Beneath Your Lies

“Dad, where are you taking me? It’s the middle of the night.’’ I looked worriedly at my dad as he tucked his shirt inside his brown pants. Dad chuckled and gave me one of his trying-to-be-funny looks and argued. ‘’I thought you’d be happy not to go to school tomorrow.’’ Well, that was true all right – I hate school because it would always be about having the glamorous life. I silently thanked dad for calling the teacher so I wouldn’t have to go to school since dad wanted to take me out so late. I’m almost certain that I wouldn’t be able to wake up early enough tomorrow. I lived in a mansion with dad, the manager of the world’s most famous technology center; he ran so many companies at once and really worked hard to earn a lot of money. You’d call me stuck up if you saw my house but I’m not; I just love to have this sense of belonging here with my loving dad. “I am, but you know I don’t like surprises,” I huffed, giving up the guessing game. I tied my blonde hair into one of my messy buns, which usually would work, but not today. I viewed my baby hair at the top of my head in dismay – it always went in so many directions, and I surrendered trying to look good. I just put on my sweater due to the cold weather and wore my comfy blue sweatpants. “Sophia, I promise it’s a good one,” he smiled softly at me until his phone rang. He checked to see who was calling at this hour, and his expression changed from happy to miserable. Something was going on that didn’t make him feel good. “I’ll be right back; meet me in the car,” he spoke strictly and I did what I was told; I hadn’t wanted to get on my dad’s angry side. I felt curious to know what that was all about, so I watched him out of the corner of my eye. My dad, bold and red-faced, shouted on the phone, and I could’ve sworn I saw a vein throbbing with furiousness in his neck. I figured it was one of his dumb helpers or something; I didn’t give it much thought. I glanced at myself in the rear-view mirror and put on some eyeliner since that was the only make up I ever wore, because I liked the way it looked on me. My dad got in, cursing and eyes gleaming like he wanted to kill people, and without a word to me, he drove us along. The tension was thick in the car, so I just turned to face the window. I saw a yellow truck driving beside us; the man inside beamed with pleasure as if the woman of his dreams had just agreed to marry him.   “Dad, are we almost there?” I was impatient, one of my flaws. “Yeah.” I could tell that my dad was annoyed; who wouldn’t be? It’s the middle of the night. But he had never replied to me with a one-word answer before without explaining. Something was strange here, and I felt the cold rush creeping up my stomach, telling me something bad was going to happen today. But maybe it was just something I ate that was making my stomach churn. I turned my head to my dad to complain, but when I did, I saw his pale face and his knuckles tightening around the steering wheel, and then I looked forward, confused as to what was happening. “I love you, Sophia,” as he spilled out these words to me, the truck I was looking at moments ago came turning toward us, and without realizing what was about to happen, I let out a scream as the beam of the light on the truck flashed wildly and bashed into us. It came crashing into my dad’s white range rover and flipped us through the air. I closed my eyes; I knew what was about to happen to both of us. I was going to die with dad; this was the end of my life. I opened my eyes and expected to see heaven; I instantly regretted the sight I opened my eyes to – my dad’s forehead bumped into the windshield and broke it with a heavy thud. I couldn’t shake off the terror I was feeling. I witnessed the rush of blood as it flowed over my dad’s body and he gasped for his last breath. I held his hand and looked around frantically for someone who could possibly help me get dad out, but there was nobody; I was alone in the middle of nowhere. I shouted, but it was no use. The tears on my face never left me. I checked his pulse, but there was none. He was dead. My dad is dead – oh my god, this can’t be happening. Wake up Sophia, wake up! I told myself hysterically. Nothing could rescue me from this nightmare. I kept on crying silently, squeezing my dad’s cold hand, and mourning over the awful loss. It was like being sucked into a place where you have lost all hope; it’s also called devastation. He was going to take me “somewhere special,” but now he was the one who went to that special place called heaven. There was a gash on his forehead and blood oozed out from his neck; his chest filled up with blood, and his eyes looked up to the sky. I quickly prayed for him and settled my hands over his eyes to close them. Rest in peace; I love you. The yellow truck was also completely destroyed at the end of the sidewalk. I had not the slightest clue about what to do. I inspected both my hands; clearly there was going to be a scar on my right palm, and my head felt like it was going to explode at any minute, or even any second. I unclasped my seat belt and got out of the crumpled car; I breathed in the evening’s air. I couldn’t just leave my dad there, so I took him out by the arm and dragged him to the street, and as I laid him gently down on the ground, I caught sight of the man who was inside the truck, lying dead with his organs out. I tried to quiver