A Shocking Revelation

Alicia's POV:

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 me with terror.

This wasn't the help I envisioned.

"Um..." I opened my mouth and closed it, simultaneously speechless and terrified. What was going on?

What was going to happen to me?

My heart sped up and I took a step back warily.

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

“No!” I yelled at him, my voice breaking and I tried to retreat to a corner. My breaths came out in pants and I screamed, "Leave me alone! Don't touch me!!"

But it was too late. He had taken hold of my arm and gave it a pull.

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

"Struggling will not help you little girl," the man's voice was thick and accented, almost drawling. "It won't take me long to break this twiggy arm of yours."

His threat sank into me with a heaviness and I froze into place.

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.

As we walked, I felt the warmth of an air  vent on my legs every couple of seconds. The dungeon was quiet, save for the echoing of our footsteps. I shuffled in front of the man who gave a raspy grunt now and then and squeezed his hand over my arm as if to warn me to keep on moving. I got the point and didn't dare to stop.

Then, to my utmost surprise, the dreary dungeon scenery changed as we turned a corner and I found myself gaping at the pristine walls in front of me.

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.

Another dreadful warning reminding me of my situation.

I gulped and nodded and made my feet walk faster. Sounds of birds chirping reached my ears as we walked past an open courtyard, sunlight streaming in and painting everywhere in an ethereal golden glow.

The man then 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.

What would anyone want with a nobody like me?

“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 scene before me with mild curiosity and disbelief.

The sun light highlighted 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.

He was a predator, and I knew my senses couldn't lie.

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.

Did I know him? It couldn't be, I shook my head mentally. His face wasn't one that I had seen before.

“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. I don't know anything. Believe me. 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. Now... 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. Did that other scary guy work for him? He must be into shady business if so...

Oh my God, what have I gotten myself into?

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

“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 older looking man's portrait 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. Money, connections, whatever you can dream of. This man has it. Even the President has to work to gain his approval. There is nothing he doesn’t have his hand in, and he has enough influence to shape this country,” the man chuckled darkly, leaving a shiver running down my spine. "The Duncan family is one of the most important political families in the world." Then he 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. Doing that would only drive me more scared.

My eyes traced the lines of the photograph, a confused look on my face. What did a senator of all people have to do with me?

What was I involved in?

I really didn't understand. My entire life, I had stayed away from anything too exciting, too outrageous. I wasn't interested in politics, in making a statement, in ANYTHING other than living a peaceful life. This was something new I wasn't used to, and I was still taking it all in.

Seconds passed in silence as the young maid stacked the plates and wiped the table clean before bowing to the man.

Once the girl left, shuffling away with a tray laden with tinkling dishes, my captor said something else that made me stiffen.

“Did you know? This man, Senator Duncan, is your dearest father.”

…