The next morning Silla sighed and propped her crossed arms atop the bar counter. Last night Katya had taken her to her apartment and let her stay the night; then took her to work in the morning.
Her early morning hangover hurt her eyes and the flashing lights that seemed to come together like watercolors weren't helping anything. It was as though, despite the roaringly loud conversations of nearby customers and the music playing from the speakers, the usual boring atmosphere remained the same. Perhaps she'd gotten used to the chaos of this place? Or maybe she was just in a haze from the hangover?
Deep down Silla knew all she really wanted was a safe place to lay her head and for a split second even wished that someone would just swoop her off her feet and whisk her away into a better life. Though the very thought made her laugh as the chances of that were slim to none.
Grunting, she got up when her name was called snapping her out of her daydreams. "Sil give these drinks to table five," Another waiter named Kael shouted at her. Swiftly, she grabbed the tray with the brightly glowing alcoholic drinks and made her way to the table carefully gliding across the floor as the blinding lights flashed.
"Here's your drinks sir," She spoke faking politeness as the rather hairy man in his early twenty's eyed her; the man happily taking his alcoholic beverages but just as she was about to leave, he grabbed her arm causing her to halt.
"If you let me, slide my hand up your skirt. I'll give you a hefty tip." The man asked smirking as she turned to face him staring blankly; her tired eyes staring back at him blankly as she looked down at him with a resting bitch face.
The atmosphere around them quickly turned awkwardly quiet as an confused crept up her face. "W-What?" Silla stood in shock. This couldn't be happening. She must have just imagined it. In fake scenarios she always thought she would tell the person off but when it actually happened she was too shocked to mentally process anything.
Charlize however spotting the situation had an expression and utterly ravenous look on her face. How dare he say something so vulgar to her innocent little bartender. She knew that Silla could fend for herself but at the moment she seemed to be in her own little world.
The tall woman acted quickly and came to the young girl's rescue. "If you have something more to say then wait until after business hours. But to be honest I'm not in the mood right now," Charlize spoke blatantly to the unwelcome burley customer.
At her response he immediately started sweating. "Uh... Ah, this is not... I mean-" He stumbled out nervously before she cut him off.
"Look... I'm going to give you two options." She spoke holding her two finger up.
"Shut the hell up and get lost or I'm going to rip all your skin off and make a carpet," She whispered into his ear. It wasn't long after that one comment that his mouth immediately closed into a straight line. His face scrunching up as if he ate a lemon while he cowered away until he finally got up the cottage to quickly scamper across the floor like a rat making a swift exit towards the door. Not even bothering to finish his drinks.
Charlize was satisfied and Silla couldn't stop the snicker she had been holding in. They both had their daily mischief and it seemed the perfect opportunity to wreak havoc had already presented itself. Thankfully, these things only happened every once in a while and wouldn't distract them too much from their regular work.
Going back to her tasks as time passed Silla quickly got bored. She made a few drinks and handed them out to their respective owners and sat down as her shift was starting to come to an end. Closing hours were upon them and it was her job to make sure the kitchen was ready for tomorrow.
Finishing inventory she grabbed a mop and a bucket and headed to the kitchen so she could start cleaning the grimy tile floors. Though once in the kitchen her coworker seemed to be chatting about something and Silla had nothing better to do so she decided to listen in on the gossip. "Did you hear about Black Sun taking over another part of the lower ring last night?" She heard one of her coworkers whisper to another employee. If Silla remembered correctly Black Sun was a major crime syndicate in the upper ring...
But why were they all the way down here? Near the edge of the lower ring where nothing valuable is ever found or made. "Yeah, I did it's crazy and it was near us too," her friend replied nervously.
"The news reports said that during the attack the leader gathered all the female captives with blue eyes and one... By... one... After his inspection he would... Pluck out their eyes," she spoke with a sinister tone only making the story all the more mysterious; anyhow what she said didn't surprise Silla at all seeing as she had also heard rumors that Black Sun's psycho leader likes to kill people and hang their mutilated corpses over the upper rings walls for decoration.
