07/08/2020, 17:57
Fandom: -
Summary: for some prompt or other
Words: 1176
“Couldn’t you at least spare a desk,” I said. “I have work to do while I’m with you, you know. You know that there is some important business I need to sort out.”
Oskar laughed, finally walking into view. He was a hulking man with piercing blue eyes and an abundance of tattoos, meeting every stereotype I had ever had about gangsters. “We’re not going to lock you up here, dorogoy. It’s only to sleep. And to keep stuff.” He gestured at the suitcase I was holding in my hands.
“Well, a closet then. You must remember that I am a lady.”
“I remember,” Oskar said. “Or at least, I remember who you were married to.”
His use of the past tense hurt in all the wrong places. Oskar was right, of course. Before I had married Petr, I had been a nobody. Now he was dead, I was in all too much danger of being a nobody again. “Tell me what it is you want from me.”
“All your husband’s assets were left to you, and I don’t need to tell you that there were many assets. Some of us feel that it’s… how should I phrase it… unfair that all of it should go to you. After all, we were the ones to do all the hard work.”
I met his eyes. “Who exactly is ‘we’?”
Oskar shrugged.
It’s not as if I hadn’t expected this. The day of my husband’s unfortunate demise, I had known the inheritance would go to me, and I had known that there would be other vultures out there, searching for just the smallest bit of Petr Popov. I had even anticipated that they would go after me, personally. I just hadn’t expected that I would be accommodating them in that endeavor by stepping on a plane myself, because neither had I expected that my husband kept half his papers in Bryansk. I had thought he loved me more than that.
“Just think about it, for a little while,” Oskar said, and he smiled. “Rest. You’ve had a long journey. We’ll see each other tonight. There are some papers we would like you to sign.”
“Naturally.”
“I’ll come and get you when it’s time.”
I kept staring at the door even after Oskar had left, sitting down on the bed. It was as uncomfortable as it looked, and I knew I wasn’t going to get a moment of rest in this room. I wondered if they were really going to make me sign something tonight, or if they were just going to kill me. I wondered what would be easier for them, from a legal standpoint. I supposed that murder was always the easiest.
Even though there was no place to keep my clothes or any other valuables, I decided it was best to unpack – if only to kill the time. I refolded my clothes and placed them on the bed, neatly, and placed my other belongings next to it: lipstick, two necklaces, a couple of magazines, a lighter, two packs of cigarettes, my father’s copy of War and Peace and a small package I brought for Oskar and his friends. I stashed the necklaces and the package in my small handbag and looked at the objects spread out in front of me. I felt like a refugee. Perhaps that was what I was. After all, there was no way I would be able to return to my home in Vienna after this was done. They knew Vienna, and would be able to find me there. I doubted if I would even be able to return to this room to gather my things; no, I would most likely have to leave immediately. Switzerland was my best bet. Everyone went to Switzerland these days, so there must be something pretty about it. It was where my husband had always wanted to go for his retirement. It bothered me that despite everything, I missed him still.
I must have dozed off at some point. Before I knew it, I heard a knock on the door. Oskar and his toothy smile. Only now I noticed that one of his teeth was silver.
He led me to a small room, just as windowless as my own. Karl was already waiting there for us, smiling at me as we entered. I knew I wouldn’t be alone in this.
Oskar sat down at the table, gesturing for me to sit down as well. Karl remained where he was, positioned against the wall, looking for relaxed than either of us.
“We want you to sign these,” Oskar said, pushing a stack of papers in my direction.
I forced a smile. “And why would I do that?”
“Come now,” he said. “You haven’t even looked at them yet. I think this deal is favourable for all of us.”
“What do I get out of it?” I looked at Karl from the corner of my eyes, and he gave a slight nod.
Oskar pulled a gun, and placed it on the table at his leisure. “You get to live.”
I took the papers in my hand, deliberating. Then, with one movement, I tore them in half. “He was my husband, dear Oskar. I was in the will. It is my money.”
“I was afraid you would say something like that.” Oskar took the gun in his hands and pointed it straight at my head. “It’s a shame, really.”
I was afraid before. But I wasn’t alone now. Karl appeared behind Oskar, placing the barrel of his gun against Oskar’s neck. “Es ist. She dies, you die.”
“You son of a bitch,” Oskar cursed under his breath. He grinded his teeth. “I’ll gladly die,” he then said. “They’ll kill me anyway if I let her walk away.”
Now it was my turn to smile. “I was afraid you’d say something like that.” I pulled my own gun from my handbag, and pointed it at Oskar. “I think this is what my husband would have called ‘checkmate’.”
“Rot in hell,” Oskar said, his eyes not leaving mine for a second. They shone, but I knew I would forget them soon enough.
