ã€ŠDaylilyã€‹


 First Petal: Daylily

    What is freedom without love?

    Paris at the break of dawn is the most beautiful place on Earth. As the sun tickles the sleeping city awake and the first chirping of the birds envelopes the spots of nature reclaiming their ground in the middle of the picturesque old town, I can see the soft clouds of vapor rising from the Seine. The vague shapes are accompanied by a golden sparkle across the tame waters that almost make me shield my eyes.

    This will be another beautiful tranquil day.

    I close the doors to my balcony and begin to dress myself in a hurry. The smell of freshly baked bread is wafting into the room. The origin of that delicious aroma is the kitchen downstairs. My tummy makes a low gurgling sound, sending a light blush on my cheeks. I am glad that nobody heard it.

    I take a glance at the mirror as I adjust the cords of my white blouse. Today I am wearing a light blue long dress to accompany the equally blue ribbons in my straw blonde hair. It¡¯s a rare occasion that my hair would give in and stay this straight after waking up. Usually it has this frustrating tendency to curl up. So lucky!

    I wince as a ray of light reflects off the mirror and blinds my eyes. Mornings aren¡¯t all peachy even for me.

    Before leaving the room I take the bottle of perfume from my shelf and spray it lightly across my hands and neck. The familiar smell soon blocks out the pleasant aroma from downstairs, but in a few minutes I won¡¯t even notice it anymore.

    Humming all the way I hop down the stairs and lean forward before knocking on the kitchen door. I can hear all noises inside quiet down and the next moment there is a low rumbling. It takes only seconds before the door is opened and I look into the stressed out, yet beautiful face of my little sister.

    ¡°Morning Rafi!¡± I greet her cheerfully.

    ¡°L-Lis, you are up early.¡± She stumbled over her own tongue as she kept wiping her dainty fingers with a towel. My, she really seemed to have been in a hurry. There are still pieces of food stuck to her hands.

    ¡°Haha, I¡¯m always an early riser silly!¡± I hug her enthusiastically. It¡¯s my morning routine and you should never skip a step! She tenses up, but then lets it happen. ¡°Did you cut the smoked ham yourself?¡± I peek into the kitchen and look over her work. The food is already looking great. I can see the freshly bought baguettes laid out on the table.

    ¡°Mhm¡­ Something like that.¡± She wiped her clear face with the kitchen towel (even though I always tell her not do that!) and then throws it over a chair. Afterwards she pulls off the net from her hazelnut colored hair and lets it flow freely over her shoulders. Unlike my curls, her hair always seems to have a wild and fiery natural look. I¡¯m a bit envious of that.

    ¡°Is Papa awake already?¡± I ask while inspecting the table. There is some fresh cheese as well, how wonderful!

    ¡°He already left before I woke up.¡± Rafi replies with a slightly absentminded tone.

    ¡°How sad. He never eats with us.¡± I really feel dejected deep in my heart. Papa is such a hard worker, he deserves to enjoy a quiet breakfast from time to time.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really care if he is here or not.¡± Rafi walks over and hugs my arm. She always gets clingy in the mornings like that, gosh. ¡°I prepared your favorite Lis.¡± She almost purrs in satisfaction as my ears perk up.

    ¡°You found it again?!¡± I turn to her and stare deep into her emerald eyes.

    ¡°Hehe, I didn¡¯t want to say anything yesterday so it would be a surprise!¡± She grins impishly and then pulls out a small glass with red contents. The gel like food inside glows up in the sun coming through the window.

    ¡°Strawberry marmalade from Belle-de-Jour! I love you Rafi!¡± I hug her again in my throes of delight.

    ¡°Careful Lis! You don¡¯t want me to drop it, right?¡± She asks teasingly.

    ¡°Non!¡± I immediately let go. My swift reaction makes her pout a bit. I chuckle at her funny pursed lips and then we both break out into laughter.

    Mornings really are the best.

    <hr>

    Our breakfast was sweet and warm. I can always rely on Rafflesia to improve even on my morning cheer. She loves cooking and I love eating her cooking, so we really must have been born compatible. I do feel bad about how little I can do for her in return, though. She throws me out of the kitchen whenever I try to help her with the dishes or to put away the leftovers. She treats me too much like a princess sometimes, even though she is younger than me!

    I lean on the windowsill to smell the flowers from the pot that is hanging outside. If I squint I can even see the neighborhood cat scurry through the tall grass of our lengthy garden. She is too shy to play with me, believe me; I tried many times to pat her. If I had to decide between flowers and animals, I would naturally say flowers are the best, but who could deny a cute cat?The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Lazing the mornings away like this is comfy and nice¡­

    A blaring ringing sound goes through the living room and shakes me out of my inner peace. It¡¯s Papa¡¯s alarm clock. He had set it for me so I wouldn¡¯t be late for work. Carved into the bottom are the words ¡®ma petit fille¡¯. It was a present he got me when I turned 14. Looking back on that day is very nostalgic now. Has it been five years already?

    With a long stretch of my arms I prepare myself and then lightly step into the hallway. From behind me I can hear hurried steps and then Rafi suddenly appears in front of me. She had taken the side door from the kitchen to pass me.

    ¡°Do you really have to go already Sis?¡± She is tightly holding on to her skirt with both hands. It¡¯s an unintentional sign that she is nervous. I think it¡¯s quite cute.

    ¡°Come now Rafi. You know I can¡¯t skip out on work. The client will be sad.¡± I pat her head, which is not easy, considering she is slightly taller than me already. Where did she get those growth spurts from?

    ¡°¡­¡± She looks down dejectedly.

    ¡°I have the day off tomorrow, so we can have fun as much as we want once I come home.¡± I smile widely as I promise her with my hands clapping together.

    ¡°Sis¡­¡± She wants to say something, I can tell. This has been going on for such a long time already. It never gets easier with my ever concerned sister.

    ¡°He is a nice man, I am super confident!¡± I give her my most relaxed smile before walking out the front door.

    ¡°Please be careful.¡± Rafi looks after me with slightly saddened eyes.

    She is a real worrywart. There is nothing dangerous out there waiting for me.

    <hr>

    I walk alongside the rail of the bridge above the glistening Seine. There are many cars on the way to work. They are all puffing and huffing as they get stuck in traffic and growl at each other. They are just like annoyed cats that want to get through a locked door to get to their food.

    Today¡¯s weather forecast said it would be really warm without any sign of clouds. I watch the blue sky with a slight daze as I balance across the sidewalk¡¯s edge and stretch out my arms to keep balance. The way to work is always the same, so I like to invent little games for myself to keep it fun. If I lose balance and leave the sidewalk I will not eat the rest of the sweet marmalade during dinner.

    It only takes about 15 minutes over the bridge and to the little building on the other side of the river. I can already see the low hanging sign of the coffee shop next door. This is such a familiar sight that it feels like a second home. The agency is up on the third floor, but I can already see Monsieur Robert. He is wearing his slightly worn out black suit with the unbelievably colorful tie again. For a man of his stature he radiates a rather gentle and goofy aura.

    ¡°Monsieur Robert!¡± I wave my hand above my head and call out to him. He immediately looks up from his wristwatch and takes me into his sights. After realizing who called him he rubs his bald head with one hand and smiles professionally.

    ¡°Bonjour Mademoiselle Lis, you are shining as bright as gold this morning.¡±

    ¡°You are also shining today.¡± I reply with a giggle. He instinctively touches his shaved head again, blocking out the slight reflection of the sun, but then pretends to just wipe something from it. How funny.

    ¡°Ahem, thank you. You are early as usual.¡± He moved aside to let me sit down on the bench next to the entrance. ¡°The client will arrive shortly.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, he is really punctual.¡±

    ¡°He has been extraordinarily excited for your appointment.¡± Robert says with a standard smile. He doesn¡¯t let his feelings seep into his business talk.

    ¡°What¡¯s he like?¡±

    ¡°Paul Bonnet, 29, a young businessman who has recently been befallen by bad luck. His self-founded company seems to be in the red. However he has a healthy wife and two children. That is more than most can say for themselves in today¡¯s industry.¡±

    ¡°Monsieur Bonnet¡­ No, Paul.¡± I repeat his name to really get a feeling for it.

    ¡°He has paid for your services in advance, so there will be no problem despite his financial situation.¡± Robert is going through some data on his tablet.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Papa will be happy then.¡± I don¡¯t really pay mind his assurances. The money doesn¡¯t matter much to me.

    ¡°Are you certain that you don¡¯t want me to accompany you?¡± Suddenly Robert leans down and whispers into my ear.

    ¡°Gosh, Monsieur Robert! I have told you so many times now that you don¡¯t need to be so nervous. You are too serious sometimes.¡±

    ¡°I¡®m told so by my dear wife as well, so there might be something to it.¡± He makes a light joke. I have to giggle. I wish he would tell me more about his marriage, but he rarely ever lets anything slip.

    ¡°I¡¯m certain that Paul is a real gentleman.¡±

    ¡°I wish I could share your boundless optimism Mademoiselle.¡±

    ¡°You remind me of Rafi when you act so overprotective.¡± I shrug pretending to be at the end of my wits.

    ¡°Rafflesia¡­¡± Robert¡¯s voice got a tinge lower for a second, but then he returned to his light smile. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to be compared to such a promising young lady. All of us could benefit from being a little more like her.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to grow out your hair as well then?¡± I tease and receive my desired groan from him.

    The clock finally struck 09:00 and the street seemed to become busy in the blink of an eye. Somewhere in this crowd awaited my new client, Paul Bonnet. I take a deep breath and then sit up in a ladylike pose. First impressions are everything is what Papa always says.

    Five minutes later we are approached by a man in a long overcoat, completely unfitting for this warm spring day, but he doesn¡¯t seem to be sweating too much. His short parted hair is of an ebony color and his eyes are underlined by equally dark rings. Despite his wealthy look he doesn¡¯t appear very happy.

    Our eyes meet and time seems to stop for just a moment.

    ¡°Monsieur Bonnet?¡± Robert steps in front of me and stretches out his thick hand. The man hesitates for a moment before shaking it. He winces a bit at Robert¡¯s grip strength. ¡°My name is Robert and I am the chaperone of Mademoiselle Dubois. All questions and complaints concerning the contract will be taken up by me as well.¡±

    ¡°Certainly.¡± Paul replies with a low voice and takes a short look at the tablet. The touch screen is clean as could be, so he should have been able to read it easily, but his eyes shift around uncertainly. ¡°Seems fine.¡±

    ¡°I will take that as an agreement then. There will be no refunds after this. You have until 21:00 before Mademoiselle Dubois is scheduled to return to the agency. Should anything out of the ordinary occur contact us immediately.¡±

    Paul doesn¡¯t say anything and just nods distractedly. He keeps glancing over Robert¡¯s shoulder to look at me. I give him a friendly smile in return.

    ¡°Very well. Starting now she belongs all to you, sir.¡± Robert steps back and bows his head professionally.

    I stand up and push down the folds of my blue dress. Then I tenderly stretch out my hand, which Paul grabs with his own shaking fingers.

    And so our fated day begins to sprout into bloom.

 Second Petal: Citron

    My job is something that is not quite known among the common people. I am an ¡®Amoureux for a day¡¯. A courtesan of love. It sounds outrageous and scary, but that is not how I see it. The clients never touch me or do anything improper. All we do is spend the day together and have conversations. I sometimes wonder why these wealthy people would pay just to spend time with someone of low standing like me, but that doesn¡¯t really matter either.

    Although I am called a ¡®lover¡¯ for the time of our togetherness, I feel like I am just a new friend that they can openly talk to. I have met so many interesting people in the last five years. Some are boisterous and some are shy, but they all are kind people at heart. I work to repay our father for taking care of us, but I feel that I would enjoy meeting these men even if there was no pretense.

    The books I read in my free time often speak of unexpected romances and great opportunity when having fated meetings with dashing young men. There are countless passionate tales of the unavoidable attraction between a man and a woman.

    I have never felt this way even once.

    Maybe I get along with anyone, but I never saw a man as anything but another person. Desire, infatuation, love? No such thing has ever occurred to me. These kind men were no princes on white horses; they were no debonair rogues that would take me out at night. Every single one of them was just a person with troubles and dreams.

    It would be cruel and unfair to treat them as anything but that. I listen to them as equals and try to understand their rich history and ideals. That is fair. That is beautiful.

    And yet...

    Looking back at my early days in this job there was one exception. One client made me feel something different. Something deep and terrifying. She was the first woman that had ever asked for my services. Even by the standards of these encounters I had come to expect, she was eccentric. A woman of the world, yet strangely down to earth. She was so pretty and whimsical¡­

    I could still remember her long nails digging into my hand as she dragged me across the city with so much ¨¦lan. Her deep purple eyes. That irresistible smile. My heart kept pounding for the entire day, like it had never hammered before. I wanted to know everything about her. We went shopping and ate in a fancy restaurant and when the first stars appeared we had sat down on the secluded steps near the Notre Dame. Her voice was so very intoxicating when she told me sweet nothings.

    I did not resist when she pushed her lips on mine. Her lipstick tasted sweet.

    I could never forget that moment.

    The day had ended. There was no more time for the two of us. The contract strictly forbade the clients to take me home or anywhere else than the agency building. If she had told me to come with her, would I have resisted? I don¡¯t know. That is something I cannot fathom anymore. Perhaps I never will.

    We parted ways and she vanished like a mirage, like something that had sprang straight from my yearning imagination. No man had ever made me feel this way. Only her.

    When I told Papa about it, he made me swear to never mention this to anybody, especially not my clients. He had looked truly disgruntled and mad. Maybe it was because of the kiss. That was a breach of contract after all. Contracts were important in the adult world. It¡¯s what I realized after my former chaperone was punished.

    That was the last time I had a female client. I think Papa made sure of it. Maybe that was for the best. I was more comfortable around men. They are kind and calming. Never would they disturb my heart like that, like she did. The heat that had spread throughout my soul slowly cooled off and now the memory was a distant dream.

    I like my job. I like speaking to these colorful people and finding ways to understand them. No day was ever boring for me.

    In truth I don¡¯t like those passionate, unrealistic love stories.

    <hr>

    We quietly walk through the busy streets of Paris. Paul and I, we are an odd pair if viewed from the outside. He is a middle-aged gentleman with an aura of importance, while I am an average city girl. We don¡¯t complement each other very well, but there is no reason to act distanced because of that.

    Paul has been walking ahead of me from the start. I don¡¯t know if he has any destination in mind, but we have been strolling through the upper town for two hours already. Aimless steps and silence are all that he seemed to show to me.

    At last we reached a quiet house block with a small park in its center. Paul stops his heavy steps for a moment and looks around. I can see him scratch his head anxiously. It is too pitiful really.

    With decidedly big steps I walk around him and then sit down on a park bench. His eyes widen in surprise at my forward action, but he seems to be relieved as well. He quietly sits down next to me and folds his hands together thoughtfully.

    So he is the shy type. I have met men like him who could hardly even speak in front of a girl. They were like young boys in a way, too inexperienced or self-conscious to talk to adults. I wonder if his wife is a strict person.

    Should I start the conversation? I don¡¯t want Paul to feel so anxious anymore. After all I am here only for his sake. There has to be something I can say to break the ice.

    ¡°¡­you must think I am pathetic.¡± He very suddenly speaks these self-depreciating words. ¡°A married man hiring such a young girl to comfort him. I¡¯m a wreck. A hopeless loser. Too scared to go home, too cowardly to leave for good.¡± He leans his face into his hands and lets his head sink.

    I crease my brows and then act without a second thought. I stand up from the wooden bench and then squat down in front of Paul. He can see me from between his fingers and seems shocked. We are on eye-level now.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you are pathetic at all Paul.¡± I say honestly. He is taken by surprise again, a look of disbelief on his face. But I¡¯m not done yet. ¡°Everyone is lonely sometimes. I know you are strong and proud because you built a company with your own hands. People look up to you and want you to carry their burdens. It¡¯s not easy. It¡¯s tough, isn¡¯t it?¡± I pull his shaking hands from his face and tightly take them in my own. ¡°You need someone to lean on as well, don¡¯t you?¡±

    This exhausted looking proud man looked at me with such vulnerable eyes¡­ and then he choked. Tears were streaming down his face. I softly pull him against my shoulder and let him cry.

    ¡°There there. It will all be better soon. I am here for you.¡± I keep stroking his short hair with my free hand and whisper into his ear.

    We stay like this for a few minutes. If anybody saw us they didn¡¯t make themselves noticeable. This was a public neighborhood, but a weakened heart does not care about time and place. Eventually Paul recovered some of his countenance and pulls away from my soaked shoulder.

    I lightly spin around and sit back down next to him. The sun has crept into the park and is now illuminating the freshly cut grass. The smell of mowed lawns and heated air mixes beautifully.

    ¡°Mademoiselle Dubois.¡± Paul speaks up with a choked voice.

    ¡°You can call me Lis.¡± I say with a smile.

    ¡°Lis¡­¡± He repeats my name sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the shameful display. I did not intend to break down in front of you.¡±

    ¡°Non non, when it needs to get out, it needs to get out! Holding it in is painful and unhealthy.¡± I shake my head lightly.

    ¡°I could never do this in front of my wife.¡± He says derisively. ¡°Your eyes¡­ reminded me of her. They sparkle in the same emerald green.¡±

    ¡°Your wife must be pretty.¡±

    ¡°I thought so too when we met at the altar.¡± He laughs dryly. Paul is rubbing his hands over and over, maybe to cope with his unrest. ¡°What a fool I was.¡±

    ¡°Do you¡­. not love your wife anymore?¡± I ask carefully. It is daring to breach the topic so early, but I feel I have a connection with Paul already. Maybe I overstepped my boundaries, but if he could be honest about it¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I ever loved her.¡± He replies with a distanced look. ¡°We got married because of my father¡¯s input. She was¡­ is a strong-headed girl. I don¡¯t think she ever listened to me since we met. I feel¡­ powerless around her.¡±

    ¡°She sounds like a strong lady.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t stand her attitude anymore. She is so selfish and she always judges me even though she doesn¡¯t know anything!¡±

    ¡°Is there nothing that makes you feel happy when you are together?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Paul knits his brows and seems to seriously contemplate my question. Eventually a hint of nostalgia grows on his weary face. ¡°The way she takes care of the flowers in our garden.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡± I nod for him to continue.

    ¡°That look on her face when she takes care of them¡­ I think that is something I love.¡±

    We stay silent for a while, as I let those thoughts sink in. He regains focus.

    ¡°There are good parts about our marriage too. My children. My dear boys.¡± He finally gives me a weak smile.

    ¡°You love them a lot, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°They are my pride and joy. Those boys are so energetic and strong. They are really passionate about football. I wish I could come to all their games.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°My company is in a bad spot right now. I can¡¯t afford to take time off.¡± He bites his lower lip and balls his hands to fists. ¡°When I come home they are already asleep and my wife¡­ she doesn¡¯t care how tired I am. We always fight until late into the night.¡± The exhaustion returned to him right away.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°I think your wife is worried.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°It sounds like she worries about you.¡±

    ¡°She is just disappointed in my failures.¡±

    ¡°Did she say that?¡±

    ¡°Countless times!¡±

    ¡°I see. What else does she say?¡±

    ¡°¡¯Why are you home late again?¡¯, ¡®The boys don¡¯t even know their father¡¯s face anymore!¡¯, ¡®You failed the company and you fail your family, what a useless man¡¯.¡± He repeats the venomous lines with as much twisted anger as he can muster.

    ¡°Mhm. She is so worried.¡± I nod understandingly. ¡°She wants you back with your family, not hurting yourself at work.¡±

    ¡°That can¡¯t be it. She is glad that I am not there to disappoint her more!¡±

    ¡°Do you really think that?¡± I tilt my head.

    ¡°How can you be¡­ so sure?¡± He asks doubtfully.

    ¡°Because if it was me¡­ I would want you to stay at my side instead of suffering somewhere where I can¡¯t see.¡± I tell him with a comforting smile.

    His eyes widen and he stares at me in disbelief. Some color returns to his cheeks, which makes me feel relieved. This spark of life he had been missing finally returned home.

    <hr>

    The day passed in a flash, it always does. Already I can see the sun move over the rooftops and down into the east. Soon the twilight of dusk would envelope Paris in a satin blanket of night.

    We are on our way back to the agency now. Our fated time is coming to an end. Over this day I think we grew closer. Paul now shows me his emotions so openly. Right now he feels¡­

    ¡°Lis, can we meet again?¡± He asks me quietly as we walk along the riverside.

    ¡°Ah.¡± I¡¯ve grown to dread that question. It isn¡¯t the first time this difficult query has been given to me. Jean, Pierre, Gustave, Peles, they all said the same thing. And to all of them I had only one reply. ¡°Maybe we will meet again one day, if fate allows.¡± I avert my face sadly.

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± He calls out to me and stops in the middle of the walkway. I flinch a little. ¡°I still have money. I can rent you again, can¡¯t I? There is no reason why we can¡¯t do this again, right?¡±

    Of course he is asking so desperately, because he knows the answer already. It¡¯s impossible, so I slowly shake my head.

    My name, Lis, means lily. Papa had a weird sense of humor, naming his daughters after flowers. I quite like my name, but perhaps it¡¯s also the reason for my nickname. I once heard Robert talk about it; the people call me ¡®Daylily¡¯. A flower that only blooms for a single day.

    Just like those ephemeral flowers I as well can only show myself to someone for a single day. Those were the rules. I wanted to meet some of these men again too, talk to them again and find out how they are doing. But Papa forbade it. He says that we can¡¯t break the rules or it would end in tragedy. He is so wise, I have to trust him.

    So even if it breaks my heart, we are fated to never meet again. Could I really say something so horrible to someone who needs my support? I wish I knew how to act even once. They all seemed to understand in the end, though.

    ¡°I am sorry Paul. Let¡¯s both return home, shall we?¡± I folded my hand behind my back and hopped across a faulty stone protruding from the rocky passageway.

    He doesn¡¯t reply, but I can hear his long steps behind me. Yes, he will find a way to move on. I¡¯ve seen that strength inside him.

    Robert welcomes us back in his usual polite, but casual manner and then goes to the backroom to discuss the details with Paul. This is the moment of our parting, so I make sure to face him with my happiest smile.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± He rubs his head and looks at me awkwardly. ¡°I haven¡¯t felt this¡­ way¡­ In a long time.¡±

    ¡°I will be cheering for L¨¦o and R¨¦mi¡¯s victory in the next match!¡±

    ¡°You remembered their names.¡± His eyes were shining like never before.

    ¡°Of course. You spoke so dearly of them, it really touched my heart.¡± I honestly wish I could have met his sons at least once. They sounded like wonderful children.

    He clutches his jacket and then turns around to follow Robert.

    He said no words of goodbye, which doesn¡¯t surprise me, but it still makes me a bit sad. I can¡¯t let that drag me down though! I promised Rafi that we would have fun after I am done with work and I always keep my promises.

    <hr>

    Dusk was a short thing in the big city. Exactly in the moment the sun would sink behind the Arc de Triumph, every single street light would come alive at once and return the streets to brightest day. I sometimes wish I could enjoy the fading red sky a bit longer.

    So close to the Seine there are fewer lamps and artificial lights and the reflection of the stars in the water has a soothing quality. That¡¯s why I always lean against the rail for a while to just let the atmosphere sink in. I''m not in any particular hurry to get home; after all it was only 15 minutes across the bridge.

