A Game of Cards - Otherwise Known As - Life and Death

VI. Problematic

♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣

VI. Problematic

Days passed, turning into a couple weeks. Micah seemed getting more bothered by something day by day, and after every mission of either bringing someone back to Mr. Conway or killing someone, he seemed to get increasingly distraught. After all, they were taking people’s lives, whether the people were bad or not. The last mission involved a small girl that looked innocent, who they took back to Mr. Conway. Not a single soul knew what had happened to her, since she vanished from the house.

Evelyn turned her head lazily from her free time of staring out the window to look at Landon.

“I forgot to ask, little brother, whether or not you explored the place or anything? Get discovered by anyone?”

Landon hesitated for a moment, but decided not to tell her, “Yeah, I explored, but didn’t run into anyone.”

“Oh good,” was his sister’s reply. Landon felt a pang of guilt but he couldn’t tell her or she might have sent him away. “You must be bored out of your mind,” Evelyn told her brother, intending it to be a question.

“It’s alright,” Landon replied, there conversation moving nowhere. Then, the conversation sparked again. “Sister, do you miss mother?”

She rolled over and looked into his eyes. “Yes, I do,” she whispered, her eyes watering but determined not the fall. “I think about that day every night.”

He nodded. “Is that her locket?” he asked, pointing to the necklace she wore every day, strung around her neck.

Evelyn nodded in response, fingering it subconsciously. “Is that Father’s ring?”

Landon nodded, touching it lightly and smiling at it. “I really wish neither of them died.”

Evelyn nodded, staring out into space, remembering the beautiful memories from the green, flowery meadows, to the snow white marble that made up columns and pillars throughout the house.

♠ ♥ ♦ ♣

“Garrett?” a feeble voice came from outside his door. “Can we talk?”

“Mmm? Harriet? Sure...” he said, not bothering to look up.

Harriet slowly shuffled in through the door, closing it behind her. She moved to a chair and let out a low groan.

Garrett’s eyes flickered to her and looked her up and down. She wasn’t wearing her usual maid’s dress, but a looser, older version of it. There were bags under her eyes, her hair was a rats’ nest, and a tiny bit of sick lined her mouth.

He quickly got up and embraced her, a worried look crossing his face. “Are you alright?”

“Like I said,” Harriet whispered hoarsely, “I need to tell you something.”

He looked extraordinarily concerned as he helped wipe her face off.

“Look, Garrett,” she whispered. “Don’t be mad.”

“What would I be mad about?” he asked. “I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you too,” she whispered. “I-I’m with child,” she said, almost inaudibly, so Garrett first thought he heard wrong. But he quickly stood up and gasped. “I-I’m so happy for you. For us,” he said, but began to pace the room. “This may be problematic though...” he whispered. “You could get fired... or worse. Who knows what Father would do?”