“Hello my children. I’ve been waiting for you.” the man chuckled. “What a pleasant surprise.”
Violet and Bob were siblings and had been told that their father had been ‘kidnapped’ and brought to a distant palace. The story was partly true, but their father had tricked them. It turned out he ran away himself, for unknown reasons, and hid his identity, pretending to be the kidnapper and while being their father at the same time, before revealing it to Violet and Bob. Rescuing their father was not the most important job now.
As she stood in the grand hall with tall pillars that ended in arches at the roof and sconces with purple flames, Violet had a million questions racing through her mind, and she couldn’t figure out which ones to ask first. So she started with the most important one.
“Why did you do this?”
“Why? Oh, you’ll be finding out very soon. But first, I must put you through a test.”
“What test?”
“To see if you are worthy, if I can trust you with this information.”
“You’re the one who abandoned us, hid in a billion dollar palace, and faced us with a few less-than-friendly soldiers who just happen to be covered in weapons. Of all people, you must be able to discern trustworthy like no one else.” Bob pointed out. Violet glared at him. “Not a time for sarcasm!” she muttered under her breath.
Their Dad sighed. “What you’re saying isn’t wrong, but that still doesn’t make me trust you. Like I said, you must pass the test.”
“Fine. Let’s say we do agree to the test. Tell us what it is.”
“Not until you agree.”
Bob glanced at Violet, who nodded, before he turned back to his dad, “We do. What’s the catch?”
“Nothing.” he smiled.
Bob and Violet blinked. This was getting weird.
“There’s no turning back. Even if you try, the palace’s security will trap you in, not to mention my bodyguards.”
“Yes, yes, whatever you say,” Bob said, rolling his eyes.
“Good. Then follow me.”
Five of his bodyguards surrounded Bob and Violet, their hands gripping the hilt of their swords, ready to strike at any sudden movement. The siblings followed their dad to his throne. He pressed a hidden button on the armrest and the gilded throne rose in all its glory, flipping 180 degrees and revealing a staircase that led down, down, down, into the darkness below.
“Yep, leave it to my father to make his throne a secret entrance.”
“Quiet.”
Bob started making noises just to annoy his father. Clearly, he was angry at him.
“Bob . . .” Violet warned.
He didn’t listen.
“You could’ve just used a door instead, you know.”
“SHUT HIM UP!” their dad roared, his hands shaking.
A gag was shoved in Bob’s mouth.
“NO!” Violet screamed, “Take it out or we’re not doing this.”
“I already said you can’t turn back.” their dad snapped, which shut Violet up.
They’d gone down for a couple of minutes by then, and when the sibling’s father pulled a lever in the darkness, and lights flickered on. It began from far away, a pinprick of light. But it grew brighter and brighter as more lights turned on, until an entire underground room was revealed. There were doors leading to other rooms, but the only thing that could be seen in the room they were in was a tall silver cylinder, a carpet, and two potted plants.
Their father grinned deviously as he walked up to the cylinder. Violet and Bob braced for the worst. Which definitely wasn’t enough for what happened next.
He clapped his hands twice and the front of the cylinder slid back, revealing a layer of glass underneath. And in that glass, sedated. . . .
Was their mom.
Violet and Bob were siblings and had been told that their father had been ‘kidnapped’ and brought to a distant palace. The story was partly true, but their father had tricked them. It turned out he ran away himself, for unknown reasons, and hid his identity, pretending to be the kidnapper and while being their father at the same time, before revealing it to Violet and Bob. Rescuing their father was not the most important job now.
As she stood in the grand hall with tall pillars that ended in arches at the roof and sconces with purple flames, Violet had a million questions racing through her mind, and she couldn’t figure out which ones to ask first. So she started with the most important one.
“Why did you do this?”
“Why? Oh, you’ll be finding out very soon. But first, I must put you through a test.”
“What test?”
“To see if you are worthy, if I can trust you with this information.”
“You’re the one who abandoned us, hid in a billion dollar palace, and faced us with a few less-than-friendly soldiers who just happen to be covered in weapons. Of all people, you must be able to discern trustworthy like no one else.” Bob pointed out. Violet glared at him. “Not a time for sarcasm!” she muttered under her breath.
Their Dad sighed. “What you’re saying isn’t wrong, but that still doesn’t make me trust you. Like I said, you must pass the test.”
“Fine. Let’s say we do agree to the test. Tell us what it is.”
“Not until you agree.”
Bob glanced at Violet, who nodded, before he turned back to his dad, “We do. What’s the catch?”
“Nothing.” he smiled.
Bob and Violet blinked. This was getting weird.
“There’s no turning back. Even if you try, the palace’s security will trap you in, not to mention my bodyguards.”
“Yes, yes, whatever you say,” Bob said, rolling his eyes.
“Good. Then follow me.”
Five of his bodyguards surrounded Bob and Violet, their hands gripping the hilt of their swords, ready to strike at any sudden movement. The siblings followed their dad to his throne. He pressed a hidden button on the armrest and the gilded throne rose in all its glory, flipping 180 degrees and revealing a staircase that led down, down, down, into the darkness below.
“Yep, leave it to my father to make his throne a secret entrance.”
“Quiet.”
Bob started making noises just to annoy his father. Clearly, he was angry at him.
“Bob . . .” Violet warned.
He didn’t listen.
“You could’ve just used a door instead, you know.”
“SHUT HIM UP!” their dad roared, his hands shaking.
A gag was shoved in Bob’s mouth.
“NO!” Violet screamed, “Take it out or we’re not doing this.”
“I already said you can’t turn back.” their dad snapped, which shut Violet up.
They’d gone down for a couple of minutes by then, and when the sibling’s father pulled a lever in the darkness, and lights flickered on. It began from far away, a pinprick of light. But it grew brighter and brighter as more lights turned on, until an entire underground room was revealed. There were doors leading to other rooms, but the only thing that could be seen in the room they were in was a tall silver cylinder, a carpet, and two potted plants.
Their father grinned deviously as he walked up to the cylinder. Violet and Bob braced for the worst. Which definitely wasn’t enough for what happened next.
He clapped his hands twice and the front of the cylinder slid back, revealing a layer of glass underneath. And in that glass, sedated. . . .
Was their mom.
