Wicked Minds

P.O.V SOPHIA Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick... Tick. Tick. Time seemed to stand still, as if skipping a second. The ticking of the antique clock echoed in my father's office room. It was as if the clock knew something was wrong and was trying to make it clear when I put my ear to the wooden door to listen. This summer, men in suits had come to visit more often than not. They looked surly and somber. Mama couldn't send me to my room fast enough when they came by, but got me back downstairs just as quickly when the men were gone. They were like ghosts that came and suddenly disappeared again, elusive. I was not allowed to ask questions about them, about who they were, what they came to do. I accepted it, for a while. Yet this evening curiosity had won out over obedience, after an eternal struggle. The fringes of my cream nightgown tingled at my knees. I was helping our housekeeper Freya clear the table this evening when the men were at the door again. As always, I was sent to my room, but this time I was left alone in the house. Mom had met up with a group of her friends to play bridge and Freya was allowed to go home early today because her youngest daughter was sick. This was my chance to find out what these men came here to do, so I grabbed it. And of the blonde locks that had escaped from my ponytail I deliberately tucked behind my ear. I could distinguish the quiet blur of voices on the other side of the door. The husky voice of my father I recognized immediately. I heard two others, one a low humming sound while the other sounded very high and sharp, but both equally unfamiliar. "...You have no choice Jonah, you understand that, don't you?" The man pronounced my father's name like he was familiar with him, like a buddy you went to the pub with. I frowned, what were they talking about? A cynical laughter, as only Dad could, echoed. "No, I don't understand that. I only agreed to your project because it was for the ,as you made it seem, greater good." He sighed. I could already picture him leaning back in his seat, ponderingly massaging the bridge of his nose "Your project is derailed, failed. Those kids..." There was silence for a moment. "Those children are maimed for life, Gideon." One of the men snorted mockingly. "You're wrong, they're perfected and-" Again a silence fell, this one lasting longer than the others. I could hear the rising and falling of my own chest. How my breathing quickened due to the adrenaline pumping throughout my body. I heard rumbling followed by footsteps, footsteps toward the door. I stiffened and staggered backwards a little, panicking. Before I realized it, my back hit the epson wooden cabinet in the hallway. Before I realized it, my back hit the epson wooden cabinet in the hallway. I let out a choked scream as I saw the ceramic vase balancing dangerously on the edge of the cabinet. I tried to catch the vase, but it was too late. With a loud bang, the vase shattered into thousands of pieces on the floor, like paint splatters on a canvas. I could have smacked myself on the head. I was a dead man. The door to father's office flew open not much later. A whiff of cigarette smoke met me. One of the two men in suits stood in the doorway. The man was tall, too tall. He towered almost two heads above me. His long legs were shrouded in pants made of black fabric that looked far too expensive. The pants were part of a three-piece suit, each part equally deep black. The thinning white locks of hair on his head were tightly combed back. His gray eyes stared at me, confused. A twinkle of pleasure surfaced in his eyes as a cocky grin played around his thin lips. My throat went dry from his presence and my hands began to sweat. I was scared, but I refused to show it. "What do we have here? A lost little bird?" He looked down at me. I pressed my lips firmly together, completely dumbfounded. The man frowned slightly, the signs of time evident on his face. "Come in anyway, the more people the more joy." He sounded friendly, but the false undertone in his voice told a different story. I was going to sprint away, but when I felt his rough hand on my lower back, pushing me into the room I changed my mind. The coolness of his skin penetrated the thin fabric of my nightshirt. With head bowed down, I shuffled into the room. Already I could feel Dad's eyes burning on me; it was a look of disappointment. The hand on my lower back disappeared as we reached the middle of the desk. The red Persian carpet tingled under my feet. I still didn't dare look up. Shame overtook me like waves from a tsunami and I was swallowed up in those waves, gasping for breath. "I thought you said you didn't have children, Jonah?" The second man in suit spoke now. He was smaller than the first but still tall. His curly black hair stuck out in all directions. I looked up at Dad who was sitting in his brown leather office chair, in his hand lazily resting a glass with an amber liquid in it. From the look on his face, he