Inferno Dreams

Chapter 4

After school

I started walking back to my house while thinking about all the things I still had to finish before the next day. While being deep in my thoughts I opened the door and went inside, straight into the kitchen. I stopped dead in my tracks as I realized a man was sitting at the table, across from my dad. He looked kinda terrified. "June. Please go to your room." He tried to sound normal but that didn't work. I nodded and went upstairs. I tried to do some homework but I couldn't concentrate because I had this gut feeling that the man sitting downstairs didn't mean anything good. My anxious feeling got worse when I heard the two talk loudly. They sounded like they were arguing. "I DON'T HAVE IT. PLEASE. I NEED MORE TIME!" I identified the voice as my dads'. "I DON'T CARE! YOU HAD ENOUGH TIME! PAY OR DIE!" The other man screamed. What does he mean to die?! Before I could think anymore I heard a gunshot. I ran downstairs as quickly as possible. "DAD! Are you okay?" I screamed. My dad stood in front of the man but he didn't seem hurt. I looked around the room and saw a hole in the wall. The other guy stood there, reloading his pistol. "June. I'm okay. Please go back upstairs. Now." My dad answered. "No. Stay right there." The other man was now talking to me. My dad and I both looked over at him. "What's even going on here?" I asked concerned. "Your dad" he pointed towards him with his gun. "Can't pay us back. He has a high dept. He will need to pay back 25000." I looked over at my dad but he looked away. "So I decided I will take you with me instead." He finished his monologue. "WHAT? NO. You can't do that. She is a child." My dad tried to argue. "I don't think so. She seems old enough to work." The man walked over to me and grabbed me. I tried to wiggle out of his grip - unsuccessful. He walked out of the house, dragging me with him, while my dad tried to argue and plead but nothing seemed to help. "I'm going to get you back, June. Don't worry, okay?" He said with tears in his eyes. I nodded. "I love you." I couldn't even answer because the man threw me in the back of a van and closed the door. I started crying uncontrollably. I couldn't help it. After some time I got tired from the crying. I tried to keep my eyes open but it didn't work so I fell asleep.

I woke up. Everything was dark. I couldn't see anything. I tried to reach my hands out to feel if there was a wall or something but I couldn't, they were restricted by something. I tried to touch whatever it was but that didn't work. While thinking about my next step I saw a door getting opened and light floating in the room. The same man as yesterday came inside. He went over to me and, without saying anything, cut the ropes which were restricting my hands. "Get up and follow me." He demanded. "If you try anything stupid I'll kill you. Got it?" I nodded. I followed him out of the room and realized we must have been in some sort of basement. We went upstairs, through some rooms and corridors just to stop in front of a beautiful wooden door. He nodded towards the door to signalize me to go in. I did as I was told and inside I saw that it was an office. It had a wooden desk and many bookshelves. There was a big window which I now stood in front of. It had a pretty view over the whole property. 

I stiffened as I felt a warm breath on my shoulder. I turned around and gasped. In front of me stood Azrail. He looked confused for a split second but then put on his neutral face again.

 "Why- Why am I here?" I quietly asked while turning slightly away so I didn't have to face him. 

"I don't know. You tell me, darling."

"What? How do you not know?" I spoke more to myself than to him.

"It's simple. It wasn't my idea to take you here. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to have you here but you need to tell me how you got here."

"A guy came to our house and he- he- he wanted money from my dad. 25000 I think but I don't know why and then he took me with him and me- I don't know what happened then and then I was here." I told him truthfully, still avoiding eye contact and slightly tearing up at the thought of my dad and me being separated.

"25000 you say?" He seemed to think about what I had just said. "I'm gonna go make a call. Sit down over there and wait for me." He left the room.

I sat down and waited for a few minutes until he came back. He went over to where I was sitting and made me look at him with his left hand while caressing my cheek with his right one.

"I'm gonna ask you this one time and one time only. You're going to answer truthfully, okay darling?" He stated firmly. I nodded.

"Do you know about the business of your father?" He asked while looking into my eyes. I shook my head."I need a verbal answer, little one." He explained.

"No, sir." I looked down while talking. I couldn't keep eye contact even when I wasn't lying.

"Good." He slightly smiled. "You're gonna live here until your father pays us back." I must've looked shocked because he added "He owes me and my brothers the 25000. I won't tell you any more about that sort of stuff. Don't ask about it. You're gonna stay here with me and my brothers. I expect you to obey and respect us. Understood, love?"I nodded. "I don't like to repeat myself, neither do my brothers. Remember that."I think he wanted to give me a hint with that sentence so I answered verbally this time. 

"Yes, sir."

"Good girl." I turned red at his words. 

"I'm gonna show you your room now so follow me." He took my hand and went through some corridors until stopping in front of a door. He held it open for me so I went through.

The room was big, way bigger than my room at home. On the left was another door which supposedly led to a bathroom, on the right was a desk and a chair. Next to the door stood a black bed and in front of me was a big window with blue curtains.

"You like it?" Azrail asked, looking at me from the door frame.

"Yes, it's pretty." I answered.

"Good. You should probably go to sleep. It's late."

I nodded.

"If you need anything just tell one of us okay darling?"

"Yes, sir."

After that, he left. I sat down on the bed. It was pretty comfy so I laid down. Some seconds later I was already asleep. 

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