Into the darkness

Theo left Greg room contently. He got everything he wished for and although, it was not easy but, he finally succeeded. It was a moment of great success for Theo, and he wished to celebrate it. Theo and Greg planned to announce his wedding and new alliance by throwing a party and inviting everyone, the entire city. It will be a grand celebration. To celebrate his success, to celebrate his future with his beloved newlywed wife, Emma. Theo sent out the invitation and ordered his staff to prepare for the grand party.

Theo's thoughts were interrupted when he heard his cell phone ring. Theo took out his phone from the deep pocket of his jacket. He devilishly smiled looking at the caller id. He picked up the call and said,

"How is that beast doing? I want to hear his cries and screams. No, wait, I want to see him in pain. That is the only reason, I told you to keep him alive. I want to see his death or better. I want to kill him with my hands."

Theo waited for his man to reply, but he received no response. Doubting the call must have disconnected, he checked his cell phone. But he was still on the line.

"What is wrong? Why are you not replying Bull (the thug's penname)?" Theo demanded a response from another side.

"He is not here," Bull says gravely.

Theo went in confusion. "Who is not here?" Theo asked and worried for the worst to come. He knew the answer in some part or somewhere deep inside him. But he still asked and then also regretted it.

"Ricker. He released himself, and now I know why you call him beast" Bull says.

"What do you mean?" Theo asks again.

"He did not leave alone, and he did not leave quietly," Bull said bitterly and angrily.

"What did he do?" Theo asks in a panic.

"He burnt down the whole place. Everything in on the flames and he took something valuable from me" Bull screamed over the phone, and Theo felt weak on his knees. He took a seat on the nearby chair to prevent himself from falling.

"What? What did he take?" Theo asks.

"My brother" Bull answers.

"What the hell does that mean? Did he take him in front of your eyes?" Theo asks and wonders.

"Are you mocking me?" Bull asks.

"I am not mocking. I am asking seriously. How do you know he did that if you did not see him? How could you possibly know?" Theo asked.

"Because he left me a text on my phone from my brother's number. The text reads 'I am taking your brother. I will make him my pet'. Did you hear that? He called my brother a pet. What is he going to do with my baby brother?" Bull said to Theo.

"Did you do something with him?" Theo asked in a panic.

"What does that mean? We did what you told us to do? You told us he was nasty, and you called him the beast but only a real beast could escape from me. He even took my younger brother. Do you understand?" Bull said in a horrified voice with a hint of anger and rage in it.

"Yes, I understand that you must be very upset," Theo says.

"I am not upset. I am pissed. Who does that? Who escapes his kidnapper and kidnaps his kidnapper before leaving. If people came to know about this, I will be a laughing stock in my world. It is not you but me, who is going to kill him. This is an insult to me… to the Bull" Bull says.

"Listen to me you fool. He took your brother that means he must have planned something for him" Theo said in utter dismay.

"Planned? I thought he took him because he wanted to know who was behind this" Bull says.

"I think he already knows that and he has your brother now. It will be next to impossible to retrieve your brother alive. That is for sure. You must run and hide" Theo warned Bull ,and Bull feels insulted again.

"I think you must run and hide. You just said he must already know who was behind all this" Bull said and threatened Theo.

Theo disconnected his call and ran to Greg. Greg saw the pale Theo's pale face like all the blood was drained out of his face. Greg knew what that means. Greg angrily throws the book across the room.

**********

Emma enters her house, and she is greeted by her personal maid, Sophia.

"How is Sir, ma'am?" Sophia asks as she takes Emma's handbag from her weighing her hand down. Emma looked exhausted and she seemed very tense. She had her hair tied randomly and her eyes were swollen. Sophia wondered if it was the tiredness and constant weeping that is the reason for the state of her eyes but she decides not to ask.

"He is fine, I think," Emma says. Emma remembers the events from the morning and she barely understood how all of that could happen in one day. This morning felt like weeks ago. And yet it was the late evening only. The night was still young but all Emma could think was for that day to be over. It was a very long day and a very bad one.

"You must be exhausted. How about you change and freshen up. In the meantime, I will bring you something to eat" Sophia says.

"Thank you, Sophia, but I don't feel like eating. Tell me, have you received any mail or message from me in the past week? Has someone asked for me?" Emma asks.

"Only one," Sophia says looking at Emma in the eyes.

"Ricker" Emma says as if she was answering.

