Hellebores
"Your words become muted as your power to speak is snatched away from you. Your voice is drowned out, your opinions are squashed, and your words are censored. Your silence becomes a prison that contains all your words and drowns them out. You are powerless against the force that silences you."
I wonder where I heard the quote before. It's a vague feeling of dejavu, like I'm remembering something that isn't there. The thought is nagging at my mind, just beyond the edge of my recollection.
"I want you silenced... permanently." He said calmly yet with a tone of an obvious threat.
I watched the man's lips move, his expression Stoic and uncompromising. His upper face was mostly hidden, obscured by darkness and shadows. A black formal suit covered his torso, accentuating the stillness of his motion.
I could see his lips moving, conveying a vague sense of danger. The words came out slowly, methodically, as if each was chosen with careful thought. His voice carried a sense of authority, as if he was giving me a command rather than requesting something.
I felt that stare. It was a menacing and commanding gaze piercing through the shadows, even though I couldn't see a thing. It was as if he was reading every thought and emotion.
I felt drawn to them, hypnotized by the intensity of his stare. Yet I feel a sense of calmness around me, allowing me to focus on his words and think objectively.
As he said that he wanted me to be silenced permanently, I thought about the words. I contemplated his meaning, the air felt like it got heavier around me. The man's voice was filled with a chilling detachment.
What the fuck is this all about? Do I have a debt to him? How much do I owe him?
"So you want me silenced, huh?" I said to the man in a calm and level tone.
My body is still filled with a strange mix of emotions. Anger, shock, fear, and a strange sense of calmness. The man's expression remains stoic, unmoving. His lips curled slightly upwards in a hint of a smile.
"And you think I'm worth going to all this trouble? What is it that you have against me?" I asked the man in a pretentious cordial manner, trying to keep a steady voice, but the tension in the air was too thick to overlook.
I'm trying my best to keep my composure.
The man does not respond immediately but instead just stares me down. As I waited for him to respond, I couldn't help but notice the surrounding darkness, and the faint smirk on his face.
He seems amused by my ignorance. I feel a flicker of confusion as I think carefully about my next words. He looks at me like a predator staring down its prey. The silence hangs in the air, thick and heavy, like a fog that's slowly creeping in.
The silence lingers for a moment, and then he begins to speak.
"You came close to a secret that was never meant for you to see, hear and touch." the man says with a hint of aggression, his voice laced with a menace of violence.
And the threat in his voice that says no bullshit and there's a hint of danger which feels coming at the next move, I felt it. My body is shaking slightly. My thoughts are whirling like a tornado inside my brain. I can't make sense of his response or his motivations.
"You are a nuisance," he added, "You will become a problem and I have no time for problems. I don't want to make a spectacle of killing you, so it will be done quietly and discreetly. I will take care of it."
I took a deep breath...
"I am confused." I said to the man, looking between him and my surroundings as if trying to read the man's mind through his eyes.
The man's expression remained unchanging, his body unmoving. But there was a subtle shift in the air, the feeling of menace and threat permeating the space between us became more intense.
He seemed like he didn't believe me. He still thought that I was hiding something, that I knew something important.
"What secret? I don't recall anything regarding that." I added and spoke in a tone that bordered between confusion and disbelief.
I felt a cold shiver running through my body as if I was being targeted. I kept my composed pose and act like I was not affected, not the slightest bit, my legs crossed and arms crossed.
I took a breath in and continued to speak as calmly as I could.
"Are you suggesting that I know something that I am not supposed to? I assure you, I was unaware of such a secret." I said in an innocent tone, yet there was a hint of mockery.
The man's expression remained unchanged. It seemed like he was deciding how to handle this situation. I had no idea what he was thinking or planning next, but the tension was growing thick in the air.
The man's presence was intimidating, and I felt like I was staring down at the barrel of a gun. I kept my calm as my answer to this ridiculous situation.
The man stands up from his seat and slowly advances towards me. The air in the room grows thicker with tension, as if I am slowly drowning. However, I kept myself blind from it and let my ignorance deal with it. The man's movement is slow and deliberate, as if he is savoring every moment.
His every movement was precise and efficient, like ice breaking under pressure.
It's an unnerving sight and the tension rising in my body tells me that something bad is going to happen. I tried not to move, not to give him any reason to believe that I might run away.
As the man stands at my side, the dim lights from the windows above cast his shadow over him, allowing me to take a proper look at his appearance. The man's suit is meticulously tailored, making his dark figure imposing and ominous. I could see each detail of his features, his sharp eyes and the expressionless mask over them. The light danced over him, framing him like a shadow puppet.
Then there I saw his face...
Despite the shadows covering him...
I can see clearly now...
He stands tall, over 6 feet tall, his lean muscles defining the curves of his body, and he wears a slim-fit suit that accentuates his frame. He is lithe and athletic, his frame like a lean and muscled sculpture. Although his body was lean, there was a strength in his every movement, his movements fluid and graceful when he would shift his weight.
His body is perfectly proportioned, his shoulders broad yet proportional to his height. The fabric of his suit clings to his body like a second skin, highlighting the contours of his muscles and making him seem almost too perfect. The man is a sight to behold, his presence commanding and overwhelming.
The man's face was a frigid landscape, a portrait of absolute perfection. His chiseled features and sharp eyes were like the icy winds of winter, like a mountain range framed by snow-capped summits and an icy blue sky, the sheer power and presence of cold beauty. The man's hair was a striking white, like freshly fallen snow against a backdrop of darkness. His pale skin was like a pristine white canvas, the light of the stars shining down on it, creating a perfect contrast. The few scattered freckles on his cheeks were like snowflakes, adding to the majesty and grandeur of his beauty.
The whole ensemble was like a work of art, so perfect that it was difficult to look away.
As soon as I see his appearance, I mumble...
"... Snow White?"