The announcement of the upcoming VR game was playing on the walls as she was trying to get on the subway. It is an infuriating loop!
“Emily! Have you heard about the upcoming Gaia game? It is said to be the biggest game in the Gaia canon!”
The worst thing about taking the subway… these personalized adds that keeps on looping till you pass by. Nothing you can do but keep on trying to be sane. Well the sub is free so there’s that…
“Emily! Have you…” And the worst thing is that you can’t fool them with headsets as the adds just starts to play right in your head instead.
As she was making her way towards the sub she noticed the guy to her far left.
They are getting sloppy. Anyone would notice.
There had always been someone following her since she could remember. Always far in the background but always there. Sometimes she had to look really carefully but she could always find them after a thorough search. This guy was bad.
“Emily! Have you heard about…”
Honestly! This loop is driving me nuts!
She got on the sub and as soon as she saw her little tail jump on the cart further down she left again.
Let’s see if he’s fired when I’m home.
She couldn’t care less about the amateurs and was frankly a bit pissed every time she got one on her tail.
As the train started to leave the station she locked her eyes with the unemployed-to-be. She gave him a little wave and a smirk and began her regular route home instead. It took longer but she wasn’t so thrilled about her home anyway.
“Emily! Have…”
No…. I have heard too much so please just stop it! I’ve had it… just let me be for a moment…
After a couple of unproductive hours later she arrived at her home. The first one to greet her was a slap across the face by her dad.
“You! How dare you!? How dare you once again leave the guard!?” another slap across the right ear this time which started to ring.
Her dad was a man few people messed with. Maybe not because of his size, cuz at 169 cm the man was probably shorter than the one being intimidated. Not for his appearance either. The man was in his whole person made to blend in. No, the most frightening was his eyes and the aura of death when mad. He was a blond man with green eyes. With the hair cut short and with the broad shoulders he had the appearance of a veteran.
“You dare show up with that smirk on your face after that stupid stunt!” a third slap. “You dare come home after all this time wandering?!” a forth and now her left ear started to ring. Luckily she came prepared with her earrings off. With a fist in her midriff he pointed with his hand.
“Your mother wants a word.”
She had expected this. Her father always finds a reason to slap her. Be it for the guards failed attempts in guarding her or in dropping the fork while eating, the outcome was still she same. Slaps till she bleeds. While her father was physical her mother was more focused on emotional and mental abuse.
“Mother? I’m home.”
“Who’s there? Ahh, if it isn’t my dear Em! Come give your mother a hug!” Her mother was a beauty. With a great love of fashion she always dressed impeccable. With a stunning red dress and matching jewellery she gave her a breathtaking smile.
“Hi, mother.” Emily knew that you don’t trade words with her mother.
“Dear, Em! Mark and I was so worried when mr. Smith came back alone!”
Why is it always Smith?
“The poor man quit after a short discussion with Mark. Your father told me that he didn’t even have time to wait for you.”
So the groundwork for the guilt-trip has been laid, now to the finisher.
“Poor mr Smith… you know that he has a daughter your age? He told me about it when we first met and we gave him the assignment. We joked about you being friends but the poor girl got sick so we postponed. Never quite understood the sickness thou… Klara, Klara Smith I think… Do you know her? I think she attended the same school as you…”
The groundwork… still… why the big setup this time? What is she scheming?
“The poor man. He even begged us not to blame you for his shortcomings. A brave man indeed, talking with your father and all. Not for his own sake but all for you. Maybe he saw Klara in you and the protective instinct took over. As we would hurt our sweetest Em! But he made some sense anyway.”
Now for the finish at last.
“You are going to live with your grandpa.”
…
What!? That… What?!
“What do you mean mother? I thought that you and father deemed grandfather and grandmothers house to lack the required security for us to visit. That’s why we missed the latest holidays”
To finally visit them and being told I’m moving there! The only decent relatives I have! It’s like a dream came true! A…. dream coming true… no! Something is wrong!
