Hide and Seek
Sweet Decadence
The sunlight blinded her. Victoria closed her eyes and leaned her head backwards, feeling the slightly overgrown grass between her fingers.
The sound of the sea soothed her, the wind dancing with her hair, caressing her and whispering that everything was going to be alright. A half smile tugged at the edge of Victoria’s mouth. Everything was going to be alright.
A loud noise startled her from the dream. Instantly, a sharp pain squeezed her chest. She was still inside that house. Victoria let her head fall into her hands, messy red hair covering her entire face.
The sound of footsteps climbing up the stairs made her jump from the bed and run inside the bathroom. She heard the bedroom door opening and started the water running in the shower. Holding her breath, she locked her gaze on the door and waited. A sudden feeling of relief rushed through her body once she heard the bedroom door closing and footsteps climbing down the stairs. She slowly shoved out the air trapped in her lungs and started to get undressed.
As she crossed the hallway, toward the kitchen, the smell of pancakes made her smile. However, it quickly faded away, once she realized what that meant.
Zacky knew her like the palm of his hand, to the point of knowing what her favorite breakfast was. It was impossible to keep anything away from him.
“Good morning.” Zacky smiled at her once she walked in. He had just finished his breakfast and Victoria thanked God for that, at least she wouldn’t have to eat with him.
“Morning…” She whispered. Staring at the pancake plate, Victoria tried not to eat while Zacky was still in the kitchen.
“Come on,” Zacky walked to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder, her whole body immediately stiffening. “Pancakes with blueberry syrup…” He leaned and talked close to her ear. “I know they’re your favorite.”
“Well, I’ve got to go.” He straightened himself up. “Today I have something very important to do.”
“Where are you going?” Victoria looked at him.
A wry smile lifted the edge of his lips. “I’m just going to have a small conversation with Emily.”
“What are you going to do to her?” Tension squeezed her chest. “Please, just leave her out of this.”
Zacky tapped the edge of his nose with his fingertip. “Let me think…no.” Bitterness tightened his voice. “She needs to die.”
Victoria stared at him with wide open eyes, fear glimmering in the brown depths. “Please don’t that!” Her eyes watered. “She has nothing to do with this.”
His expression darkened. “Yes she does Victoria. She is the final link that needs to be cut off between you and the world.”
“No!” She tried to hold back her tears. “She doesn’t know the truth about you.” Victoria lied. “I was the one who found out the truth about you.”
Laughter rumbled from Zacky’s chest. He hadn’t believed a word she said.
“Please…” She spoke softly this time. “Don’t do anything to her. I’ll behave.” She hesitated for a second. “I’ll do whatever you want.”
“You’ll do whatever I want anyway. That’s the reason why you’re here.” Zacky’s dark expression turned murderous. “But I’ll consider your offer.” His eyes danced with glee as the filthy thoughts crossed his mind. He left the kitchen and she heard the front door closing a few seconds later.
A solemn silence filled the house. Victoria stood still for a few seconds, eyes closed while her mind tried to regroup after what she had just said. She realized that she had just made a deal with the devil, but she couldn’t stomach the idea of being responsible for Emily’s death.
***
Matt stared at the neon sign as he crossed the road. Two girls came bursting out of the bar, music mingling with a rush of smoky, warm air. He waited for a few more seconds before entering.
Inside the bar, the music was so loud that he could feel the beat pounding in his ribcage. The smoke was thick, despite the ban on smoking in bars. He guessed cigarettes were the least of the vices in a place like that.
Matt scanned the crowded room for one person in particular. His hazel eyes stopped once he saw a man sitting alone at the bar, a bottle of beer in his hand.
“Brian Haner?” His voice made the man quickly turn around.
“Who’s asking?”
Matt showed his badge and Brian slowly turned to face the bar again. “I don’t talk to cops.”
“I’m with the FBI.” He said through gritted teeth.
“I don’t talk to pretentious cops.” Brian countered, sounding unimpressed.
“I just wanted to ask you a few questions, but we can talk about the drugs if you want to.” That earned Brian’s attention. Brian met his gaze as if leveling the barrel of a shotgun. Matt’s stare didn’t waver.
“Fine. Let’s talk outside.”
The temperature difference between the inside of the bar and the outside made the hairs on the back of Brian’s neck prickle. “Let’s hurry up this shit.” His arms crossed. “What do you want to know?”
“Have you seen Zacky Baker lately?” The question took Brian by surprise. For a second he felt backed into a corner, but quickly relaxed.
“Who?” He tried to get rid of the anxiety in his voice.
“I’m sure you remember him. You were the only witness for the crime he had committed.” Matt stared at him as if trying to peel away his skull and peer into his brain. “Why did you decide not to testify?”
“I wasn’t sure if it was really him.” Brian shrugged. “I mean, it looked like him but then again, I had drunk a little too much that night. I didn’t want an innocent man to be convicted.”
“He’s everything but an innocent man.” The frustration in Matt’s voice mingled with fury.
Brian shrugged again as if it wasn’t a big deal. “Still, it’s none of my business. Now, if that’s all you wanted to know, I’m going back inside.” He clasped his hands together.
Matt dug a FBI business card out of his jacket and handed it to Brian. “If you see him or hear anything about him I want to be the first to know.” The steel in his voice promised hell if he tried to do otherwise.
