Noel's body trembled.
"I thought you were dead".
"Surprise, surprise. I am death".
His body continued to shake as he watched her in silence. She stood up and walked around him in circles. His eyes followed her every movement.
"You better start speaking, I know what you did but I want to hear it. Say it, say it. What did you do? How did you kill them?".
"I didn't kill them. Stop it. What are you doing to me?". He yelled as he shut his eyes, tried to get her voice off his head, unknowingly to him, the whispers fed on fear, making themselves more comfortable.
"You did. You killed them. You took them
to the water, you drove the boat and you watched them drown. You killed them and I'll make you pay".
"No. No, I didn't kill them. I swear I didn't I couldn't do it".
"Tik, Tok, Your time is ticking, can you hear it? You're gonna pay". The whispers were getting louder, and their laughter was in different voices: a male, a female, and a young girl.
Tears ran down his face as he struggled with the chains, his blood dripped down his hands and legs as they scraped against the chains in an attempt to free himself and get the whispers out of his head.
"I didn't do it, I swear I didn't kill them. It was my mother, along with my Uncle and her uncle, who brought them from the house. My brother's and my duty was to drive them into the deepest part of the water. I didn't want to do it anymore when they arrived, but my brother kept pushing me. He and my uncle tied them and pushed your father into the water, while my mother pushed your mother into the water, and my granduncle gave the orders. I didn't want to do it, I swear, but they said it was the only way to get rich. I became greedy I'm sorry". Noel pleaded and confessed, but his plea fell on deaf ears.
Zyra didn't care if he was a little or a big part of her parents' death as long as he was involved, she would pay.
The temperature in the room was intense. She returned to her seat and sat comfortably crossing her legs. One more had been added to the list she was going to wipe out their generation for sure.
Noel's eyes flew open. The ounce of blood and sweat mixed together had filled the room, and it was giving him nausea. He shivered, chained to the bed, pleading with Zyra to spare his life as he stared into her silver-lit eyes; his body trembled more.
"Stop pushing blame, Noel. You weren't a kid, and you weren't forced into doing anything; you could have said no. Or let's say you felt any remorse at all, you could have said something to someone, but it was a lot of money, right?. You lived so happily until karma hit you".
"No". He continued to shake his head pleading to be spared.
"Shhhh". She placed her index finger on her lips shutting him up and lifting the syringe in the air.
"Shhhh. Goodnight Noel. It's your last night. Sleep tight".
Zyra stabbed the syringe into the side of his neck, emptying the contents into his body. The veins in Noel's eyes popped red, his heart beat slowed down, and he struggled to breathe. In less than 60 seconds, his heart ceased to beat completely and he stopped blinking. A single tear drop rolling from the side of his eye.
Zyra stared at his body, cold and untouched, before speaking to Rafi. Take care of his body.
She cleaned herself up and went home in Rafi's car. While she was in the car, she checked her phone for messages or calls. Victor's message was the first to pop up.
"Hey, love, sorry I couldn't call. I'm still busy at work. I might work through the night. I promise to call you tomorrow. Hope you're good ?". As Zyra read through the message, she smiled at her phone. The anger inside of her subsided. She had a lot to tell him, but she didn't want him to be worried. She just sent a short text.
"I'm good hubby. Can't wait to see you. I know you'll succeed. I'm very sure of that". As she put down her phone, she stared out the window, her mind feeling empty, while her head banged. She knew she was going to pass out for a long time again.
She got home, freshened up, and lay down to sleep.
By past 9 the following day, she finally woke up to noises downstairs. She wasn't prepared for this, but then again, she had to find out what was wrong. She missed her husband so much, he could have been here to make sure she rested throughout the night.
Zyra got out of her room and headed down the stairs, where she found Joey, Rafi, Genevieve, and her minions. Of course, they must be in the center of every drama.
"What's going on here?". She spoke with authority and power in her voice.
Joey and Rafi lowered their heads in respect to their boss after greeting her a good morning while Genevieve stood vibrating with her minions behind her.
"Joey. Since when did we start screaming like barbarians in this house?".
"I'm sorry Madam". Joey spoke remorsefully.
"What happened?". She asked the question directed at Joey.
