Hate

Chapter 12

She was lying on her back, slightly sitting. A lounge chair? She heard the sound of running water. The smell of chlorine answered her question: she was near the pool. There was a soft music playing. She knew this song. Her mother had told her that it was playing when they opened the dance at their wedding. She opened her eyes with difficulty. She saw three other lounge chairs by the pool. Mario was busy tying up his son before checking the cords of his daughter and his wife, an evil smile on his lips.

“Welcome back!” he gave her with a playful tone. “Well rested, I hope. We have so much work to do!”

Tight ropes were holding her wrists against the chair. After finishing his checks, he approached her.

“God you look just like her…”

She dared not answer him. She knew pretty well that he was talking about her mother. It was very obvious what she had seen in his office. She still wondered what he had in mind.

“Your arrival in our lives – my life – has really changed everything.”

He reached out to touch her cheek, but Anika cringed. She couldn’t help but be disgusted by her uncle. He just raised his eyebrows before getting on his feet. He shoved his hands in his trouser pockets without taking his eyes off her, amused. She scrutinized his face in order to find any sign of dementia. Something was really wrong with him.

“Your mother is – was, in fact – an exceptional woman.”

She was silent.

“Too bad you couldn’t be like her, you know. Real shame.”

He turned abruptly to re-inspect the other three chairs, ensuring that all members of his family were well tied up. The fact that the chairs were too close to the pool meant nothing good to her. What did he intend to do and why did he want to do it? He came towards her, determined to talk to her for a moment.

“I think I went a little too hard with chloroform.”

She decided that silence wasn’t going to help her stay alive. If she was about to die, better to know why. It’ll surely change anything, anyway.

“Why did you do that?”

“I asked you to leave the city, remember? But you didn’t listen to me and my wife is bounded when she wants.”

“The hooded guy… It was you?”

He bowed with a very theatrical gesture, grinning.

“You wanted me to run away?”

“A spoiled orphan like you never admits defeat, right?”

“I’m far from being a spoiled child…”

“Don’t lie to me!”

He dealt a blow to the chair where she was, taking her by surprise.

“Your parents never had anything against you! You were so perfect! Never been used to be refused of anything, isn’t it? To avoid upsetting you!”

She shook her head, frowning. What was he trying to do? Make her angry? Cause her to attack him? Did he really believe that was what she was? He continued to portray her how he thought she was. He must mistake me with his own daughter… She didn’t dare to interrupt. A strange light shone in his eyes. He told her how it had been easy to follow her everywhere. She really wasn’t doing much of her days! She remembered the guy by the window, the first time she had faced him. But why trying to drown her?

“I thought you’d be more credible if you were telling everyone that “someone” had tried to kill you.”

“Credible?”