"I'm home!" I announce as I walk through the front door of my house empty house.
[Mom's at work for another hour. Dad will be gone for who knows how long this time. Looks like Mitch isn't home yet from school. I guess his bus got caught up in traffic or something.]
"Does that mean that I can come out?" Zaku asks from the hallway's darkness.
I stare at the two moonlike orbs that are floating in the darkness and simply sigh to myself. "Yes, you can come out. No one is home."
Stepping out of the darkness, I find a comfortably dressed man approaching me. "What do you think?"
"About?"
"My outfit!" he shouts as he gives me a little spin. "I know that I can't always wear my princely attire, so I copied some outfits from guys in this era who wear house clothes. Does it look good on me?"
I nod my head out of sarcasm as I look at his choice of clothing. Sweatpants and a hoodie. I couldn't help but laugh, and I think Zaku caught on to my sarcasm. "You're so mean!~ I'm trying to make you comfortable around me by dressing like your peers. Sorry if my outfit of choice looks dumb on me," he pouts as he jumps onto the stool at the island counter.
"I'm not laughing at you. I promise. And you don't have to try to make me feel comfortable around you. I already am comfortable with you. It's just that... you couldn't have thought of any other clothing?" I cover my mouth to try and stifle my laugh as I head over to the stairs.
"It was either this outfit or Plan B," he groans while he follows me up the stairs.
"What was Plan B?"
Just as quickly as I asked, Zaku snaps his fingers and his outfit goes from maximal coverage to boxers and a tank top. Nearly tipping over from the surprise, I catch myself on my bed and start bursting out into laughter.
"Plan A! Plan A! Go back to Plan A!" I yell from between my laughs. "Dear god, please go back to Plan A!"
Acting all grumpy, Zaku sits down on my bed and faces away from me. "I already know what you wear as house clothes, my dear Lillian, and might I add that you can be a bit more relaxed in your choices. Like really, capris and a baggy shirt? Don't you have shorts are something more comfortable?"
"That would sound very creepy if it didn't come from a man who can see everything in the dark," I comment as I start changing my clothes. "And no, you already know that I don't have shorts. As if my parents would buy me those type of clothes, so I just made do with what I got for my comfort. At least in these clothes, my dad can't touch me how he wants unless he tells me to undo my buttons."
"Your father still irks me. I wish you just commanded me to kill him so that he won't be able to haunt you."
I peek over my shoulder and find Zaku slouching like an evil mastermind hatching a plan. "Don't kill him," I firmly command.
"But he does nothing but cause you pain and torment!"
"However, he is the main breadwinner of this family," I defend through gritted teeth. "My mom doesn't make enough money to support my little brother and I along with herself. We need my dad so that we won't go hungry or homeless. At least not until I make enough to support my mom and brother."
Zaku turns to face me as I finish getting dressed and pulls me onto his lap. "What are you doing now?" I ask, twisting my head to look at him.
"If I can provide for you, your brother, and your mom, would you let me kill your father?" he innocently questions as he rests his chin on my shoulder.
"Why are you so hell bent on killing my dad? Yeah, he's a horrible person, but he did provide us with the best he can all our lives."
Pausing for a moment, Zaku nuzzles his face into my head. "Those who injure the innocent despite the innocent pleading for them to stop do not deserve a second chance regardless of the good they have provided."
[It is a tempting offer, though. If we could get away and live a better life without having to be berated by a man who thinks he's the best, it might make me want to die less. But how?]
"Zaku," I call as I adjust myself on his lap. Gazing up into his golden eyes, I gather my confidence. "Give me the power to take down my dad. It wasn't just me who had to go through his reign of terror. My little brother was beaten by him for stupid reasons, and my mother is so tired of his demanding personality."
Gently taking my left hand, Zaku brings it up to his lips after the silver ring reappears on my finger. "I will give you everything you need to free your family from your atrocious father. I promise to provide you and your family with a comfortable life."
----
Later that day after dinner, I head upstairs to the game room where I find my little brother Mitch playing his game before bed.
"Hey, Mitch, can I ask you something?" I casually bring up while my brother and I hang out in the game room.
Confused, my little brother side glances at me. "What's up?"
"If there was a way to finally get away from Dad, would you do it?"
"I'm not leaving unless Mom leaves, too," he curtly responds after refocusing on his game.
"No duh, Mom is gonna come with us. You know how much she's been suffering the past few years."
Mitch suddenly puts down his controller and faces me with a look of disbelief. "What are you getting at? You make it sound like you found a way to get away from here and support the three of us. We all know that it's impossible which is why we've been toughing it out until one of us graduates and gets a big paying job."
"I can't tell you the specifics right now, but trust me when I say that we will soon be able to be free." Putting my hand on his shoulder, I give Mitch a confident smile. "Can I get your support?"
Unconvinced but not given any other choice, Mitch slowly nods his head. "Yeah, sure. But I won't get my hopes up. Dad has all sorts of documents in that briefcase of his to keep him from getting jailed, so he'll probably come after us after we're free."
"I'll make sure that he won't. Just don't change you opinion of me when we are able to get away."
"What do you mean? You're not planning on doing something dangerous, are you?"
Quickly shaking my head, I pat Mitch's shoulder. "No, no, I won't do anything dangerous. But don't question the things that I do because there will be a time when I will explain everything."
"O-okay... yeah, sure..."
---
However, before I could deal with my dad, I have another mission to fulfil. The following morning, Zaku gives me some interesting information.
"What?! Sienna's mother is doing what to her?" Looking down at the thick stapled stack of papers in my hand, I pace around my room as I thumb through it.
According to Zaku's report, Sienna has been put through some serious stuff in order to get her to this point. Tight packed schedule with very little breathing room except to sleep which isn't very long either. The hidden scars and previous hospital admissions can't even be counted with all of my fingers and toes. She hasn't been just recently bullied either. Before Rachelle and Fiona, there were many others who would bully Sienna because they knew that she couldn't stand up for herself... like me...
"Spiteful, abusive people make me sick," I comment before picking up my backpack. "Today will be interesting." I open my door with a wide grin on my face. "I can't wait to make them feel every ounce of fear and humiliation that they caused Sienna."
Catching my shoulder, Zaku spins me around and kisses my forehead. "Show them the true meaning of darkness and evil," he whispers as he disappears into my shadow.
Bullies get just as much as they give....