The sound of the sea soothed her, the wind dancing with her hair, caressing her and whispering that everything was going to be alright. A half smile tugged at the edge of Victoria’s mouth. Everything was going to be alright.
A loud noise startled her from the dream. Instantly, a sharp pain squeezed her chest. She was still inside that house. Victoria let her head fall into her hands, messy red hair covering her entire face.
The sound of footsteps climbing up the stairs made her jump from the bed and run inside the bathroom. She heard the bedroom door opening and started the water running in the shower. Holding her breath, she locked her gaze on the door and waited. A sudden feeling of relief rushed through her body once she heard the bedroom door closing and footsteps climbing down the stairs. She slowly shoved out the air trapped in her lungs and started to get undressed.
As she crossed the hallway, toward the kitchen, the smell of pancakes made her smile. However, it quickly faded away, once she realized what that meant.
Zacky knew her like the palm of his hand, to the point of knowing what her favorite breakfast was. It was impossible to keep anything away from him.
“Good morning.” Zacky smiled at her once she walked in. He had just finished his breakfast and Victoria thanked God for that, at least she wouldn’t have to eat with him.
“Morning…” She whispered. Staring at the pancake plate, Victoria tried not to eat while Zacky was still in the kitchen.
“Come on,” Zacky walked to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder, her whole body immediately stiffening. “Pancakes with blueberry syrup…” He leaned and talked close to her ear. “I know they’re your favorite.”
“Well, I’ve got to go.” He straightened himself up. “Today I have something very important to do.”
“Where are you going?” Victoria looked at him.
A wry smile lifted the edge of his lips. “I’m just going to have a small conversation with Emily.”
“What are you going to do to her?” Tension squeezed her chest. “Please, just leave her out of this.”
Zacky tapped the edge of his nose with his fingertip. “Let me think…no.” Bitterness tightened his voice. “She needs to die.”
Victoria stared at him with wide open eyes, fear glimmering in the brown depths. “Please don’t that!” Her eyes watered. “She has nothing to do with this.”
His expression darkened. “Yes she does Victoria. She is the final link that needs to be cut off between you and the world.”
“No!” She tried to hold back her tears. “She doesn’t know the truth about you.” Victoria lied. “I was the one who found out the truth about you.”
Laughter rumbled from Zacky’s chest. He hadn’t believed a word she said.
“Please…” She spoke softly this time. “Don’t do anything to her. I’ll behave.” She hesitated for a second. “I’ll do whatever you want.”
“You’ll do whatever I want anyway. That’s the reason why you’re here.” Zacky’s dark expression turned murderous. “But I’ll consider your offer.” His eyes danced with glee as the filthy thoughts crossed his mind. He left the kitchen and she heard the front door closing a few seconds later.
A solemn silence filled the house. Victoria stood still for a few seconds, eyes closed while her mind tried to regroup after what she had just said. She realized that she had just made a deal with the devil, but she couldn’t stomach the idea of being responsible for Emily’s death.
***
Matt stared at the neon sign as he crossed the road. Two girls came bursting out of the bar, music mingling with a rush of smoky, warm air. He waited for a few more seconds before entering.
Inside the bar, the music was so loud that he could feel the beat pounding in his ribcage. The smoke was thick, despite the ban on smoking in bars. He guessed cigarettes were the least of the vices in a place like that.
Matt scanned the crowded room for one person in particular. His hazel eyes stopped once he saw a man sitting alone at the bar, a bottle of beer in his hand.
“Brian Haner?” His voice made the man quickly turn around.
“Who’s asking?”
Matt showed his badge and Brian slowly turned to face the bar again. “I don’t talk to cops.”
“I’m with the FBI.” He said through gritted teeth.
“I don’t talk to pretentious cops.” Brian countered, sounding unimpressed.
“I just wanted to ask you a few questions, but we can talk about the drugs if you want to.” That earned Brian’s attention. Brian met his gaze as if leveling the barrel of a shotgun. Matt’s stare didn’t waver.
“Fine. Let’s talk outside.”
The temperature difference between the inside of the bar and the outside made the hairs on the back of Brian’s neck prickle. “Let’s hurry up this shit.” His arms crossed. “What do you want to know?”
“Have you seen Zacky Baker lately?” The question took Brian by surprise. For a second he felt backed into a corner, but quickly relaxed.
“Who?” He tried to get rid of the anxiety in his voice.
“I’m sure you remember him. You were the only witness for the crime he had committed.” Matt stared at him as if trying to peel away his skull and peer into his brain. “Why did you decide not to testify?”
“I wasn’t sure if it was really him.” Brian shrugged. “I mean, it looked like him but then again, I had drunk a little too much that night. I didn’t want an innocent man to be convicted.”
“He’s everything but an innocent man.” The frustration in Matt’s voice mingled with fury.
Brian shrugged again as if it wasn’t a big deal. “Still, it’s none of my business. Now, if that’s all you wanted to know, I’m going back inside.” He clasped his hands together.
Matt dug a FBI business card out of his jacket and handed it to Brian. “If you see him or hear anything about him I want to be the first to know.” The steel in his voice promised hell if he tried to do otherwise.
Holy shit. That ending tho.
11/25/14