    These were the only times that I could really roam free. Right before and after work. During off days I would stay at home all the time and during work I was always going with the flow. This dimly lit hour was the only time I could stretch my legs and go where I wanted. Papa always returned around 22:00, so I had about an hour to me every time I had a client.

    I wonder if Rafi had fun at school today? She never talks much about it. I¡¯d like to hear more about it honestly, because I never went to school at all. Papa always called over a teacher to home school us. When I turned 16 I was told that I finished my education and since then I haven¡¯t really studied anything. Rafflesia began going to public school right after I started my job though, so she is not done yet.

    My sister sure is impressive!

    I hum a mindless melody as I advance across the riverside. Whenever I think about Rafi I just want to see her. As much as I enjoy the alone time, it can¡¯t trump having dinner with my little sister.

    A creaking from below reminds me that sometimes there are boats tied to the poles on the river¡¯s bench. I even saw some sailing ships before-

    Crunch

    I freeze. Someone¡¯s boot had just crunched inside the gravel. The noise was extremely close. I hadn¡¯t noticed anyone approaching me until now, so it really surprised me. My heart had almost stopped for a second there. A busy city like this always has people go for a walk even at late hours. I hastily move to the side to let them pass me by.

    They aren¡¯t moving. That¡¯s weird. Really weird. I feel uncomfortable now. What is this weird feeling? I want to move, but can¡¯t?

    A hand touches my shoulder and I shriek.

    ¡°Calm down! It¡¯s me!¡±

    ¡°P-Paul?¡± I gasp for air after the shock spreads through my body. His heavy hand makes my limp legs almost collapse.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to scare you Lis.¡± He says in a muffled voice.

    ¡°W-what are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ needed to see you, to talk to you more ¨C it wasn¡¯t enough!¡± He gets louder and looks down on me with shaking eyes.

    ¡°We can¡¯t¡­!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the rules. If it¡¯s about the money, I have plenty! I will pay off my debts soon, so just let me hire you again!¡±

    ¡°Paul¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. You called me by my name right away. I wonder why you did that.¡± He indulges his own fantastical world and keeps talking like he is deluded. ¡°You are just like Madeleine. Back when she looked at me like I was worth a damn. Your beautiful face, those tender words. If she just kept looking at me that way I would never have lost my company¡¯s stocks. My courage has left me so long ago; I can¡¯t even look my boys in the eyes anymore. If you were there¡­ if you stayed at my side! We could change everything; return it to how it is supposed to be.¡±

    I back away against the rail with shaking legs. Paul is talking so much, but he isn¡¯t even addressing me. His eyes are not looking at me. All he sees is someone else. Something he yearns for so deeply. Why is it so frightening¡­ to be looked at by those eyes?

    ¡°Paul, I called you by your first name, because I felt that you wanted to be seen as yourself.¡± I admit while trying to slide along the rail. ¡°I think you felt dragged down by your family name.¡±

    ¡°Exactement! The name of my father, the shoes are too big, too heavy, don¡¯t fit me at all. I thought I could take on Madeleine¡¯s name, make it my own, to escape his reach. She didn¡¯t want to do it. She said I should be proud in that name. What does she know¡­ now she mocks me, just like everyone else did?¡± He grits his teeth painfully.

    Something is wrong with Paul. I hadn¡¯t seen this deeply twisted... thing¡­ at the bottom of his heart. He wasn¡¯t just lonely. It wasn¡¯t just his self-loathing.

    That is the look of a broken man.

    ¡°I will take you home!¡± He suddenly reaches for my arm and drags me back towards him. It hurts! His hand is surprisingly strong and rough. ¡°Harpy Madeleine will go away¡­ and the real Madeleine will return. Everyone will be so happy ahahaha.¡± He is laughing into his own hand now.

    ¡°Paul, no, I can¡¯t replace your Madeleine! I am Lis! You don¡¯t have to do this-¡°

    ¡°NO! You don¡¯t understand at all! But I will show you. Just be quiet for a while my dear, dear Madeleine!¡± He covers my mouth with his free hand and then forcefully drags me across the path.

    No, no, no, please no. I don¡¯t want to go with him. I don¡¯t want to leave my home. Even if I struggle I can¡¯t break free. He is taller than me, he is stronger than me. After all he is an older man. His chuckling is terrifying to my ears. I can¡¯t break free. My wrist hurts. I bite into his hand until I taste something like iron¡­

    ¡°Hahaha, you are so soft and weak, just like I thought.¡± He doesn¡¯t take my resistance seriously. The bite marks in his hand don¡¯t bother him.

    There is no escape¡­ I can see the side-alley where his car is parked. Why is nobody there? I can¡¯t call for help, but someone must be seeing us¡­ someone!

    ¡°We look like a drunken couple, supporting each other so romantically. How wonderful, this is the essence of Paris after all!!¡± He laughs and puts a little hiccup into his step.

    ¡°Nghhhhh!¡± The car is so close. No way, the trunk is already open. He had planned to drag me with him all along?

    My eyes tear up. I don¡¯t want this, why is this happening to me? Please¡­

    ¡°LET GO OF HER YOU BASTARD!¡±

    Everything shakes and I suddenly find myself on the ground. Something loud and heavy resounded in the air, as if a heavy branch was falling on a cement block. I scurry over the gravel and unto the grass. Everything is dark, so I try to move to the light. The lamppost close-by shines like a beacon.

    ¡°Ungh! Argh¡­ who are-?! Crazy bitch- GRAH!¡± I can hear Paul scream. It sounds really painful.

    ¡°Haah! Hrrngh! I will beat you to death pig!¡± Angry howling takes form in a familiar voice.

    I roll on my side and look back. The one who is hurting Paul with a big heavy looking iron stick¡­ is Rafflesia. She looks wild. I can¡¯t see her face, but she keeps yelling as she beats the much taller man.

    Paul is holding up his arms defensively, but he can¡¯t move as she stands on top of him. He makes pained sounds and I think I see tears roll down his face.

    ¡°Shtop! Pwease!¡± He is crying. His lips are swollen and red. The stick comes down again nonetheless. It hits his arm and is rewarded with a horrible cracking sound. ¡°AAARGH!¡±

    A spine chilling scream makes me curl up in fear.

    ¡°You just didn¡¯t know when to stop. You bastards never know when enough is enough¡­ Haaah¡­. Huff¡­¡± Rafflesia is out of breath. She throws the metal slab aside, which creates a loud clanging noise.

    ¡°Sorry¡­ sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I just wanted my old life-¡°

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. You touched my Lis for the last time.¡± Something blinked in the night. The light of the lamppost is reflected across the small piece of metal. Different from the stick, this was crafted thinly and sharply.

    I move forward without thinking. Rafflesia raises the knife above her head with hate filled eyes. Paul winces in fear.

    The knife goes down.

    ¡°RAFI STOP!¡± I tackle my sister with my entire body and push her down. The knife hits the grass next to Paul¡¯s cheek and only cuts it superficially. As I spin I see the red drop form and drip down his scared face.

    The next moment everything is upside down and I am harshly hitting the ground with Rafi on top of me. I have to squint a bit to keep my eyes open. My side burns and my arm aches. When I look up I see Rafi with a shocked expression. I have never seen her this concerned in my life.

    ¡°Ah¡­ Lis.¡±

    ¡°Rafi, why? You scared me¡­ why would you do this to Paul?¡± I can¡¯t help it; I let out my fear and pent up emotions. I want to go home, I want to go to bed, I want to get away from here.

    Realization flashes across my sister¡¯s face and she lowers her hands. Her mouth opens, but she says nothing. Her mouth closes and she makes sounds. Her eyes shift around. I realize that she is even more devastated than me.

    ¡°Lis¡­ Lis, are you okay? He didn¡¯t hurt you right? Lis? Come on, please, Lis.¡± She is shaking so much as she touches my face to look for injuries.

    ¡°I-I-I¡¯m ffffine!¡± I am too shaken to talk normally right now.

    ¡°Your arm¡­ there is a mark.¡± She says with anger returning to her voice.

    ¡°It d-doesn¡¯t hurt¡­ Rafi, your hand is bleeding!¡± I notice the red on her fingers and grab it anxiously.

    ¡°No, no that¡¯s not- It¡¯s just that guy¡¯s.¡± She hastily corrects me and shows me that there is no wound below the red liquid.

    ¡°J-just? Rafi, you almost¡­¡± My throat tightens up. I can¡¯t finish my sentence. But I don¡¯t even know what I was going to say.

    ¡°He hurt you, so I just lost my cool.¡± She replies with forced calm and then gets off me. ¡°Robert will take care of the rest, so let¡¯s get out of here.¡±

    I can barely sit straight, but she already wants us to run away! I am still much too confused about- about everything!

    ¡°Lis. Listen to me¡­ only listen to me. Everything will be alright. We are going home.¡± She gently speaks into my ear. Her hand is soft, unlike Paul¡¯s.

    I am so scared, but hearing her speak to me like everything is alright¡­ makes me feel good. Somehow I manage to stand. She pulls me up and offers me her shoulder to lean on.

    Rafflesia¡¯s face is covered with a single drop of red that slowly runs down her cheek. Her expression is mysterious. I don¡¯t want to admit it, even as she calmly talks to make me forget¡­

    Today, for the first time in my life, I was scared of my sister.

 Third Petal: NikkÅkisuge

    Rafflesia escorted me all the way home while making calming small talk. When we finally arrived home I didn¡¯t feel that breath robbing tightness in my chest anymore. I breathed a true sigh of relief on arrival. These four walls are like a castle to me. There is no place in the world I would feels safer than here.

    Why had I been so afraid? My mind is already hazy. I must be really tired. The appointment with Paul really tuckered me out.

    As we enter the hallway and walk up the stairs I can feel Rafi¡¯s grip on my arm waning. Eventually she lets go completely. I cock my head to the side in wonder at her sudden bashfulness.

    ¡°Lis, you must be tired. I will prepare the bath for you, so please just sit down for a bit and rest.¡± She glances at me as if I was some sick patient about to do something crazy.

    ¡°Oh Rafi, I can do that myself. I¡¯m not that tired yet.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I thought that you were still out of it because¡­¡± She trails off and then shrugs. ¡°Let me do it anyway. Father will be back soon and I need to talk to him.¡±

    ¡°I also want to talk to Papa! I haven¡¯t seen him in two days.¡± It is troubling for me to act like a little girl waiting for her daddy to return from work, but I can¡¯t lie about my feelings.

    ¡°Alright, alright, just get your fresh clothes already.¡± She smirks and then pushes me towards my room. She has gotten a lot stronger since that last growth spurt!

    I pout a little, but then go to my room anyway. It¡¯s still slightly warm from the sunlight that had streamed in here just an hour ago. With a long sigh I belly flop unto my bed and enjoy the smell of fading heat and the perfume that still lingers in the air. I need to air out the room before I go to sleep.

    With lazy motions I pull a nightgown and some underwear out of my oak wardrobe. The old wood has taken on a unique odor as well by now, so I take a sniff at my clothes. The only thing I can smell from them is the light scent of detergent. What a relief.

    As I pass the mirror my eyes get caught on something. I stop in front of the image of me, staring back just as baffled. My blue dress is crumpled and there is a minor tear on the blouse¡¯s sleeve. And there is also¡­ there is¡­

    I feel nauseous all of a sudden. The two red spots on my collar seem to glow in the dimly lit room. I have to swallow heavily to prevent the bile from rising to my mouth. The iron taste I had blocked out before returns to my tongue.

    Blood.

    It¡¯s already dry to the touch, but to think that it had touched me makes my head swirl. The events of before flash before my eyes. No, I don¡¯t have to think about that right now. That isn¡¯t important. Robert must have called an ambulance for Paul and everything is resolved. Rafi told me to go to take a bath, so that¡¯s what I should do.

    A warm soak will feel really good right now.

    I exhale several times and then leave my room. Steadiness has returned to my legs already, so there is no problem. I walk across the first floor and feel rather thankful for the bright lamps illuminating every nook and cranny of our home. The pictures on the walls are all so familiar that they seem like family as well.

    When turning the corner I can hear the faint splashing of water. I can feel my mouth turn upwards in a smile already. Rafi opened the faucet and readied the towels for me. She is so thoughtful, even though she is the younger sister. Only two years younger, but still. To me she would always be small and precious. Maybe if I climbed on a chair I could actually pat her head normally again...

    I chuckle as I enter the bathroom. The bathtub isn¡¯t even half full yet, so I just set down my clothes on the dresser and then grab a bottle with bath salt. This is a real delight for the skin! Sometimes you have to treat your body like you treat your lover. At least that¡¯s what I read in a magazine once.

    I put two spoonfuls of the salt into the water and watch it bubble up. Then I proceed to lower the output of the faucet and stretch my arms. I want to check if Papa has come home yet before I dive in. First of all I really need to take off this dirty blouse, though. I don¡¯t want Papa to worry, so I put on a clean camisole.

    Papa¡¯s office is downstairs right next to the eastern garden exit. Sometimes on a hot summer day he keeps the door open and lets the garden air flow inside. Of course he always complains about the flower petals and leaves strewn all over his floor afterwards, but that¡¯s one of his funny quirks. We sisters always clean up after him and he just groans as he raises his feet so we can get under his desk.

    I can barely suppress a giggle as I pass the living room to get to the office. Telling by the coat hanger, Papa is indeed back home. He must have come in right after I went to my room. Rafi sure is quick to ambush him like always. I think she is even worse with loneliness than me. She might not admit it, but she really loves him dearly.

    The large office door is tightly shut, but I don¡¯t see the key inside the hole (from the inside), so someone is definitely there. When I strain my ears I can actually hear them talk even in the hallway. There is nothing to it though, I just have to knock and push the knob. I raise my hand and put it against the white door, but the sound is drowned out by a yell.

    ¡°NO!¡±

    I jerk back a little at hearing Rafflesia¡¯s loud voice. This is strange. I¡¯ve rarely ever heard her so¡­ mad. It takes me aback.

    The conversation continues quieter, so I can¡¯t really make anything out. This is really making me nervous. It¡¯s like I am listening in on them. At the same time I don¡¯t know if I should interrupt them right now. Whatever they are talking about sounds really important. Once Papa has reached his serious mode there is nothing that can stop him.

    But what could they be talking about? They usually never argue. The only thing that comes to mind is¡­ Rafi¡¯s school? Maybe she has been slipping on her grades a little. She seems so distracted sometimes, a real scatterbrain when the topic doesn¡¯t interest her. Papa shouldn¡¯t be too harsh on her for something like that. Rafi is already studying more than I ever did.

    I lean slightly forward and put a hand on the knob again. Maybe I should put in a good word for her.

    ¡°¡­novelty¡­ luxury¡­ give her¡­ clients¡­¡± Bits of Papa¡¯s words reach through the door again. Clients? Is he talking about my job?

    ¡°¡­ME¡­ promised!¡± Rafi replies with a heated voice.

    I gulp and lean my ear closely against the door.

    ¡°That is up to you. If you can¡¯t keep your end of the bargain, I will act accordingly.¡±

    ¡°¡­fine. Just think about it a little longer. At least until you are back from your trip.¡± Rafi is backing down, I can hear her sigh deeply.

    ¡°I will only be gone for three days. My mind is already made up. The ball is now on your side. If you cannot come up with something I will do exactly what I promised. Are we clear?¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    The sound of a chair grinding over the floor makes my heart flutter. I immediately rush back into the living room and then hastily return to the bathroom.

    <hr>

    The heat of the water has soaked into my body and reached my heart, healing it completely. My muscles are all relaxed and my hurting back seems recovered. I leave the tub and rub my body dry as gently as possible as not to hurt my sensitive skin. Looking at my left arm, there is still that light red mark from where I was grabbed so forcefully. The pain has long since faded, but the reminder stays.

    It¡¯s okay. These kinds of things disappear over time and all emotional scars would fade alongside them.

    Wrapping myself in the long blue towel, I take a stand in front of the mirror and take care of my hair. Drying it is only one of the many tasks that fall on a long haired lady¡¯s shoulders. The tub is draining anyway, so Rafi has to wait a while until she can take her own bath. For some reason she always waits until after I¡¯m done, even though she should have more time to take one before I come back from work.

    After putting on the nightgown I sling the towel across my neck and put my drying hair over it. It¡¯s already curling up again¡­

    I sigh sweetly and leave the bathroom with rejuvenated feet. It¡¯s so dark outside already that the hallway lights create a perfect reflection in the windows. I can see myself stagger over the floorboard and then hastily straighten up. Maybe I should pay more attention to where I am going instead!

    My eyes do feel a bit heavy. After a hot bath I just want to fall over and slumber. It¡¯s only a few more steps to my room. Hang in there, me.

    ¡°Lis.¡±

    And just in that moment of haziness I suddenly feel two arms wrapped around my shoulders and neck. My heart skips a beat and I nearly lose balance again. The person clings to me even harder to prevent my fall and then presses herself against my back.

    ¡°R-Rafi, what¡¯s gotten into you?¡± I reprimand her for scaring me. She never used to do these things when she was younger. She was always quiet and shy, never even once pulling a prank on me or anybody else. That sheepish little sister¡­

    I can feel her chest press against my back as she tightens her hug. That¡¯s right. My cute little sister has grown up, hasn¡¯t she? Nothing is left of that frail tiny girl. Only a few more months and she will finally be an adult. The last bastion of being the elder sister will finally be gone. Even though I am happy that she has grown up so wonderfully, it still stings a little. Those are the worries of any older sibling.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°You have been apologizing a lot to me lately.¡± I don¡¯t try to struggle out of her back hug, it would just make me sweaty again.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that as well.¡± She says with a hint of humor. That¡¯s very cute.

    ¡°Gosh, what will I ever do with you?¡± I chuckle. This feels more like out normal interactions-

    ¡°You smell good.¡± She puts her nose against my neck and inhales.

    An electric shock goes through my spine and I suddenly feel heat rushing to my cheeks. I can feel her breath on my skin. Every movement of her face feels like it¡¯s transferred to me through telepathy.

    ¡°W-what are you d-doing!?¡± I stutter in response to her movements.

    ¡°There is no trace of that horrid perfume left on you. That¡¯s much better.¡± She whispers tranquilly.

    Horrid? That is my favorite brand! I let my shoulders slump a little after hearing her explanation. I didn¡¯t know she disliked it that much. The perfume was special to me, because it was one of the few presents that Papa gave to me. He is a little awkward with buying presents for young women, probably because he was never married. When he gave me that red bottle of perfume on my first day of the job, I was overjoyed. It was the first ¡®adult¡¯ present I ever got. Now whenever my reserves run dry, he buys me new ones without fail. In return he doesn¡¯t have to think of any special presents for my birthday or Christmas. It¡¯s our little agreement.

    Sense of smell varies from person to person, so it¡¯s not surprising that Rafi would dislike something I hold dear. It still makes me a little sad, though.

    ¡°I tried out a new shampoo. You can try it as well if you want.¡± I offer as a sort of truce.

    ¡°Maybe I will¡­¡± She doesn¡¯t seem very interested. ¡°Lis?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    ¡°Afraid?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can do it.¡± She clings to me so strongly that I can feel the contours of her entire body against mine. It¡¯s almost like I¡¯m carrying her on my back.

    This needy side of hers is something I¡¯ve missed. She used to come to me and rely on me so much, but then she went and became more independent than I could ever be. I will admit that made me feel lonely sometimes. If just occasionally she would rely on me again, that would be¡­

    ¡°Could you call me a good girl?¡± She asks in a low voice, perhaps out of a sense of shame.

    ¡°Gosh Rafi, you are so needy.¡± I say those words almost as if to convince myself of them. It¡¯s like she read my mind. Just as I had thought about wanting my little sister back for a moment, she suddenly becomes like this.

    ¡°Please¡­ I can only do it¡­ I can only go through with it if I know that you will be waiting for me at home. That you will welcome me with open arms even if it goes wrong.¡±

    Whatever could have her so uncertain and shaking? Was it connected to her talk with Papa? That must have been it. Then it was probably about school. I think right now would be exam period for Rafi¡¯s year. She is so smart and yet she doubts herself? As her sister I can only smile. There is no way she could fail. Once Rafi sets her mind to something she will pursue it with all her might. She will never stop.

    ¡°I will always be there for you Rafi.¡± I say softly. My hand naturally finds hers and our fingers intertwine. ¡°You are much smarter and stronger than me, so don¡¯t be afraid. If you really stumble along the way, I will be there to help you up.¡± That¡¯s a promise. My promises are never broken.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± She admits quietly and then lets go of me. Our hands part reluctantly and I can finally turn around to look her in the face. Whatever she had looked like during our exchange, now that we are face to face, she appears completely fine. Her hazelnut hair is slightly disheveled, the last signs of the earlier struggle.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± I¡¯m concerned.

    ¡°Yes, now I am feeling perfect.¡± She replies with a bright smile.

    ¡°Your little surprise really woke me up, so I don¡¯t need to go to bed yet. It would be delightful if we could eat dinner together.¡± I fold me fingers and hope for the best.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten. Maybe next time.¡± She denies my offer politely.

    ¡°But if Papa goes on his trip we can¡¯t eat together for a while.¡± I make my dejection known, even if it¡¯s not quite fair to Rafi. For a moment I¡¯m too distracted with pursing my lips and complaining to realize my mistake.

    In a flash Rafflesia¡¯s expression had changed completely. Her eyes were open wide and her mouth turned down. There was a deeply terrifying glint inside her green irises.

    My breath is trapped in my lungs and I notice, too late, that I slipped up. I mentioned Papa¡¯s trip, but I only knew about it because I listened in on their fight. This is information I should not have. Could not have. I¡¯m guilty, I can¡¯t hide it, why did I say that? Sweat runs down my back and I feel like I messed up gravely.

    ¡°Ahh, he told you already?¡± And all the tension dissipated in the blink of an eye. ¡°That senile old man. It was supposed to be a surprise.¡± Rafi shrugs derisively and badmouths Papa as usual.

    ¡°T-truly? I didn¡¯t know that.¡± I reply with slight delay and adjust the towel around my sweaty neck.

    ¡°Yup. He is going to Belgium for a few days.¡±

    ¡°For business?¡±

    ¡°Probably. But I managed to badger him until he promised to get us some chocolates as a souvenir.¡±

    ¡°Belgian chocolates!¡± My mouth is already watering at the mere mention of these delightful treats.

    ¡°I know you love them.¡± She says with her head slightly tilted to the side. ¡°Knowing him, he will probably forget about it though.¡±

    ¡°Rafiiii, Papa isn¡¯t that old.¡±

    ¡°He definitely won¡¯t get younger.¡± She lets the sarcasm roll right off her tongue and then walks towards the bathroom. Right, she still hasn¡¯t taken that shower. ¡°You can tell him that I said that by the way.¡±

    ¡°No way.¡± I shake my head in disappointment.

    <hr>

    ¡°This whole incident is highly regrettable.¡± Papa breaks the bread in his large hands and pushes one half into the garlic dip. He really enjoys those strong flavors.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t Monsieur Bonnet¡¯s fault. I think he was desperate, because he was pushed into a corner.¡± I lower my head and lightly nibble on my marmalade covered toast (I passed my self-imposed challenge today).

