Crystal
Morning light squinted through the parted curtains filling the room, making me groan and bury my head under the pillow. Surprisingly, there were no arms securing me at a place or limiting my movements today. Opening my eyes, I turned and greeted an empty bed. It was cold, hinting that the person left a long time ago. The 7 a.m. alarm rang on bedside table making me sit lazily and secure my wild hairs in a bun. To suppress the yawn, I brought my left hand to cover my mouth but froze immediately. If my eyes were barely open before, they widen as saucers now noticing a priceless stone shining under the glow of Sun. My lips parted in shock as slowly my fingers glided on its well-furnished
ValentineThe man in front of me gurgles on blood with tears streaming down his eyes, pathetically. A knife was jammed in his left thigh, deep enough to penetrate from another side. His once white shirt was torn and pants were covered in red. My lawyer was still busy in counting his funds, ignoring the entire scene. He played as if the two of us didn't even exist at the moment. The man in front of me is an old employee, Mr. Charles. This man was appointed to take care of the finance department about 10 years ago. When I and my men were busy in doing settlements, he was stealing a hefty amount of sum from our pockets. Until now, the bastard gulped nearly twenty million. My lawyer, Evan Tucker was busy in exploring Mr. Charles’ properties and bank balance in order to retrieve the stolen amount. People think that t
Crystal"Let me go. Let me go!" I screamed in obscurity as the foggy devil laughed watching me writhing in pain. My entire body quacked with each blow of a whip that splits open the flesh. I fought hard against those shackles but they were too heavy to move, digging in the bruised flesh, leaving my body numb. "Let me go. Valentine! Valentine!" I screamed for my husband to come for my rescue. Maybe he could hear me and chase this darkness away. My entire being roared in burning pain and head throbbed. The panic was so hard for me to lose control over the bladder. "Crystal." A frantic voice of Valentine echoed in my ears making my dying struggles resurface once again."
CrystalI turned off the dryer and brushed my hair tenderly. My eyes were glaring at Valentine's image in the mirror, who was busy working on his laptop for the past three hours. It was starting to get on my nerves now. Huffing a frustrated cry, I threw the comb on the dressing table making some noise to gain his attention. Still, his eyes didn't budge from the satin screen and I pressed my lips. Defeated, I entered into the closet and slipped into pajamas. It was eleven at night, the best time to go to bed. Walking towards the bed, I spread the covers and patted my pillow for imaginary dust before sliding inside. The lights of the room were on, flaring my temper further. How could a person sleep in so much light? Moments later I found myself counting back from hundred, ready to lose consciousness. I felt the mattress dipping a bit feeling him lean and turn off the light
CrystalI failed to stop the bubble of laughter building in my throat and erupted with giggles again. My eyes moistened and stomach ached because of it. It became difficult to even stand straight. Valentine scoffs, but a look of discomfort crosses his face again making him purse his lips immediately. He looked blue. "Shut up, Crystal. It isn't funny. I think I am gonna throw up." He muttered urgently and instantly turned away to gag. I laughed harder taking the support of a fence in the amusement park. "Are you scared, Crystal? Don't be, just hold my hand tight. I swear you are going to enjoy thi
Valentine“You are home so early?” Lola asked surprised the moment I entered the oak double doors of the mansion. I smiled at her vibrant expression and kissed her cheek in greeting. “I imagined spending this afternoon with three most important ladies of my life,” I said searching for beautiful silver eyes that didn’t show up like other times listening to my voice.“Well, Valerie is out to get groceries for her new dish and Crystal has gone upstairs to fetch gifts for everyone. Why don’t you go and give her a hand? She is taking too long.” Lola teased the watchful eyes of the master of the mansion before going back to arranging the dining table. I winked at the old lady and rushed towards my room to greet my lovely wife. S
ValentineSweat dripped from my burning skin as I ran around the mansion panting heavily. “Did you get her?” Harman yelled from the terrace catching my attention and I shook my head. My mind was in a constant race. How the fuck she ran away in such a delicate condition? I licked my lips in anticipation and clutched my hairs in distress. Before dinner, when I went to check on her, she was unconscious. But at midnight, after a meeting when I decided to retire to bed, she was already gone. My heart was beating wildly thinking of various possibilities. Victor came from inside the mansion jogging with a few men. “She isn’t in the mansion for sure. We checked thoroughly. Maids are still searching for her inside. Let’s spread and
CrystalI woke up with a skull-shattering headache. My eyes watered with impact. Groaning loud, I opened my eyes and turned to find an empty bed. It was past ten in the morning. Good job, Crystal. What else you could expect from a man like Valentine? Sweet lovey-dovey talk after an intense night of lovemaking? He will gag himself or throw up whatever he had last night at the thought of it. Swallowing the pain, I limped to the bathroom while blushing hard over the soreness in private parts. Last night was so beautiful. His mouth didn’t tire once from telling how I am his world or how much he loves me. I felt complete. The moment I saw my face in the mirror, my jaw dropped. The woman seemed familiar but something was different about her. Do those numerous hickeys or red swollen lips count? Nope
