Dark Spark

Chapter Three: Flee From Home

“What are you going to do now? Huh…?” The man commanded Luc. “Who are you?” Luc asked with fear and confusion written all over his face. “Look at the mess you are into. Swollen eyes and stinking body”, the man continued. “Let me go! My sister is dead”, Luc shouted but melted into uncontrollable tears. “You haven't answered my question. What are you going to do!?” “I’ll kill myself”, he spat the answer after he was yelled at. “That's what I almost did when my wife and daughter were killed in cold blood right in my face! The burden was too much on me but I paid back_ I'm glad I did”. This man never introduced himself but just had a message for Luc. The time was ticking to 3 o’clock in the morning and those on shift had gone inside to rest. With his story at that cold hour of the morning, shock and bravery spread around Luc's face. “Go see your sister. Once it's morning, go to the world and live for her”, he concluded and walked away. On reaching his mob, he picked it up and was out of sight. Luc was left alone but no more in tears. No more weak. So, he walked quietly into the room where his sister's body was laid. “I can not believe you are gone in a twinkle of an eye. You were such a beautiful soul. I know ”, tears rolled down his cheeks but he wasn't shaking like before, “you have gone. Big brother won't be able to hold your hands anymore butI promise to hold the memory we have created and with due time, everyone body will pay for your death!” He kept looking at her face and hoping for a miracle to happen. He hung till morning came before kissing her forehead and covering her face to walk out of the hospital. Reaching home, “This beast must be arrested, at least”, he thought. Everyone was quiet. Not even a word from his mother. He wondered who bewitched her and planned for a family meeting in the evening. The house was as lifeless as the last night Ivy was r***d. He hates everything now, including the food that was prepared and his portion on his table, in his room. He walked into Jack's room without a knock and found him cuddling his mother. He was disgusted by him. “Ivy is dead. And, her body is at the hospital”, he said. He thought he would get a response but not even a word came out of their mouths. He was more provoked and pounced out of the room. Evening came and the whole family gathered. “It's to our deepest displeasure that our disrespectful daughter is gone out of the correction that was to better her life”, one of the elders said but was interrupted. “What is wrong with all of you? You call r**e correction!?” Luc angrily yelled at him while the younger men rushed to hold him to his seat. “Young man. Apart from you, is there anybody you can point out to prove that she was r***d?” Silence filled the room with fury in Luc's heart. “Unbelievable”, Luc was cut short of his words, “Jack, did you r**e your daughter?” “No, I didn't”, he rose up to answer the question thrown at him by the elder. “You see? He didn't. How would he do that to his daughter? Besides, a stubborn child is meant to be punished and whichever way her father chooses to deal with her is okay”, the elder added. “Yes!”A man from the crowd shouted and the crowd supported him. That night, Luc knew there was nothing he could do at the moment. While the arrangements were ongoing, he walked into Ivy's room with the knowledge of doing it as the last time. Her favorite novel; “GROW UP” the one he gifted her on her sixteenth birthday with her yellow gown was lying on the ground. He picked it up and read one line from it. Her bed still has the scent of a lavender. “While you are growing up, life never remains the same”, he read out. The memory of Ivy was still fresh as he remembered how she always tapped his palm always, at any point of his provocation. Anger and pain rubbed through his mind as she was no more to relieve that anger from his heart. Luc kissed the book and kept it on the bed. He walked away from the house and never looked back. He did not want to witness the funeral. “I will be back”, he said. Paris blurred behind him as the train carried him toward a future he had not planned. He did not care where he ended up. All that mattered was leaving that house, that mother, and that man. The only passport of Ivy was in his wallet but driving down to the city, he promised to frame and live with it. On getting to the big beautiful city of Paris, it rained heavily and it dawned on him that there was nowhere to rest his head. His little clothes in the bag were soaked. “What if I try that bar?” An idea to get a job came to his mind and he walked in to help in washing the dishes. Fortunately for him, he was accepted and given an apartment to stay. The pay was little but he found a resting place for his soul and body. Luc started a new life entirely. Every customer he served and the friends he made still had no impact on him. The hustle and bustle of Paris left him in tears most times but determination was not enough to explain how hard and dogged he was. For two years, Luc lived off small jobs. From bar work, and delivery gigs to anything to survive. But pain makes excellent fuel and reminds him of the reason he left home. His mind burned with purpose. Every coin he saved, every book he read, every skill he learned, it was all for Ivy. He shifted pleasure away and built his body through the gym. He taught himself business, reading books, visiting places, and trying new strategies for growing businesses to learn how everything about business worked. He learned about startups, marketing, and tech travel and was so obsessed. He was often disappointed while trying to learn through those who took the lead, so he did it all again and took the lead. He made sales and marketing his friend and understood it. At twenty-one, Luc founded Stack & Travels, a digital platform for curated luxury travel. It boomed. Money poured in. So did recognition and power. Luc built an empire, brick by brick, with rage as mortar. But with success came a coldness. His employees feared him. He didn’t laugh. He didn’t smile. He gave orders like commands and fired people on a whim. They called him The Paris Storm because of was ruthless and untouchable. But no one knew the truth. Luc was not living. He was surviving Ivy’s death in a suit and tie.