    ¡°Lis, do never justify a criminal¡¯s actions based on sympathy. I am deeply troubled by Robert¡¯s lack of attention. He should have been able to determine the instability of your client during their conversation.¡± He always speaks harshly and to the point. But I can feel that he only does so because he cares.

    ¡°Monsieur Robert begged me to come with us, but I told him not to worry so much. It¡¯s my fault that everyone-¡°

    ¡°You are the least responsible of all.¡± He cuts me off immediately. ¡°Always remember, all of us are here to protect you. There is no replacement for you.¡±

    I feel my cheeks get flushed again. Papa thinks too highly of me. It is really sweet to hear him say that his daughters are irreplaceable to him.

    ¡°Robert, however, can be replaced. I will give him a stern talking to once I return from my trip.¡±

    ¡°To Belgium, was it?¡±

    ¡°Hm. I see Rafflesia already informed you.¡± He puts the garlic soaked bread to his mouth and chews roughly. His grey eyes are focused solely on his plate. ¡°A great opportunity has presented itself. Your father is rarely this lucky.¡±

    ¡°You always work hard, so you deserve it. When will you depart?¡±

    ¡°The gods of commerce are fickle. I will take the earliest possible flight. The weather forecast said there is a storm brewing up north, though. This doesn¡¯t bode well. Airline companies are even more fickle than the gods.¡± He crunches some celery and then spits out the fibers. Geez, his manners will never improve.

    ¡°I will pray for a safe flight then.¡±

    ¡°And I will pay for it. Money usually works better than prayer.¡± He suddenly cracks a smile that is more disturbing than funny. His facial muscles are not used to this position. Papa only makes jokes when he is excited, a rarity in itself.

    ¡°What happens if the flight gets cancelled?¡±

    ¡°Then I will damn well drive there by car!¡± He hits the table a little too harshly and his bread falls over the edge. I squint my eyes and he pretends not to have noticed.

    ¡°No swearing Papa. And don¡¯t drive inside a storm, that is dangerous.¡±

    ¡°My Peugeot has anti-aquaplaning systems.¡± Of course he takes the opportunity to talk about his car again. This is one of the few things that get his mouth to spill words like a waterfall. This will continue for a while, hm?

    I put my face into my hand and smile. Occasionally I nod in response. Sometimes I feel fulfilled just by continuing like this.

    <hr>

    The next day I wake up late. Without my alarm for work I can barely tell what time it is. The outside is so cloudy that Paris looks like a noir painting. The storm Papa spoke of has already arrived. I rub my eyes and yawn lightly. The humidity in the air from my half opened window is making me feel drowsy. The crackling of thunder in the distance seems comforting for some reason.

    While rubbing the sleep out of my eyes I take one of the bottles on the shelf and inspect it. The ruby red glass chassis is beautiful and cool to the touch. I instinctively wanted to spray myself for a second, but then I remembered last evening. The word ¡®horrid¡¯ echoes in my head. It smells so good to me, but if Rafi hates it¡­

    I set it back on the shelf and then go downstairs.

    ¡°I will be calling you back once I arrive in Brussels. No. Yes, that too. Give me the short version then.¡± Papa is having a heated conversation with someone on the phone. He is trying to bind his tie while keeping the phone stuck between his head and shoulder.

    I silently gesture him to flip the tie and he gives me a confused look. It makes me chuckle. Sitting on the couch near the TV is Rafi, giving me a look that is at least twice as tired as I felt when I woke up. She is daintily sipping on her morning coffee. The steam rising from the cup tells me how hot it must be.

    Finally I take a look at the grandfather clock in the corner of the living room. It shows 10:06! I¡¯ve been sleeping in quite a bit. No wonder Papa is already about to get ready to leave. They could at least have woken me up.

    ¡°¡­do what you must. This can wait until later. Just lock the account for now and send a search team. She is on her own, so do your job. No excuses.¡± Papa slicks back his silver-grey hair and seems to be fed up with his conversation. He forcefully presses the disconnect button on his Smartphone.

    ¡°Trouble in paradise?¡± Rafi asks with a disinterested expression.

    ¡°None of your concern.¡± He replies curtly and then picks up his suitcase. ¡°I will be off now.¡± He approaches me. ¡°Don¡¯t go outside until I am back Lis. Yesterday¡¯s incident should not be repeated.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t leave Papa.¡± I promise with a lowered head. My next job is in four days, so he will return before I have to leave.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good girl.¡± He uncharacteristically puts his big hand on my head. Is he trying to comfort me? As fast as it happened, it already ends and he retracts his hand. For a moment he looks over my shoulder and his cheeks stiffen up. ¡°And I expect your response by the time I return, Rafflesia.¡±

    ¡°I will give you a piece of my mind next time we see each other.¡± She mutters into her cup. Gosh, she is so bad in the mornings! Lack of sleep makes anyone grumpy.

    ¡°¡­¡± Papa glares at her for a moment, but then turns away and heads for the main door.

    ¡°Safe travels!¡± I call out to him as he opens the door.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± He holds on to the door for a little longer than usual and then gives me one last look. ¡°You are all grown up now.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡± I tilt my head to the side.

    ¡°We should have a long talk as well once I come back.¡± He says with a hint of a smile. ¡°I think you are ready for new challenges.¡±

    ¡°Really? I¡¯m looking forward to it!¡± I don¡¯t really get what he is trying to say, but if Papa says I¡¯ve matured that is making me very happy.

    Papa gives me a short hoarse chuckle and then walks out the garden gate, pulling up his remote car keys to unlock it from a distance. I wave him goodbye all the way until he is out of sight and then close the front door.

    There was a single drop of rain on the marble steps before the door was completely shut. A downpour is imminent.

    I look back into the living room and gasp in surprise. Rafi is sitting on the couch with a torn up pillow inside her hands. She is shivering intensely.

    ¡°Rafi! What happened, did the thunder scare you?¡± I rush over and put a hand on her cold face to calm her down.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ I¡¯m fine¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡± She repeats it several times while digging her nails deeply into the pillow. She doesn¡¯t seem fine at all. ¡°I¡¯m going to school.¡± She rises up all of a sudden and rushes out the room.

    ¡°You are going through that downpour?¡± I look out the window and see that it¡¯s raining buckets already. Papa was lucky to have gotten to the car in time.

    ¡°Lis, I will be back late. Don¡¯t leave the house, okay?¡± Rafi comes back with a long rain coat and umbrella.

    ¡°My, why are you two always so worried about me? Just get to school safely and don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± I don¡¯t want her to treat me like a princess all the time.

    ¡°I will lock the door. Watch some TV or something, okay? Everything will be alright soon. For all of us.¡± Rafi looks at me with a sympathetic expression as if I was the one who had to weather that storm. She takes my hand in hers and puts it to her face.

    ¡°Of course we will be alright. We are family after all.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± She replies happily and then lets go.

    We are separated again by the door and a wall of rain. Deep in my heart I wonder what this impending sense of dread means.

 Fourth Petal: Rafflesia

    The storm was spreading across the city like a tidal wave. Eventually the streets were reflecting the blinking lights of the traffic like mirrors. The windshields could hardly keep up with the gallons of water splashing across them. Even though it was the middle of the day it was dark as night.

    A single car broke out of Paris usual traffic jams and slalomed its way out of the city center, into the suburbs. The tires were sliding across the submerged streets, but did not lose control due to excellent grip. The navigation system told the driver to continue out of the city limits to avoid traffic.

    Antonin Dubois was a man of little patience and a stubborn temper. If he could get to his goal even one second sooner he would do almost anything to that end. The airport he was headed for was at the other end of the city. He had decided to drive there ahead of time, which turned out to be the right decision. If the storm got worse he would have had a hard time driving there.

    His flight had not been cancelled yet. He checked the website several times already. Now that he left the metropolitan area he had nothing but empty streets ahead of him. There was a forest close-by as well. Impatiently he pulled the phone from the compartment to his right and turned on the screen. The road was just a long straight line up to the forest so he could take a glance.

    Seventeen messages blinked in the corner, no doubt business associates. Two missed calls. He swiped the unnecessary information aside and opened the schedule list. Flight Paris/Brussels¡­ slight delays. He snorted and glared at the phone. It was to be expected, but that didn¡¯t improve his mood.

    This trip was important for the future of his business, but the commoners out there didn¡¯t care. As if that wasn¡¯t aggravating enough, yesterday¡¯s incident left a sour taste in his mouth. His precious Daylily had been assaulted and that failure of a chaperone had done nothing. What if she had gotten a scar or worse, been deflowered?

    Her worth would have plummeted immensely.

    There was also that look in Rafflesia¡¯s eyes. She was up to something, he could tell. Perhaps it was about time to reeducate her. Whatever answer she would come up with by the time he returned was meaningless. Antonin Dubois had already made up his mind about everything. He always thought three steps ahead.

    One new message popped up on his screen. He took a short look out the front window, but the street ahead was entirely dark. The sharp turn around the forest came up soon. Whatever, he just took a short glance.

    [Safe travels.]

    It sounded like something Lis would say, but he didn¡¯t allow her to own a phone. Who-

    The one second of confusion was enough to delay his reflexes. Just as he turned the wheel to lay into the curve he suddenly saw something appear in the cones of his headlights. A car was parked in the middle of the road!

    ¡°Merde!¡± He yelled in anger as he spun the wheel around with all his might and hit the brakes. Instead of slowing down the car kept speeding up! ¡°What the hell is going on?!¡± He kept kicking the brakes with all his strength, but the car didn¡¯t slow down.

    The tires were screeching from the stress that was put on them by the spinning, but they weren¡¯t giving out yet. If he could just stir it around the parked vehicle¡­

    He passed it by a hair¡¯s breadth. The next moment however, his Peugeot was rushing down the sink and into the forest! His vision was spinning and the tree was incoming.

    ¡°OPEN YOU FUCKING-!¡° He shouted as he kicked his door open with one leg and then jumped out the spinning car. The next moment it crashed into the tree and shrapnel was flying everywhere inside an explosion of dirt and leaves.

    For a moment his vision blacked out due to the heavy impact of his head on the forest ground, followed by spinning and eventually a numb pain in his lower back. The sound that was ringing inside his ears only wore off after a while and made way for the incessant dribbling of rain. He could feel the cold wetness spread all over him.

    Opening his right eyes was a strain, but he managed. He was spread over some rabbit hole and an oddly shaped rock. Using his hurting arms he dragged himself up and then towards the tree close to his completely wrecked car.

    He couldn¡¯t feel his legs. Why couldn¡¯t he feel his legs? There was only a numb pain spreading across his abdomen. The rain was letting up a little and so the red that was released from his wound stopped getting washed away. So that was it. There was a large metal shard stuck in his side. Probably shrapnel from the car.

    He touched it hesitantly and felt a rush of heat and pain from the spot. That was good. Pain meant he was still in the game. It wasn¡¯t bleeding too much compared to some injuries he had taken in his youth. This godforsaken forest was deserted, especially in this weather, but if he just got to his phone¡­

    The car next to him was wrecked and the glass spread all around it glimmered in the occasional lightning strike from above. But he could see something blinking inside the space between the driver¡¯s seat and the destroyed wheels. That was his phone! It was build bullet proof after all.

    If he leaned on his healthy side and dragged himself over with a thick stick he could make it there. Although his vision was starting to fade out he would not give up. He never gave up. This accident would not stop a man of his caliber!

    Crch¡­ crack¡­ tschk¡­

    The leaves and muddy ground were making sounds. Sounds similar almost to being pushed down by boots.

    Antonin looked up and wiped the blood from his right eye to see better in the barely lit forest. One of the car¡¯s backlights suddenly sprung to life and shone on the hooded figure. They were moving towards the car almost casually and then pulled out the blinking phone.

    ¡°So it was you.¡± He stopped his crawl and leaned back against the tree with a defeated expression.

    The hooded person showed him the phone and then took it apart in front of his eyes. When it was stripped of its battery and machinery the golden chassis was thrown against his chest, much like leftovers from the dinner table were handed to a dog.

    ¡°Seems you got my message old man.¡± Rafflesia said with a cold smile.

    <hr>

    My name is Rafflesia. It¡¯s not a cute name at all. Not something any decent parent would call their daughter anyway. But I can¡¯t say that old man was wrong either. Say about him what you want, but he has a good eye for people. He had to, to become such a dangerous underworld shark.

    The Rafflesia is a parasitic flower with large revolting meat colored petals. It¡¯s also referred to as a ¡®corpse flower¡¯ from time to time, due to its disgusting smell. No young girl would go to smell the Rafflesias in their grandmother¡¯s garden, that¡¯s for sure. Apparently it sends out that foul corpse like stench to attract insects which spread its pollen to procreate the flower. In the end it can only survive by capturing and tricking others.

    My vines spread out to search for a beautiful small flower to bind tightly into my body. Becoming one to survive and persevere in the process. A parasite that can only bloom with the right host¡­

    Yes, the old man had a good eye.

    After Lis left for her job I had been following her as per my usual schedule. Robert was too trusting as usual, so I had to make up for his slack. That young company owner, that rich pig, tried to lay a hand on Lis. I was so close to castrating him with my knife, that¡¯s how angry I was. Of course I didn¡¯t do anything like that; Lis was right with me after all.

    When the old man came home I immediately called him into his office to have a talk, but he said it should wait. The moment I mentioned Lis he became a lot more willing to listen. The Dubois office was nothing but a fa?ade. Strewn about the desk and shelves were meaningless folders of files and receipts. While the phone rang occasionally, it was obvious that the old man only took his important calls over his Smartphone and at least three encrypted channels.

    I locked the door behind me. Lis was upstairs taking a bath, so I didn¡¯t expect her to come down, but better be safe than sorry.

    ¡®Father¡¯ took a seat in his oversized office chair. He just wouldn¡¯t throw that filthy old thing out. I would have assumed it had sentimental value, but that would imply that a human heart beat inside that monster¡¯s chest. I¡¯m not delusional.

    ¡°Bonnet turned out to be a bad business partner.¡± He said as he leaned on his folded hands and glared at the door. His short gray hair was slicked back, revealing his widows peak, but in my opinion he still looked much younger than he actually was. Under certain circumstances he could have been my grandfather.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Is that all you have to say? He almost kidnapped and raped your daughter.¡± I glared him down, but his sharp silver-grey eyes are calm. Provocations of this level didn¡¯t even faze him.

    ¡°I expected this to happen again one day. It was fortunate that we had no incidents in almost 4 years.¡±

    So he was playing it down. Made me sick to my stomach to hear the word ¡®expected¡¯ in this context. I crossed my arms and leaned against the shelf to his left.

    ¡°Are you going to let him get away with this?¡± I couldn¡¯t suppress my disapproving tone.

    ¡°We cannot hand him over to the police. Robert escorted him back home and explained the situation to him. He will either shut up and pay us to do the same¡­ or he will lose his company for good.¡± His wicked smile was befitting of a mob boss from some Italian mafia movie. ¡°Nonetheless, I am disappointed. I will have to let Robert go after such a blunder.¡±

    My hand twitches for a second, but I think I covered it up well. My face was an unmoving mask. Even if he said he would get rid of Robert, there was no reason to think that it would happen right away.

    ¡°Naturally Bonnet is the greatest disappointment, but the most important one should be attributed to you Rafflesia.¡±

    ¡°I saved Lis!¡±

    ¡°You were supposed to take care of any frustrations left in her clients. Why were you not tending to Bonnet right away?¡± His sharp eyes pierced my body and seemed to tear open my heart.

    ¡°I thought Robert was still setting up the details with him. They usually want an appointment for later in the night.¡± I tried my best to sound reasonable, no matter how unreasonable this situation was.

    ¡°Hmph. This sloppiness of yours is exactly why you lack value.¡± He took out his phone and started replying to some messages.

    A cold fire burned inside my chest. Looking at this despicable man filled me with a horrible corrupted foulness. Truly, I am a Rafflesia. But this corpse like smell, this dirty soul¡­ it all came from that man. He tainted me so completely that I can never hope to recover. But I accept it all. There is nothing I would not do if it was for the sake of Lis.

    ¡°This had to happen right before my trip to Belgium. I want you to have an eye on Lis while I am gone so she won¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± My ears perked up when I heard him mention Belgium. The word made me excited and afraid. It was tomorrow, wasn¡¯t it? My breathing got unstable just thinking about it. Maybe that would be the only opportunity I could ever have. But my arms and legs are shaking. Why was I so weak? I still couldn¡¯t bring out my resolve.

    ¡°I must say, despite your failings, I might increase your value if this deal goes over well.¡±

    ¡°Have they contacted you already?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The meeting will take place the day after tomorrow. If all goes well we will finally be moving our hands into the money laundering scene.¡± The mere thought of the endless profit awaiting him made him show his horrible smile. ¡°I never expected my most worthless piece to move this far on the board. However did you set it up, hm?¡±

    That worthless piece was of course me, his youngest daughter. And his question was rhetorical. But if I could improve my standing even a bit¡­

    ¡°The clients like to talk a lot. Lis only gets to hear the surface stuff. When they are done and satisfied they start boasting and laughing to themselves. I just had to dangle a carrot before that old man and he was happy to talk to his contacts.¡± I explained while avoiding his eyes.

    ¡°Pillow talk can be a useful talk with the right questions. The other girls lack that capacity for inventiveness.¡± He stroked his chin and set aside his phone. ¡°Your example has actually opened my eyes.¡± I stiffened up. I had a bad premonition when seeing his devilish grin. ¡°If you can achieve such results, then it might finally be time to widen the spectrum of Lis¡¯ tasks.¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± I wanted to do things to him that would make his face distort in ways humans should not be able to. It took all my self control not to jump him and tear out his eyes and tongue!

    ¡°Now now. The novelty of the ¡®Daylily¡¯ will wear off eventually. Clients who desire this luxury product are abundant now, but in a few years her ¡®purity¡¯ will certainly come into question. The appeal of an innocent flower is lost when it grows in a garden of weeds.¡± His words were pure evil. Detestable. The worst. ¡°If I give her to her clients afterwards, they will pay us at least twice as much. Lis has matured, she will get over it faster than most girls. After all you did too.¡±

    ¡°You are supposed to leave those pigs to ME!! That¡¯s what you promised! I will make them go away satisfied and you get your extra cash, just leave Lis out of this!!¡± I shouted with desperation and anger. If he was serious about this he would never stop.

    ¡°That is up to you. If you can¡¯t keep your end of the bargain, I will act accordingly.¡± He simply replied and then turned his chair towards the window.

    W-h-a-t?

    I stagger to the side for a moment, losing grip on the shelf. He was blaming me. This was all a set-up. He was extorting me¡­ no, punishing me? Because of today¡¯s incident he wanted to get back at me. That must have been it. So he was saying that Lis fate was my fault? THIS taint was on my hands as well?

    It¡¯s over. My hesitation left my body. The plan would happen. It must.

    ¡°¡­fine. Just think about it a little longer. At least until you are back from your trip.¡± I lower my head and pretend to be disgruntled, but accepting my lot.

    ¡°I will only be gone for three days. My mind is already made up. The ball is now on your side. If you cannot come up with something I will do exactly what I promised. Are we clear?¡± An ultimatum. This bastard¡­

    ¡°Understood.¡± I would come up with something that solved all of our issues. All strings would be cut and finally, we would be free.

    <hr>

    I stand inside the dark forest, putting the micro-SD card and battery in my inner pocket. The black raincoat I¡¯m wearing seems to have thrown my ¡®father¡¯ off for a moment, but then he recognizes me.

    ¡°Seems you got my message old man.¡±

    ¡°Was there ever a contact in Belgium?¡± He asks while wiping blood from his right eye.

    ¡°Nobody will be waiting for you.¡±

    ¡°Figures.¡± He coughs and then jerks back in pain. That jagged piece of metal looks painful. All the better for me. ¡°You cut the brakes?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. You would have noticed right away.¡± I reprimand his shitty question and then kick over the broken door. Below the car is a tiny box that was once right inside the front of the car. ¡°I remote controlled when it would be destroyed. When I saw you come down that road like a starved wolf I simply had to press the button.¡± I pushed it with delight.

    ¡°Your taste in cars is¡­ disappointing¡­¡± He says with a rough smile.

    ¡°Just one more thing for the list then.¡± I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care at all anymore about anything he has to say. I just want to see him squeal in pain.

    ¡°Is this revenge¡­cough¡­ for how I treated you?¡± He dares to ask my reasons. He actually went there!

    ¡°Unlike you¡­ I don¡¯t have any illusions about myself. I am just as worthless as you always said.¡± I spin the remote in my hand and watch the rain burst off the plastic. ¡°There is nothing of me that I love. There is nothing I would want to avenge. You¡¯ve already ruined me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± His eyes are glazing over, probably because of the pain and cold.

    He doesn¡¯t get to pass out yet! I kick the metal in his side, making him jolt up in agonizing pain.

    ¡°AAAHHHH! Mon Dieu¡­¡± He spazzes around for a moment, but his eyes have returned to clarity. Pain forces him to stay in the moment.

    ¡°There is one sin that I can¡¯t forgive. You had your uses for me as well, so I hesitated for a while. But I can¡¯t forgive you and I don¡¯t want to let you get away with this no matter what.¡± I move my face as close to his as possible, to the point where I can see every rain covered hair on his eye-lashes. ¡°You wanted to hurt Lis.¡±

    ¡°Ahaha¡­. Ahahahahhaha!¡± Despite the pain and my icy hatred, he starts to laugh madly as if he had heard the greatest joke ever told. It must hurt to laugh with that wound, but he doesn¡¯t seem to have any self-control. ¡°I knew it since I saw you children for the first time in that gutter like a litter of thrown away kittens. You are not normal.¡± His mad grin was an insult to my entire world. ¡°I already saw that shining girl¡¯s abnormality. Her desire to be used was a boon to my business, as well as that divine purity. Haha¡­ but she is a deviant.¡±

    Why does he keep talking? He knows he is going to die. He could just step away gracefully. No, I would not let him. But he could try. Instead he gives me this toxic display. He wants to anger me? I¡¯m beyond furious already. There is nothing that could save him¡­ so he laughs it off?

    ¡°And you are the worst of all. I should have realized it sooner. Your deviancy, your obsession¡­ your broken soul¡­¡±

    ¡°You broke me. But Lis will fix me. She keeps me together. For that reason¡­ I have to end your part in her story.¡±

    ¡°I broke you? Do you really believe that child?¡± He gives me a derisive chuckle. ¡°You were born broken.¡±

    ¡°HAAAAH!¡± I raise my fist to punch him with all my strength, every fiber in my body wants to hurt that man!!

    His bloody smile does not break. My fist stops right in front of his sharp nose. Now that bastard seems surprised.

    ¡°Not gonna lash out¡­ Not going to kill me?¡± He mocks me.

    ¡°Did you think I was just on my own?¡± I suddenly ask him calmly.

    ¡°What¡­?¡± He frowns in confusion.

    ¡°If I kill you here, someone would investigate your death. It would be a big deal. I wouldn¡¯t even see the next day without your ¡®associates¡¯ trying to kill me or the Gendarmerie taking me in.¡±

    Realization dawned on his blue, wrinkly face.

    ¡°A set-up¡­ You were working with someone.¡± He grits his teeth.

