"How do you feel about this design, Maddie?" The girl peered into the image that had popped up on her screen and hummed thoughtfully. "I like it," she answered with a smile. "Although you could dial back on the lace. Anymore and anyone who's wearing it would end up looking like a curtain." "Oh come off it Maddie," said a voice from the laptop's speakers. "Need I remind you how many lace items you own? Most of which belong to a specific room in the house–" "Okay!" Madison cut the voice off immediately, her face burning crimson with embarrassment. "Enough of that. Keep your lace, you fashion maniac." At the edge of the screen, the face of a beautiful spectacled young lady smirked at her proudly. "Hey, you're the one who'll be relying on this fashion maniac to keep your company from sinking once you take over. Don't make me feel like retiring before I even get started." Madison rolled her eyes at her best friend's antics and laughed. Clicking a button on her keyboard, she saved th
Brown eyes narrowed with a focus behind a layer of glass and plastic. Her finger hovered over the trigger cautiously, waiting until the right moment. Several meters away at the end of a narrow passage, a hidden mechanism caused a human-shaped target to pop out of the wall. She fired repeatedly immediately, hitting the target at various points marked out by concentric circles. Eventually, the clip ran out, leaving only empty clicks as her finger subconsciously continued to squeeze the trigger. Madison exhaled the breath she had been holding, the scent of gunpowder rushing in with her next breath. It was somewhat cathartic in a weird way. She placed the Ruger .22 pistol on the gun rack and left the shooting platform. In the room beside hers, Carl practiced his shots with a shotgun that blasted round after devastating round at mobile targets that appeared randomly. Madison observed him, noting how smooth his movements seemed. The look of concentration on his face was a sharp contrast
The afternoon sun bathed the earth as green vegetation and tall trees glided peacefully against the wind which provided shade for the inhabitants of the city. One could hear the birds singing, as they soared with freedom in the sky. Colorful flowers and grass by the sides of the pathway created a glorious sight for people who wanted to take pictures or just soak in nature’s amazing wealth in beauty. The voices of little children playing in the sands could be heard and so was the sound of the swings and the barks from the excited dogs, that were being pulled on leashes by their owners. They both were in the park, completely drenched in water from the fountain that spewed out water like a volcano in eruption. Lying on their backs, they both seemed not to care about the attention they had attracted for themselves from the crowd. Who could blame them though? They were both drenched in water with a little bit of mud, like little children. “Oh my gosh!—I have never felt this happy in a wh
It has been approximately four days since the incident at the ball. Madison knew time was running out for her and in no time, she will be attending her wedding, dressed in a flowing white gown and sealing her fate with fake assurances which she had no choice but to say and listen to the word “I do.” She was soon going to say goodbye to the things that made life meaningful to her. Things that she cherishes so much. she was going to have to leave it all and explore the one which had been laid bare for her to experience. To make matters worse, she already felt like her life is in constant danger as she had received countless death notes from unknown people, who to her, seemed to know everything about who she is. She had almost lost her life once when a stranger had tried to stab her but ended up missing and was only able to slit her wrist and dashed away, as soon as Carl came for her rescue. She had avoided letting her parents in, on the latest happenings as that could only make thing
“Why is big Rufus leaving?...” Claire asked Madison, as she squished her stuffed brown teddy bear against her body. “You mean Carl?” Madison asked and let out a light chuckle. “I bet he has some business to get to—he’ll be back.” She assured the little girl while adjusting her hair strand. “Are you both a couple?” “Claire!!” her mother’s voice reverberated in the room. Her eyebrows curved into an arch, as she looked displeased by the question asked. Claire turned her head and stared at her mother innocently like she had done nothing wrong. Her eyelids fluttered, as her mother shook her head at her. “No, it’s fine,” Madison said to the young woman, who looked like she was about to explode any moment from then. She didn’t want the young sweetheart to be punished, not when she had done nothing wrong. It was alright for the little girl to be curious. “And no Claire, we aren’t a couple,” Madison replied the little girl, with a smile. “That’s a shame…you both would have been a perfec
Time seemed to have gone to a standstill for Carl, as he remained in his position, unmoving. Even as the policeman advanced cautiously toward him, he never for once turned back to stare at him. The voice of the policeman, who seemed a bit frightened of him, boomed in his ears. “Move and I shoot!” he warned as his threats flowed out in stutters, which was proof of how frightened he was. He had never met Carl before or known him but he was sure that the silent man before him, had an idea of what happened at the hospital. His hands shook as he aimed his pistol at Carl’s head. Even as his companions, took cover behind the four other police vehicles in the vicinity, he still did not feel assured of his safety. He signaled some of them, to go into the building and check up on those insides, and they complied. Finally, getting to Carl’s position, he handcuffed his hands. Seeing that Carl’s hands were cuffed, the rest of the policemen, walked right out of their covers, as they advanced tow