off that unsettling feeling in my stomach but I couldn’t anymore; the look on that man was frightening – he seemed so full of fear, so innocent and surprised. I stood up and the sounds of whispers echoed from a park in the direction the truck had come  from. The sound filled my ears. Without knowing what my brain wanted, I felt myself walking towards it, to search for a phone to call an ambulance or someone who could help. But the place was empty and there was nobody. It was completely deserted. I saw it, I vision of something far away as I searched, leaving my dad in a heap of blood, looking for help and support. It flickered my curiosity, so I walked forward, my adrenaline running so high that I felt myself shaking, so I stopped and took a deep breath. Then I saw it, and I stopped dead in my tracks. Placed on a swing was a gun with a note beside it. Sweat began to make my hands clammy and my hair became damp. You are going to face your own death so watch out, I’m looking for you and I’ll find you soon, the blood of yours will be mine after all, have a nice 30 seconds, it really won’t last long until I get my hands on you and snap you in half -L Whoever wrote this was so silly to think that I’m afraid of him or her, I think as I laugh. Not that it’s funny, but I feel a little freaked out – who wrote this? I bet whoever did this was after me, but why?  I had no idea about anything and I can’t think straight due to the lack of sleep, but all of this is caught away as I feel long nails on my neck, cold and stiff around my skin. I try pulling them away from me but I can’t; the grip is so tight against my flesh.  I try to struggle, but I know that it is my fate to die today so I give up, tiredness filling me. I close my eyes, hoping it would kill me fast, but after a few seconds, I don’t feel the long nails anymore. I open my eyes again. I turn around and watch my hero snapping the guy in half; it is sickening. His neck lands noisily on the sand, and it sends chills down my spine. I look at the dead guy’s face, his eyeballs rolling to a stop beside my boots, and it’s like nothing exists in the world. I breathe evenly again and when I look back up, I see my savior, who has green eyes and dark tousled hair. He gives off the mysterious vibe; he’s wearing a dark blue shirt with a leather black jacket and jeans, and he seems like a nice guy, although what he did reflects quite the opposite. “Great to see you, little sister,” he smiles and I stare at him in shock for what seems like forever – I don’t have any siblings. He must’ve confused me with someone else. My parents only had me, and if I were to have a brother, he would’ve been there. The guy must be delusional. I peer at his eyes and his appearance, and he doesn’t look anything like my parents or me. He notices my silence and continues. ‘’My name is Derek, and you must be my little lost sister, Sophia, am I right?” His eyes dilate in the hopes that I’m his sister, but I only give him a blank look and settle my eyes on my boots. I glance back up at him, my cheeks flushing due to the humidity in the air. Must be the tension between the both of us. “How do you know me? My dad never told me about having a brother.” I scratch the back of my head in astonishment, not sure what to do. I mean, what if he’s an imposter of some kind – or worse –  a killer? Derek chuckles and says, with a hint of resentment filling his voice, “Of course he wouldn’t; he has always been ashamed of me.” Trying to imagine Dad treating Derek like he hates him is impossible. My dad is a good person; he could never hate an insect, or anyone, for that matter. “Why would you say that?’’ he ignores my question and he takes me by the wrist, expecting me to follow along with him. “We have to go.’’ He rushes; he thinks he’s going to handle me out of the blue? He must be going crazy. I stop, disappointing him. I put on my poker face, letting him know that I’m not going with him. It’s weird to have a stranger come up to you and declare he’s related to you; it’s insane. When he notices I’m not moving, he gives me a questioning look. “How do I know you’re not tricking me into something dangerous?” I ask. “You might not even be my brother, and I don’t ride with strangers.’’ It’s true; I never accept rides from somebody I don’t know or don’t trust, a lesson learned from dad when I was young. He sighs. “Come on, we haven’t got time for this.’’ He seems like he’s in a rush to get me out of there, and maybe he has a right to, seeing as the park is isolated from the world. He rolls his eyes when he sees he isn’t giving me what I need to hear, so he explains: “Here’s proof that we’re related,” he brings a locket out on full display in front of me from his Backpack and dangles the string of the locket in front of me; my eyes widen – it is the same locket I have. I grab my identical locket from the back pocket of my sweats and show it to him; it looks exactly alike. I frown, feeling dazed and confused. ‘’Where did you get that from?’’ He scoffs and just says, ‘‘My dad gave it to me when I was a baby,’’ he appears thoughtful for a minute but then returns to reality. ‘’Now let’s go.’’ I walk but then stop; he realizes I’m not playing an easy fight. He stands and turn around to face me, clearly upset from the attitude I’ve got towards him. “What are we hiding from?” I can tell that he’s feeling exhausted trying to convince me again, but he does anyway. “The killer that’s after you. I have a mission to protect you,’’ my mind is trying to process what on earth is going on; finding out your have a brother in an isolated place still feels weird. Could he be a secret agent or an undercover guardian of some sort? I snap back as he adds, ‘’now will you go with me? Mother of god, you’re so stubborn.’’ I flip his insult off and take that as an answer, finally accepting him. We both go back to dad, the tears coming back in motion as they travel down my eyes again. I hold his hand and kiss it, leaving the necklace he once gave me on my birthday on his chest with his hands on top of it. He’ll remember me up there. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Derek’s expression as he watches dad’s closed eyes. He has this look of hatred and much held emotions, but also, I can sense what he’s feeling, wanting desperately to love him and accept him.   I ride with him in the jeep and off we go, leaving behind dad’s body, which is soon to be carried to the hospital. “We need to go to the hospital to see dad’s condition; I can’t just leave him there,” I reason, looking alarmed for a second. Derek glances ahead as he drives, ignoring my protest, agitating me. ‘’Stop the car right now, or I’m going to jump out,’’ I threaten, and he just curses under his breath. ‘’We can’t go; the killer is after you. We can’t risk it, we just can’t, he’s gone, he died.’’ He snaps, his voice on the edge of breaking. The thing that intrigues me the most is the way he just says it without sugarcoating anything; he’s tough, my brother. It still feels weird to call him that. ‘’I have to see him; he’s my dad.’’ My voice cracks as I begin to recall the image of dad lying dead and his eyes upward, reminding me of what he said before he died. He pulls up in a damp driveway, which looks revolting. I check the surroundings – there’s a small building covered up in what looks like dead animals. ‘’I told you –  we don’t have to; they’re going to bury him, and he’ll be peaceful,’’ he shoots back, and I just groan. ‘’What are we doing here?’’ I ask, stifling another groan. ‘’It’s my home, temporarily, until I finish my mission.’’ He explains, looking worn out as he slips the key out of the car and gets out of the jeep. I follow. ‘’If that’s supposed to be temporary, then where do you really live?’’ I question again, and he whines. ‘’For the love of god, stop asking so many questions. Tie it down a notch, would you?’’ his accent is thick, but then after peering at my annoyed face, he answers, ‘’I live in Bulgaria.’’ He gets me inside his apartment, which smells like dead rats, and the wood is so slippery. The room is all surrounded with cracks on the walls, the gross smell never leaving the rooms. The carpet isn’t fully cleaned; there are noodles all over them. I sigh and look around again.  ‘‘Good to be home.’’ Is he actually kidding when he says that? I can’t believe he calls this home when you can hear the roof cracking; he smirks as he watches my disgusted expression. He puts a pile of blankets on the sofa for me to sleep. ‘‘I’m only sixteen – what am I going to do with school and prom?’’ I babble, it’s random to think about prom and my high school year when your dad is dead, you find a lost brother who’s an agent and there’s a killer – what a life – but at the same time, I want to know where I’ll end up. Derek interrupts me: ‘’You’ll go to school like nothing happened.’’ Is he actually saying that I should just forget about the death of my dad? I don’t know what his problem is or what he meant by dad being “ashamed of him,” but I have to live my life or I’ll end up like him, occupied with missions and weapons, hard to imagine with a girly girl like myself. ‘’Sophia, did you hear anything I said just now?’’ I snap back into reality as his voice goes low. ‘’Uh, I’m tired.’’ I fake yawn and stare at the couch like it holds a disease. He nods and gets me a pillow; I fall asleep as soon as my head hits it, but I end up with nightmares. The sun peeks into the red-painted room as I wake up, all clammy and dripping sweat from the nightmare about dad and the person who’s responsible for his death. I see Derek sprawled on a single bed in the corner. I am still surprised that he’s my brother; how can he be so good-looking and be related with someone as okay-looking as I am? I get my insecurities to be left aside with. I stand up, dressed with yesterday’s clothes due to the fact that I haven’t gotten my clothes from home, which is far enough as it is from the apartment, and because Derek doesn’t have any spare clothes. I am feeling cranky and not in any mood for facing any kind of trouble; it’s only six in the morning but I decide to go to school to get my books since I’ve left them in my locker. My hand touches Derek’s shoulder as I shake him awake; he whines sleepily, ‘’What do you want? Leave me alone.’’ He hisses lightly, turning to his other side. I try not to laugh but he reminds me so much of my mom, god knows where is she now; my dad never talked about her, but he said that she left us for good and would never come back. I remember she used to sleep for hours and hours and push me away playfully and just tell me to let her sleep more. If only she were here, she’d know what to do . . . but she walked out of that door when I was eight years old with so much not a goodbye. I shake his arm again, but this time rougher; he springs up quickly and pops his eyes wide open. “What? What?’’ he looks like he’s ready to kill someone. ‘‘I’m late for school and I need to get my clothes,’’ I state, rolling my eyes. He racks his brain for something he might’ve forgotten, but then he rises from his bed and gets his car keys after pulling on a shirt. We finally arrive at the house after an hour of driving. It’s almost the period for assembly, and by then they wouldn’t let us in, so I quickly open the passenger door and run to my house, unlocking the door with the secret key under the fire extinguisher. The scent of the rooms are amazing. I’m feeling homesick, but it’s no home without dad. I sigh sadly and grab my clothes. I look around my room; it’s still the same – nothing has ever changed around here. I go back down in a hurry so Derek won’t complain. We are on the way, silent for an hour, until he mutters something I can’t hear and his face changes into a look of terror. I look up and I see something hanging by its head. It’s a child, and her gown is drowned in black blood. My hand trembles; she’s hanged by a bunch of branches that have spikes on them, leaving holes in her neck. I hear a crash coming from the back seat window. It is the creature that appears in my nightmares. Its claws look so white and its face has no ears or nose; it doesn’t even have a mouth. It’s just a black face with small, dangerously red greedy eyes. I never knew something like that would show up in real life; I used to believe that Barney existed when I was small, but never a monster. Derek grabs me by the arm and pushes me to him, running like a lunatic; he realizes that I’m a slow runner, so he carries me in one swift move. I am impressed, and my forehead still bleeds, but I didn’t care. The creature chases us. I am feeling sick to my stomach and am about to faint. I finally disappear into the blackness. I flutter my eyes open as I adjust to the surroundings around me, but once I see my mom, my eyes settle on her as she hugs my dad. Sparks fly up my spine when I see myself run towards them in happiness and laughter. She carries me and kisses my little fingers. ‘’You are freezing cold, Sop, let’s get you inside.’’ I squeal as she chases after me and grabs me, lifting me to her as she runs inside, making me laugh harder. Dad stays alone in the beautiful garden we used to have. We visit it once a week; it’s beside our old house, which is still ours, but we moved to another one. I don’t actually know the reason behind us moving out from that wonderful place, but I didn’t bother to ask them. I sit under a tree as I see my father’s next movement, which is calling a person he knows. ‘’Did you get them?’’ he asks the person during the call. After a few minutes, he seems so stressed and he looks around, making sure nobody is spying. He’s always been skeptical about everything, not to mention meticulously organized. ‘’Don’t you dare shut the phone in my face!’’ he shouts, cursing as he closes his phone. I can tell he is getting furious. He goes to the house and I get up and follow him. The walls are painted blue with small lavender flowers and it seems beautiful, like it holds a promise of happiness. I see dad and mom, although I’m out of sight. ‘’Why didn’t you tell Lysander to get the drugs I wanted?’’ he screams at mom as she closes the door to my room and runs to their bedroom. Why was he screaming at her? What drugs? So many questions run through my head but my heart almost stops when he angrily comes inside and slaps mom on her face and beats her up before storming out. I sit down, unable to move as I watch her break down without being able to comfort her, and then I hear her say to herself, “He was such a good man; why is he like that now? Don’t I give him what he needs? Why did I accept to marry him when I was sixteen when I knew I should have been living my life?” She whimpered as she lay on her side, touching her bruise on her arm. I cry so hard and I barely can look at what he did to her. I’m shocked that she married my dad when she was only sixteen years old, but why? I realize that I need to do something to make him hurt like my mom did; I need to find out what those drugs are that my dad needs that he couldn’t get from mom. But I bet it’s like an addiction to him, like some magnetic appeal on something you desire so much. I see my hands, which are yellow under the light of the living room. I look out to the garden that we were in seconds ago. I go up to watch over me, I am shaking in my sleep as my little blonde strands of hair drip in sweat. I recognize the tears I cried during my sleep; I just couldn’t handle the screams anymore when I was a kid, even the little me was crying. I want to do something, to make a change, not just stand like this, completely hopeless. I am in my own nightmare, trapped and terrified. All of the emotions wash over me, making me feel so weak, so fragile, and I don’t like that feeling. I was alone. I feel these things alone and the sickest thing is that I got to watch my dad beat my own mom for his little dirty business, which made me mad, because who would marry someone they love at sixteen and after ten years of marriage, abuse your own loved one? This is insane, and it needs to stop, right here and right now, and I’ll make sure it will. I take a deep breath and close my eyes, hoping that this will all end, and it works, I got rid of my nightmare. I am my own dream.