    ¡°You want to know why I didn¡¯t kill you yet?¡± I suddenly feel a smile spread across my face. ¡°My allies of justice will bring down your empire that you spent your entire life building up.¡±

    ¡°You bitch¡­ when did you start working with the DGSI?¡±

    ¡°Who knows?¡±

    ¡°Traitors¡­ who are the damn traitors?!¡±

    I love this. His expression of despair and hatred. Being bested by me is nothing to him. He sees me as just another rabid dog. But to think I have outsmarted him. That all he built will be ruined. Right under his eyes there were traitors and agents. The order he had build, the unseen world of total control he had created, was always full of holes and rotten from the base.

    There will not be a shred of his legacy left!

    ¡°What good would knowing do you?¡± I smile darkly and then step away.

    ¡°They are going to¡­ come for me¡­ aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°That injury isn¡¯t fatal. If you get treated in time you will make it. Congrats.¡± I move towards the car to look for my box. I take it into my raincoat.

    ¡°You are¡­ selling me out?! Your father and benefactor! You owe me everything!¡± He is yelling like an enraged bull.

    ¡°If you answer their questions you might get to live in a nice max security prison. Of course I will be sending you the newspapers regularly.¡± So he can see every headline about his secret empire crumbling to ashes.

    It¡¯s my victory old man.

    ¡°Hehe¡­ You know it right?¡± He cackles while leaning over like a corpse.

    ¡°¡­¡± I stop in my tracks. I want to leave so the DGSI doesn¡¯t see me. They might take me in for questioning and I can¡¯t let Lis wait at home any longer. I really want to see her¡­ Hug her, smell her comforting scent.

    But his tone of voice keeps me tied in place.

    ¡°You knew all along¡­ you foolish little thing¡­¡°

    ¡°You are such a sore loser.¡± I sigh in annoyance and force myself to move on.

    ¡°You know that she will never love you back.¡±

    My. Mind. Breaks.

    A flash of red. The glass shard from the ground. My hand moves up and then down.

    Again again again again againagainagainagainagainagain! AGAIN!

    Laughter. Spurting blood. Torn out throat. Slicing that grin. Crushing that skull. Ripping open his suit. Cutting out his heart. It sprays and sprays and sprays and sprays.

    Laughter. Who is laughing? Is it him? Is he laughing as I cut him apart?

    Or is that me laughing at the shambles of my shattering world?

 Fifth Petal: Kerrii

    I stumble through the door and fall on my knees. The dark hallway is lit up by the lightning from the open door. Even though I can¡¯t stop my shaking I still force myself to rise again, using the shoe rack at my side. The key inside my hand seems to be as slick as oil all of a sudden. I miss the keyhole three times before finally locking up.

    My mind is blank and thinking hurts. I got rid of the car along the way, so I had to run through the storm. The numbness of my skin makes it hard to realize how cold I really am. Ignoring my state, I move into the living room. Despite expecting the TV to be running, everything is quiet and dark. Was there nobody here?

    I hear low breathing from somewhere. My vision shifts and I find her spread out on the sofa. I pull off the black raincoat and throw it over a chair. There is no way I could mind the puddle that is spreading on the floor.

    Softly I walk over to Lis and kneel down next to the sofa. Her rhythmic breathing is so relaxed and alive and calming and¡­

    I push my soaked hair to the side and lean forward. Our faces are so close that I can see the slight twitching of her nose in response to my presence. She really is just like Sleeping Beauty.

    My heart is cleansed. This is all I wanted. If Lis can rest easy from now on too, then my mission will be accomplished.

    Yes¡­ if only.

    <hr>

    I have a weird dream. It¡¯s quite fortunate that I¡¯m not a deep sleeper, because I usually don¡¯t get nightmares. And if I do, I can just wake up at will. This one can¡¯t be called a nightmare, but also not a happy dream. There is no connection or thread throughout it and the ending is confusing.

    A rabbit playing inside a prospering garden. Then the grass and flowers start to wilt away all at once and the rabbit hops to the next meadow. The same thing happens again, but this time the rabbit doesn¡¯t run. A raven comes down and pecks for seeds in the dead flowerbed. The rabbit just sits and watches, but the raven doesn¡¯t notice it.

    A loud noise!

    The raven looks up and sees the rabbit cower. It suddenly jumps on top of it and carries it away. Mid-flight they turn into butterflies and eventually settle on a beautiful lily. Someone picks the lily and hands it to me. Why am I here now?

    I smell the lily and it has a wonderful scent. The person who picked it for me turns out to be Papa. He smiles and then walks away. I can¡¯t follow him for some reason. I don¡¯t want to be alone¡­

    The lily blooms and then it starts growing from the base! It turns into vines that sling around my wrist and eventually my entire body. It constricts me, forces me to my knees and makes me unable to breathe. But it doesn¡¯t hurt. I feel warm. This feeling of being captured is pleasant somehow.

    I jolt up from the sofa and inhale deeply. My head is spinning and I lose orientation for a moment. Eventually my pulse settles down and I realize that I was sleeping inside the living room. The rain keeps drumming against the windows in a calming rhythm. It seems that I couldn¡¯t stay awake waiting for Rafi.

    The TV is just as dark as the room, because I don¡¯t particularly enjoy watching anything. Books let my imagination take flight, but seeing things being acted out on screen just seems a bit dull. I had watched the news for five minutes and then turned it off.

    Unable to suppress a yawn, I roll my stiff shoulders a bit. Sleeping on the sofa wasn¡¯t very clever of me. This atmosphere just made people sleepy naturally. Maybe I should go take a shower to wake myself up.

    Just as I move my legs off the couch I suddenly notice her.

    ¡°Rafi?¡± I blink a few times to be sure I¡¯m not hallucinating. It¡¯s really her! Rafi is sitting hunched over at the bottom of the sofa. Why would she choose such an uncomfortable spot? I shake my head softly. That really isn¡¯t the issue.

    Looking closely, her hair and clothes are completely soaked. The storm had taken its toll on my poor sister. She could have woken me up at least, instead of just hunkering down there. Now it¡¯s almost guaranteed that she will catch a cold. Not on my watch!

    ¡°Time to wake up sleepyhead.¡± I gently shake her shoulders. Her eyes twitch a little and then open ever so slightly. ¡°You need to take a hot shower.¡±

    ¡°¡­.Lis¡­¡± She barely opens her mouth, but then suddenly embraces me. ¡°I¡­ I did it¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful.¡± I praise her while patting her wet head.

    ¡°I came back¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, you did.¡± I just keep stroking her hair. She seems so out of it, even a bit scared. That¡¯s why I need to keep holding her.

    ¡°I¡¯m home.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for waiting for me.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Rafi has finally calmed down. She leans into my soft strokes like a cat. It was rare for her to act this cute. This little happiness can make us even forget about the scary storm outside.

    I take her hand and pull her up to her feet. Then I guide my still sleepy sister to the bathroom on the first floor. She just goes along with my actions without question. I take off her wet and sticky clothes and then guide her to the bathtub. It seems she finally realizes what was going on and starts the shower herself. I pull the shower curtain shut so the water won¡¯t spray into the bathroom.

    I pick up her clothes and take them to the washing machine. She got so completely soaked on her way from home to the train station. It surprises me a little that the school did not cancel lessons for the day with this weather. I heard about it on TV before, that heavy weather could prevent students from coming to school, so they would close preemptively.

    But Rafi needed to do this, whatever it was. I shouldn¡¯t question her. When she comes to me with such a forlorn look, I simply have to support her. That¡¯s what a big sister does. Family is more important than anything else in this world.

    I put down a bundle of fresh clothes for her and then leave the bathroom. The steady sound of running water makes it feel almost cozy in there. If Rafi is this tired I guess it is time for me to show off my cooking skills for once! I never get an opportunity to do it, so this is really exciting.

    <hr>

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this.¡± Rafi says with a disgruntled expression as she sets down her fork.

    ¡°W-what? Why not?¡± I can¡¯t believe my ears.

    ¡°How much salt did you put into this?¡± She asks me with a raised brow.

    ¡°I accidentally dropped the salt shaker into the water, but I managed to fish it out with the pincer.¡± I explain happily. It was quite tough, but nothing I can¡¯t handle.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°And then?¡±

    ¡°Then I poured the contents into the water, because the shaker was full of water.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± She looks at the pasta as if it had personally attacked her or something. ¡°How do you like them?¡± She squints at my plate.

    ¡°D¨¦licieux.¡± I reply as I take another big bite out of my portion.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit much ketchup?¡± Her eyebrow is twitching.

    ¡°I spread it evenly.¡± I would never put too much ketchup in one spot. Rafi is treating me like a kid again.

    ¡°Yeah, there is not a single yellow noodle left. All red.¡± She mumbles and then puts the pasta to her mouth. She is eating them dry for some reason. ¡°Usually you would at least add some tomato sauce and basil to it¡­¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°I will gladly eat anything you make for me. Even if it is too salty and dry or drowned in ketchup.¡± She smiles weakly and keeps stuffing herself.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to eat something so bad. I would never mess up like that.¡± I laugh at her funny joke. Rafi just smiles and keeps eating away.

    ¡°Papa should be in the plane right now.¡± I put a finger to my chin and imagine him complaining about the lack of space for his large legs. He always flies business class.

    Rafi puts down her fork. Did I imagine it or was her hand shaking? She closes her eyes and sighs.

    ¡°Do you feel unwell? Is it a fever?¡± It really worries me when she looks like this. I¡¯m certain she caught a cold.

    ¡°I promised father that I would look out for you.¡± She looks up and her eyes seem more steady and determined.

    ¡°Gosh.¡± There she goes again acting like some knight protecting her princess.

    ¡°¡­if anything bad happens. Just in case.¡± She rubs her hands together. ¡°Just wait for me; I will make you forget about it.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­ forget about it?¡± That¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it? Should we really just forget bad things? Why does that seem so¡­ wrong?

    ¡°You are all I have.¡± She whispers with teary eyes.

    ¡°Rafi?¡± I grab her hands in mine with concern. She is so emotional all of a sudden. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. You also have Papa and Robert and your friends at school. We are all here for you!¡±

    She looks at me with such a painful expression. Her lips move, but no words come out. She tries again and again, but it just doesn¡¯t happen.

    Eventually she lowers her head and nods.

    ¡°You are right.¡± She says with a hollow voice.

    ¡°Yes! Trust your big sister.¡± I smile as supportively as I can.

    ¡°Do you trust me?¡± The question comes out of nowhere. But I suppose in return for her trust it¡¯s only natural.

    ¡°Always.¡± I confirm wholeheartedly.

    ¡°Is that a promise?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    ¡°You never go back on a promise. That¡¯s just how you are.¡± She takes my hands that are wrapped around hers and kisses them.

    ¡°That tickles.¡± I giggle.

    ¡°I feel really refreshed now.¡± Rafi declares and then gets up from the table. She cracks her neck a little.

    ¡°What about your food?¡±

    ¡°Could you store it in the fridge for me? I will eat it all later.¡± She asks me while waving her hand. Before I can even reply she is already going to Papa¡¯s office.

    ¡°I will.¡± Even though we weren¡¯t finished yet¡­ It¡¯s kind of lonely eating by myself again.

    <hr>

    Three days have passed in the blink of an eye. The storm had lasted for two days, but today it finally cleared up. I was getting a little moody from the constant black and gray colors outside. This constant sleepiness can make a girl turn melancholy.

    What really worries me is not the weather, though. It has been three days, but Rafi has barely talked to me. She always either holes herself up in Papa¡¯s office or leaves in the early morning and comes back late. She seems so incredibly busy and exhausted. Somehow she still manages to buy groceries between all her work. I would like to take at least that burden from her, but the front door is always locked and I¡¯m not allowed to go outside.

    It worries me too much. I want to talk to her again. If we talk it out, we can resolve anything!

    For that purpose I made some coffee with the best beans we had left and then prepared delicious sandwiches from cut baguettes. These should cheer her up and set the mood for a good long talk. I stop my long steps in front of the white door and raise my free hand to knock.

    ¡°I won¡¯t repeat myself. You will either come in person or our agreement is terminated!¡±

    I can¡¯t believe my ears. That¡¯s¡­ Papa¡¯s voice! But how could he be back already? I didn¡¯t hear or see him come in. Surprised and overjoyed I open the door without knocking. What I see when I come in is more confusing than anything. Rafi is sitting in Papa¡¯s old chair and talking to someone over her Smartphone. When she noticed me bursting in she almost dropped it.

    ¡°Monsieur Dubois, you can¡¯t-¡°

    ¡°¡­¡± With wide eyes she presses the disconnect button to end the call. ¡°Lis¡­ is something wrong?¡± She asks with a strained voice.

    ¡°Oh? I could swear I heard Papa¡¯s voice.¡± It couldn¡¯t have been my imagination, right?

    ¡°Uhm¡­ yes. T-that¡¯s because¡­ I was talking to him right now.¡± She suddenly points at the phone with a serious expression.

    ¡°Gosh, you can¡¯t hang up on him just because you always argue!¡± I scold her with an amused expression.

    ¡°Haha. You know we are like oil and water.¡± She replies with a stifled laugh.

    ¡°Can you call him back? I want to talk to him as well.¡± I ask excitedly. Because I don¡¯t have a phone it¡¯s hard for me to contact Papa on my own after all.

    ¡°He¡¯s¡­ incredibly busy.¡± Rafi lowers her hand and puts the phone aside. ¡°He just told me that he won¡¯t be coming back tomorrow after all. They are really dragging out those negotiations.¡±

    ¡°Oh my¡­ I hope Papa isn¡¯t in trouble.¡± I set down the silver plate on the desk.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he is doing fine¡­ is that coffee?¡± Her eyes suddenly light up and she grabs the hot cup with delight.

    ¡°I thought you would like some.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a lifesaver Lis! I could inject this stuff straight to my veins right now.¡± She greedily takes big gulps of the hot liquid.

    ¡°D-don¡¯t be so hasty, you will burn yourself!¡± I pull the cup out of her hand and she pouts.

    ¡°And you even made¡­ food.¡± She goes through her hazelnut hair and looks at the sandwiches with concern.

    ¡°Hahaha, I think you will like them a lot!¡±

    ¡°There isn¡¯t any salt on them, right?¡± Again with that doubting look.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. Salt doesn¡¯t belong on sandwiches.¡±

    ¡°True.¡± She sighs in relief and puts one of them to her mouth.

    ¡°You use pepper to bring out the flavor of the cheese.¡± I raise a finger knowingly.

    Rafi gulps the bite down in record time and stares at the sandwich with a darkened face. She sneezes.

    ¡°Too much pepper?¡± I tilt me head in surprise at the cute sneeze.

    ¡°Just got some... in my nose.¡± She rubs the nose in question and then sets down the sandwich. ¡°I will eat the rest later. And tomorrow I will start cooking again.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t overwork yourself please. I can take care of some things too.¡±

    ¡°You do all the housework already, so leave at least something to me.¡± She replies calmly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have much else to do.¡± I shrug. ¡°All I have left to do is to prepare for tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow?¡± Rafi looks at her phone.

    ¡°There is a new client waiting. Robert still hasn¡¯t told you?¡±

    Rafi lets her phone slip out of her hand again. If she keeps treating it so roughly it will break.

    ¡°No¡­ no there isn¡¯t a client.¡± She says roughly.

    ¡°What? Did they cancel?¡± That has never happened before.

    ¡°Th-that¡¯s right. Seems they got cold feet.¡± She leans on one hand and smiles vaguely.

    ¡°I wish Robert would tell me these things himself.¡± I feel a tad disappointed that he thinks Rafi is more dependable than me.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t mean anything bad by it. I¡¯m just closer to the phone.¡± Her argument makes sense. But why does she look so pale? ¡°Look Lis¡­ I¡¯ve been talking to father a lot recently.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you argued?¡±

    ¡°Sure. The truth is, he doesn¡¯t think you should¡­ continue your job.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡± I can¡¯t follow. That doesn¡¯t make any sense.

    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous. Also improper for a good girl like you.¡± She averts her eyes.

    ¡°No, Papa wouldn¡¯t say that.¡± I shake my head in denial. ¡°How can I repay him if I don¡¯t do my job?!¡± It couldn¡¯t be. This was the only thing I was able to do. Papa always wanted me to do my job well and in return he praised me. The agreement, the perfume, the people I could meet.... they should all disappear just like that?

    ¡°Lis, you¡¯ve done enough already.¡± Rafi looked at me with pity. Again this¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t want that. It would mean that I¡¯m¡­ useless.¡± I feel my face getting hot. The room is turning blurry.

    ¡°That¡¯s what father said and he doesn¡¯t change his mind. You know that.¡± Rafi insists with a hardened expression. ¡°From now on you won¡¯t be meeting any clients anymore.¡±

    It feels like the floor beneath me has opened up and is swallowing me whole. If this goes on I will collapse and lose myself.

    But if Papa said it, then it must be right.

    It echoes inside my head, this safety line. Rafflesia is just giving me his orders. That means it¡¯s fine. Even if it makes me so unhappy I want to cry, I will have to accept it.

    ¡°We can find a different occupation for you when¡­ things have calmed down.¡± My precious little sister is always thinking of me. Even now she is trying to cheer me up.

    Pathetic. It would be pathetic to cry now.

    ¡°¡­I understand.¡± I lower my head. An awkward silence envelopes the room.

    ¡°Lis-¡°

    ¡°I¡¯m going to my room. Please eat your food!¡± I spin around and hurry out the door.

    <hr>

    ¡°Was I too harsh?¡± I wonder with an outstretched hand. Lis just sprinted out the door like she was deeply hurt. I don¡¯t ever want to hurt her.

    But I had to do what was best for her, even if she doesn¡¯t understand it right now.

    Time is running dry. If I don¡¯t settle this soon we will be in hell on Earth. The pressure is killing me, but when I look at the plate I can feel Lis good-natured love. I put the sandwich to my mouth and kiss it softly.

    Only a little longer. Only a little bit more.

 Sixth Petal: Leonardi

    Three more days have passed in the blink of an eye. I can feel the sleep deprivation catching up to me. It¡¯s the first time in years that I collapsed in the middle of the day after all. Thankfully Lis didn¡¯t see it happen. She has been mostly staying in her room the entire time. Occasionally she asks me how father is doing and when he will be back. It gets harder to lie to her face like this.

    When was the last time I saw her smile? How my heart yearns for that brightness, those blooming red cheeks¡­

    ¡°Toilet¡­¡± I rub my worn out eyes and leave the stuffy office. Outside I¡¯m greeted by bright sunshine. It is way too blinding and makes me want to close all the curtains in the damn house.

    As I walk upstairs I can hear something. The faint muffled steps of someone inside the bathroom. Lis must be using it right now. I yawn and then rhythmically knock on the door.

    ¡°Just a moment!¡± I hear Lis cheerful voice from inside. She must be in a good mood. A few shuffling noises later she unlocks the door and opens it for me. It¡¯s rare for her to lock up. ¡°You can use it now.¡±

    My eyes widen. Suddenly I¡¯m confronted with a shocking sight. Lis¡­ she is all dressed up! She is clad in that azure dress and those black knee-high socks she only wears on special occasions. Her curly hair has been ironed straight and topped off with a fancy ribbon. It¡¯s almost surprising that she doesn¡¯t wear make-up, but Lis'' natural beauty can¡¯t be surpassed anyway.

    ¡°What¡¯s with the dress-up?¡± I ask with a dry throat. Seeing her like this after being deprived of her for days makes me all jittery.

    ¡°I know that I can¡¯t meet with clients right now, but I really felt like wearing this at least once in a while. I always thought I only did it for the job, but this morning I realized that I actually really like wearing nice clothes and doing my hair~¡± She smiles brightly.

    My heart contracts. Such simplistic happiness. I¡¯m envious, jealous of her and even a bit resentful towards the world that forced my sister to be like this. She is just too precious for her own sake. I have to suppress my darker instincts with all my might.

    ¡°Should I give you a make-over as well Rafi?¡± She suggests something outrageous all of a sudden. That excitement is almost infectious.

    ¡°M-maybe another time. I can¡¯t compare to your beauty anyway.¡± I avert my face as I realize my cheeks are flushed. My heart is hammering dangerously close to the painful spectrum. I should step away from Lis as soon as possible-

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so mean to yourself! You are really pretty after all.¡± She hugs me. Ahhh, I¡¯ve missed this. Usually she had this tendency to hug me every morning after waking up. It¡¯s been too long since I felt her soft cheek against mine and got to feel her chest press against my arm. And that smell¡­

    That smell.

    I push Lis away and glare at her. There is no way I could stop myself despite her confused expression. That smell, no that stench! It makes my stomach revolt and my eyes turn bloodshot. Why is she wearing this? Why did she have to cover herself in that horrid odor?!

    ¡°W-what¡¯s wrong Rafi? You look so angry-¡°

    ¡°That perfume¡­ didn¡¯t I tell you it was horrible?¡± I ask unable to suppress the shaking of my arms as I push Lis against the door.

    ¡°B-but it¡¯s Papa¡¯s present¡­ I¡­ I think it smells just fine.¡± She looks down with a mix of guilt and defiance.

    This isn¡¯t right. I can¡¯t accept this. That man¡¯s corruption runs so very deep¡­ Even though he isn¡¯t here, no, because he isn¡¯t here, she desperately seeks his embrace, his presence! That¡¯s why she would clad herself in this stench that marks her as his¡­ his possession.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to use it anymore.¡± I say with a cold voice. It just slips out on its own.

    ¡°Wha- why would you say that?¡± Her emerald eyes stare back at me in confusion again.

    ¡°Are you saying¡­ that man¡¯s more important than me?¡± My head is pounding. She didn¡¯t say anything, she didn¡¯t do anything wrong, it was all that bastard¡¯s fault, but I feel so seething, burningly jealous! I can¡¯t allow it. Even though I told her it¡¯s bad, even though I erased him from her world, she is still holding up her own strings, desperately trying to be controlled!

    Why does it have to be him? Just come to me¡­ just be mi-

    ¡°Rafi? You are scaring me.¡±

    Her words are like electric currents that shock my brain and body at high voltage. It makes me twist and cringe and coil.

    I let go of her arms and release her.

    Then I storm off. There is only one solution to this problem. If she tries to grab the strings, I simply need to cut them to pieces! Burn the remains in the fires of my hatred!

    In seconds I reach Lis¡¯ room and throw the door wide open. It crashes against the wall loudly, but I don¡¯t even care. Her neat and tidy bed in the left corner, the wardrobe in the back. Where is it? Where is it?!

    Below the desk? I push the chair out of the way forcefully and look below. Nothing! I throw open the wardrobe and pluck all the nice dresses out and throw them aside. Not in here either! The shelves full of books, who cares about those, they aren¡¯t relevant! I throw the books down maybe she hid it behind them!

    Nothing, nowhere, where is she hiding it?!

    Eventually I can hear the gasps from behind me. Lis has followed me and is now watching my rampage. She must be terrified. Completely frozen in place. Whatever.

    I kick over the carpet and look for secret compartments. This damn room is empty! Where is the stache?!

    I clench my hands to fists and tear the curtains aside so hard that they spring off. Nothing behind them either!

    ¡°P-please¡­ stop already¡­.¡± Lis shaking voice penetrates my rage filled mind and finally makes me snap out of it. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±

    I can barely turn around. Seeing her moist eyes will just break my heart. The heat and rage inside me won¡¯t die down. I want to erase everything that man has done to my sweet Lis, but in the process I hurt her. This make me so frustrated!

    ¡°Where¡­ where is the perfume?¡± I ask with a breaking voice.