CrystalSweat dripped from my forehead and breaths were labored as I ran under the night sky. I was trying to remain unnoticed but who else in their right mind will run like a crazy person in the deserted area. My feet thump loud on the open ground, reminding of the night when I escaped from that room in the very same fashion. That night also, I used the same tactic to escape. My desperate eyes searched for the hope in lone grounds. I wish the help reaches sooner. My heart galloped high like a manic, out of control. The bag on shoulder started to feel heavy and its rope digs in my shoulder. I slowed a bit to catch my breath. The mansion disappeared a long time ago. The darkness worked as an adv
6 months later“Fuck, I am so nervous,” Valentine mumbled earning a stink eye from women crowding the waiting room. Crystal chuckled softly and kissed his cheek. “Relax, you will be fine. It’s the first step, Valentine. Don’t be a loser.” She whispered in his ear and he looked at her helplessly. He immediately held her hand and kissed her knuckles, then brought it close to his wildly beating heart. Crystal rubbed his arm comfortingly and leaned her head on his shoulder. “We will be fine, Valentine. Just imagine our future, it will calm you down.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. A smile formed on his f
PresentRussiaWhen we look at stars on a clear night sky, we are, in a way, looking back in time. It’s a direct window to the past. The Big Bang theory attempts to explain to us the origin of the universe. It talks of a singular huge explosion unimaginable in physical terms. The universe expanded and hence, the temperature came down. Hydrogen and helium formed sometimes later. The gases condensed under gravitation and formed the galaxies of the present-day universe. Over the years, science has brought great changes in the universe. It has explained to us the phases of nature and changing seasons. Our mind has accepted it in one way or another and somehow limited the scope of superstition. We have learned how air is important and helps us
PresentThird PersonAlberto was left worried when he received such orders from Victor. But without asking questions, he obliged and immediately settled Lola and Valerie at the backseat of his car and drove straight to an unknown location. He was confused at first that why Victor didn’t ask Harman to do such a job because he was family. Alberto was just another employee. Valerie and Lola agreed to do so after receiving one call from Valentine. They sneaked out, hiding from all eyes and immediately took Alberto’s lead. The moment these three left the mansion through back door, Victor pulled out at the front. Jumping out of his car, he took long strides towards Valentine’s offi
9 months agoValentineSweat dripped from my burning skin as I ran around the mansion panting heavily. “Did you get her?” Harman yelled from the terrace catching my attention and I shook my head. My mind was in a constant race. How the fuck she ran away in such a delicate condition? I licked my lips in anticipation and clutched my hairs in distress. Before dinner, when I went to check on her, she was unconscious. But at midnight, after a meeting when I decided to retire to bed, she was already gone. My heart was beating wildly thinking of various possibilities. Victor came from inside the mansion jogging with a few men. “She isn’t in the mansion for sure
9 months agoCrystalI remember first learning that you can cry from any emotion, that emotions are chemical levels in your brain, trying to maintain an equilibrium. So, if one emotion skyrockets, that chemical becomes flagged and signals the tear duct to open as an exit, to release that emotion packaged neatly in tear. Everything made sense after learning that. That sudden stab
9 months agoCrystalIt is tragic to discover the monsters that took pleasure in serving you pain, have returned once again to hunt you down. It is tragic when they come back with more opacity caged in their hearts. It’s heartbreaking to discover that the person in whom you kept your faith was just a mask, hiding a ruthless and frightful demon behind. It’s a curse to conclude that the person you considered one of the best parts of your life was never there in the first place. What if it turns out to be an illusion fabricated by some trickster? When this illusion breaks and you come face to face with one person that scares you to death
9 months agoCrystal“What have you done, Crystal?” His booming voice resonated like a killing siren in office, almost giving me a cardiac arrest. I jumped and stumbled back when his eyes shot the first strike of hurt in my direction. The words were spoken with such ferocity that I almost came to tears, but I calmed myself by taking a deep breath and looked back in his eyes, holding the confidence.
9 months agoCrystalMr. Sharman looked conflicted, whether to expose this information to me or not. But one look from my side made him gulp, and he started speaking fluently. “The Russians asked for a disk I developed a few months ago, which contains every information and detail about our empire. From the portfolio of every employee, list of allies across the globe to the financial stats and account records. It has everything. They asked me to steal it and deliver it before the evening in exchange for my daughter and wife. Do you know where the disk is?” He asks and I nodded. Who the hell in their right mind would collect such complex and delicate information in one place? Only Valentine can think that way. This was a
PresentThe atmosphere inside cafe was warm compared to the chilly wind sweeping the streets outside. Dana’s place gave a homely vibe with the rich fragrance of bacon and coffee. As usual, the place was packed with customers. Waiters ran around wearing their sweetest smile as confidence, successfully earning good tips. The clatter of cutlery against the plate resonates along with whispers and heated discussions. Like always, Dana secured her place behind a fat register, counting her cash and ordering other workers to be swift and sharp. There was no space for sloppiness in the hour of business. Through her thick glasses, she roamed her alert eyes all around. In the midst, whenever her warm brown eyes met cold silver ones at the corner table, a ti