The ride back home was short and silent, as Madison and Carl were both being driven back to the mansion in a black Rolls-Royce.Neither of them tried to break the awkward silence, as Madison just stared out the window and Carl had his eyes shut.Madison had gone to bail him out earlier that day and this time around, it wasn’t difficult as due to her background, the police hurriedly released Carl and had to plead with Madison when they found out he was as innocent as she had claimed.She watched as the little droplets of rain danced on the main road and watched as trees and buildings, seemed to move past the car.She looked like she was in deep thought and truly, she was. In just one day, too much had happened which had confused her. The incident at the hospital, why Carl had run off after the lady, and what had happened when he caught up with the lady.“Are you ok?” Carl asked with an indifferent look, as he glanced at Madison.Madison did not bother to stare back at him but kep
For the next couple of weeks, Madison began to notice that Carl was acting strange. He was always giving a cold attitude to strangers and would glare at anyone that tried to approach her.Sometimes, he would prevent people from talking to her and was always suspicious of most of her employees, which she did not like.Talking to him and trying to find out what was wrong was like trying to break a rock with an egg, as he didn’t seem to want to let the cat out of the bag. Even his attitude towards her began to change, as most times, he would try to avoid her by trying to keep less conversation with her. She didn’t like his cold shoulders, as she have already begun to accept him as a trustworthy friend and someone she could rely on. Her heart occasionally squeezed, when he did not respond to most of her questions.It was Friday and the sun had already risen. The black car shone under the sun’s Rays, giving off a majestic feeling.Madison was rushing to work and Carl was going to d
Walking into the old abandoned building, Carl set Madison down on the ground as he wiped off the sweat on his forehead. He examined her wound with a deep frown on his face and although it was just a little scratch that would heal in days, he was still angry and bloodthirsty. He wanted to harm those that have put her in such a situation. He wanted to hear them cry out to him for forgiveness as he makes them go through so much more than Madison had experienced. “Madison.” He called out to her while moving a few strands of bloodied hair, away from her face. He bite his lower lip as soon as she did not respond. He was very tired and quickly sat beside Madison while placing her head on his lap. He did not want her to feel sore when she regains consciousness. “Once everything is over, I’ll give you the life you deserve.” He swore as he patted her head, slowly. For some time, there was peace and quiet as Carl just leaned on the brick wall with Madison’s head resting properly on his lap with
“What do you mean ?” Carl voiced out with concern. He was tensed and it was evident on his face how wary he was. “You will find out.” Lilith just said to him before she hung up. Carl inserted his phone back into his pocket and walked back into the room in a haste. He ignored the worried stare he was getting from Madison and walked towards the wardrobe, pulling out a bag from it. “What’s wrong?” Madison asked him as she stood up from the bed. She was worried, as she had no idea what was going on. It had barely been five minutes since Carl stepped out, only for him to return. She could feel that he was worried and it alarmed her. “We are leaving right now!” he simply said to her without taking a glance at her and just began to take out the bags. “Now? Why?” Madison asked him, as she followed him out. Now she was curious to know what was happening. She followed after him, as she went down the stairs. The floorboards creaked as soon as they were stepped on. “What’s going on?” Paul
A splash of cold water was all it took for Alesha to wake up. She gasped and her eyelashes fluttered before she looked around to observe her surroundings. The rattling of the chains bound to her reechoed in her eardrums. She was lost and, aside from that, she did not recognize where she was. She could almost hear her heartbeat pick up pace as it pounded hard against her ribcage like it was trying to escape its prison in her chest. She reeked of sweat and blood and her hair was damp with her sweat. Now, she could see them…her kidnappers, and they all had menacing looks on their faces like they weren’t there to play. They meant serious business and she knew that if she offended them, she might not be left off that easy. She quickly stared at her legs, as the thought of what had happened previously, clouded her mind. Surprisingly, her legs were perfectly fine. There were no bruises, nothing. “What sorcery is this?” she questioned her insanity In doubt as she was sure that just some fe
