Sophia stepped into the living room, her eyes drifting around as she took in her surroundings.
Something felt off but she couldn’t place her finger on it.
The house was too quiet.
Not that it was ever loud, but there were at least two or three of her father’s men always around.
Watching tv or just lazing around.
Now, there was no one, just an eerie silence settling over the house.
Sighing, she made her way to where she knew her father or someone could be.
Standing in front of the door, she knocked once before pushing the door and sat there at the back of his desk was her father.
She shook her head, going to sit down on the chair in front of him not minding the other person in the room with her father.
“Hi dad” she greeted, waving her hand as a tight smile eased from her lips, her father stood up from his chair pushing it backwards as he crossed his desk to her “Why are you here?” He softly said , his voice tinged with worry.
“I can’t dad” she cried, “I can’t go back there. I’m tired and I came back home, nobody wants me there. I have no friends”
Her father bent down to her level and took her hand into his “Princess” he groaned, kissing her hand before looking back at his right hand man who understood and left the room closing the door behind him.
Her father’s shoulders slumped in defeat as he looked everywhere but not her eyes “Right now the house is not safe and…and…I’m trying to make it safe for you.
You need to go back” she opened her mouth to say something but he continued “I promise I will come get you myself and we would go on that vacation you’ve been wanting us to go” he kissed her forehead and her cheeks that wobbled with emotion “go back, i promise just this once” he pleaded and she raised her head up to his gaze which he was quick to move away from hers.
“when?” Her voice broke as tears rolled down her cheeks which she cleaned with the back of her hand “when will you come get me? I don’t want to stay there anymore”
“I…I…next weekend. Next weekend. I promise” he kissed her forehead sealing the promise as more tears flowed down her cheeks.
**
The week and days passed in a blur for Sophia and it was a day before her father would pick her up.
She continuously checked her phone for any call from him but she got none.
Her heart was palpitating, she knew these feelings.
The premonition of something bad, this had happened before when her mother was killed by people her father never talked about.
“Sorry” she said softly to the guy she bumped into sidestepping him with her eyes on her phone.
There were no calls and no messages and she didn’t have a single number from her father’s men or anyone whom she could contact concerning him.
She sighed and strolled into the nearest cafe in the school compound.
College wasn’t as fun as they said, well maybe not for her with how miserable she was pinching the doughnut on her plate.
She sighed again standing up, she had made up her mind.
She was going home, she didn’t know if her father was coming or not, she was leaving this hell hole for good.
Paying for the food, she left not caring to take the doughnut and coffee she bought as she ran out going to her room in the campus which her father rented for her alone, thankfully.
She packed a few essential things and her passport before going out and hailing a cab to take her to the airport.
She knew this wasn’t going to be easy as she arrived at the airport, hot on her heels waiting to book a flight which was delightfully the second to the last seat booked in the first class section.
Moving to her room in the plane, she settled in, looking out the window exhaling so harshly she closed her eyes savoring the calm now like she knew a storm was coming.
Her phone beeped, a text lighting up her phone and she looked around, the plane hadn’t started moving yet.
She opened her messages in her phone to a message popped up at the top, opening it, it said come home sweety
She didn’t know if she should respond to the unfamiliar number but the name sweety was amongst the many her father usually called her.
Her fingers hovered over the keypad of her phone, she closed her eyes, as her fingers continued to quiver slightly.
She was scared, yes, her heart beat increased.
Her father always warned her against unfamiliar and unknown numbers.
She opened her eyes and a drop of tear rolled down her cheek.
She knew she was just overwhelmed and exaggerating too much on why her father didn’t pick her up today though he didn’t let her in on when he was going to do that.
She started typing, her fingers moving furiously in the pads then she stopped, reading everything she wrote before pressing the send button which was the same time the flight attendant came informing her to switch off her phone.
She cleaned her tear stricken face, flinging her phone inside her bag as the plane took off, taking her with it as she dozed off, only waking up when they wanted to land.
Checking in, she left the airport with her bag on her shoulder.
Her eyes wandered around, she didn’t know what she was waiting and looking for but she knew one thing.
Everything was not okay with her father.
Switching on her phone, she booked an Uber which came after some few minutes of waiting.
She got in, her face pressed against the window, using a plane on a normal day to return home was inconsequential and she knew that.
The distance from her college to her home was a few hours drive which she did enjoy due to the air she got from it.
However a plane this time was needed, she arrived in no time at the gates of her home where the Uber dropped her off.
With her bag on her shoulders, she punched in the codes for the gates and got in.
Her eyes widened at the sight before her, SUVs were gathered round about the little fountain she could vividly remember still running around it with her father on the chase.
She sprinted off, dropping her bag on the floor of the veranda.
Frantic with worry, her forehead glistened with sweat like a makeup she never wore.
Stepping into the living room, her eyes followed the trail of blood that was still flowing from where she didn’t want to know but had to as she walked alongside it, her eyes tracing it to the man behind it.
“Dad” she murmured, her voice failing as she took in the sight before her.
Blood dripped down his throat as he gagged on blood.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she fell to her knees, her hands shook as she raised it to his face “No dad. Please you can’t do this, you promised to take me to a vacation dad. Call the ambulance!!” She cried out, pulling his head to her lap.
“I don’t think there is a need for an ambulance” a rough male voice echoed behind her and she quickly turned to it.