KEITH
I'm still alive. I can't believe I'm still alive.
I stood before the bathroom sink, staring into the mirror. The left side of my forehead had a band aid on it, and so did the corner of my mouth. Percy had administered first aid himself - I could still remember him probing the bruises gently, asking if it hurt.
About Percy, he's not as bad as he had seemed at first. He wants me to become a sort of companion to him, for a couple of months. I think he's just lonely. He's doing a good job acting strong about his sister's death though.
I'm so glad he understands me, unlike the others. Not only did he spare my life, he also gave me a room. I feel like I'm in a five star hotel. We talked a bit about me last night as he saw to my bruises. He had been quite interested in hearing about Sofia, so I told him a lot. Sofia is my best friend, who is fourteen, only a year younger than me. We grew up in the countryside together, but her family moved to the state capital after her dad was elected Mayor, and so I could only see her during holidays. She's super cute. She's all I have left too.
I stepped out of the bathroom, still thinking of Sofia, and opened the closet.
My closet.
I drew a breath as my eyes fell on the clothes that met my eyes. They were the usual clothes - jackets, coats,slacks, pants, shirts, polos. But the fabric, tailoring and styles were out of this world.
I had just dressed into a white polo with black jeans when I heard a gentle knock on the door. Without delay, I opened it to behold Percy,as I had expected.
"You're dressed. Good".
Percy's voice is still as monotone as it had always been, and his expressionlessness had not changed. Really, the aura surrounding him still chills me to my toes. But knowing that he means no harm helps me relax somewhat.
"You really are a child of the countryside, aren't you?"he said, walking past me to the gold topped vanity.
"Huh?"I followed behind him.
Percy picked an ice blue comb and turned to me.
"Bed hair"he explained, running it through my thick raven black hair.
I felt my cheeks heat up a little. My hair is pretty stubborn, and has to be combed thoroughly. Even a half hour in the shower couldn't tame it.
"We're going down to the basement today"he said as I laced my sneakers.
I nodded. My breath still clogs in my throat whenever I try to speak to him.
I followed obediently as he left the room. He walked ahead of me,as usual. We came across a handful of men, whose stares could have drilled holes through us. I thought we were heading to the basement, but we ended up at a massive dining room. My jaw dropped as I gawked at the long table covered with a snow white cloth, the crystal chandelier with it's beautiful golden lights, and most of all the pretty set of silverware sitting in an orderly manner on the table.
He took his seat at the head of the table, while I remained standing.
"Aren't you going to sit?".
That was all the invitation I needed. In a flash, I had taken a seat as well. Then to my obvious shock, he said grace. And even crossed himself at the end.
I stared.
"What's with the look?"he asked.
"You just prayed...and like a Catholic too".
"I was born a Catholic. And prayer provides me... relief. A sort of comfort".
He proceeded to remove the silver covers, and I did my best not to salivate as the intoxicating aroma wafted into my nostrils.
"You're going to eat all of this for breakfast?"I asked as I watched him fork a thick slice of chocolate cake.
"I only eat once a day, so if you're going to gorge yourself, just do it".
My cheeks flushed a little as I quietly returned to the food.
We ate in silence for a while, until Percy did something I found interesting. He opened a decanter of sweet smelling wine and filled my flute. When I tried to protest,he lifted the bottle just enough for me to see the' NO ALCOHOL ' written boldly on the label.
So I drank it. It was so delicious I nearly went crazy, and texture wise it might have as well been water. But then, he poured himself a steaming mug of tea from a slender teapot, totally ignoring the wine.
"Uh... Percy..."I muttered.
He looked at me, his face blank as usual.
"Why did you ask me to stay?".
He did not reply. Just kept his eyes on me.
"I mean, you could have easily taken anything else from me".
Percy put a finger to his lips without a word.
Table manners.
"Sorry"I mumbled.
We concluded our meal in silence.
*
*
*
NICOLO
Monalisa loved my cooking.
When her brother's goons captured me after killing my squadron members, I thought I was done for. I had been the only soldier foolish enough to believe that I could go against the Mafia's forces, even after severe warning from my superiors. As the captain, I was to be killed by the Mafia boss himself.
But Lisa... she was the one who stood up for me.
She stepped right into her brother's line of fire and asked if he couldn't spare this one life. She was the only reason why Percy Haudeclaire let me live.
It was also thanks to her that I was put in charge of the wine cellar. Out of gratitude, I began to make her breakfast, and we became quite close.
That was nine months ago.
Now Lisa is dead. Murdered. And by a brat. And what has her brother done about it?
Nothing.
He'd kill without hesitation anyone who gets in his way, yet he makes a favorite out of his sister's murderer. I'm not surprised, though.
To Monalisa, he's always been quite distant.
*
*
*
KEITH
We arrived at the basement and entered one of the rooms. I don't know what I was expecting, but I was certainly taken aback as my eyes fell on the coffin in the middle of the room. It had a glass lid, but I did not even need to look to know whose body was in there.
Lisa had been dressed into a snow white dress with snow white socks that probably ended at her thighs. Her hair had been untied, and together with her pale face, made her look so fragile that I felt like the biggest jerk in the world for killing her.
Percy stepped forward and knelt by her side, bowing his head. I wondered what he was praying for. Repose for his sister's soul? Comfort in his grief?
"You're one of the people whose lives have been messed up by this cruel world"Percy said as we left the room " you've lost everything. You're just like me. And besides, you don't have a home anymore".
He said this as we left the room, and it took me a while to realize that he had been giving his answer to the question I asked during breakfast.
*
*
*
SOFIA
I was seated before my mirror, brushing out my wavy chestnut hair when Norma barged into my room.
"Hurry, Sofia, you need to watch the news!".
She was breathless and very close to tears.
"What's up,big sis?"I asked.
It's not like Norma to act like this. She's the serious one: calm, cool, collected. You know, the hair-scraped-back-and-big-round-glasses kind of girl. But currently she looked neither calm, cool, nor collected.
"Something really horrible happened on Trent street!".
"Trent street?"I froze,then began to tremble.
My chest constricted, squeezing the air out of me.
Calm down, Sofia, I chided myself.
Dropping the brush, I followed my immediate elder sister downstairs. Mum, Dad and my eldest sister Julia were seated in the living room, staring in shock at the telly. I looked too.
"N-no..."I heard myself mutter,then I began to scream"no!no!!".
Everyone in Trent street has been murdered. It can't be. Why would anyone attack Trent street? What did the quiet people ever do to anyone? And Keith...oh my god...is Keith...is he...
"Sofia! Get a hold of yourself! Sofia!".
I could hear everyone screaming, calling to me, but it felt like they were at least two worlds away. Colors blurred before my eyes, and I could hear my own breathing... it whistled. I barely felt my body hit the floor.