A Shocking Revelation

Alicia:

My breaths came out shallowly and echoed in the empty metal cell. I had already begun to smell a staleness in the air and it made me feel so dirty.

No one had come, and I didn’t even know whether it had been a day or a couple of hours. Time was hard to tell when one couldn’t see the sun after all.

“Why is this happening to me?” I murmured to myself, curled up in a fetal position. I laid my head against the wall next to the door, praying for someone, anyone to come.

At some point I thought I might have heard footsteps, but I wasn’t sure.

Suddenly I heard a loud sound of metal creaking and it made me jolt to a standing position, wide eyed at the door where I could have sworn the sound came from.

What was going on?

My hope surged once more as i realized it must be someone.

“Help,” my voice was hoarse as my throat was dry. “Please…”

As soon as I had said that the door swung open and I winced at the sound of the creaking door. I noticed it was a burly man that walked in, looking intimidating. He had several scars in his face and a crooked nose, all of which filled with with terror.

Then the man, surveying me for a couple of moments, grunted and reached for me.

“No!” I yelled at him, my voice breaking and I tried to retreat to a corner. But it was too late. He had taken hold of my arm and gave it a pull.

My mouth fell open as I felt the strain on my arm and was unable to resist his strong him.

It happened all in an instant; my eyes watered as I was being pulled out of the cell and down a hallway I had never been in before.

Where was I being taken to? Would i be released? Or would I be in a worse position than I have already been?

I knew I didn’t have a choice to resist and so I resigned myself to my fate.

To my surprise, the dreary dungeon scenery changed as we turned a corner and I found myself gaping at the 

This place was… different. More like a mansion.

I stared at the cream walls littered with intricate golden filigree decor, and the chandeliers fixed on an incredibly high ceiling.

Whose house was I in?

I had only seen such places in movies and pictures before.

“Move along,” the roughened voice of the burly man behind me startled me, as did his tug on my arm, like a warning that I should fall in line or else…

I gulped and nodded and made my feet walk faster.

He ordered me to go right at a corner and so I did, praying that my captors were going to be reasonable. By the looks of it, it might be possible. I wasn’t worth the trouble.

“Leave her,” I heard a velvety voice and suddenly the burly man released me, leaving me shocked for a couple of seconds.

Before me was a balcony, and I watched the sunlight stream in and highlight the figure of a man I had never seen before, wearing a dark red shirt that highlighted his tan. His sleeves were rolled up and he was preoccupied with breakfast. His black hair was coiffed, making him appear more posh, as though his accented voice and outfit didn’t do it for me.

Without looking up, he said in the same tone, “Alicia Stevens. Come.”

There was an undercurrent of an order in those softly spoken words, and I felt my heart beat faster as i took steps, one after the other, towards him. My gut instincts screamed at me to run as fast as I could from here but I knew it would be a foolish endeavor.

My eyes were fixed on him, as he reminded me of a viper, only waiting for the time to strike.

By the time i reached the table where a small, half-eaten feast was displayed, my body was trembling as fear took over.

The man raised his head and dropped the fork and knife gently on the plate.

His green eyes were cold, and full of knowing, as though he could read my mind. His eyes looked familiar and NOT at the same time.

“Sit down,” he gestured to the chair across from him. You are my guest, and we have much to discuss,” he said.

“Please,” I murmured, my throat hurting and tears prickling my eyes, though I tried to not let them fall. “Please just let me go. I haven’t done anything. I don’t know what’s going on. Please…”

“Enough,” his voice turned hard and his gaze became even more intense. “I have little patience for girls who don’t follow orders, especially crying ones. Alicia, if I am to waste my time speaking with you, then you will LISTEN. Sit. Down.”

Dread pooled in my gut as I nodded, whimpering inwardly.

This man wasn’t one to be trifled with, i could see it in his eyes.

I took the seat as ordered, and clasped my hands tightly together, praying I could be anywhere else but here.

“Good,” he leaned back leisurely and reached into a folder I hadn’t noticed was there before, pulling out a picture. “Do you recognize this man?”

My brows furrowed as I stared at the picture, confused. The man he showed me was no one I had ever met before and I shook my head.

“No,” I responded, hoping that if I cooperated he would release me.

“This is Senator John Duncan. He comes from a family of wealth and power. There is nothing he doesn’t have his hand in, and he has enough influence to shape this country,” the man tossed the photo across the table at me, as a young girl came in to pick up the plates. He went silent and I preoccupied myself by looking at the picture, so that I didn’t have to meet the man’s eyes.

Once the girl left he said something else that made me stiffen.

“This man, Senator Duncan, is your dearest father.”

…