Sophia informs Emma by stating "He came here every day in the past week to check upon you. He barged inside the house, tackled the security"

Emma rolled her eyes when she hears Sophia portraying Ricker like he is a big, bold man. Before leaving, his father took almost all his security members with him. There was no real security to handle. "There was literally none," Emma said.

"There were two men, ma'am," Sophia says in Ricker's defense.

"Yeah, that should make him a hero," Emma says mockingly.

"But Sir did not come this morning" Sophia continues to say and Emma remembers what Lavinia told her. He was missing.

"Don't worry about it" Emma says.

"I know. He must have reached the venue" Sophia said calmly. Emma was turned towards the staircase leading to her room on the first floor.

"What venue?" Emma asks in amazement.

"Your wedding venue, ma'am," Sophia says.

"He reached where my wedding was taking place?" Emma questions.

"Why of course yes. He was added to the wedding invite list last minute" Sophia informs Emma.

"I am sorry, what? What are you talking about?" Emma asks.

"I beg your pardon ma'am. I thought you knew" Sophia says.

"I knew? I knew what? Sophia, what are you talking about? I don't have any idea" Emma says.

"I received a parcel with a message to deliver it to Davidson's mansion, and I did" Sophia tells Emma.

"What parcel? What was in it?" Emma asks.

"Invitation for your wedding" Sophia says nervously.

"You are… what… who? Who did this?" Emma asks in rage.

"You did ma'am" Sophia says, and Emma is left dumbstruck.

"I did? Are you kidding me? Why would I do something like that? I did nothing. I know nothing" Emma lost her patience now. She turns angry.

"But that message had your name mentioned" Sophia defends herself.

"Do you, have it? The message I sent" Emma asks.

"Yes, I have it with me right here" Sophia takes out a piece of paper from her apron pocket.

Emma saw the message but she did not remember ever writing it, not even in her dreams but she understand why Sophia must have thought this message from her. That piece of paper was a personalized writing paper. Only she possesses these papers. The pattern and design made that paper unique. This must be the doing of someone close to her, Emma thinks. But who? Who did this?

Sophia says, "So, I gather this message was not from you. Oh god. Did I make any trouble due to that parcel?" Sophia asks.

"Did you deliver that parcel?" Emma asks.

"Yes, of course," Sophia answers.

"So, he received it, didn't he? Where is he then? Who sent this parcel? Who could do something like this? Did someone enter my room? Anyone? My dad or someone else? I don't think Theo could steal my papers? Could he?" Emma speaks out her thoughts to Sophia.

"I know no one entered your room, ma'am. That is for sure" Sophia says and ensures Emma.

"Then, how did this happen?" Emma felt weak on her knees and took a seat on the nearby couch.

Sophia bent her knees and consoled distraught Emma. "Ma'am, please calm down. You must rest for now. You had a long day"

"I had a bad day Sophia," Sophia said, and her tired eyes were swollen and teary.

"But the wedding was stopped. That is something" Sophia said and Emma looked at her in her eyes as the tears fall down her cheeks.

"We got married" Emma said. She stood and ran to her room and close the door behind her. She looked around the darkness of the room that soothes her. It is not important for her to be able to where her bed was. She did not bother turning the lights on and went straight to the bed, burying her face in the pillow as she wept and cried and finally drifted.

Emma woke up and got ready to go to the hospital. Sophia packed some clothes and food for her and Greg. Sophia entered Greg's room and found his room filled with darkness and only the moonlight from the window shed some light on the room. Emma looks for lights but realizes that the room was out of electricity. She heard a faint voice and turned and called out-

"DAD?"

She did not get any response. Emma brings out her cell phone and turned on the flashlight, only to find her father gasping for air. He was in dire condition. He was choking as someone grabbed his throat. Emma cried for help and ran towards her father, but she soon realized that it was too late.

Greg was dead. Emma saw Greg's lifeless eyes fixated on the roof and Greg's lifeless hand lying down on the floor. Emma gasped in pain and horror.

Emma remembered that the killer was still in the room with her, standing near Greg's dead body. Emma flashed her cell phone on her father's killer's face and she was left shocked and horrified. Emma knows the killer. She knows his name. She whispered the killer's name as she realized his identity.

Ricker!!!

Ricker looked at Emma with anger and thirst. Thirst for blood!!! Thirst for revenge!!! Ricker growled at Emma as he tried to attack her and, in shock, Emma's cell phone slipped from her hand and her cell phone was switched off. Letting the room once again drift into the darkness. Nothing could be seen and can only be heard. The screams can be heard. Emma's screams!!!!