    ¡°Y-you were looking for that?¡± She can barely believe it apparently. ¡°I¡­ I put the box inside the bathroom drawer.¡±

    She told me this out of her own volition. Because she is scared of what I would do if she doesn¡¯t confess? Her reasons don¡¯t matter.

    I rush past her out of the room and down the hallway. Inside the bathroom I find the box in seconds and then open it to check. Six bottles of that ghastly substance. The final pieces of his legacy inside this house.

    Taking the box under my arm I go downstairs and move to the garden door. Outside I can smell the heat of a common Paris morning, but I don¡¯t even feel the sun on my skin. My feet take me to the back where our garden furnace stands untouched. We don¡¯t use it often, but sometimes that man had burned some old documents in it.

    I tear the door open and prepare it in record time. The flames are licking the brick walls greedily. For a moment I consider opening the bottles¡­ but then I just smash them against the walls. The colorless nectar spreads across the furnace and gets swallowed by the flames. Too little to quench them and too flammable to resist, the perfume soon is evaporated and dissipates in the darkness of the pipes.

    Six bottles are smashed and the door closed. It will be a while until they are completely erased from existence and that disgusting smell will spread from the chimney soon. I walk back into the house and close all windows. The wind¡¯s direction is favorable, but I don¡¯t want to smell even a whiff of that stuff.

    Inside the living room I find Lis watching me with a pale face.

    ¡°I will buy you better brands soon.¡± I say with a forced smile.

    ¡°¡­¡± She doesn¡¯t reply and just folds her hands in front of her chest.

    ¡°You look very nice.¡± I add a compliment that is much too delayed. Without waiting for her reply I hurry back into the office. This couldn¡¯t continue much longer. A feeble everyday life only supported by my weakness. We can¡¯t stay this way.

    <hr>

    The next day comes and we finally reach the end game. I run my hands through my unkempt hair for the third time as I watch the outside nervously. There have been people watching our house several times now. They were getting less subtle about it too.

    The doorbell rings to tear me out of my inner world. About time.

    I head to the door and on the way I meet eyes with Lis who was staring down the stairs. Maybe it is because of what happened yesterday, but she doesn¡¯t greet me. In fact she just watches me open the door from a distance.

    ¡°Bonjour Mademoiselle Rafflesia.¡± Robert greets me with a professional smile.

    ¡°You are late.¡± I chew him out with a glare. This guy always went on about manners and punctuality and yet he has the audacity to be 20 minutes late.

    ¡°Pardon my tardiness. I had trouble with the morning traffic.¡± His words are innocent, but his meaning is clear to me. He looks past me and has obviously noticed Lis in the background already.

    ¡°Monsieur Robert!¡± She calls out to him with pleasant surprise.

    ¡°My, how good to see you Mademoiselle Lis!¡± He puts a hand to his heart and bows his head slightly. This act is disturbingly realistic.

    Lis actually approaches us while I close the door behind the bald chaperone and lock it right away.

    ¡°I really missed you.¡± Lis hugs him enthusiastically.

    ¡°It has only been a bit more than a week, but I also felt somewhat lonely without your presence.¡± He chuckles and lets the hug happen. It makes me feel uneasy. Maybe he is into younger women after all. This cheeky baldy should better learn his place.

    ¡°We need to talk Robert.¡± I decidedly push myself between them and then nod him to follow me.

    ¡°Right away young lady.¡± He acts as dutiful as one would expect of his position.

    ¡°Will you be talking all day again?¡± Lis is clearly a bit disappointed.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Robert looks at me for confirmation.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m discussing business today. Father¡¯s orders.¡± I brush their little familiar aura aside with my coldest shoulder. ¡°Robert will leave right after, so there won¡¯t be time for a tea party.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°My apologies Mademoiselle. Next time then.¡± He smiles encouragingly and follows behind me.

    ¡°Definitely.¡± Lis nods with an improved mood.

    ¡°Before I forget.¡± I stop in my tracks and look over my shoulder. ¡°Please stay in your room today Lis. Our talk is very important and any distraction would be bad.¡±

    ¡°Understood¡­¡± Lis reluctantly agrees. Good.

    <hr>

    I sit in the stupid chair I hate and spin my finger across the rim of the tea cup. Despite my previous words I had prepared some tea actually. Robert looks like the type who prefers a good wine during a business talk, but I wouldn¡¯t waste my funds on something like that. Tough luck baldy.

    ¡°The situation is escalating Rafflesia.¡± He sips on his piping hot cup with a disgruntled expression. He really doesn¡¯t like tea at all, but is too polite to refuse. So his strategy is to force it down as fast as possible. So predictable.

    ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± I sigh and hold onto my Smartphone. The screen is covered in tiny scratches. I¡¯ve been carrying it everywhere rather roughly lately.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think your reaction is too apathetic? This mess is mainly your fault.¡± He says accusingly.

    ¡°I¡¯m doing my best. Today the last contact has confirmed their presence at the meeting.¡± I put the phone on the edge of the desk and half-close my eyes.

    ¡°Are you certain that they will hold to their promises?¡±

    ¡°These criminals are scared straight of my ¡®father¡¯. I only had to place some careful threats and at the same time give some promise of a reward.¡± Mob bosses, drug barons, human traffickers... all of them were the same. They are tiny mutts just salivating when you dangle a big bone in front of them and they always become really obedient when they meet the alpha dog.

    ¡°They must be suspicious of you. That voice modulator is not fail proof.¡± Robert sits down across the desk and folds his hands concernedly.

    ¡°I made sure to keep it brief and mostly interact over text just like you told me. If they are suspecting something nobody acted on it yet. I met their subordinates in as my ¡®father¡¯s'' messenger. The deal is still going.¡±

    ¡°Over a week has passed already; we can¡¯t afford to wait any longer. The DGSI is ready to raid the meeting. They have been waiting for my go ahead for a while now. My boss is raising hell to make this operation work and he is throwing me into the fire first if anything goes awry.¡± He massages his eyes and then stares at me expectantly.

    ¡°The RG can wait a little longer. You want the entire hydra, or for each head you sever, two new ones will grow in its place.¡± I remind him with a glare.

    ¡°The higher ups are thinking of cutting our losses. We can¡¯t depend on a girl that isn¡¯t even of age yet to handle this big of a responsibility. That¡¯s what I heard through the grapevine. The only reason we are still on track is because I have been taking responsibility for your actions.¡± He displays his uneasiness with twitching hands and darting eyes.

    ¡°Are you saying you don¡¯t trust me?¡± I squint my eyes.

    ¡°You have been a great help Rafflesia, it would have been nearly impossible for me to crack Antonin Duboi¡¯s criminal empire without inside support. Your hatred for your father is understandable-¡°

    ¡°That bastard wasn¡¯t our father.¡± I cut in with the heat overwhelming my chest.

    ¡°Your dislike of your adoptive father is your strength, but it also blinded you. The reason the operation is in peril in the first place is because you couldn¡¯t control yourself!¡± He slams his hand on the desk. ¡°We were absolutely clear on these terms. You were only to lure him into our trap. Instead you lost your cool and murdered him. That was a huge mistake - one that I am paying the price for right now.¡±

    His words ring true. I wanted to see that man suffer, to let him know just who was responsible for his downfall. But his venom was already too deep inside my body¡­ and I short-circuited. My blood covered hands¡­ my dirtied soul, they are things I can never cleanse again. But strangely enough I stopped caring about that a while ago. I feel nothing but indiferrence when remembering it now.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t even make it look like an accident. Lacerations, impalement, desecration of the body¡­ Even the forensics were surprised. Your desire for revenge is sick Rafflesia.¡±

    ¡°I know that. But you have made use of that part of me for a while now, so you shouldn¡¯t complain.¡± I counter coldly.

    ¡°If we had caught Dubois alive we could have gotten a confession out of him. We could have pressed information about all his connections and had a public trial and given an example to other criminal rings.¡± His regret is clear to me. ¡°The circumstantial evidence you gave us from his documents and recorded conversations are enough to justify the investigation and the follow up, but the DGSI is treading on thin ice here.¡±

    ¡°You people can do whatever you want and nobody can oppose you. Isn¡¯t that what your ¡®justice¡¯ is all about?¡±

    ¡°Central has been hiding Duboi¡¯s body since we retrieved it and covered up the scene of the ¡®accident¡¯. All for the sake of not alerting the other heads of the organization. But we can¡¯t keep it under wraps much longer. The chief is under serious fire for this.¡± He takes a deep breath and tries to reason with me. I can tell easily from his approach. ¡°Don¡¯t you care about all these poor girls that are suffering right now? The prostitution ring continues its evil actions while we hesitate. Innocent people are being used and abused every day we hesitate. Which is why we need to act now.¡±

    ¡°Not until the last pig agreed to the date of the meeting.¡± I shake my head.

    ¡°Why are you so obsessed with taking them all down at once? Antonin Duboi¡¯s empire will crumble to dust either way. We will make sure of that, I promise on my honor.¡± He gulps down the remaining tea and assures me with a serious face.

    I sigh.

    ¡°I¡¯m not doing this for revenge Robert, you small-minded fool.¡± I can¡¯t keep this up any longer and just push the chair back to stretch my legs forward. ¡°If I don¡¯t get rid of every single of these filthy bastards they will come back for revenge on us instead. Whoever remains in the pile of rubble will take away all the treasures from the ruins and inadvertently find the trail that leads to that man¡¯s family. It will be obvious that I was involved with his downfall. I can¡¯t allow having even a single loose end by the end of this, you understand?¡±

    ¡°I understand that you are afraid of retribution. You and Lis are innocent in all of this, so I guarantee you the police¡¯s protection-¡°

    ¡°Protection? You think I will just go along with that? The moment this case is solved the police will seize this house and everything that belonged to that man. His accounts will be sealed, his resources confiscated and whatever is left will go into the hands of the last bosses that you didn¡¯t capture in time. They will take the leftovers and rebuild. And what happens to Lis and me under your ¡®protection¡¯?¡± I spin my empty cup in place and watch derisively as it topples over.

    ¡°What are you suggesting?¡±

    ¡°They will take Lis in for questioning and she will be pressured from every direction. Once she finds out that he is dead¡­¡± I trail off with a bitter expression.

    ¡°She will learn to understand the circumstances, we have good psychologists that deal with victim therapy-¡°

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand her at all!¡± I shout. ¡°Lis is special. The only reason I haven¡¯t murdered that man in his sleep all these years, do you want to know what it was?¡± I smile darkly. ¡°Because she loved him like a real father! I couldn¡¯t bear to take that from her. She has developed a dependency on that man that¡¯s almost like imprinting. He knew exactly what he was doing to her. She won¡¯t just be heartbroken once she finds out, she will break down completely.¡± I clasp my hands so tightly that my nails start to dig into my flesh.

    ¡°That¡¯s all the more reason to give her into the care of a professional.¡± He has the gall to act like he understands¡­ with those self-righteous eyes.

    ¡°They will question Lis, torture her with reminders of that man¡¯s death and then put her into an asylum. You think Lis belongs into a loony bin, huh?! I¡¯m not ¡®of age¡¯ yet as you mentioned before. That means I will be handed off to an adoptive family or governmental care. Lis and I will be separated!¡±

    ¡°You will be able to visit her-¡°

    ¡°You think so? My presence will trigger those memories again and then I will be treated as a bad influence. Even if that doesn¡¯t happen, who gives you the right to separate us?! Why should I have to adhere to your schedules?¡± I can feel my control slipping. Everything is starting to spill out like bile from a sick person.

    ¡°Calm yourself!¡± He stares me down. At least he has guts. ¡°I can see that you don¡¯t want to be separated, you really love your sister. But are you really thinking of what¡¯s best for her? Would she really want your version of ¡®protection¡¯? Can¡¯t you see that you are suffocating her with your actions? Lis would certainly agree with my approach-¡±

    ¡°SHUT UP! You don¡¯t understand Lis, she is nothing like you.¡± I get up from the chair and swipe aside the paper weight from the desk. ¡°Lis is truly good from the depth of her heart. She isn¡¯t a hypocrite like you. You¡­ you talk about justice and use the excuse of innocent people to proliferate your self-centered righteousness. Always talking about how you want to help people, how you want to save them or how you can¡¯t stand injustice. But that¡¯s all just a fa?ade. You are just scared of being seen as immoral or wrong. When you get praised by your superior or when you go home to your family and get celebrated as a hero, you can feel like you are better than that scum out there using those ¡®poor girls¡¯. But the plain truth is that you are just using them as well to feel better about yourself.¡± Just like he used me. Like he uses Lis as a bargaining tool right now. How he has the arrogance to expect to have the upper hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m disappointed that you see me this way¡­¡± He lowers his gaze and sighs. ¡°I had hoped we could get along better. But ultimately this is a job, so I can¡¯t let our personal disagreements get in the way. I always felt that Lis and I are on the same wavelength though.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s where you are wrong. Lis saves people without even trying.¡± I chuckle with a pained heart. ¡°She doesn¡¯t think about wanting anything in return, she doesn¡¯t even realize that she is saving them. Her perfect smile, her gentleness, her pure heart, they can cleanse a person. Even if it¡¯s just for one day, she has saved countless people. There is not even a trace of selfishness inside her. She is special. That is why she is the only one I can ever love.¡±

    I move across the room and raise my arms theatrically and then put them to my heart. All I wish for right now is to go out and embrace my pure Lis. Take me away from this dark and bitter place!

    ¡°No matter how much you love her, she needs real help. Face reality already¡­urgh¡­?¡± He holds his head for a moment. Probably just a short dizzy spell.

    ¡°I know all about reality. How people use and get used. That¡¯s why I did all of this. By using the DGSI I can get rid of all my opponents that would go after us. By using my father¡¯s files and accounts from this phone¡­¡± I raise the Smartphone to show it to the heavily breathing Robert. ¡°¡­I got access to his fortune and already transferred it to a safe offshore company as a donation. Of course it is fake and all of that money will be at my fingertips.¡±

    ¡°Y-you¡­ won¡¯t get away with that! Do you even understand what you are doing?!¡± He is upset. No surprise there.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m making sure that Lis can stay with me. Once that man¡¯s empire is in ashes and everything is taken care off we will disappear forever. There will be no trace of us left, so nobody can complain. That is the paradise that I will create for just the two of us.¡± I can only smile when thinking of that wonderful future that is getting in my grasp.

    ¡°You won¡¯t even¡­ escape¡­ from Paris¡­¡± He holds his heart now. The pain should have started to set in. It¡¯s surprising how long it took him to realize.

    ¡°I already prepared the route.¡±

    ¡°I will stop you¡­!¡± He suddenly throws over his chair and pulls out a gun from the back of his pants.

    ¡°With your bare hands?¡± I smirk.

    Robert¡¯s hands are empty. There was no gun where he grabbed.

    I casually pull the very same gun from my jacket and spin it on my index finger. His glazed over eyes are wide open in shock. The sweat from his brow is dripping down onto the floor.

    ¡°When did you¡­?¡±

    ¡°Just a little magic trick I picked up during my job. You wouldn¡¯t believe the things men keep in their pants that they discard so carelessly on the floor.¡± I keep spinning the gun and walk closer to Robert. He might be an agent with experience in self-defense, but he is also dying from poison right now.

    There is no danger whatsoever.

    ¡°For an agent you are a little too trusting of stuff that¡¯s offered to you by a criminal¡¯s daughter. I can¡¯t blame you though, the poison was tasteless. And when you gulp down that much tea at once it would be hard to notice.¡±

    ¡°The DGSI¡­ is waiting¡­ for my¡­¡± His breathing is so heavy now that he can barely talk.

    ¡°For your report, I know.¡± I pull his left arm away from his back. Robert is no slouch; he really managed to type a message on his phone in this situation. Even as he is losing consciousness, completely disarmed he still follows his duty. I pull the phone from his hand and delete the message. ¡°As long as I have this it won¡¯t be too hard to convince them to wait a few days longer.¡±

    ¡°You think you won?¡± He grimaces in pain and sinks to one knee.

    ¡°The codeword was Leonardi, right? I overheard your calls a few times. Using flower names, how appropriate.¡±

    He gasps in horror. He probably thought I wouldn¡¯t figure this out. An undercover agent had many reasons not to call directly or meet up with their employers, so they used codewords for messages to make sure that the information was true.

    Seems I hit the bullseye after all-

    ¡°HUAH!¡± Suddenly he springs up with unexpected force and flips a small knife out of his sleeve. It must have been stitched into the rim. With this surprising strength he stabs me¡­ or would have at least, but I reflexively moved the gun up and deflected the attack. Not giving him time to repeat that stunt I kick his face with my right boot. He drops the knife and then sinks down against the desk.

    ¡°Not bad asshole.¡± I ignore the hole in my jacket where the knife sliced the fabric. ¡°Nothing less of a former beat cop. Still not good enough though.¡± I squat down in front of him and watch him writhe in pain. ¡°Thanks for your hard work Robert. I will take it from here.¡± I put the gun to his chest. ¡°You know, coming to the home of two innocent ladies, armed with a silencer, that is just all kinds of wrong.¡±

    My mouth moves casually, but my inside is cold. My heart doesn¡¯t even jump from the small recoil after pulling the trigger. There was no loud noise thanks to the silencer, but the burn mark on Robert¡¯s clothes stinks horribly. I need to put that corpse into the closet fast and then spray the room with something to overlay the smell. This dead body is a pain to get rid of, so I will just put it out of sight until we leave the house behind. The RG will find him and give him a proper burial or whatever.

    As I pull up the corpse from the armpits and drag it towards the drawer I suddenly hear a loud bang from outside the door. My heart stops, my blood freezes and my mind halts.

    ¡°Unngh¡­ heee¡­AAAAHHH!¡± Lis'' scream reverberates through the entire house. The next moment I can hear the loud steps as she runs away.

    The door creaks and the small gap turns into a wide opening.

    I forgot to lock the office door.

    No

    NO

    NOOO

    It¡¯s all over. I fucked up. This can¡¯t be happening. Shitshitshitshit!!!

    I throw the corpse aside and drop the gun to run after Lis!

 Seventh Petal: Amur

    I should not have opened that door. Why did I open that door? Beyond that door was-!

    My eyes had spied something wrong. A twisted version of the world I knew. Rafflesia was standing above the limp body of Robert¡­ holding a gun in her hand. The lifeless eyes of the cheerful and polite man that I called a friend stared into nothingness. They saw something not in the world of the living.

    I feel bile rise to my mouth. My heartbeat has already increased to a painful rattling. Although my legs tremble, I somehow manage to keep standing by leaning on the door handle. Something gathers in my throat. At first it seems to be the bile after all, but then it grows and rises painfully, before¡­

    ¡°Unngh¡­ heee¡­AAAAHHH!¡± I scream in terror and disbelief. It¡¯s completely beyond my control. The reality of what I see in front of me has not set in yet. My subconsciousness works faster than my mind.

    Without knowing why, without a conscious thought, I begin running. My shaking legs are too weak, so I stumble and hold onto the shelf in the living room. It topples over with a loud crashing sound. The mess doesn¡¯t even register with me as I jump over it and keep fleeing.

    Fleeing? From what¡­?

    ¡°LIS!¡± Someone is calling out after me. She is shouting so desperately.

    My heart contracts in fear and I rush into another hallway, past the kitchen door. I need to escape the house, but all exits are locked as usual. The windows are closed as well. Why am I trapped? What has become of this comfy home that I once knew?!

    ¡°Wait- Lis just wait! It¡¯s not what you think¡­!¡± Her voice still follows me. The shelf didn¡¯t stop her for long.

    Not what I think? My pounding mind doesn¡¯t seem to think anything as primal fear keeps tearing it apart. I want to run away forever! But I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t escape her. The only way to satisfy this all encompassing instinct is to hide away. But where? Under the bed? Behind the curtains? Inside the bathroom?

    Like a child I stumble around searching for that elusive perfect hiding spot. The monster from the closet is right behind me and I cannot even see straight anymore. It must be due to the stream of tears running down my face. I wipe them with my long sleeve, but it can¡¯t soak them all up.

    Finally I stumble against a locked door. It¡¯s the entrance to the basement and the only door I never opened in this house. I can already hear the footsteps closing in¡­

    Completely unlike myself I take a heavy ornament from a drawer next to me and strike it down on the door handle. My hands ring from the heavy vibrations, but the metal doesn¡¯t even bend a little bit. How could it be so very sturdy? I never tried to break anything with force before, but it always seemed so easy in my novels.

    With desperation I strike the handle again and again. Maybe I am bending it a little, but that will only make it harder to open. Just open please. Open up, open up open up!

    I scratch at the door until wooden splinters are stuck below my nails. It hurts, but my fear of the voice calling for me is much greater right now. This twisted mirror image of someone I love is now catching up.

    I sink against the door and cry. I just want it to end. Why won¡¯t this door open for me?!

    My hand touches something cold by accident. The structure and firmness¡­ yes this is a piece of metal. But not just any ordinary piece. The form reminds me a bit of the old key I used for my diary in the past. Of course a lock is meaningless when you aren¡¯t afraid that someone will pry it open, so I stopped using it¡­

    This is the basement key, no doubt. In my shivering hands it seems almost to vibrate and levitate. I couldn¡¯t care less why it was on the floor, my next move is to swiftly unlock the door. The key turns, but the door doesn¡¯t open¡­ No. No no no no! Is it because I bent the handle? The door isn¡¯t responding to my pushes either.

    ¡°Lis¡­ please hear me out¡­¡± The stalker¡¯s voice enters the hallway behind me. Her gaze is going to entrap me into her demonic mirror world!

    ¡°Gh¡­ Hyaaaah!¡± Using my entire body I tackle the door. It was a powerless last resort, but it actually pays off. The door breaks open and the next moment my world spins.

    The pain against my elbows, head and legs is numb. With every impact on the stairs the lights are taken out of my eyes and then I suddenly find myself staring at the ceiling. Something soft has broken my fall, but everything still hurts.

    My tears keep spilling while I drag myself up. No way, my arms can¡¯t even support my torso anymore. I fall back into the soft pile of whatever stopped my fall and keep sobbing.

    It can¡¯t be true. This dark and damp basement is like the pit of a dungeon. I have fallen from a prison into a cave of darkness. Everything familiar is slipping away and swallowed by the burning tears. Even if I wanted to look at my surroundings, all I can see is blurry shimmers of the light entering through the basement door that loosely hangs in place.

    Frightened I watch it being pulled aside and then kicked off entirely. The heavy boots of my pursuer make short work of the splintered wood and then descent the stairs carefully. There are no windows down here¡­ not even a light bulb. This oppressive darkness is only broken by the light behind her, so she actually blocks out her own path.

    Still she advances heavily. The moment she spots me on my pile her eyes flash in the small light stream and she cries out.

    ¡°Lis!¡± She rushes to me, so I shield my face with my arms and curl up. ¡°A-are you alright? Did you fall down the stairs?!¡± If it wasn¡¯t a horribly twisted version of her, these concerned words would almost seem like they were genuine.

    ¡°Go away!¡± I scream in panic and try to push her hands away. That seems to hurt her deeply, as she retracts her arms and opens her mouth uselessly a few times.

    I need to escape! I want to get out of this horrible place and go see Rafi and Papa!

