At Kevin's Mercy 2: Reclaimed

9. Unwanted guest

It had been a few days since the call that had made Kevin so cranky, and so far whoever had called him hadn't bothered him again.
For as far as I was concerned it wasn't a problem anymore, Kevin seemed to be back to normal so I didn't have the feeling I had to watch out all the time.
I finished my chores for the day and was now reading a book on my own.
Kevin was outside in the garage, he was working on his car.
Something small had broken down and he was now fixing it, even though he had told me what it was I had forgotten already because I had no interest in cars.
I was so absorbed in the book I was reading that I nearly got a heart attack when the doorbell rang.
At first I got up with the intention of opening the door thinking it to be Kevin, but then I realized my situation again.
I am Kevin's prisoner, I'm not even allowed to enter the hallway without his permission.
Not that it would matter, the door is locked and I don't have a key.
Kevin is the only one with a key, so why would he even use the doorbell?
I stopped at the closest point I was allowed to go and stared at the door on the other side of the hallway.
There was someone at the door, I could clearly see the silhouette.
But who could it be?
In all the time I was with Kevin he never had anyone visit him without him knowing about it.
I even suspect he doesn't like surprises with how much of a control freak he is.

The person at the door was becoming a bit impatient because he pressed the bell again, this time longer and seemingly irritated because after the long sound of the bell a few short bursts followed.
Besides flinching at the sound I didn't move from my spot.
What was I to do?
If it is Kevin then maybe I should open the door... but what if it's a trick to see if I would keep to his rules?
I am after all forbidden to enter the hallway without his permission.
But what if it's not Kevin?
What if it is someone else, someone that could help me?
No... think about what happened with Iris.
And even if I can go home...
He'll find me again, and if he does... I thought back about the punishment I had received at that moment and shivered.
No, I don't want to go through that again, that was horrible.
I can't let Kevin feel like that again, he'll kill me if I do.

The banging on the door pulled me back to the current situation.
If Kevin forgot his key he would have let me know at one of the windows, I think...
This can't be Kevin, for a second I was tempted to move forward the door.
The next sound had me freeze up instantly, a key was placed in the lock and turned.
This person has a key, therefor must be Kevin.
Good thing I didn't go to the door, I thought relieved.
Slowly the door opened and I expected to see Kevin walk in.
My eyes grew wide as I watched the person that now stood in the hall.

That wasn't Kevin.
Someone other than Kevin has a key to this house.
Who was this person?
As he stepped closer I took in his features.
He looked like Kevin, but a lot older.
His hair had a dark grey tint, with a few silver grey stripes in it.
He might be old but he looked fierce and scary non the less, the same kind of aura that Kevin has when he's set on punishing me.
Piercing dark eyes that seemed fixed on me the second he laid eyes on me.
With a quick and confident stride, he walked straight toward me.

I wanted to run, I really wanted to hide.
But I felt so scared I stayed frozen in my place and could do nothing but stare at my approaching doom.
A firm slap in my face pulled me out of my daze.

"Who are you and where is that useless excuses of a son of mine?!"

I bit away the stinging pain on my cheek as I rubbed it to ease the pain away.
Kevin had never slapped me in my face.
It felt humiliating, even more because I was too scared to hit back.

"I said, where is Kevin?! Are you a mute? Speak up when someone talks to you!"

He boomed again as he towered over me, razing his hand as a clear threat he would hit me again.