"Why won't you have issues when you employ lousy illiterates". Genevieve quickly jumped at the question.
Zyra shut her eyes to contain the anger she felt inside of her.
"I was speaking to my house manager. Please shut up". Zyra spoke drawing every single syllable in her words.
Genevieve boiled in anger but she had to keep quiet.
"Joey, what happened?". Zyra asked her again.
"Madam. I came downstairs this morning to find that Rafi had fallen asleep on the couch. I knew it must have been important for him to be here so I gave him a blanket and a neck pillow to help him sleep properly. I had the other staff prepare breakfast and serve everyone at the table. I invited Rafi to join the table and Mrs Genevieve's daughter had a problem with it.
She insulted Rafi and his background and did same with me calling us peasants and when I tried to reason with her she poured me her hot cup of beverage tea and untop of it Mrs Genevieve slapped me for speaking up to her daughter and she had a problem that I handed Rafi a blanket and pillow asking me to throw it out in his presence because nobody was going to use the blankets and pillows of a common man in the house. All of the quarrel and shouting started when Rafi defended me. I'm sorry Madam".
Zyra looked closely at her house manager who had clearly been attacked. Genevieve's fingerprints were left on her face, and the burn marks from the beverage tea were visible on her neck and upper chest.
"Rafi, why did you spend the night here?".
"Mr Hale asked me to do that. He wanted me to let him know when you awake".
"Okay". She nodded her head and turned to the other three ladies.
She quietly poured out steaming hot water from the fancy kettle lying on the table and walked up to Hazel, who was already shaking in fear.
She asked Hazel a simple question.
"Did you turn hot tea on my house manager?".
Hazel was shaking and the image of last night replayed in her head.
"Y-y-yes".
Zyra smirked and turned around to look at Joey then back at Hazel. She poured the hot water on the exact spot Hazel had poured tea on Joey's body. Hazel screamed in pain. And Genevieve quickly rushed to her daughter so did Sophie. After Genevieve was sure Sophie was looking after her daughter, she rushed to Zyra and was about to land her a hot slap when Rafi stepped in, catching her hand in the air.
"How dare you? How dare you touch my baby?".
"I was only trying to experiment the difference between them. But look, your daughter got burnt the same way Joey got burnt, your daughter could speak and Joey could too, your daughter has two hands, two legs, and one head, and so does Joey. This is only a friendly reminder that Joey is human as much as you are, and the next time I hear or witness this act in my house, I won't be friendly about it".
"You're a lunatic and a witch that's what you are. And that's why you claimed to be going out for work in the dark hours of the night when everyone is asleep".
"When I decide to work shouldn't be a problem to you, Genevieve, after all, you were the one who asked me if I work right ?".
"The only reason I haven't beaten you blue black is because you have your boy stand in for you. Who knows what you might be doing with him behind Victor's back?".
"Disgusting thoughts like that only come from disgusting people like you who never had the luxury of a happy home. Not every woman opens their legs to everything under trousers. You've become a public latrine, Genevieve, and I hope you don't teach your daughter to become like you, after all, they say the apple does not fall far from the tree. The only reason I didn't give you physical punishment for what you did to Joey is that I still have respect for Victor's father. Joey is my house manager and not a toy you all can play around with. It better be the last time this happens".
When she was through speaking, she walked off.
"Joey, let me help you treat your wound". Rafi offered gently.
"Thanks". Joey smiled graciously and he left with her.
Zyra was so pissed, why would Genevieve and her minions make a big issue out of something as little as sharing the table with someone else? As she paced back and forth in her room, her phone rang, it was Victor. The stress on her face suddenly faded and she smiled as she took the call. They spoke at length before she ended the call and fell back on the bed, taking in a very deep breath. Who was she kidding she missed her husband like crazy.
That day was a very long day with Genevieve having an issue with every staff member in the house.
Past 3am in the morning, she woke up sweating all over her body, even though the AC was on, she breathed heavily. She turned on the bedside lamp and picked up her phone calling Victor.
"Hello". His voice sounded from the other side of the phone, but there was no response, only heavy breathing.
"Zy, are you fine?". Victor asked worriedly.
"I saw her". That was the only word she could say to him.
"You saw who Zy?".
"I saw her. She was like me".