>>Seraphina
As the hands closed around my throat, an instinct for survival surged within me. Panic fueled my fight-or-flight response, and in that harrowing moment, flight was not an option. My fingers clawed desperately at the vice-like grip, fighting for precious air.
Summoning a surge of strength, I shifted my weight, attempting to destabilize my assailant as my oxygen supply began to run short.
NO!
In a burst of desperation, I brought my knee sharply upward, aiming for the vulnerable area between his legs.
"AH!!!" The intended strike found its mark, and his grip momentarily loosened as a pained groan escaped him.
Seizing the opportunity I tried to stand up but noticed the other hands reaching for me, I pivoted and drove my elbow forcefully into the midsection of the person trying to choke me from the side. The brief reprieve allowed me to break free from their grasp, stumbling backward to create some distance. The room spun as I fought to regain my bearings, my breaths coming in ragged gasps and I could sense the burn around my neck.
Despite the pain radiating through my body, a surge of adrenaline fueled my determination. In a defiant act of self-preservation, I scanned the room for any object that could serve as a makeshift weapon. My eyes settled on a heavy ashtray nearby, and without hesitation, I snatched it up, wielding it as a deterrent as the burly goons came after me.
"STAY BACK!" My voice came out very high pitched.
The assailant, momentarily taken aback, eyed the impromptu weapon warily. It became a tense standoff, the ashtray serving as a symbol of my determination to protect myself, "Stay away from me," I glared at them, "Don't try to come close or else,"
"Or else what!" The man I elbowed step forward, his face full of rage
"Back off!" My voice trembled but it was also resolute
The tension hung in the air, the silence broken only by the distant throb of music from the club outside. In that precarious moment, I stood my ground, ashtray in hand, and then I slowly backed away.
My heart was pounding loudly in my chest as I made a slow escape backwards. Still clutching the glass ashtray defensively, an involuntary gasp escaped me as my back collided with an unexpected presence.
OH!!?? My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach as a sense of immediate dread took over.
Startled, I shot my body around to face the intruder, raising the ashtray in the air to crash it against the head of whoever was behind me but in return my eyes widening in disbelief.
My action was swiftly stopped when the newcomer held my wrist tightly in mid-air and he stared at me with a disappointed expression.
There, standing before me, was my boss, owner, or whatever, Azef, his enigmatic gaze fixed upon the chaotic scene unfolding. The room charged with menace, fell into an eerie silence as the weight of his presence settled upon us.
Azef wasn't bothered by what he saw at all, "What seems to be the issue here?" His voice was calm but his tone wasn't
Oh no...
My attempts to compose myself were futile, my hands began to tremble. The assailant, caught between the threat of the makeshift weapon and the disapproving scrutiny of Azef, took a hesitant step back. That's when his gaze dropped onto me again.
"I warned you, didn't I?" His gray eyes peered into mine, "I told you to behave,"
" He... He tried to..." I tried to speak as I looked back, exposing my neck, "I didn't start it." I looked back at him and saw his eyes lingering on my neck. It made me self conscious. I guess they left some sort of bruise of injury there.
Azef let my wrist go, then raised hand to silence me. He turned his gaze towards the would-be assailants with an arched eyebrow.
"Explain yourself." He said, "I'm listening."
The men, now visibly uneasy, looked at each other for a moment, then looked back at the owner of the club.
"She was being rude," One of them spoke,
"So you assaulted her?" Azef's voice held a menacing aura,
"You should have taught your staff better!" One of the others said but it seemed to trigger the others and they immediately slapped his mouth shut.
"We had no intention of assaulting her." The original harasser said, "She brought it upon herself!!"
I scoffed silently. Brought it upon myself!?
"You-" I started but the next word just seemed to get caught up in my mouth, "You-" Azef looked back at me as my hands slowly traveled to my backside. He seemed to notice it but chose not to defend me.
"I told to remain silent, didn't I?"
I was at a loss but what could I say? I looked down in shame while he turned to talk to his guests again.
The faint vibrations of my phone in my pocket caught my attention then, but it also sent a ripple of anxiety through me. Who's calling me so late in the night? I took out my phone and glanced at the screen, and the sight of my father's name heightened my apprehension.
!!!
The call was unexpected, and the timing was anything but ideal. My gaze shifted nervously towards Azef, engrossed in his conversation with the unruly patrons.
Feeling a surge of panic, I decided to slip away discreetly and take the call. The private enclave offered a brief respite from the chaos outside, and I tiptoed towards the emergency exit, hoping to escape Azef's notice. The conversation between Azef and the thugs provided a distraction, but the stakes were high. I had no idea what dad wanted but I didn't want Azef to misunderstand.
