Calliope
four
"Oh, Elizabeth!" a male voice sang, continuously ringing the doorbell. "I know you're in there! I see a car in the driveway...don't think it's yours though..."
Roy stood up and immediately said, "Both of you should leave."
"What? What are you gonna do?" I asked, hoisting my mother up from the couch. She was frozen, terrified to death. I could feel her shaking against me; I needed to get her out of here.
"Calliope!" Roy snapped, but I didn't budge. Through gritted teeth, he said, "Elizabeth, please go into the other room and shut the door."
My mother detached herself from me and did as she was told. I watched her go and close the door to the study that used to belong to my father.
"You didn't have to do that to her!" I exclaimed.
The Count started rapidly knocking on the door and going, "Helllllooooo?"
"Calliope, please," Roy pleaded. I stared at him for a second, hoping he would say something else, but he didn't. I sighed and pulled him into a kiss before slipping into the hallway by the study. Roy exhaled and strode over to the door, unlocking it. I suddenly felt more scared than I'd ever thought I could.
Roy opened the door.
"Oh, who're you?" The Count asked. He looked a lot older than his voice made it seem. I couldn't see it that well from where I stood, but he had a lot of wrinkles on his face and he was tall, but not as tall as Roy. He was also wearing a black, pin-striped suit and his black-and-white hair was combed back with some kind of product to keep it there.
"I'm Roy, who're you?"
"Tom. But you can call me The Count."
"I like Tom. Come on in, won't you, Tom?" Roy stepped aside, letting The Count inside. He looked at Roy, confused and curious, and letting out a small chuckle.
He looked around and asked, "So, where's Elizabeth?"
"Unfortunately, you missed her," Roy shrugged.
"Really, now?" The Count continued to look around. I took one more step towards the shadows so he wouldn't see me lurking, but somehow, I was too afraid he could hear my heart pounding in my chest.
"I smell her perfume," he said, closing his eyes and inhaling. "She always wears this perfume that drives the guys absolutely nuts. It's very strong here," he sighed and opened his eyes, "I wish I didn't have to do this, you know."
There was a whining sound coming from the study that caused him to look right in my direction. I froze but I could hear myself breathing heavily and unevenly. He still couldn't see me but I wanted to run into the study and put tape around my mother's mouth so she couldn't make another sound.
A smile formed on The Count's mouth.
"Stop," Roy commanded. He froze and I realized why he said that; there was a gun in his pocket and he was about to reach for it.
The Count looked confused as to why he was suddenly doing what Roy was saying.
"Look at me," Roy said. He turned around and stared at Roy, who crossed his arms. "I'm curious, why do you want to kill her? And answer truthfully."
"She took a shipment worth $3 million and gave it to El Toro, my biggest competitor and number one enemy. Why am I answering you?" The Count asked, angrily.
"Because I asked you to," Roy replied. "Now, you're not going to kill Elizabeth, d'you want to know why?"
"Why?"
"Because you're going to kill yourself instead."
"What?!" The Count furrowed his eyebrows and he looked angrier than before.
Roy nodded his head. "Yes, you're going to take that gun and put it in your mouth. Then, after a few seconds of contemplation of your life and all the things you wished you could have done, you're going to pull the trigger."
He pulled his gun out and I looked away right as he stuck it in his mouth. I closed my eyes and waited. It felt like forever and I suddenly wished that we could have just escaped this, but then he pulled the trigger.
I heard my mother scream from inside the study and the door flew open. I opened my eyes and instantly regretted it when I saw The Count on the floor, his brains all over the ceiling and furniture, and blood everywhere.
Roy looked at me and he said, "I'm sorry for this."
Roy stood up and immediately said, "Both of you should leave."
"What? What are you gonna do?" I asked, hoisting my mother up from the couch. She was frozen, terrified to death. I could feel her shaking against me; I needed to get her out of here.
"Calliope!" Roy snapped, but I didn't budge. Through gritted teeth, he said, "Elizabeth, please go into the other room and shut the door."
My mother detached herself from me and did as she was told. I watched her go and close the door to the study that used to belong to my father.
"You didn't have to do that to her!" I exclaimed.
The Count started rapidly knocking on the door and going, "Helllllooooo?"
"Calliope, please," Roy pleaded. I stared at him for a second, hoping he would say something else, but he didn't. I sighed and pulled him into a kiss before slipping into the hallway by the study. Roy exhaled and strode over to the door, unlocking it. I suddenly felt more scared than I'd ever thought I could.
Roy opened the door.
"Oh, who're you?" The Count asked. He looked a lot older than his voice made it seem. I couldn't see it that well from where I stood, but he had a lot of wrinkles on his face and he was tall, but not as tall as Roy. He was also wearing a black, pin-striped suit and his black-and-white hair was combed back with some kind of product to keep it there.
"I'm Roy, who're you?"
"Tom. But you can call me The Count."
"I like Tom. Come on in, won't you, Tom?" Roy stepped aside, letting The Count inside. He looked at Roy, confused and curious, and letting out a small chuckle.
He looked around and asked, "So, where's Elizabeth?"
"Unfortunately, you missed her," Roy shrugged.
"Really, now?" The Count continued to look around. I took one more step towards the shadows so he wouldn't see me lurking, but somehow, I was too afraid he could hear my heart pounding in my chest.
"I smell her perfume," he said, closing his eyes and inhaling. "She always wears this perfume that drives the guys absolutely nuts. It's very strong here," he sighed and opened his eyes, "I wish I didn't have to do this, you know."
There was a whining sound coming from the study that caused him to look right in my direction. I froze but I could hear myself breathing heavily and unevenly. He still couldn't see me but I wanted to run into the study and put tape around my mother's mouth so she couldn't make another sound.
A smile formed on The Count's mouth.
"Stop," Roy commanded. He froze and I realized why he said that; there was a gun in his pocket and he was about to reach for it.
The Count looked confused as to why he was suddenly doing what Roy was saying.
"Look at me," Roy said. He turned around and stared at Roy, who crossed his arms. "I'm curious, why do you want to kill her? And answer truthfully."
"She took a shipment worth $3 million and gave it to El Toro, my biggest competitor and number one enemy. Why am I answering you?" The Count asked, angrily.
"Because I asked you to," Roy replied. "Now, you're not going to kill Elizabeth, d'you want to know why?"
"Why?"
"Because you're going to kill yourself instead."
"What?!" The Count furrowed his eyebrows and he looked angrier than before.
Roy nodded his head. "Yes, you're going to take that gun and put it in your mouth. Then, after a few seconds of contemplation of your life and all the things you wished you could have done, you're going to pull the trigger."
He pulled his gun out and I looked away right as he stuck it in his mouth. I closed my eyes and waited. It felt like forever and I suddenly wished that we could have just escaped this, but then he pulled the trigger.
I heard my mother scream from inside the study and the door flew open. I opened my eyes and instantly regretted it when I saw The Count on the floor, his brains all over the ceiling and furniture, and blood everywhere.
Roy looked at me and he said, "I'm sorry for this."