We all accompany the teachers to a new construction house behind the kindergarten. It's a two-storey house with necessary furniture, almost ready to live in but appears way too out of place in this neighbourhood. I still have my doubts about this place. However, the children seem to enjoy the game that hasn't even started yet. Beside me, Naomi is tense as well. "Is it even safe?" One of the parent's questions. "Don't worry, Mrs. Martin. The floors are intact. We have surveillance cameras installed in every corner of the house, so there's an infinitesimal chance of anyone getting lost." The teacher, whose name I've come to know, as Mrs. Peterson, explains. "And if by some unfortunate luck, someone gets hurt, Mrs. Scott here will take good care of them." The teacher gestures towards the lady whose white coat Naomi had borrowed. Hers is the only family to challenge us. "So, let’s discuss the rules. We'll scatter and hide the kids all over the house and the parents will have to loo
Naomi West ****** The moment I see Ben held by the ropes and a cloth gagging him, I lose my sanity and attempt to throw my body against the translucent door. However, before my action can emit a sound, Denzel holds my shoulders and draws me back, shoving me onto the dusty ground. My brain is in panic mode, and I instinctively try to fight him off. Tears leave my eyes when he applies his body weight to me and covers my mouth to muffle the noises. "-rose, please, calm down." Denzel leans in and whispers in my ears. I try to fight him off in a feeble attempt, throwing back my hands and legs with force. But he doesn't budge. He keeps murmuring soothing words into my head, but I can barely hear him over my rapid heartbeat. I don't know how, but I have to get to my son. As a last resort, I choose violence. I bit his hand on my mouth with a stinging force. He's startled but doesn't let go. Even when I'm biting into his hand, he uses his free one and caresses my head, running his fi
Denzel Flynn ****** After little rose's departure, I steady myself and twist the doorknob. The door gets stuck after a push and the cartons on the other side tumble down. Heisha turns around on alert. In her grip, there's a gun, which she points in my direction. I put up my good hand in surrender, easing it behind my head while the other remains before my torso in plaster. With caution, she steps forward and kicks aside the boxes before pulling the door open. Her hands don't tremble as she aims the gun at my head. She's not a rookie. "I've come in peace." I make it clear. Her nose flares and her eyes focus on my face without blinking. "Get inside." I take one step at a time for my safety, behaving as if she's a fragile cat I do not want to startle. She chases me with her gun until I stop feeling an edge of a table poking in my back. The same table with a sharp dagger. If only I could bend my arm a little. "I see you found me. What's your plan now?" She loads the gun, her fin
Naomi West ****** Every muscle and inch of my skin has been stinging and scorching since I left the wretched construction house. Neither Denzel nor I were in any shape or form to drive, so we had to ask Jacob to be our driver. The image of Ben tied up and Heisha walking over to him with a rusted blade will haunt me for years to come. By the time I woke up from my slumber, the FBI had already arrested and taken Heisha and her assistant away. Reporters and media surrounded the kindergarten and the house. It was too noisy and scary for Ben, so we snuck out of the back with Jacob’s help. Mrs. Scott and her husband and some other couples were really thankful, even the Walters. At least, they didn’t forget their manners. “You okay, back there?” Jacob asks looking back in the rearview mirror. Denzel is studying my moves as well, and he doesn’t even try to hide his gaze when our eyes meet. He makes me feel so flustered. I stare down at my lap. Ben’s head is resting on my thighs, a
I freeze on my spot near the couch. Feeling panicky, I try to tear the parcel out of his grip, but he withdraws his hand, curiously going over the details on the box. “Why would anyone send a nameless parcel with no return address?” Denzel gazes at the box like it's a mystery that calls to be solved. “I have no idea.” I try to appear as cool and aloof as best as I can. It’s terrifying to imagine what could be inside the box this time, but it’s more worrying to let Denzel find out about it. My heart is ready to explode out of my broken ribs and my nerves are on edge. I need that parcel in my hand like a drug addict who needs a dose of his favourite cocaine to calm down. But instead of just handing over the parcel like a decent man, Denzel proceeds to make my nightmare come to life when he successfully tears off the tape on the box. Not being able to hold back anymore, I sprint and knock the brown box out of his hand. The parcel flies off and lands in front of the door. I remain
Bolting the main door in the hall, I abandon my car keys on a nearby stool. I’m exhausted and in great need of a nap. I remember leaving the apartment around five and it’s already eight in the night. The cops did a good job investigating the hell out of me. Turns out filing a report isn’t as easy as it sounds, especially when you have no one to suspect. The apartment is unusually quiet, so I guess Ben must be already in bed. And there’s no sign of Denzel lurking in the shadows as well. “You’re back!” I raise my head to see him leaning against the doorframe of his room with dark bags under his eyes. Speak of the Devil. “Were you thinking of me, Miss West?” He smirks. I try to laugh it off. “What makes you think so?” “You just turned red like a little rose.” He points at my cheeks. If only blushing was under my control. “Fine. I was thinking of you, but guess what? According to a legend, if you think of someone and that person appears before you, it is said to indicate that they
The bodyguard is a man in his early thirties with muscles that can rival a gym trainer who hasn’t had a day off in years. The tech guy imprisoned me and Ben in my room. First, I had a doubt, but now I’m hundred percent sure that Denzel left the two of them here to keep an eye on me. Guess he does know me well. It’s been ten minutes since they’ve left, but the muscular guy hasn’t trained his eyes away from the both of us for a second. If he wasn’t Denzel’s man, I’d be super creeped out. I’ve got to find a way. “Mommy,” Ben nudges at the sleeve of my shirt. “I need to pee.” A bulb glows in my head. “Let’s go then!” I enthusiastically drag Ben to the bathroom when the guy blocks my way. “You heard him, mister. My son needs to use the loo.” I even gesture to him using my pinky finger, but he stands at the threshold, blocking my view. “Step aside.” I try again, but to no avail. His expression is as stoic as a corpse’s. “I believe he can go by himself, ma’am.” His voice is as gru
The moment seems to be frozen in place. I can’t budge from my position at the end of the staircase and my eyes are glued shut. The gunshot still reverberates in my head, but the sound is gradually fading out. Startled hearing the sound of footsteps, my eyelids lift and his face comes into my view. Chiselled jaw, lips thinned in anger, and his electric blue eyes staring into my petrified ones. He crosses the few inches between us in a long stride and grabs my forearm. He drags me behind him upstairs without care or concern. “Stop!” My voice breaks. Is he really a murderer? Did I just witness him kill someone? Will he kill me too, to erase the evidence? He turns around and faces me in a swift move. My arm in his grip hurts. He’s sure to leave his hand imprint on me. “What are you doing here?” He yells at the top of his lungs. His high-pitched tone makes me tremble and turn into a puddle of scared mess. Gone is the calm and easygoing CEO Denzel Flynn and the man who stands before me