I slipped into the dimly lit corridor, pressing the phone to my ear.
"Dad? What's going on?"
"You bitch!!" He started with curses, "Where the hell are you?!" He yelled at me but I was sort of expecting that.
"Dad," I tried to keep calm, "Where are you?" I asked solely because I wanted to have information I could give to Azef and make sure he doesn't fire me from the job.
The past few days at the apartment have been great, the environment isn't dark, there's hot water and proper lighting. I don't want him to throw me out.
"I'm the one asking!!" His voice was so loud I had to move the phone away from my ear to keep my ear from ringing, "Where are you!!! Did you take the little brat with you!?" He sounded resentful, "Huh!!? Is that it?! ANSWER ME!!!"
"...Yea," I replied, "I took Eris with me!!"
"What gives you the right!!" I didn't understand why he was being so loud and obnoxious about me not being home, "What gives you the right to move and sell the house!!!"
"Sell the house?" I was disturbed by his words. What did he mean by that? Sell the house? I've been living in the apartment ever since I met Azef. I didn't even get the time to go back to the house or see what was happening there.
But then it clicked
Ah...
It made sense. Their boss must have gotten his hands on it. There was no one to defend it, so he must have seized the opportunity to auction it off or something.
"Where are you!!" He seemed drunk, like he usually is, "Tell me, tell me why did you sell the house!"
My brain did its thing and I wondered, how does he know about the house when even I didn't know?
"Dad," I had a suspicion, "Did you come back home?" I asked, "Are you there?"
"What do you think, you wench?" His voice crackled through the line, conveying a sense of urgency. Before I could get the details, something happened.
His fingers seized a fistful of my hair from the back, and with a swift, forceful motion, he yanked my head back, "AH!" The sharp pain shot through me, and a gasp escaped as the world seemed to momentarily tilt on its axis.
Azef's voice boomed from behind me, "You've been in contact with your father?" I turned slowly, the color draining from my face as I faced Azef's piercing gaze, "That's a dangerous game you're playing, Kitten."
My heart rate immensely shot up.
The phone call hung in the air, the untimely interruption unraveling the thin thread of my attempt to slip away unnoticed.
"It's just my dad. I..." I stammered as I tried to speak.
Azef's expression hardened, his disapproval evident. His eyes bore into mine, his scrutiny unwavering, "What?" The pain in my scalp intensified as Azef's grip tightened, and fear gripped me in its icy embrace. The corridor felt narrow as I struggled to find my voice amid the unsettling silence.
I felt frantic, "Azef, sir, please! The call—it was unexpected! I didn't plan it!" I tried to explain myself, "I had no idea he would call me out of nowhere!"
His gaze remained unyielding, the intensity of his scrutiny almost suffocating. I felt the need to explain, to convey the genuine surprise and lack of intention behind my father's call.
"I swear, it wasn't planned." My voice trembled, "He just called, and I..." I brought the phone back to my ear but all I heard was the engaged dial tone which made my heart drop.
Azef's fingers loosened slightly, allowing a breath of relief to escape. The corridor seemed to expand, if only by a fraction, and I seized the opportunity to continue my desperate explanation.
I pleaded, "I didn't mean to keep anything from you. I didn't know he would call. Please, you have to believe me." I don't know why I was begging him but I just felt like I had to make sure there was no miscommunication between us. There was this fear inside of me, an unknown fear, that I just couldn't explain.
"I heard," He said, "So, he's back at your house?"
I nodded meekly, "Yes..."
He stepped away, "Alright," I noticed something odd on his face. He had a grim expression on but it also seemed like he was in pain.
He turned around and left without saying anything further.
***
>>Azef
I stumbled into my office, a disorienting wave of dizziness washing over me. The weight on my chest felt like an unseen force, and the air seemed to thicken with an unsettling warmth. Panic set in as I rushed towards the private bathroom, urgency fueled by a sense of foreboding.
Locking the door behind me, I confronted my reflection in the dimly lit room. Beads of sweat adorned my forehead, and an unsettling chill ran through my veins. Gripping the edges of the sink, a deep, rasping cough erupted from within me, each convulsion sending shockwaves through my body.
Blood splattered into the pristine sink, a macabre display of vulnerability that I wasn't accustomed to. The metallic taste lingered on my tongue, and confusion etched across my face.
I stared at myself in the mirror, staring at the blood about my mouth.
As the fit subsided, I leaned heavily against the sink, catching my breath
What is this??!
What is happening??
This doesn't make any sense