Carl and Madison arrived at their destination, a small building. Looking at the environment, Madison began to admire the work of nature as a smile beamed on her face. She could see a garden by the side of the house and a few flowers by the side of the porch. This was what she wanted, to live in a normal house, without any worries, and not in a mansion like her family. She didn’t need all that money and having to attend huge parties thrown by a celebrity or a governor. She wanted to live a simple life and she was sure she was going to like her stay here.Carl walked to the porch and pressed lightly on the doorbell, immediately, they could both hear the faint sound of music coming from within the house. Soon, the door opened and a little girl peeked out from behind the door.“Sam,” Carl said with a smile on his face as he stared at the young girl.“Uncle Carl.” The girl said excitedly, as she ran out and hugged Carl by the waist.Madison looked at the little girl without knowing whether
[WARNING! CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT, NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNG READERS.]Time paused as soon as Carl just remained still while looking at her in disbelief. “Are you sure you want this?” he asked her and she nodded. “What if it hurt?” he asked her with a creased brow.“I don’t mind the pain…I am tired of keeping my virginity Carl, this is my life and I decide what I want to do with it…I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Carl. I want you to take me as yours…I want...” “Shhh.” He shushed, cutting her off while placing a finger on her lips. “I am all yours.” He said as he allowed her to slide down his shorts and gawk at his hardness.Madison swallowed nervously, as she had never seen a man’s genital before and this was her first time. She stared at his face and at the bulge, nervous.Carl seemed to notice how she felt, so he took it upon himself and slowly pushed his bulge through her slick and bloodied entrance and stopped when he saw her contort her face in discomfort and pain. Sh
Carl and Madison boarded a cab, as soon as they finally arrived at their destination but she had no idea where she was going. She was still in her wedding gown and was still attracting people’s attention to herself, which she did not like.“Where are we going?” she asked Carl, as she took a glance at their unfamiliar surroundings. The smell of wet earth and grass, filled her nostrils, as the cab sped past buildings and trees.“We are going to look for a place to stay.” He replied instead and smiled at her. His indifferent look was nowhere to be seen as he spoke to her.“Are you two a couple?” the cab man couldn’t help but ask as he stared at the duo from the rearview mirror. “I don’t mean to offend anyone, I’m just curious.” He said to them and Madison smiled.“Don’t mind the gown…we are not...” “Yes, we are married,” Carl said, interrupting her while placing a palm on her hand. “We just got married.” He added and Madison gawked at him in surprise.The cabman smiled as he glanced at
The sounds of sirens broke the peaceful atmosphere, as corpses were being conveyed from the wedding venue to the morgue by ambulance. Even the police had stormed the place, as they handcuffed the perpetrator and led him toward the police van not caring about treating his injured shoulder or bruised face. Family members of the deceased, either wailed or threw curses at Chase for killing their loved ones. The press did not miss such a golden opportunity, as they asked questions and took pictures for their story. Chase sat at the back of the van handcuffed, with a few guards of his who only broke a few bones and some policemen. He did not say a word but cursed in his heart with hatred. He suddenly began to wish he had shot Carl himself, instead of letting his guards do it. But now, there was no need to cry over spilled milk. This wasn’t how he had expected it to go. His vision was dulled by the blood seeping out slowly from his wounded forehead. Soon, the van started moving and he
“You!” Chase said as he stared at Carl in disbelief. “How are you still… “ he said before he trailed off. His eyes darted toward Madison and he could see a smile on her lips, from the thin transparent veil over her face. He felt his heart bleed and his blood boil like it was being cooked. The congregation was confused, as they stared at the mysterious man at the church’s entrance. Madison’s parents were both confused and relieved to have Carl there. They wondered why he had come alone and what he was going to do, while they were relieved that his presence alone, might be what they needed to save their daughter from making a mistake. “What are you waiting for?!” Chase bellowed at his guards, as he inched closer to Madison. “Kill the intruder!! “ he ordered but before they could pull out their weapons, sounds of gunshots reverberated in the hall, gunning them down. Sounds of screams of panic filled the hall, as the congregation began to rub Helter skelter, trampling on one another,
It was finally the day of the wedding. Madison was getting dressed and ready. Even as she smiled at them, only she knows that within her, she wasn’t happy.She had a feeling of dread for the wedding and she felt like something bad was going to happen. To her, she felt like she was making a mistake, a huge one.She wanted to seize an opportunity and run out of the Mansion, never turning to look back but considering what was at stake if she did that, she decided to remove any thought of escape from her head. There was no escaping this for her, not ever.She was doomed to marry someone she did not love, even as she heard his confession. After getting turned down by Carl, she felt that with time, she might fall in love with Chase but it never happened. Carl had stopped coming to her after she had rejected his offer to help. Maybe he had moved on with his life, she did not know but she certainly missed him.Even Alesha had stopped coming to see her and gave her cold shoulders. She di