towards the main door only to stand rooted to the spot.

As much as I remember Marie's Butter Cherry is a small red car, not black, and definitely not a black Benz. While I stood in my porch contemplating what to do, a man walked out of the car and relief washed over me.

'Dad' my voice was soft but I'm sure he heard me. I smiled at him. 

He didn't reply, just stared at me. He's wearing a black tux with a black tie and black boots.

'Dad, is everything alright?' I asked and started taking steps towards him but he didn't reply me. His eyes are empty and I stopped walking.

The air was thick and tensed and I couldn't help the feeling of nausea creeping up to me. You know the feeling when your gut tells you that something awful is going to take place so you better run for your life but your consciousness is shut down and some unknown force keeps you rooted to the spot and lets you face the damn trouble even though you know you can't get out of it? That's my situation at the moment. I could hear my heart beats beating in my chest and it's echo sounding in my ears.

The car door opened again and three men got down. I shuddered instantly and gripped my purse in a deadly grip. They were dressed just like my father. One of the men walked forward and lifted his head up, letting me see his face under that black bowler hat. His face is wrinkled and aged and when he gave me a smile, his eyes twinkled nastily under the street lights that was shattering in the lawn.

'So this is your daughter Gabriele?' The man asked my father and he nodded curtly.

'Dad, what's going?' I asked him and felt a bit relieved when my voice didn't sound so vulnerable.

The old man chuckled as if it was the most funniest thing he heard anyone say and shook his head towards Dad.

'You didn't tell her, did you?' his question was directed to my dad but his eyes were fixed upon me.

The guards stood watching me like a hawk, like they know what's going to happen while I stood here clueless.

'Get in the car, Leia darling' the man ordered me. I stared at my father who seemed unfazed to what the man just said to me and then to the man, who stood there irritated when I didn't obey.

'Dad ‒

'You heard the man' Dad stressed.

Before I could comprehend anything, the two guards walked over me and grabbed my arms.

'Hey! What are you doing? Leave me! Let go of me' I screamed at them but when they didn't listen, my hand flung forward and the purse hit the guy's head hard. He immediately left my arm. I bit the other ones hand as hard as I can which made him groan in pain and clutch my hair, instead. Before I could do anything, the other man threw the purse down and held my arm in a deadly grip before they both started to drag me to the car.

'Dad! Dad, what's happening? Tell them to leave me!' I pleaded my dad as I struggled in the hands of these stupid men. He watched the scene unfold with a blank stare.

'Dad ‒

'Stop calling me that! I'm not your f*****g dad and you're not my daughter! Just get in the damn car, Leia!' he shouted. I stopped my movements and stared at him.

'Dad, why are you doing this to me?' I felt my eyes burn with tears.

The men started dragging me towards the car.

'I should have done this long ago' he said softly.

'What mistake have I done?' I asked.

'Mistake? You asking me what mistake you have done?' He chuckled 'You! You are the bloody mistake to me. I always asked for a son, not a f*****g w***e!'

Whore.

'This is not you. This is not my father' My voice was a mere whisper.

'You should've gone with your mother,' He spat 'You should thank me, Leia, that I'm finally sending you to a place where you belong, you filthy w***e' He said softly.

My eyes watered and I stopped screaming and struggling in the men's arms. Something just clicked and it seems to make sense. Why he wasn't there for me and my mother, why he didn't want her pictures on the walls, why he never was a part of my childhood, why he caged me and why, why did he pent up all these hatred for so many years when he could've got ridden of me a while ago and I wouldn't have been able to see this day and hear him say those things to me.

I watched my father from the window. He stared at me blankly before walking towards the house. Tears fell down my cheeks and I closed my mouth with my hand, controlling my sob. That wasn't my father, he just can't be...

Son, not...me.

The car moved out of the lawn, into the streets. I should push these thought away for the moment and think of escaping these people but I can't. My irrational mind seems to be hanging onto the pain and I cried quietly.

When the car came to a stop, the men got down and I woke up from my haze, my adrenaline rushing when I was again being dragged out by the man who got hit by my purse. His grip was too tight and painful that I whimpered and I tried to get free but he only tightened his hold. I didn't get to see where that old man and the other guard went. He dragged me to a huge building and I immediately recognized that its a club. It was dark with just disco lights shattering in beams and it was crowded. We walked through the crowd and when the guard saw that I was being pushed and crushed by the crowd, he put me in the front, his hands holding my shoulders in a firm grip and we walked further in without much crisis.

We reached a narrow stair case that was dimly lit in orange hue. He gave me a push and I started walking up.

'Please, let me go' I pleaded him.

'Now where's the fun in that little b***h' He snapped.

We reached a floor that was brightly lit and we walked in the hallway, his hand holding my wrist, preventing me from running away.

'Please, just let me go' I pleaded, trashed, shouted and even punched his rock arm but he didn't budge. He was looking straight.

Stopping abruptly in front of a door, he knocked thrice and waited. A yellow hair lady opened it. As soon as her eyes landed on me, she gave the man a knowing smile.

'Get her ready' he told her gruffly and pushed me inside. The lady steadied me, her eyes ranking over my body.

'Oh worry not Rob. She's too clean. I'll make sure she'll be the best tonight' She replied in a high pitch. Rob just nodded and left without a second glance. The lady pulled me inside the room and closed the door behind.

'Don't worry, babe. You'll be the highest bid tonight' She smirked and walked to the closet.