World Of Silhouettes

Thirty-Nine

I left Grey in his room after telling him where I would be and stealing one of his t-shirts.  I take no more than an hour or else he storms through if i'm done or not. Typical. I go downstairs to the desk to see a girl in hid mid-twenties sitting there, completely uninterested in anything going on here. She obviously only works here for the money. 

"Excuse me," I try to snap her out of it politely. She just nods in acknowledgement. "Im looking for the manager of this place. . . his name is-"

"If its a complaint please file it in that paper. If its suggestions then use this paper." She points to little cards. "If you would like room service, there is an additional fee. Please hurry and choose, Miss, because I have a lot of work I have to do." 

I show my surprise in her disgusting attitude and then change to a more monotone voice. 

"Im family here, and ill make sure you lose this job if you don't treat future customers with better respect and care. Tell me where I can find the Wintertons. Now." 

Now its her turn to show surprise. She tries to hide her fear of losing a job, though. 

"Whatever. He's done that way." She points to a door that says EMPLOYEES ONLY in huge letters. I shrug and push the doors open. 

"Linda, you shift isn't over ye-" A man in his forties stands in my way. I cough politely. 

"Sorry. Im here on business. See, I have a meeting with the manager and I was told to go through here." The man clears his throat and furrows his brow at me. 

"Im sorry, But I can't just take you to the WInterton family without proof first." He gestures at me to tell him my name. I smile softly. 

"Tell him its Scarlet." I say. He looks at me for a while, eyes trailing over me and then shrugs. 

"This way," He says. I walk down the halls, feeling suddenly conscious of the shirt I'm wearing. I don't care. I don't. The man pulls out a speaker from the wall and begins to speak, "I have a Scarlet here, sir?" 

Silence. 

"Let 'er in." 

The man points to a door at the end and walks away, impressed by my wanted presence. I go to the door and knock on it. Once. Twice. Nothing. 

"Its your Fathers house," I hear a voice from inside says, "Come on in." 

I inhale a breath of the shirt I wear, knowing it smells just like him, and walk in. The place is luxurious, perhaps the most luxurious I've ever seen. He sits down on the chair and just nods up at me. 

"Sit," He commands in a dry voice. I doubt he is sober but this will have to do. We leave soon, anyway.

"Fine," I perch myself on the arm of the cough, ready to spring up and run if it came to it. 

"So. . ." He begins. I interrupt, 

"Don't even try to change the subject. I want to know about that day and I want to know now."

He sighs and has the look of regret in his eyes. 

"I guess is started when you were still young. Your Mother and I used to get into lots of arguments. See, your Mother. . . she knew magic." He says. I nod quickly. "And um. . . she always talked about raising you and telling you about what terrible things our society did. I always disagreed, as I am rather loyal to it. She threatened to go and fight them one day and I just could not have that-"

"So thats why you left us for the dead? A different view on politics?" 

"No!" He yells. He clears his throat and starts again, "No." He traces his fingers across the material of the couch, as if in a deep trance. "Scarlet," He croons, "Do you know what the greatest sin in our society is?"