    My chest pounds in pain and I feel a horrible migraine assail me. The moment I had thought of Papa¡­ my eyes began to spin and now I feel sick to the core. I don¡¯t want to remember the words I had heard up there¡­. Please don¡¯t make me remember¡­

    ¡°Your hands¡­¡± This false Rafi softly grabs my wrists and pulls them up to her face. I can¡¯t even resist with my nauseous mind and shaking limbs. ¡°Why did you have to hurt your pretty fingers like this?¡± She asks in a lamenting tone. Then she tenderly cleans my nails and kisses the fingertips. Her lips are warm¡­

    I am scared stiff, but for some reason I don¡¯t feel any threat from that voice. My eyes, formerly pressed shut so tightly, open a bit and I can finally see those glowing emerald eyes, much like my own, stare back at me. They are filled with¡­ empathy?

    ¡°Your dress got torn.¡± She mutters and traces my hip with her free hand, while still holding on to mine with her other. ¡°Haha¡­ I can always buy you a new one.¡± Those words are so out of place that they make me tighten my grip on her hand. The confusion keeps rising inside me.

    ¡°Ahh.. unn¡­¡± I sob and try to blend out anything upsetting. It doesn¡¯t work.

    ¡°Lis, my sweet Lis.¡± Her voice is low and controlled. Despite my wish to disappear from here, there is something new blooming inside my heart.

    A wish to hear that voice for a bit longer¡­

    ¡°There is nothing to be afraid of. It¡¯s just me.¡± She puts her free hand to my cheek and caresses it. The motion should have made me tremble in despair, but instead I feel comfort wash over me. From every place she touches I can feel warmth spreading. ¡°Don¡¯t you recognize me? I am your Rafi.¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± My knee-jerk reaction is to deny her with all my emotions. Impossible! This thing that had done that¡­ that¡­ to Robert¡­ My Rafi would never do something like that! I violently shake my head and break free of her hands. ¡°Y-you¡¯re not¡­ my Rafi¡­!¡± She looks hurt, which in turn also hurts me for some reason. She just looks too much like the Rafi I know.

    ¡°Please hear me out Lis. I¡¯m serious here, this is the truth. I made you a promise remember? That we will have a long talk once everything is over?¡±

    My ears perk up. Those words rang true. That was definitely a promise I had made with Rafi. How does this imposter know about that? That one crack in my determination is all she needs.

    ¡°You know I would never hurt you. Everything I do is for your sake.¡± She claims with such a serious expression that I want to believe it¡­ but...

    ¡°R-R-Robert¡­ why¡­ how could-¡° I can¡¯t even find the words.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to see that.¡± She admits with regret filled eyes. I can see her bite her lower lip. ¡°Don¡¯t shed your tears for him. He was just a hurdle in the way of our paradise.¡±

    ¡°Para-di-se¡­?¡± What is wrong with her? How could she just dismiss Robert¡¯s life like that and still talk about heaven?

    ¡°Yes! A place where you can bloom freely, without anything being able to hurt you.¡± Those sweet words taste of delusion. But why do my ears want to keep listening? ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be wonderful?¡±

    ¡°No way¡­¡± I forcefully shake my head. This can¡¯t be my Rafi after all. She has never tried to run away from anything.

    ¡°¡­you don¡¯t believe me. Your eyes are still closed to the reality of this world.¡± She looks down on me with pity. No¡­ is it self-derision? ¡°Rather¡­ I never wanted you to open your eyes to it in the first place.¡± She doesn¡¯t attempt to touch me again and just lowers her head.

    Although my mind is objecting and quaking¡­ my hands stretch out on their own. I hold on to her head and pull her into my chest. We are equally surprised by my actions. Her shaking arms eventually move around my back and she returns the embrace.

    We lie in this dark place for a while and make no sounds. My tears have stopped, as my mind is empty. The warm body of another in my arms is reducing the weight of my despair, ever so slightly.

    ¡°I love you Lis.¡± Rafi says with a hoarse voice.

    ¡°¡­¡± I can¡¯t respond. There is nothing I can say in return. My heart is too weak to accept or reject anything.

    ¡°I love you so much¡­ but I can¡¯t protect you without hurting you first. I hate it¡­ I hate it so much.¡± I feel hot moistness on my chest and realize that she is dropping some tears of her own. She is not falling into undignified sobs as I did, but she can also not stop them before they permeate into my dress.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    ¡°Why Rafi?¡± I repeat my previous question in a state of emptiness. The void keeps growing.

    ¡°Why¡­ You really want to know why?¡± Her voice is almost mocking. But then I realize that she is just putting on a strong face. Everything she does now is to keep herself from falling into the same void that consumes me.

    ¡°¡­¡± My mind is still numb. Maybe I don¡¯t want to hear it. I can only embrace her now, because I am a coward. When I see an escape route, I will surely take it.

    ¡°Robert was an agent for the DGSI. He was working undercover to take down that man.¡± ¡®That man¡¯ was referring to Papa. Rafi always speaks of him so distant and bitterly.

    ¡°T-take¡­ down?¡± Was that kindly Robert a bad man all long? Why did he want to hurt Papa? It just doesn¡¯t make sense¡­

    ¡°He was getting too cocky¡­ trying to strong-arm me into something that would have endangered our paradise¡­ and maybe have separated us.¡± She keeps talking in a dark voice. When she mentioned separation it was like a cold knife was stabbed into my heart. She must feel the same way. ¡°I couldn¡¯t let that happen, so I ripped his page out of our story.¡±

    Tearing something out with violence always left a mark. Rafi knew that and yet she still forced herself to go through with that plan.

    ¡°Robert¡­ is¡­ was¡­ a good man.¡± I feel the tears well up again. The void might grow, but there is still so much sadness left.

    ¡°You only see the good parts of people. That infinite naivet¨¦ of yours¡­ sometimes I think it¡¯s callous. But that can never be. Lis is the light that shines into our garden and blooms for all equally.¡± Her words are incoherent. I honestly don¡¯t understand at all. But I let her keep talking. ¡°I don¡¯t care about him. He was an obstacle, but he also had his uses. That balances out. He was a means to an end.¡±

    Such a sad way to look at people. Is this really what Rafi sees when she looks at others? That doesn¡¯t sound like my wonderful little sister that is so talented and smart. Something must have swallowed her after all.

    ¡°If I had known you would see us, I never would have finished him off. I¡¯m sorry for showing you something so ugly.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± She doesn¡¯t understand why I am crying. Maybe she never will.

    ¡°In a day or two¡­ we can escape this hell. We will finally be together¡­ forever.¡± She buries her face in my chest and exhales.

    Escape? Until just a few minutes ago I hadn¡¯t even realized that this was a prison. Now that Rafi spoke those words, I finally feel the pressure of the four walls around us. Every window feels like it is covered in bars and every door seems locked with a chain. As if my entire perception is retroactively turned upside down¡­ suddenly my warm home is now a cell. All of that just because of one word from her¡­

    ¡°Papa¡­ save me.¡± I whisper with a tightening throat. A piercing pain flares up on my arms. Rafi¡¯s nails are digging into my skin painfully.

    ¡°That man won¡¯t come.¡± She says coldly.

    Again my heart sinks and my brain stops processing the words she says. This barrier of denial is only growing stronger the more she runs against it. She can¡¯t come here. Her words will not reach me. They mustn¡¯t.

    ¡°Lis he is¡­¡± I can¡¯t hear her. Not at all. Her voice just cuts out.

    Wait¡­ she actually stopped talking out of her own volition. I hazily look up to see her profile in the weak contrast of the light above. It is covered in sweat and hesitation. Every time her lips quiver I can feel her nails press deeper. My eyes widen... Why did she stop? No¡­ that can¡¯t be. If she doesn¡¯t say it then I can¡¯t deny it. Those guilty eyes are more confirmation than any claim could ever be!

    ¡°Naaaaa¡­uuuhhwaah¡­!!!¡± My throat releases desperate sounds, but words won¡¯t form. It¡¯s over, my mind is breaking! This- this is- too painful-

    I hyperventilate and get dizzy. If I hadn¡¯t been lying on my back I would collapse right now.

    Flashes of what I heard at the office door wrench themselves into my head.

    Instead you lost your cool and murdered him.

    Robert¡¯s accusing voice echoes inside my very soul and makes my organs twist around. My face drains of all blood and I feel my consciousness fading away.

    ¡°You can¡¯t faint Lis.¡± Rafi¡¯s nails dig so deeply into my arms that the pain jump starts my mind and returns me to the world of the waking. ¡°This pain is necessary. I finally have to sever your strings¡­¡± She says with an expression I have never seen on her before. All that comes to mind is... crazed.

    Again her shaking lips move. This time however they form words.

    ¡°I killed him.¡± She silently confesses with deep satisfaction.

    I feel heat rise inside my blood vessels and suddenly I slap her with all my might! There is no strength in my dainty arms, but it is enough to make her shut up for even a moment.

    A second later I am filled with regret. Those eyes, so full with a sense of betrayal, hurt me deeply.

    The mark of my hand on her cheek is superficial and fades soon, but the action left a deeper mark.

    ¡°Ah¡­ yeah, I guess that wouldn¡¯t make you happy.¡± She says mechanically. Her hands aren¡¯t on my arms anymore and she sits upright. ¡°I knew it would make you sad¡­ didn¡¯t think you would get mad though. Surprising.¡± I can tell that she is in a stupor.

    Why is she acting like I am the odd one here? If it wasn¡¯t for that mixture of anger and sadness inside my heart I would want to hit her again. When even those feelings fade I begin crying again. I cover my face in my freed hands. My wails are unrestrained and heavy.

    Papa¡­ why¡­ Papa can¡¯t be¡­

    ¡°He did a number on you. I always knew that, but¡­¡± She shifts her weight and turns away from me. She sits at the edge of the sack I lie upon. ¡°You might not want to listen, but I can¡¯t stop now.¡± She folds her hands and hunches over to keep talking without looking at me. ¡°That man, Antonin Dubois, was evil.¡±

    ¡°LIAR!¡± I scream.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a lie.¡± She shakes her head calmly. ¡°His crime syndicate is one of the worst in Paris, maybe all of France. There is not one person in this godforsaken world who would mourn him¡­ except you.¡±

    ¡°Papa is kind! He would never-!¡±

    ¡°He isn¡¯t your father.¡± She objects harshly. ¡°Never was.¡±

    ¡°He is my Papa¡­ he is your Papa too!¡± I shout back still covering my face in my palms.

    ¡°That bastard adopted us for appearances. To his surprise we just turned out to be even more useful, better than just a publicity stunt.¡± She glares into the darkness. ¡°Dubois the philanthropist. Funds orphanages and adopts brats.¡± She spits out those words with disdain.

    I don¡¯t want to hear any more¡­

    ¡°You were his crown piece. Because of your kindness and beauty¡­ you were his favorite commodity.¡± Even saying it hurts her it seems. Is that¡­ jealousy I hear? My mind is playing tricks on me. ¡°The Daylily, such a luxury for the rich and the lost. I never wanted to see you leave the door. Every time you left I didn¡¯t know if you would come back¡­ the same.¡± Her shoulders are twitching.

    Don¡¯t be so hurt Rafi¡­ it is just a job. I don¡¯t feel bad about that title¡­ It even fills me with a tiny bit of pride.

    ¡°Saving their pitiful souls is never enough. Humans would even jump their savior and take every last piece of divinity from them if they get the chance.¡±

    How had my little sister become so bitter? I never realized¡­

    ¡°Because you are so special and divine, unexpectedly that man saw more merit in keeping you ¡®pure¡¯.¡± Rafi¡¯s voice filled with wrath. ¡°He turned a huge profit on your name alone. That greedy smile made me want to strangle him every day! But it¡¯s not enough, no it just wasn¡¯t enough for him! Your clients were making those disgusting requests. It got worse and worse.¡±

    ¡°R-requests¡­?¡± I don¡¯t understand her meaning.

    ¡°The purer something is¡­ the more they want to defile it.¡± Rafi glances at me from the side. Her eyes are filled with a craving I can¡¯t fathom. ¡°I would never let them touch you. When that man considered throwing you at them for more money¡­ I made a deal.¡±

    My heart stops. Understanding without comprehending, I somehow realize without realizing. My sister in front of me, my shadow behind me. The light that is shining on us is getting dimmer.

    No matter what, those next words cannot not be spoken aloud.

    And yet Rafi has long since forgotten where the boundary lies.

    ¡°I offered them an outlet for their lust. It only hurt at first. It all becomes the same at some point. That¡¯s when I got over it and just used them as they used me.¡± Her words were emotionless. Clinical. Devoid of any regret or accusation.

    The tears that would never stop flowing soaked my dress and my hands. Rafi¡­ my poor Rafi had endured all of that without ever¡­?

    The only way to cope with this revelation is to-

    ¡°For a while that worked out pretty well. I actually rose in the ranks despite being too young for the job. Not like those old pigs cared.¡± She finally chuckled hollowly. ¡°And you grew more beautiful by the day¡­¡± She added softly.

    ¡°Rafi¡­ y-you¡­ b-but¡­¡± I am speaking between sobs and gasps for air. No matter how much I wipe my tears they don¡¯t - never ever - just can¡¯t stop!

    ¡°He broke his promise. After that trip to Brussels he wanted to let them have their way with you. I couldn¡¯t forgive that. That was the final push I needed. I should thank that devil for giving me the courage to destroy him.¡± She covers her face with one hand and grins darkly.

    That isn¡¯t true. If I keep rejecting those lies I can keep staying together. I can live in this world that I know. One more crack in that reality could tear it down¡­ and my life alongside it.

    Please stop Rafi¡­ do not break that final pillar.

    ¡°¡­Lis, I hated that man.¡± She says truthfully. ¡°But for you I would have let him go on. I would have ignored all his crimes and lies and endured it. You know I would have.¡±

    I don¡¯t know anything anymore Rafi.

    ¡°He forced me. My hands were tied, but he cut the rope. Those plans, the investigation, reaching paradise, I had to endanger all of that because he forced me to.¡±

    She knows she is wrong. That lie is her salvation, just as my rejection is for me.

    ¡°I wanted him to suffer, but I didn¡¯t even get that.¡±

    Although my eyes hurt and my throat is dry¡­

    ¡°Killing him with my own hands wasn¡¯t enough.¡± She admits.

    ¡­I cry again. A childish wail that is softer and yet so much more sorrowful than all that came before.

    My world shatters. That demon I saw before, it truly is Rafi. And the words it spoke, the words she speaks, they are reality. My cozy world is now black and cold. The light is replaced with a red hue and the emptiness of it all makes even the nicest flower wilt.

    Nothing matters anymore and I fall.

    ¡°But I decided!¡± Suddenly she grabs me as I fall. Her strong hand pulls me towards her and our faces are ever so close. ¡°None of that matters anymore. Revenge is nothing. Hardship is fleeting. All I ever needed is you! Lis¡­ come with me to paradise.¡±

    Her emerald eyes are capturing me. The strings that were cut so crudely are tied to something new, just as crudely. Her heated gaze, her full lips, her rosy cheeks, they all are lighting up as if the sun is shining only for her.

    ¡°¡­paradise¡­?¡± I repeat again. Maybe this is the first time I really listen.

    ¡°A place where the past can¡¯t reach us. A place only for the two of us. Where the sun always shines and we can fully embrace our love.¡±

    Love.

    Love?

    I don¡¯t seem to understand that word anymore.

    The image of a long white beach with azure waters crosses my mind, but it is swallowed by a dark wave. A typhoon of apathy and loss. Her words fail to reach me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look away!¡± She gets louder. ¡°Only listen to me. Look into my eyes!¡± She puts her hands on the sides of my head and forces me to focus and look right at her. ¡°You are free now¡­ but you don¡¯t want freedom.¡±

    Yes. She is right.

    ¡°He was right in one regard¡­ You are broken, just like me.¡± Her gaze is so heated it might burn me. ¡°But that is what makes you beautiful! You want a place to belong, so let me be that place!¡±

    ¡°Rafi¡­¡±

    ¡°I will always be there for you, as your sister.¡± She smiles. ¡°I love you so much.¡± She puts her forehead against mine. We are close¡­ as close as we once were as kids.

    ¡°I love¡­¡± I want to return those words, but they won¡¯t come out. It¡¯s not right.

    ¡°I will comfort you¡­ I will be the only thing you need. I am yours¡­ and you are mine.¡±

    Her words are like a spell. It entraps my soul, my feelings and even my body. Something deeper than sisterhood¡­ and something less than its parts. This is something I should not accept. Deep inside I can only reject this thing inside Rafi.

    ¡°I will make you forget.¡± She sweetly whispers into my ear. If she says it with such passion, she will really manage it. There is no doubt. Her hand slides below my dress. I can feel her nails trace across my belly and farther up¡­

    ¡°Ngh¡­¡± I am paralyzed. Her touch sends goosebumps across my skin.

    ¡°Just give in to this feeling¡­ and be mine. I learned everything I need to make you feel good.¡± She keeps saying such burning lines into my ear. It¡¯s something to be lost in¡­ to be consumed by utterly.

    She has reached my chest. Despite her rough motions she is also gentle. My body doesn¡¯t resist.

    ¡°Bloom only for me.¡±

    The Rafflesia is a parasitic flower. It takes root on top of other flowers, covering them completely in its grasp. It grows one large petal that shields its host from the outside. Eventually nobody will ever know what the original flower looked like. Indeed, the Rafflesia cannot live without its host, but in return the host will never be in danger again, as the corpse flower repels all natural enemies.

    Being consumed was not such a bad fate¡­

    Rafi¡¯s lips are about to touch mine, to seal my fate with a kiss.

    ¡°No.¡± I say.

    ¡°¡­¡± Rafi stops her lips and hands.

    ¡°This is wrong.¡± I say with deep self-loathing.

    ¡°¡­How could love be wrong?¡± She replies with a broken smile. But instead of pressing on she gets up and turns away. I stretch out my hand after her instinctively, but she doesn¡¯t notice. ¡°I accept everything about you Lis. You are my everything.¡± She puts an arm over her eyes and laughs her tears away. ¡°I will wait until you are ready to accept me as well.¡±

    With that she slowly walks up the stone steps up to the door, presumably to finish her master plan.

    I am left lying on the sacks of dried out flowers, collected from the autumn harvest last year. My fingers sink into the dried leaves and petals, which are now remains of a simpler, happier time. One day these tears might dry just as these nostalgic flowers.

    In fact I now shed my final tear. Nothing will be left.

    Nothing except¡­

 Eighth Petal: Ciliata

    I leave the basement behind with heavy steps. Without energy I walk and then trip forward. At the last second I can push myself against a wall. I press my head against it and just stay still for a while. The coolness of the material permeates into my head and extinguishes the fires of my emotions.

    I didn¡¯t expect it to hurt this much¡­

    Why did I rush it?! Lis wasn¡¯t ready! She is too distraught to accept me¡­!

    That¡¯s it, right? She is just a mess right now, because of what happened to Robert and that man. It was stupid to try and comfort her with sex when she is so afraid and sad. Did I even want to comfort her or just still my own lust?!

    I punch the wall with all my strength, but it just leaves a bruise on my fingers. What a joke. Always acting like I¡¯m in control or untouchable, even though I have nothing to show for it! How can I guide her to paradise if I can¡¯t even keep her from breaking apart?

    ¡­no. No, this isn¡¯t the end. This is setback at most. I will continue with the plan, even if I feel like throwing up. These crime lords are dancing in the palm of my hand, without a doubt they will come to the meeting as I arranged it. Then the RG can take them all in at once after I order it with Robert¡¯s phone. With that I cut all loose strings and our path to paradise will be wide open.

    Her rejecting green eyes flashed inside my head.

    What¡¯s the point? Even if I go through with this¡­ Lis hates me now. She must be disgusted with me, loathe me¡­ I bite deeply into my fist until I draw blood. The pain is almost numb to my turning and twisting mind. I can¡¯t accept this outcome, even if I accept Lis.

    Is it because we are both girls? No way, I know all about that case with the female client. That man was genuinely worried about it, so there is no doubt that it was true. Lis has an interest in women. She might not even realize it yet, but her body definitely didn¡¯t reject my advances.

    Then is it because we are sisters? Lis is such a pure girl; she might actually worry about that. If it¡¯s just that I can make her forget her inhibitions over time.

    ¡°This is wrong.¡± That¡¯s what she said, but did I misunderstand her meaning? It¡¯s just too early¡­ eventually she will understand. That we only have each other¡­

    <hr>

    One more day passes. It¡¯s finally the day of the final phase of my plan. I made certain that all pieces are in place and that all actors have entered the stage. The rest is up to the director. I send the message with the codeword and wish those government dogs best of luck. There won¡¯t be any time for me to confirm their success, but if you can trust one thing then it¡¯s that those guys follow orders.

    I take a look between the blinds of the window. There are quite a few people outside, doing a bad job of hiding in the scenery and streets. Our house is surrounded, surveyed by several different factions. Looks like even the entire Gendarmerie has decided to show up for the big finale. Robert has entered this building over 24 hours ago, but didn¡¯t leave. Despite my messages they are definitely suspicious.

    I put the corpse into the basement after Lis left and locked herself up in her room. We will be gone before it will even start to rot, but I¡¯d rather not leave it lying around in the open. Those hollow eyes seemed awfully resentful. Save it for Satan baldy.

    The blinds snap back shut and I roam the office one last time. There is nothing that could give them a hint where we are going, but I¡¯m too nervous to let it go. Maybe I should burn the damn place down after all¡­ No, that would be a dead giveaway.

    My leather jacket is covered in dust from all the rummaging, so I pat it down and realize in the process that I left Robert¡¯s phone in the living room. They will be able to track it, so I won¡¯t take it with me, but I can at least wipe its memory. Without hesitation I throw the office door shut behind me and don¡¯t look back. All those years I spent in there arguing with the old man are now finally behind me. It doesn¡¯t make me nostalgic, but it leaves a bitter aftertaste.

    Inside the living room I am confronted with something that makes my heart sink into my stomach. Lis is sitting cross-legged on the sofa, Robert¡¯s phone in hand. Her empty eyes are staring at the screen as if it is the beacon guiding her to the afterlife. I force myself to keep a neutral expression and hesitantly walk forward.

    ¡°Good morning Lis.¡± I speak slowly.

    ¡°¡­¡± She doesn¡¯t respond. Her hair is a mess¡­ and her eyes are red. She is still wearing the crumpled blue dress from yesterday. It pains me to see her like this.

    ¡°That phone¡­¡± I begin, but then trail off. I should know better than to beg for her cooperation now. Her eyes move ever so slightly as she keeps scrolling the screen.

    ¡°Robert¡­ really was a secret agent.¡± She said with a horribly vulnerable voice.

    ¡°Yes.¡± I nod curtly.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t really know anything about him¡­¡± She looks down with a lonely expression.

    ¡°That¡¯s not true. You may have known him better than his family ever did.¡± They aren¡¯t just empty words of encouragement. Lis has this ability to bring the true self out of people. Her mere presence allows us sinners to be ourselves and not feel guilty for it. Even if just for one day¡­

    ¡°¡­these messages say that you planned all this since last summer.¡± She muttered and kept tapping the phone. When did she learn to use it so well? That man never allowed her to own a cell phone, so he would have an easier time supervising everything she did. Maybe she really managed to use it from the few times I lend her mine?

    ¡°Last spring.¡± I correct her quietly. ¡°Robert didn¡¯t involve his superiors until later.¡±

    ¡°I did not realize a single thing.¡± Lis becomes so quiet that I fear she will stop breathing and fade away.