was anything but happy to see me. "I don't have one either," he replied dryly. He looked at the black-haired man sternly. "It's my niece, she's here for summer vacation." A lie. The men in suits looked at each other skeptically. The man behind me spoke, with one of his hands he grabbed some of my locks of hair. "Are you lying to your good old friend now?" He sighed "She is the living likeness of you, we are not blind." Snarled Gideon. Dad clenched his teeth together. Gideon was right I had inherited the same blond hair and emerald eyes from him. Dad carefully brought his glass to his lips. "The blond hair runs in the family." He shrugged. Gideon's hand finally let go of the lock of hair, but I could still feel his presence close to me. I wanted to scream for him to back off, but I swallowed my words. "What do you think we believe him, Zander?" Zander tilted his head slightly in my direction, his eyes bore into mine. What did they want from me? "Why don't we ask the girl herself, What's your name, honey?" Zander smiled, dazzling white teeth were revealed. Doubtingly I looked at Dad, who gave me an invisible nod. It's okay. I swallowed away the nervousness and cleared my throat. "Sophia." Gideon walks out from behind me and comes to stand directly in front of me before crouching down. I see Dad's grip around the glass strengthen. "Tell me Sophia." Gideon hisses my name, as if he were a blow. Toxic. "How old are you?" He looked at me expectantly. I stared back, straight into his eyes. The gray around his pupils seemed to move like a storm. It screamed danger, as if it could drag you in and never let you go. Before I could answer-not that I intended to answer-my father spoke up. "Twelve, she's twelve!" snarls Dad. Gideon looks over his shoulder at my father, but is still watching me from the corner of his eye. Gideon nods gently before turning his gaze back to me. "How interesting." notes Gideon as he finally breaks the endless eye contact and stands up. The fact that he called my age interesting alarmed me. With panic in my eyes, I looked at Dad, who did not give me a glance. "Dimitri is going to love hearing this" Zander adds. Confused, I look from Gideon to Zander. What were they talking about anyway? Who was Dimitri? "Dimitri is never going to hear this," Dad then says calmly. "Unless you guys want me to leave the Sem'ya at this exact moment." The Sem'ya? I frowned. I hated it when people left me in the dark. (Russian || Family) Gideon laughed mockingly as he walked over to my father's wooden desk. Calm and composed, he leaned forward. Gideon's face was only inches away from Dad's. "As you wish, Jonah. We tell Dimitri nothing." Gideon let his fingers slide over Dad's fiery red tie before tightening it a bit. "At least not yet." He then continued. Gideon let go of the tie and straightened his back. A grin played around his lips. "Let's go." He snarled at Zander. Like a doggie obeying, Zander walked out of the office without hesitation. Gideon followed. Just when I thought he was finally leaving the room he remained standing in the doorway. Slowly he turned to me. All his attention focused on me. For a moment he stared at me in silence, as if trying to analyze me. "Until next time, Sophia." With those words, Gideon left the room. I looked after him. Not much later, I heard the front door slam shut with a bang. Restlessly, Dad stared at me. I blinked and before I knew it he exploded and broke his controlled mask. The glass he was still holding there just popped against the wall and shattered into pieces. Liquid ran down the deep black wall in jets. I cringed. A soft sob escaped my lips, my eyes kept firmly closed. I still didn't know who the men in suits were, let alone what they had come to do. What I did know was that the words "Until next time, Sophia" were not a friendly goodbye, but a threat. Dad paced through the desk before yanking his long raincoat off his chair and storming out of the room. In one swing, he put the coat on. "Where are you going?" I called after him desperately. Dad was already at the front door when I caught up with him. He grabbed his umbrella off the hook in the hall before turning to me. Carefully he stroked a lock of hair from my face. A gesture of love that always seemed to soothe me, but now it didn't work. "I need to take care of something." He gave me a weak smile that didn't reach his eyes. I nodded gently. He obviously didn't want me to know what was going on. The lying that I was his niece, the hostile behavior, having to go out in the night to sort something out. Something wasn't right. "Be careful." I said as he opened the door. The cold wind raced in, the sound of damp raindrops descending on the sidewalk echoed. "I promise." With those words, he pressed a Quick kiss to my forehead. I waved briefly and the door closed with a dull bang. A musty whiff of rain lingered and I was left alone in the dark hallway. My heart cringed slightly. Dad broke his promise. After that night, he never came home again.