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
“No, not there. That’s just a kidnapping in the making. You’re going to Tom.” Once again that beautiful smile and the aura of success. “He applied for a university for you but since the semester is off-sync you have to start next year.”
A small flame of hope started to take hold in her heart but by now she knew to never trust hope. Tinas words opened up for her to stay the remaining time here but her mother probably meant for her to go right away.
“Then I’ll go pack my things. I can spend the remaining time learning proper Swedish. It’ll be fun! Don’t know how long it have been since I met grandpa Tom.” Every word a lie but it irked Tina and you take what you can. Sure enough, the smile got a little strained.
“Lovely! Your plane leaves in the afternoon tomorrow. Now you better pack your things because what you can’t pack you can’t have and I don’t think Tom will bother shopping for you.” A dismissing if she ever heard one.
Just the hug and the parting cheek-kiss and I’m out of here. Just a way to give her a win…
“Is there any way to stay here instead of going right away? Tom has probably his hands full anyway..”
“No, I’m afraid we didn’t reserve the option of by-back. First class is expensive so you have to go now.” The sad smirk and a hug.
Dysfunctional as always.
“Em dear? Before you go. Have you heard about Gaias latest game?”
Back in the subway? No, still in Tinas library. But please! I hate these silly games and you know it!
“I think I’ve heard a thing or two. I’m actually quite interested in games like this. Why?”
“Well then. I’ll talk to your grandfather to see what I can do.”
That phsyco! Don’t make me do this! Don’t!
32h later
It was a quiet flight and probably one of the best she had in a long time. Tom wasn’t there to pick her up but she doubted that from the start. He was a busy man after all. But the ride he hired was nice. The Swedish Smiths seemed nicer too but never trust a suit.
She arrived at the house a couple of hours ago but Tom had not greeted her as of yet, so all she could do was to wander the halls. The guard sounded strange with the different language, the entertainment also was in this other language.
Learn it as fast as possible but where to start? Suits are nice and all but not very talkative.
Suddenly the door at the far end bangs open.
“If it isn’t Em! Your mother told me that you would be due tomorrow! But suddenly someone had rebooked my bookings!” A smiling man in his 70’s walked over towards her with arms wide open.
“Em! Do you know that it’s been 15 years since we met? You had just started to walk and your father was the happiest man in the world!”
“Tom. I didn’t start to walk when I was 6… And if you want to you can call me Emily. Please..”
She was sure it was him but she had never met Tom in her memory. This made her a bit uncertain. Family wasn’t her favourite out of all social gatherings and to make it survivable you had to know how to tackle them. This happy face didn’t leave mush to read.
He can’t be happy… he’s a relative, that makes it impossible!
“Ahh.. Yeah, Tina said that Em is a nickname all your friends use so I thought it would make you feel at home. Hmmm yeah, you were but a year old but your 16 right? No?! I missed your 18:th birthday? Well to make it up I spent the last couple of days preparing the left wing of the mansion just for you and if you are still not happy I’ll take you shopping tomorrow.”
This man is insane, I can’t read him! But birthdays… haven’t celebrated them in a while. And shopping… is he a perv?
“The last little golden nugget I have is that I’ve made you a beta tester!”
What a stupid grin! Wipe it of you dumb ass!
“Your mother told me all about your love for the company’s different games and the last one especially. She told me to make sure you play, so I fiddled a little to make sure you could learn Swedish in game. You will be a beta tester so make sure to keep me posted. The testing period is 2 months and I’ve made sure to fiddle with the pod so you don’t have to be around me too much if you don’t want to.” He gave her a, what looked like a warm smile but all she could feel was her mother’s spite.
“Tom, if I can I’d like to get to know my neighbourhood as fast as I possibly could. A habit of mine. And as you said earlier, it has been 18 years so… let’s get to know one another.”
“Emily… I’m sorry about…. When your grandmother… I didn’t know how to act.” The smiling face turned in to a facial expression she was all too familiar with.
“yah… things are what they are. Don’t worry Tom!”
Not: Hope you find it as entertaining reading, as I when writing! If you have some thoughts pleas feel free to comment!