    I can¡¯t bring myself to reply. In the end she is completely correct, neither Robert, me nor Antonin Dubois wanted to involve Lis in this mess. We all kept her in the dark for her own sake¡­ or at least I want that to be the reason. Now that she is lying there, like a doll without strings, I can see how our over protectiveness must have had the opposite effect. She is too sheltered to cope with this sudden trauma. That¡¯s why I wanted to ease her into it.

    Damn it. I bite my lip and sit down on the couch, right next to her. She doesn¡¯t seem to care what I do for now.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for¡­ for¡­ touching you like that Lis.¡± I force myself to wring out the words that make me feel more anguish than anything I¡¯ve felt before. My own hands are no better than those I tried to cut off before they could reach my beautiful Lis.

    ¡°¡­¡± She reacts with a flinching face. That breaks my heart all over again.

    ¡°It won¡¯t happen again. I will never do anything to you that you don¡¯t agree to.¡± I lower my head into my hands and apologize with blurry eyes.

    ¡°¡­why did you kill Papa then?¡± She asks with a twisted voice.

    A cold shower runs down my back. That doesn¡¯t sound like something Lis would say. I turn to her in fear and realize that she has the same expression on her tear swollen face. Those words must have slipped out in her painful state of mind, but she seems more horrified than me.

    ¡°It had to be done.¡± I reply with a semblance of guilt. I don¡¯t regret killing that bastard, but the way it hurt this pure girl makes it a sin I can¡¯t ever forgive myself for.

    ¡°You said that you did it to protect me¡­ so that I will not be touched by my clients¡­ so that I am not a pawn anymore¡­¡± She clings to the phone so strongly that her hands turn white.

    I want to confirm it; I want to shout it to the sky outside! But it all gets stuck in my throat.

    ¡°I¡­ wish¡­ that I would be a pawn¡­ be used¡­ rather than this¡­¡± Lis says with tearful eyes.

    My heart snaps.

    Without hesitation I jump forward and pin Lis down with my hands. The phone slips out of her grip and hits the floor loudly. My eyes are only focused on her shaking eyes and lips.

    ¡°Freedom is painful, isn¡¯t it?¡± I say seriously.

    ¡°!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I said¡­ you should just be mine.¡± I twist my mouth in pain. Holding her down like this and forcing my feelings on her, how am I better than that man?

    ¡°¡­why Rafi? Why are you going so far¡­ for me?¡± She must have cried an endless stream of tears already, but even after an entire day there was still so much more sadness to spill from her pretty eyes.

    ¡°Because¡­ you are my Daylily.¡± I reply with a forced smile. ¡°If you wilt away, then so will I. If you stop saving me, then I will fall. It¡¯s all for my own selfish self-preservation. Even my love¡­¡± My lips move ever so slowly as I speak the words. ¡°My love for you is just a horrible wish not to be abandoned.¡±

    Lis'' eyes widen. I can¡¯t read her face, but for the first time since we started talking I feel that my words actually reached her.

    Without waiting for her to process my words I rise up and hastily leave the living room. I picked the phone up from the ground while I was at it. This thing has outlived its usefulness, so I smash it against the edge of the cupboard until it breaks open. The SD-card peeks out from its corpse, so I pull it out and then snap it in half.

    This act of anger is just a redirection of my true feelings. I hate myself so much for speaking that curse in front of Lis. I¡¯m so unfair. So cruel.

    But this world is even crueler! If I can¡¯t even muster this much cruelty, I won¡¯t be able to reach paradise.

    After a few minutes of checking around the house for anything important I overlooked it¡¯s finally time. When I return to the living room Lis is still lying on the couch with her face pressed into a pillow. I want to give her more time to come to terms with reality, but we are out of time soon.

    ¡°Lis¡­ we need to leave in an hour.¡± I say sternly.

    ¡°¡­¡± She must have heard me, but she doesn¡¯t reply.

    ¡°We will abandon this house and everything that¡¯s unnecessary for travel. The DGSI will confiscate this place the moment the operation begins. The moment we step out of the door there will be no going back.¡± My words are matter of factly and urgent. I hope that Lis understands how serious I am.

    ¡°Where¡­¡± Her voice is muffled, but I can still understand it.¡±Where are we going?¡±

    My mouth turns upwards ever so slightly. She wouldn¡¯t be asking that question if she was still lost in the void. Even if just a tiny but, she managed to find a hold. I have to bet everything on Lis strength now.

    ¡°I prepared a car. We just need to get to the place where I parked it and then I¡¯ll drive us far away from Paris. We need to head north to Hauts-de-France until we reach Lille.¡±

    ¡°Lille¡­?¡± She puts the pillow down and looks up with a dreamy expression.

    ¡°Right, that famous city.¡± I haven¡¯t heard many bad things about the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, but compared to Paris it is probably quite lacking. Still, for someone who never travels like Lis, this must be something like an adventure. If her natural curiosity can help distract her from the pain, then I will gladly even play tour guide for her.

    ¡°Why there?¡±

    ¡°I have a contact there that will get us to Belgium. Then we will go to the nearest airport and move far away. To a place where nobody can ever reach us.¡± I believe in this dream with all of my heart. Maybe I managed to convince Lis, because she finally seems to think about the future again, rather than the past. The shadow of that man still hangs over her, suffocates her and keeps her down¡­ but she can move again.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°What about our luggage?¡±

    ¡°I already prepared the essentials. We will pick up some stuff once we reach Lille.¡± The lighter the luggage the easier it is to abandon it in case of emergency. Nothing is allowed to tie us down. Once we are out of the country I will buy whatever we need with the money I transferred. I can¡¯t leave a trail for the RG, but as long as I do it right before the flight it should give us a head start.

    ¡°Can I¡­ take a shower?¡± Suddenly Lis blushes and holds onto her crumpled dress.

    My heart aches.

    ¡°Of course.¡± I nod with a wry smile. To her leaving the house meant looking her most presentable and beautiful. That routine was deeply carved into her mind. I didn¡¯t expect she would still have that much will left in her, but a hot shower will probably clear her mind a little. We still have an hour left, so it should be fine.

    Lis leaves the living room and wanders upstairs. Humans are incredible. Even in the face of utter despair, our bodies keep moving as long as we have a goal ahead of us.

    <hr>

    ¡°Do you really want to wear a dress?¡± I ask with a tilted head.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t have anything else.¡± She replies with shame.

    ¡°You can wear one of my pants.¡±

    ¡°They¡­ er¡­ don¡¯t fit me.¡± She mumbles.

    Oh. So she had tried that already. Not even with a belt¡­?

    Somehow I become overly conscious of my waistline, but I can¡¯t let it get to me. I clutch the strap of the backpack around my right shoulder a bit tighter. Lis is carrying a small bag in her hands as well. That¡¯s all we will be taking along with us.

    Outside the main entrance I can still see the observers trying to appear completely inconspicuous. They were taking shifts, but if everything was going according to schedule¡­

    ¡°Now.¡± I press the button on my Smartphone and then swiftly open the backdoor.

    ¡°W-wait Rafi, y-you¡¯re too fast.¡± Lis is lagging behind me as I rush through the garden and to the gate.

    I have no intention of leaving her behind of course, but I need to immediately check if my diversion is going according to plan. Mere seconds later I can hear some people on the street arguing.

    ¡°Woah look out old fart. You¡¯re blocking the fucking street.¡± A youth complains to a middle-aged man who stands next to a lamppost. ¡°Are ya daft? Just standing around in the middle fo the street staring into the sky?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t intend to-¡°

    ¡°You tryin¡¯ to pick a fight?¡± Two more guys join him and they corner the man. They had arrived on bikes and are completely on collision course with this bystander.

    A few meters further a car bumper is hit by another bike rider. The man sitting inside honks his horn and yells in rage at the teenager. Many more of these sudden clashes happen all over the place and I can even hear the shattering of glass as someone throws a brick into the window of the house on the opposite end of the street.

    This sudden chaos is far from natural of course. It¡¯s all staged by my instructions. They aren¡¯t happening all at the same time to make it less obvious, but those stake-outs will get that they are actively attacked soon enough. By then we will be far away though.

    ¡°Scary¡­¡± Lis watched the commotion with fear. I extend my hand and gently take hers. The touch of our skin is sending sparks through my body, but I don¡¯t let it show on my face.

    ¡°They will be busy for a while, so let¡¯s sneak out.¡± I don¡¯t let go of her hand and pull her through the gate. Then I push the hood deeply into my face. Lis is wearing one of my beanies, but I have no hope that her long curly hair can ever be hidden below that. We just need to hurry and slip away.

    Our steps are not in sync at all, but we reach a good pace. If we were running it would catch too much attention anyway. The streets around here are always busy and the crowd is only getting denser in the direction of my escape car.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let go.¡± I say over my shoulder. Lis nods with thin lips. She is extremely nervous. Can¡¯t really blame her.

    With a bit more force than necessary I shove myself through the crowd. The people around us are typical Parisians, so we get quite a few passionate shouts and glares in return, but some of the younger men also immediately try to hit on Lis. This city is unbelievable¡­

    ¡°Bonjour Mademoiselle! Why in such a hurry? It¡¯s such a beautiful day, why don¡¯t you take a seat in our caf¨¦ and rest a bit?¡± It¡¯s one of those advertisers that are supposed to draw in customers with their good looks. He seriously walked in front of us and blocked our path just to annoy me.

    ¡°Not interested.¡± I walk around him and pull Lis with me.

    ¡°I insist.¡± He says with a polite voice and then suddenly grabs my wrist in a steel like grip.

    ¡°What? Let go-¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t do if I don¡¯t show the Dubois girls our best hospitality.¡± His slick smile sends shivers down my back. In this exact moment I realize what¡¯s going on. That man had been complaining about how some upstart gang started taking over his territory. He wanted to go after them once the deal in Brussels was finished. This guy posing as a waiter is definitely part of that gang. His grip on my arm is intense, because he just caught the most important prey of his life.

    My eyes scan the area and I find three more of his type standing in wait. They all wear the same red earring on the right. So that¡¯s how they are going to do this¡­

    ¡°EEEEK! Molester! Let me go! Someone help meeee!¡± With all of my vocal capacity I start shrieking and screaming like I¡¯m being attacked by some player.

    ¡°Huh? Do you have no dignity at all Dubois-?¡± He is definitely surprised, but even more disgusted by my act. Among criminals, calling for the help of the authorities is looked down upon. If he wants to bring us to his boss we should normally get into negotiations. But I don¡¯t have time for these upstarts.

    ¡°Monsieur, would you let this young lady go?¡± Several middle-aged men with clean hair-cuts and mustaches are approaching us and already snapped the guy¡¯s wrist back, so he lets me go. This is another part of Parisians I usually don¡¯t like. They will never skip an opportunity to impress a girl with their ¡®gallantry¡¯. It¡¯s quite useful right now, though.

    ¡°Lis keep moving and don¡¯t look back.¡± I whisper into her ear and she tenses up. Even she was used to this display of city men doing their thing, but she has no idea how dangerous that guy really was.

    We hurry through the crowd that gathers around the righteous men beating the crap out of the waiter. His pals already ran to his aid, but that just means they can¡¯t follow us. My boots crunch on the pebbles as we skip the sidewalk and run straight through a small park. The escape car I prepared is right behind it.

    ¡°Rafi¡­ haah¡­ please slow down¡­¡± Lis is out of breath. I¡¯m not surprised - she never exercises and always stays home - but I can¡¯t slow down for her. Not this time. I know from experience that as long as someone drags you, it¡¯s always possible to keep going. The moment the momentum breaks, the whole exhaustion will truly come down and crush you.

    ¡°Just a little more!¡± I encourage her over my shoulder and keep pulling. Her hand is sweaty and hot from how tightly I hold it.

    We make it past the small pond and then come to the low wall on the east exit. There I stop in my tracks all of a sudden. Lis bumps into my, but I can¡¯t pay attention to her now. Instead I peek around the corner and spy half a dozen more of these gang members. How did I manage to park this car right in their territory? Damn it.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have used all of the distractions on the police¡­¡± I scold myself quietly. Those low level drones I called in for support in my ¡®father¡¯s name are probably still wreaking havoc around our house.

    What are my options? The other guy recognized us by face, so they must know us as well. I can¡¯t just slip through even with my hoodie. They seem to be having a lazy break on the steps, so they aren¡¯t too attentive. Maybe I can take the long way around and then sneak into the car¡­

    ¡°Haaah¡­ phew¡­ puh¡­¡± Lis is catching her breath close to my ear. That makes me return to reality. Even if I could sneak past them, Lis isn¡¯t going to manage the same.

    ¡°Lis, listen to me.¡± I grab her by the shoulders and stare her deep in the eyes. ¡°You have to go to the northern exit and wait there for me, okay? Don¡¯t move or show yourself to anyone. I will get you with a blue VW, alright?¡±

    ¡°Mhm¡­¡± She nods hastily while wiping the sweat from her face. The adrenaline is keeping her steady, but I don¡¯t want to make her too worried.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a flash. The we can drive to Lille. Together.¡± I repeat the magic words and see her eyes slightly light up. That¡¯s the spirit.

    Without any more parting words I jump around the corner and then roll behind a parked car. Lis will just have to walk straight north, but I have to take a more roundabout route. Sneaking past cars and benches isn¡¯t too tough, but those ruffians are starting to play around with a football. They are just like little boys in their boredom. If they spread out any further it will be impossible to go past them unnoticed.

    I sit down next to a street sign. A busier commercial street is just one alley away. The hustle and bustle of the city might cover my movements. I gulp and then dash for the my car. I put the key inside the door and unlock it. The next moment I sit in the driver¡¯s seat and start the engine. They guys are playing football in the middle of the parking lot, but I am close enough to the edge to get around them.

    CRASH!

    My heart stops as the ball hits the back window with full force. Glass shards spread all over the backseats. My eyes widen and I can feel arms beginning to shake. Out of all the places it could have gone¡­

    ¡°Hey, you moron, you broke that car window!¡± One of the exclaims angrily.

    ¡°Merde¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to get the ball.¡± The third says in an exasperated tone. He is coming over.

    Stay away! If he sees my face it¡¯s over¡­!

    ¡°Huh? Someone¡¯s in there? Hey lady, can you give us back our ball? Sorry ¡®bout the window, but you don¡¯t want to get into trouble with us, so let¡¯s not get into a quarrel over it, yeah?¡± He is threatening me with a smile. I can se it through the rear view mirror.

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± The other laugh in the background.

    ¡°You don¡¯t sound very sincere.¡± I say with a dry voice and then pick p the ball that landed on the co-driver¡¯s seat.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± He takes it as a joke, but that could turn into hostility at any moment.

    I take the ball in one hand and focus. I don¡¯t want to turn around, so I just have to¡­ throw! The ball flies back through the broken window and they guy just about catches it in time. He looks surprised, but then shrugs. That was a lucky shot.

    As he returns to his pals I start the car again and this time I drive off in a hurry. They stare after m, but I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m way too nervous to let that bother me anymore.

    As I drive around the park I have to avoid some surprised citizens. My driving is far from safe. If I waste even a second, Lis will feel more and more abandoned. I can¡¯t let that happen. Just as I reach the northern exit I feel my blood freeze over.

    Lis is at the exit¡­ surrounded by three guys. They are also from that shitty gang. I told her to hide, why is she with them?! One of them grabs her arm¡­

    I rev up the ignition. The engine roars angrily. My eyes have reached complete tunnel vision. All I can see are a bunch of maggots that need to get squashed by my tires!

    The car shoots ahead, much too fast for the surprised bastards. I hit one of them with full speed and he sent flying. The other two are too shocked to react for a moment. I kick open the door and drag Lis inside. She is just as aghast as the men, but I don¡¯t let her get her bearing either. I fling her over my lap and then close the door, before hitting the gas. The guys snap out of their stupor and pull out guns. Why does every small time crook in this city have guns these days?!

    They shoot after us, but to no avail. The spoiler gets a few new dents, but that¡¯s about it. Not like they could have shot my back window again anyway. I keep maneuvering as best as I can without running anyone else over. I hope that bastard I did hit is never going to wake up again though. He dared to hurt Lis¡¯ arm¡­

    ¡°Rafi, I¡¯m feeling sick¡­¡± Lis says in a weak voice. I only now come back to my senses. Lis is still stretched out over my lap, with her head lying on the passenger¡¯s seat.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll let you sit up.¡± I loosen my arms from the steering wheel so she can rise. She hastily crawls over to the seat and sits down. Then she puts the seatbelt on (something I didn¡¯t even care to do myself). I have to keep my eyes on the road. There is a red light, so I can take a glance at her. She seems really pale. ¡°Did they do anything to you?¡± I ask with concern.

    ¡°My arm is a little red. That¡¯s all.¡± She shakes her head slowly and keeps watch over the road. Her head is probably stabilizing after that rush. She subconsciously touches the red mark on her porcelain skin.

    ¡°I should have stayed with you.¡± My voice is filled with regret. I was too careless and Lis paid the price.

    ¡°You saved me.¡± Lis replies quietly.

    ¡°¡­¡± I can¡¯t look her in the eye right now.

    <hr>

    Leaving Paris was much harder than expected. We were followed. I don¡¯t know whether there was a snitch in my line of command or if that gang is just really persistent, but I had to shake them off with some insane maneuvers. My driver¡¯s license did not prepare me for a goddamn city chase. The smell of burnt tires and smog is still stuck in my nose.

    Somehow I managed to shake our pursuers off, but that cost us precious time. Now we are on the highway straight north. If I¡¯m careful, the car won¡¯t run out of gas for at least 40 more kilometers. That¡¯s a lot of distance to make before the first stop. If anybody is still after us they won¡¯t be able to tell where we went if I stop by a small gas station. It might be a blessing in disguise.

    The journey is long, but surprisingly uneventful. I don¡¯t dare to look at Lis more than twice during the entire drive. I am even too hesitant to put on music or the radio. This quiet and stressful road trip is different from what I had imagined days ago¡­

    <hr>

    ¡°We are finally here.¡± I mutter as I get out of the car. Lille is right in front of us. More or less.

    ¡°This child is exhausted.¡± Lis says as she looks at the steaming front of the car. It broke down just at the city limits. The way I have been pushing it into the ground probably made this outcome unavoidable. Maybe some of those bullets hit important parts after all. Whichever the case, the car is dead.

    ¡°Child? This hunk of junk is older than me.¡± I reply with a wry smile and get my backpack from the backseat. I also return Lis¡¯ bag to her.

    ¡°Papa called all cars his children, no matter how worn.¡± Lis says with a depressed smile.

    ¡°¡­¡± I look away and frown. It¡¯s true; he was a car maniac¡­ probably the only human part about him. ¡°We have to walk the rest of the way to the station.¡±

    ¡°We are taking a train?¡± She asks while inspecting her bag. She had been quiet the entire drive, just staring ahead aimlessly. I am not sure if she even paid attention to the scenery. It just doesn¡¯t feel right¡­ seeing Lis like this.

    ¡°Yeah. Buying a new car and getting everything in order is too troublesome. The express train will take us to Belgium fast. We just need to reach the airport anyway.¡± A special airport where I have made certain that all records will be wiped completely that is.

    ¡°I never rode a train before¡­¡± Lis says with a hint of curiosity. It cheers me up way more than anything ever could.

    ¡°I¡¯ll buy first class tickets! It will be way more comfy than a car and you can watch the meadows and hills from the panorama windows.¡± I do my best to make it sound more exciting than it is. Well to me anyway. Riding a train is nothing special on its own¡­ but if I can share that time with Lis, I genuinely look forward to it. Unlike the drive here, I can relax and focus entirely on her.

    The central station in Lille is far away, but we don¡¯t have too much trouble navigating the city, thanks to my phone¡¯s satellite map. Lille is much calmer than Paris I feel. It has a very different atmosphere. Even so I don¡¯t have time to take in the sights.

    ¡°Look Rafi, that statue is so funny!¡± She points at a statue that I haven¡¯t seen in any of the tourist pamphlets before. It¡¯s of an old man holding up a fish or something. It doesn¡¯t really look too interesting, but I am not looking at it anyway. All I can see is Lis¡¯ smile as she points at it. My heart contracts.

    ¡°¡­do you want to take a picture?¡± I ask as I hold up my phone.

    She nods a lot and just as I try to push the trigger, she suddenly grabs my arm and drags me over. It¡¯s embarrassing, but we are now both posing in the picture in front of the old am and his fish.

    Somehow this feels like a completely different world.

    As Lis keeps walking around exploring the city on our way to the train station, I rub my head. This happiness I feel is premature, isn¡¯t it?

    Somewhere at the C?te d''Azur the bosses of the Dubois Empire are gathering right now. Any moment the RG will storm the place and take them all into custody. And back in Paris they might have taken over the house already and found Robert in the basement. This short period of peace that Lille is giving us will end soon. That¡¯s why we need to hurry.

    But Lis finally smiled again¡­

    A few more hours couldn¡¯t harm, right?

 Last Petal: Garden of Sin

    Lille is a wonderful city, one that is very different from my hometown. Paris is big and grandiose and romantic, but it is also busy, scary and loud. I never looked at it that way before, but after coming to a new city I finally understand my feelings for the place I spent 19 years of my life in. Leaving it behind is sad, but the world is a big place. I think I finally understand why freedom is something so many people fight for.

    But so much freedom is scary. When a fish from a pond gets released into the ocean, where will it go? What would it think of this infinite width in front of it that is so unfamiliar and wild? The pond was small, but it was safe. It was a home.

    If I was left on my own inside this picturesque city I wouldn¡¯t be able to smile.

    Rafflesia is with me. She follows my steps everywhere, always there to look over me. She allows me to take in the sights, to fawn over the stray kittens on the walls and even buys me ice-cream at a shop. After all of that horrible stuff¡­ I think I finally got my Rafi back. This is the kind, but shy sister I always loved. She makes sarcastic comments sometimes and she doesn¡¯t care much about her appearance, but she is there for me.

    The only one who is-

    I hold my head in pain. These thoughts aren¡¯t allowed inside! If I think about this now I will not be able to go to paradise. That¡¯s what Rafi said. Or did she? My recollection of the last days is blurry already. My tears have dried, so that means I must be fine.

    ¡°That¡¯s the central train station.¡± Rafi points ahead with a relieved expression. She must be quite exhausted after that long drive. It¡¯s so selfish of me to drag her around the city, but the realization came too late. ¡°There will be a bunch of people heading for the trains in the opposite direction. The holiday rush hasn¡¯t begun yet, but it¡¯s going to be more crowded than usual.¡± She explains this to me while looking at her phone.

    ¡°Holidays?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± She shakes her head softly and then looks back at the station. ¡°I will get the tickets for us, so you should just stay in the central hall.¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I come with you?¡± I really don¡¯t want to be alone¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll need to use a few tricks so they don¡¯t ask too many questions about the passport.¡± Rafi scratches her head awkwardly and then puts a hand on my cheek. ¡°I will be back soon. And if something happens¡­ I will be there.¡± That fire in her eyes is incredibly reassuring. I nod in understanding.

    We enter the station and she tells me to stay next to one of the rest areas full of benches. There are a lot of people waiting for their trains here, but they don¡¯t pay much attention to me. There are a few young girls who seem to stare at my hair though. It¡¯s embarrassing, they are naturally curly, and I don¡¯t like it either. Hopefully they don¡¯t think I am weird.