"I'd also heard that Black Sun summoned a bunch of women in the upper ring last month and the one that orchestrated it was the leader. It was said that he went around in person and examined those women one by one like he did previously. No one knows why he does this. It almost seems like he's searching for something... Or someone," Kael the main waiter added into the mystery.
From what they knew Black Sun was a new organization that appeared out of nowhere seven years ago. No one knew their purpose or their members, but they destroyed branches of major underworld crime groups one after another, as if telling people to watch and learn. Black Sun became a serious threat in no time. Even though many people put up huge rewards, not a single clue came to the surface. At least other than the testimony of a soul surviving witness. Who stated that they wore white masks and black robes during the attack.
Silla sighed. She shouldn't have been ease dropping.
Nonetheless, many have speculated on what Black Sun's leader looks like, but no one has actually seen him. It gives him a sort of mysterious allure. Silla personally didn't keep up with the gossip and news surrounding the mob rulers. Most of it was probably false anyway.
Deciding to get some fresh air she left out the back door.
"You have anything of value?" A voice from the alley behind the bar sounded. Her heart rose in panic but she reached for her pocket knife in her boot.
"No, but I have this." Silla grabbed it and flicked the gleaming blade open and held it to his throat.
"Woah woah hey! Calm down, lady. I was just joking." He said as she glared daggers at him then recognizing who he was. Kael. The main server. The annoying man was usually busy flirting it up with the ladies rather than doing his job.
"Geez why are you so uptight? It's just a dark alley. What are you so scared of?" He asked with the kind of ignorance only a man would have.
"You're a guy you could never understand. You don't have to worry if someones gonna try to fuck you in the ass when you're walking home from the grocery store late at night." She rolled her eyes as he went back inside with a wink.
Looking back up to the night sky Silla blew a few deep breathes and watched as it dissipated into the night sky. She should've been home by now, but she wanted to delay the inevitable.
Purposely, she slowed her pace as she took the path home...
Arriving she opened the squeaking door of her house and was met with dead silence. Though she was shocked when she heard a sudden scream.
The scream tore through Silla like a great shard of glass. She felt her eyes widen, and pulse quicken, her heart thudding like a rock rattling in box. The scream came again, desperate, terrified... human. The blood drained from her face and before she was even aware of making a conscious decision her legs were pounding furiously on the uneven floorboards, her ears straining for more sounds, more clues as to where it had come from in the house. Sills had no clue as to what she'd do when she got there, just that she had to get there, fast; the scream it was female and she recognized who it was.
In fear she finally stumbled into the living room her hands shaking. She saw her stepmother held up by a fist full of her long blonde hair. Above Selena her bastard father held a look on his face akin to one of a demon and was pulling her mom up to her knees by her thin hair as she clenched her teeth in helpless pain.
At the mere sight Silla felt a dull pain in her jaw at how hard she clenched her teeth together in anger and seeing Silla standing in the doorway he dropped her mother with a loud thud and went after her.
Instead of fear though she felt nothing but fury. Fury at his control over them. His control completely suffocating their free will. Granted, her lack of a response and fear seemed to infuriate him to the point that he clamped his hand around her throat. "I could kill you this second," he spat in her face. His grip on her throat tightened and- she glared at him in defiance.
In surprise he dropped her to the floor. Only turning to look at her in pure hatred as he spit on Silla.
The second he stepped away Selena quickly came to her. She looked at Silla softly as the corner of her eyes already formed tears and Silla gently wiped her tears and put her forehead on top of hers. Breathing slowly she closed her eyes and felt Selena trembling.
Silla could feel her mothers shaky hands cling onto her shirt while they held each other. Slowly, she felt something wet on my shoulder. A drop of water. Tears.
She was crying. Silla watched helplessly as tears started to flow from her eyes, falling to her cheeks. As she sobbed into her neck, all she could do was hold her tight and stroke her hair as gently as possible.
"It's okay now... It's over," Silla spoke softly. Out of all the pain, she has been through this moment was one of the most painful.
"I'll get us out of here... I promise," She whispered to her.
To Be Continued...