    Waiting for Rafi like this is nerve-wrecking. I nervously take out a bottle from my bag and sip on my soda. It¡¯s refreshing, but I am not actually thirsty. I just drink to keep myself busy. In fact I feel some pressure in my lower abdomen already. I didn¡¯t go to the toilet all day. My eyes shift around to find a certain sign. There! WC. The arrow points into the hallway close to the public lockers. If I hurry I will be back before Rafi comes to pick me up.

    The public toilets are always overused, so I am not surprised to see them blocked out completely. Many older ladies and kids are already waiting in line. So even the interior must be filled with people¡­ I rub my legs together uncomfortably. It has been a while since I didn¡¯t have a toilet available right away. Even during my job I usually went in the restaurants that my clients took me to. I was too na?ve.

    While I fidget around trying to hold on with all my willpower, I suddenly see a staff member arrive to inspect the line. He notices me as well and then slightly tips his hat for a greeting. I nod back with a forced smile. His expression changes a bit¡­ is he blushing?

    ¡°Mademoiselle.¡± He speaks to me with a lowered voice.

    ¡°O-oui?¡± I try to suppress my fear and instinct to let go of my lower body functions.

    ¡°There is a staff toilet around the corner over there. Nobody will go there, so you can go ahead.¡± He is covering his mouth partly and averts his eyes.

    ¡°R-really?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Why are you¡­ helping me?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ uh¡­ erm¡­ I can¡¯t stand to see a pretty girl such as yourself suffer.¡± He replies in embarrassment. I can tell that he really means it. ¡°Please don¡¯t think badly of me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so mischievous.¡± I say with a tilted head. He shrinks down. ¡°But I do feel a bit mischievous myself today.¡± I smile.

    His face lights up and he nods. As I walk towards the staff bathroom, he gets the crowd¡¯s attention and yells at them not to block the door. I manage to slip away unnoticed thanks to that. Around the corner is another hallway that is blocked with a chain. It¡¯s thin and low, so anybody can step over it. The sign hanging on it says ¡®Staff Area¡¯.

    I hop over it and walk further down. The bathroom is really there. I enter the women¡¯s room and take care of business. What a relief. After washing my hands carefully I leave through the door and sigh.

    Now I better return to Rafi, before¡­ she¡­ worries¡­

    My thoughts halt. My body stiffens up. While the door behind me falls shut, the opposite door for the male bathroom does too. A man had stepped outside with a thoughtful expression, but when he looks up and recognizes me his expression turns to disbelief.

    ¡°Lis.¡± He says with a hoarse voice. His fallen in eyes don¡¯t look as dark as they did back then. His short hair has been cut neatly and his coat is new. The stubble has disappeared as well. There is still a heavy air around him, but he seems positively surprised to meet me here.

    ¡°Paul?¡± I whisper. For a moment I consider screaming. Instead I hastily walk away, towards the staff lockers.

    ¡°W-wait, please!¡± Paul follows me and cuts off my escape. He stretches his right arm in front of me to slow me down, but I push it away as best as I can. Suddenly he retracts it and his face twitches in pain. I notice the bandage peeking from his sleeve.

    ¡°¡­your arm is still recovering?¡± I ask with a hint of worry. That is the injury Rafi had given him on that night.

    ¡°It was a clean break, so it will heal back together neatly.¡± He takes a few deep breaths while rubbing his hurting arm. ¡°T-that¡¯s not important though.¡± He adds while shaking his head. ¡°I thought I would never see you again!¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t come closer.¡± I don¡¯t want to experience that again. If I scream someone will certainly come. Then why didn¡¯t I?

    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think¡­ We- I mean your sister- that is- Aaargh.¡± His healthy arm runs through his short hair and he groans in frustration. It seems he has a hard time finding the words he needs to say. Eventually he lowers his gaze and then folds his hands together. ¡°I apologize deeply for my behavior that day.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± I blink a few times in confusion.

    ¡°I was in a bad place back there. You were so kind, I just¡­ wanted to lean on you more. It was a short-circuit reaction.¡± He seems so regretful and sad that I can¡¯t feel angry.

    No, I never was angry with him in the first place. There is no negative feeling inside me associated with Paul. He is a businessman that fell on hard times and was estranged from his family, but he isn¡¯t a bad man. I always knew that. What he did was wrong, but he really hates himself for it, I can tell.

    ¡°Apology accepted.¡± I say with a smile.

    ¡°W-wha- is.. is that so?¡± He doesn¡¯t even believe his ears. ¡°Thank you so much! It was eating away at me all this time that I could never apologize to you Lis.¡± His eyes are a little moist. ¡°I thought I had made peace with the fact that I will never see you again¡­¡± He hastily wipes the tears away. ¡°I agreed to the terms your father set, but he wouldn¡¯t even let me send you a letter or e-mail.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I hold my chest in pain. That wasn¡¯t Papa¡¯s deal. Rafi must have made sure to cut him off completely from me after what he did.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t just want to apologize either.¡± He raises his hands to the sides and smiles sheepishly. ¡°I wanted to thank you as well. Thanks to you, I finally made up with my wife!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful news!¡± I clap my hands together excitedly.

    ¡°I am so glad. If I never met you, if you hadn¡¯t told me how my wife truly felt, we would never have found common ground again.¡± He rubs his nose embarrassedly. ¡°We found a new funder who supports the company in this crisis as well. So things are really looking up again.¡±

    ¡°I am happy that your company is doing well, but did you remember what I said?¡± I ask him with a warm expression.

    ¡°Yes, of course! I am making more time for my family. Even if I have to fight my secretary for every single minute.¡±

    ¡°L¨¦o and R¨¦my must be so happy to have their father back.¡±

    ¡°You really remembered their names¡­ again.¡± His expression is almost reverent. ¡°I saw their game yesterday and they won the tournament. There isn¡¯t any dad out there that''s prouder than me.¡±

    ¡°Congratulations.¡± I clap again. Boys really love football and having a father that is proud of you cheering you on is something irreplaceable.

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you.¡± He repeats again. ¡°Maybe fate hasn¡¯t given up on me yet. To meet in such a remote place.¡± Then he creases his brows. ¡°Speaking of which, what are you doing in Lille, if I may ask?¡± His question isn¡¯t fueled by suspicion or distrust, he just seems curious.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡± I say something I read so many times in my novels. Adventurers have too many tales to tell and too little strength to recall them all over again. I wish I could see it in such a romantic light as well.

    ¡°¡­¡± He cups his mouth and looks around, probably wondering where my escort is. ¡°Are you in trouble?¡± His voice is low so nobody can overhear him.

    At first I want to deny it and just laugh it off¡­ but this is different. Paul is the first nice person that I have met since it happened. He is someone I already know, a connection to my past. It might not be smart to confide into him, but I really want to.

    I nod gravely.

    ¡°Is your sister with you?¡± Again he makes a curt inquiry.

    I nod again.

    ¡°You can¡¯t return home?¡±

    ¡°Never¡­¡± I bite my lip.

    ¡°I see.¡± He closes his eyes and contemplates these facts. ¡°You are fleeing to Belgium then?¡± It wasn¡¯t a hard guess, considering we are so close to the border.

    ¡°For now.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense. Always keep moving.¡± He nods. ¡°I don¡¯t know the circumstances of course, but running away from Antonin Dubois is nearly impossible.¡± He falsely assumes that we ran from home¡­ to escape Papa. He doesn¡¯t know that-

    I hold my head painfully.

    ¡°My apologies, I didn¡¯t want to sound so pessimistic.¡± He waves his hands nervously. With a thoughtful expression he leans against the lockers and blocks out my vision towards the hallway. Even as the gears turn in his head he seems to be glancing at me repeatedly. ¡°Fate really must be involved in this.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Pardon?¡± I wish he wouldn¡¯t speak so cryptically.

    ¡°The reason I am here in Lille right now is that my main residence is here.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± He has several residences¡­ no, that doesn¡¯t matter, what is trying to say?

    ¡°I was just coming home for yesterday¡¯s game and will ride the train back to Paris in half an hour. It¡¯s almost a miracle that we met at all.¡± He raises his hands as if he is pointing at a heavenly guide. ¡°I have done you wrong and I owe you so much.¡±

    ¡°Please, you don¡¯t owe me anything.¡± I want to deny his generosity, but he shakes his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s all true. I made up my mind Mademoiselle.¡± His voice becomes determined. ¡°I will let you take refuge in my home.¡±

    I can barely trust my ears, but the words had been spoken far too clearly to be an auditory illusion. All evidence points to the same conclusion. He really said it.

    ¡°You and your sister can stay with us until this storm has blown over. Once things calmed down you can still leave the country and build a new life.¡± He is so excited to help us, it¡¯s touching.

    ¡°B-but, we would be a large burden on you¡­ your family could be in danger.¡± I can¡¯t just take advantage of him like that.

    ¡°There is no reason to assume that you would stay with me of all people. Monsieur Dubois would never look for you at the place of someone who¡­ harmed you before.¡± He closes his eyes self-derisively. ¡°I am not helpless either. My family is the most important thing to me. They are secure no matter what happens. The long arm of your father will not reach my home, I guarantee it.¡±

    Can I believe those words? Can I trust them? Who can I trust anymore? Rafi wants to take me to paradise, but she is younger than even me¡­ she can¡¯t carry that burden all on her own. She has suffered far too much already. She won¡¯t like this at first, but she is a logical person. If I vouch for Paul wit all of my heart, she will understand. We can hide away in this wonderful city at the edge of France until the painful scars have healed.

    I clasp my heart and wonder. Am I allowed to take this chance?

    ¡°Paul¡­¡±

    ¡°I will not force you to accept. There is nothing I can say to make myself more trustworthy either. I am beyond your forgiveness and yet you spoke me free of my sins. If you can accept this pathetic man¡¯s hand, I will reach out as many times as I can.¡±

    And he really does reach out his hand. He wants to shake on it, like a true businessman.

    I inadvertently smile. That is rather cute.

    Even if it is uncertain how this will turn out, I want to trust in Paul. I want to put my trust in people again as much as I can.

    For that goal, I stretch forward my hand and grab Paul¡¯s. This seals our agreement and begins the future we can shape together.

    He is overwhelmed and I can feel his hand clasp mine almost too tightly. Then he leans forward as if all the tension left his body. He must be even more relieved than I am. I look up to his face to see his smile.

    His mouth is pressed together so thinly¡­

    A red line runs down from his dry lips¡­

    His eyes are¡­ opened wide¡­ in horror¡­

    I step back and let go of his limp hand. Time has seemingly stopped for only me. That occasional twitch in his face and hand is all that tells me the world has not stopped moving. Red liquid runs from his mouth more and more and stains his white shirt below the coat. His pupils shrink and then widen again lifelessly.

    He falls to his knees and then hits the locker next to him, sliding down slowly and leaving a trail of red.

    My mind is empty. Pain, fear, dread, horror, sadness, disgust, they all are swallowed by the void. There is no meaning to pouring them into an empty vessel.

    ¡°I told you¡­ haaah¡­ to never touch my Lis again¡­ bastard!¡± Rafi stands over the bleeding corpse with a deranged expression.

    The knife sticking out of his back, right around the lungs, is one that I saw in her room before. It¡¯s definitely hers. Paul couldn¡¯t even scream, as his lungs filled with blood. The shock alone probably knocked him out before he died.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think he would be here¡­ Of course, Lille is where this useless asshole lived. I always mess up on the details.¡± She grunts as she tears the knife out of the corpse that was once Paul. She wipes the blood off on his coat and then stuffs the knife back into her backpack. ¡°Now I have to get rid of another body¡­¡± She is so deeply in thought that she doesn¡¯t even take note of me for once.

    After a few seconds she throws a coin into the locker that is covered in a red splat and then stuffs Paul inside as roughly as she can without getting herself covered in more of the red liquid. Afterwards she uses a towel to soak up the small puddle and then wipes off the closed locker with a few tissues. There are still traces. Blood isn¡¯t that easy to get rid of it seems. But she has no time to get a mop and clean the crime scene.

    There is no time at all¡­

    ¡°Paul¡­¡± I whisper in a daze.

    ¡°!¡± Rafi suddenly jumps up. Her trance like movements become more lively and she rushes over to me. Before I know what¡¯s happening to me, she already embraces me tightly. ¡°Lis, I am so sorry! I left you alone again and you had to endure such a scary situation!¡± She sounds downright frantic. She is close to a breakdown¡­ because she really believes that I was hurt again. Hurt by Paul, by being alone, by having nobody to lean on.

    Whatever Paul might have wanted to do¡­

    It doesn¡¯t matter anymore. He is gone. He left me behind. Just like everyone else.

    Why does nobody want to stay with me? Why are all these people that claim to care for me just going away? My clients leave and never come back. That woman who stole my first kiss and heart never returned. Papa promised he would come back, but he never did. Robert said he would visit me again so we could have a nice chat like we used to. Where was he now? Not here. Not anywhere.

    I¡¯m all alone.

    Except for¡­

    ¡­this one girl carrying me away in her embrace. The sister that spills tears for my sake as she apologizes over and over again.

    She is strong, but also is fragile. For me she would do anything. Anything. There is no place on this Earth where she will not follow me. Why did I even hesitate?

    ¡°My Rafi.¡± I hug her tightly, pressing my arms into her back with all my emotion.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Stay with me.¡±

    ¡°I will¡­ always.¡±

    Those are the only words I ever needed.

    <hr>

    We walk towards the plane hand in hand. I didn¡¯t let go the entire time on the train and not in the cab we took to the airport. I don¡¯t want to let go again.

    A woman approaches us. She isn¡¯t a flight attendant, but she does immediately approach Rafi.

    ¡°Everything is proceeding smoothly Mademoiselle Dubois.¡± She is speaking in a conspiratorial tone. She hands my sister a folded paper. Rafi nods and tries to open it, but she only has one hand. With an apologetic smile she loosens her grip on my hand. I don¡¯t want her to let go! If she let¡¯s go we might never¡­

    Our fingers slip apart and she opens the letter.

    ¡°Everything has been arranged the way you requested. You were never officially on this flight.¡± The woman explains with a grin.

    ¡°Good job.¡± Rafi is skimming over the letter.

    ¡°I hope that your father will appreciate it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he will.¡± Rafi confirms it without much energy.

    ¡°That is really a relief. After all I am sending his daughter right after him.¡± The woman says as she puts the gun against the paper in front of Rafi¡¯s head.

    My heart stops. When did she pull it out of her blouse¡­ why is she holding a gun to my Rafi¡¯s head¡­?

    No way.

    NO WAY!

    Blam

    Blood sprays across the seats in the back. Nobody seems to notice the low gunshot sound. There is a silencer attached to it, but there is still an audible sound when it penetrates the metal after going through Rafflesia¡¯s body. How could anybody have noticed? The plane is empty after all. Those guests weren¡¯t too slow after all.

    ¡°You bitch¡­ I knew you were an opportunist, but¡­¡± Rafi holds her side. She had smacked the gun down at the last second, so the bullet only penetrated her side.

    ¡°Sorry~ But if your daddy isn¡¯t around anymore, I have no reason to listen to you. Handing over his killer¡¯s corpse to the next boss will get me some credit at least.¡± She fires the gun again, but Rafi already rams her backpack into her face. Her dark brown hair is all I see as she tackles the woman down and then draws her knife.

    But the gun is already up again as the woman throws the backpack aside.

    ¡°STOOOOP!¡± I scream!

    <hr>

    I jump out of bed with a pounding heart. My entire body is drenched in sweat. Everything is dark and spinning. I¡¯m in an unfamiliar room - is it even a room? - my head is pounding!

    Where am I? Where is this place? I can¡¯t see¡­!

    As I go to my knees and hyperventilate I suddenly feel a breeze on my wet skin. There is a small tear in the wooden wall. I crawl towards it and let the cool air brush over my face and curly hair.

    Eventually I have calmed down enough to recollect what happened.

    We were on a plane¡­ Rafi was attacked¡­ and then what?

    ¡°Rafi!¡± I shout in terror. Did she leave me as well?! I knew I shouldn¡¯t have let go! Tears are gathering in the corners of my eyes and I hold my face. I feel a weird hard resistance that wasn¡¯t there before, but I don¡¯t even care. I just want to see Rafi¡­

    ¡°Mhhhrmm¡­¡±

    Something moves behind me.

    I turn around and press myself against the wall. Did they come back to finish me off as well?!

    ¡°Ch¨¦ri¡­? Can¡¯t sleep?¡± The shade asks me with sleepy eyes.

    ¡°Where am I? Who are you?! What happened to Rafi!¡± I grab a vase from a drawer close by and hold it up as a makeshift weapon. I never hurt anyone in my life, but I am too frightened, no, too mad to care anymore!

    ¡°¡­¡± The figure rises from the darkness¡­ is that a bed? The bed I was sleeping on. ¡°Please calm yourself Lis. Let¡¯s put that ugly thing down first and talk.¡± The voice belongs to a woman. There is something routinely about it.

    ¡°I will hit you! I will really do it!¡± I can¡¯t show my confusion and fear on my face. I just want to know where Rafi is!

    The woman raises her hands above her head and lets the blanket slide down her body. In the weak light coming from the numerous gaps in the wooden walls I can roughly tell her contours. She has a slim fit figure and¡­ is apparently naked. My confusion only rises.

    ¡°The control for the blinds is right next to you. Probably best if you just open them. There is a pretty full moon up tonight¡­¡± She makes a playful suggestion.

    I don¡¯t know what she is playing at, but there is no downside to getting some light. I pat the wall next to me and finally find the button. The blinds mechanically open and let moonlight stream inside. It flows over my pale skin and then the ground until it reaches the woman ahead of me. Her short wild hair is of a dark brown color, much darker than her tanned skin and her eyes glow with an emerald green.

    The vase falls from my hands, but the woman jumps forward just quickly enough to catch it. She leans down so far that I can see a scar on her lower back. After putting the vase back in its place she sighs.

    ¡°Should have just let it break. So ugly.¡± She makes a lighthearted joke and winks.

    My mouth is shaking.

    ¡°R¡­a..f..i..?¡±

    ¡°In the flesh. As you can see.¡± She isn¡¯t shy at all. Her body is fully exposed, but she seems awfully comfortable with that.

    ¡°No¡­ no no no that can¡¯t be¡­!¡± Tears gather and flow freely as I touch my hurting chest.

    ¡°You had a relapse again, huh?¡± Rafflesia kneels down next to me and gives me a hug. Her skin touches mine. It¡¯s so warm. We are both naked and I feel ashamed, but the nausea is much stronger. ¡°Poor thing.¡± She kisses my forehead, the place where I felt the unusual resistance.

    ¡°What happened Rafi¡­ you have¡­ grown up.¡±

    ¡°Not as much as you did.¡± She says with a strangely lustful gaze. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll save it for later. Right now you need to get back to bed and take it easy.¡± She offers me her shoulder and I accept hesitantly.

    As I lie down below the thin blanket I can do nothing else but stare at my sister. She is so different from before. Calm, confident, open.

    ¡°It¡¯s not as grandiose as the first time, but¡­¡± She opens the window far and then presses a button. There is a long row of electrical lights going down a slope, all the way to the distant beach. The calm black and blue waters are rhythmically hitting the shore. ¡°Welcome to Paradise!¡±

    ¡°We made it?¡± I ask in disbelief.

    ¡°Thanks to you.¡± She nods as she sits down on the windowsill with one leg raised against her chin. ¡°What is the last thing you remember?¡±

    ¡°We were on a plane¡­¡± I mutter.

    ¡°I see. So it¡¯s the same as before.¡± She hums a strange melody and then nods to herself. ¡°That was 10 years ago.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± I want to ask if she is joking, but that grown up and mature Rafi in front of me is all the proof I need.

    ¡°Ah, you are more accepting of it than last time. Probably because I¡¯ve gotten old.¡± She jokes. Even if ten years have passed, she is still young and beautiful. Every curve, every nook and cranny of her body is.

    I hold my head and wonder why I am thinking that. My face is flushed.

    ¡°Back on that plane¡­ you saved me. Physically for once, instead of every other way like you always do.¡± She chuckles nostalgically. ¡°You took a bullet to the head.¡±

    I touch the deep scar on my forehead. Now I remember what it was.

    ¡°More precisely you got grazed. If it had been a few millimeters lower you wouldn¡¯t be lying there, seducing me with your eyes.¡±

    ¡°Rafi¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah I know¡­ I was really scared back then. I never have been so afraid in my life. Losing you¡­ would have been unbearable.¡± She looks towards the beach with a pained expression. A distant pain.

    ¡°But the attacker¡­?¡±

    ¡°I shot her. Several times. A waste of bullets in hindsight. Her partner showed up right after.¡± Rafi¡¯s deep eyes have a glint of malice in them. ¡°Lucky for him, he was a former doctor. He fixed you up as well as he could and then put us on a plane to the United States.¡±

    ¡°America?¡± Is that where this ''paradise'' is?

    ¡°Just a short stop to get a genius surgeon to make sure you really got better. I spent half of Dubois¡¯ fortune just on the medical bills.¡± Apparently that was an insane amount of money, considering we still have enough to sustain this kind of tropical paradise. ¡°Money well spent.¡± She says without a hint of regret.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t I remember this?¡± I ask as I wipe my tears.

    ¡°You woke up one year after being released from the hospital. I took you to Paradise and made sure you got home treatment. Staying too long in one place was dangerous back then.¡± She elaborates slowly while twirling her short hair. ¡°That was the first time. You didn¡¯t remember what happened after we entered the plane. It was understandable, you had received a serious head injury in there, so the memory should be cut off at the moment. Might even have been mental trauma. But¡­¡±

    ¡°It happened again?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Four years later. You woke up without any memory of the last 5 years. Almost gave me a heart attack when you screamed my name.¡±

    ¡°And since then?¡±

    ¡°This is the first time it happened since then. I hope this won¡¯t repeat in 5 year cycles. At some point I¡¯ll be too old for you to recognize me anymore.¡± She says with a sarcastic grin. That is the most Rafi like expression I have seen on her yet.

    ¡°I¡­ forgot the last nine years¡­?¡± My heart sinks into the pit of my stomach. How could this be? All the years of living with Rafi¡­ lost.

    ¡°It¡¯s regrettable.¡± She nods solemnly. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t really matter.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter?!¡± I shout in surprise.

    ¡°Yes. Because no matter what time, age, place or memory¡­¡± Rafi stands up and walks over to me. Her face is super close and then¡­ she kisses me on the lips. ¡°We are always together.¡±

    My heart is set aflame with a strange feeling. This craving, this string that ties me to the person in front of me¡­ it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s¡­

    ¡°I love you.¡± Rafi repeats the words I apparently heard such a long time ago. ¡°Do you love me as well?¡± Her eyes are inescapable. I can¡¯t resist. Everything she says puts me on edge. I am already held up by her strings. She has completely tied me up in her web of vines. It¡¯s like my body knows what my mind cannot.

    And in-between both is my heart, disturbed like the ocean inside a storm, but also calm as the center of a typhoon.

    There is nothing left. Nobody stayed by my side, not even my memories.

    Except for¡­

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡­Rafflesia.

    Paradise? This is more like a garden of sin.

    What is freedom without love?

    What is love without freedom?

    At some point those things had become meaningless.

    <u>THE END</u>