“Funny you should say that.” I placed the gun against his forehead, and gestured for Karl to move aside. “That is exactly what my husband said, right before I shot him.”
“You–”
Bang.
I closed the door behind me.
Summary: for some prompt or other
Words: 1176
Bang Bang
The door closed behind me with a bang. I struggled against the instinct to close my eyes. It wouldn’t do to show any sign that I felt intimidated, so I stared straight ahead, pretending I was alone in my house. In Vienna. God, how I missed Vienna. Vienna was white, and clean, but never stretched to coldness. I had always felt at home in Vienna. Here, the walls were a cool grey and looked as if they’d seen better days. The bed was made and, as far as I could see, clean, but it was the only piece of furniture in the room. There were no windows.“Couldn’t you at least spare a desk,” I said. “I have work to do while I’m with you, you know. You know that there is some important business I need to sort out.”
Oskar laughed, finally walking into view. He was a hulking man with piercing blue eyes and an abundance of tattoos, meeting every stereotype I had ever had about gangsters. “We’re not going to lock you up here, dorogoy. It’s only to sleep. And to keep stuff.” He gestured at the suitcase I was holding in my hands.
“Well, a closet then. You must remember that I am a lady.”
“I remember,” Oskar said. “Or at least, I remember who you were married to.”
His use of the past tense hurt in all the wrong places. Oskar was right, of course. Before I had married Petr, I had been a nobody. Now he was dead, I was in all too much danger of being a nobody again. “Tell me what it is you want from me.”
“All your husband’s assets were left to you, and I don’t need to tell you that there were many assets. Some of us feel that it’s… how should I phrase it… unfair that all of it should go to you. After all, we were the ones to do all the hard work.”
I met his eyes. “Who exactly is ‘we’?”
Oskar shrugged.
It’s not as if I hadn’t expected this. The day of my husband’s unfortunate demise, I had known the inheritance would go to me, and I had known that there would be other vultures out there, searching for just the smallest bit of Petr Popov. I had even anticipated that they would go after me, personally. I just hadn’t expected that I would be accommodating them in that endeavor by stepping on a plane myself, because neither had I expected that my husband kept half his papers in Bryansk. I had thought he loved me more than that.
“Just think about it, for a little while,” Oskar said, and he smiled. “Rest. You’ve had a long journey. We’ll see each other tonight. There are some papers we would like you to sign.”
“Naturally.”
“I’ll come and get you when it’s time.”
I kept staring at the door even after Oskar had left, sitting down on the bed. It was as uncomfortable as it looked, and I knew I wasn’t going to get a moment of rest in this room. I wondered if they were really going to make me sign something tonight, or if they were just going to kill me. I wondered what would be easier for them, from a legal standpoint. I supposed that murder was always the easiest.
Even though there was no place to keep my clothes or any other valuables, I decided it was best to unpack – if only to kill the time. I refolded my clothes and placed them on the bed, neatly, and placed my other belongings next to it: lipstick, two necklaces, a couple of magazines, a lighter, two packs of cigarettes, my father’s copy of War and Peace and a small package I brought for Oskar and his friends. I stashed the necklaces and the package in my small handbag and looked at the objects spread out in front of me. I felt like a refugee. Perhaps that was what I was. After all, there was no way I would be able to return to my home in Vienna after this was done. They knew Vienna, and would be able to find me there. I doubted if I would even be able to return to this room to gather my things; no, I would most likely have to leave immediately. Switzerland was my best bet. Everyone went to Switzerland these days, so there must be something pretty about it. It was where my husband had always wanted to go for his retirement. It bothered me that despite everything, I missed him still.
I must have dozed off at some point. Before I knew it, I heard a knock on the door. Oskar and his toothy smile. Only now I noticed that one of his teeth was silver.
He led me to a small room, just as windowless as my own. Karl was already waiting there for us, smiling at me as we entered. I knew I wouldn’t be alone in this.
Oskar sat down at the table, gesturing for me to sit down as well. Karl remained where he was, positioned against the wall, looking for relaxed than either of us.
“We want you to sign these,” Oskar said, pushing a stack of papers in my direction.
I forced a smile. “And why would I do that?”
“Come now,” he said. “You haven’t even looked at them yet. I think this deal is favourable for all of us.”
“What do I get out of it?” I looked at Karl from the corner of my eyes, and he gave a slight nod.
Oskar pulled a gun, and placed it on the table at his leisure. “You get to live.”
I took the papers in my hand, deliberating. Then, with one movement, I tore them in half. “He was my husband, dear Oskar. I was in the will. It is my money.”
“I was afraid you would say something like that.” Oskar took the gun in his hands and pointed it straight at my head. “It’s a shame, really.”
I was afraid before. But I wasn’t alone now. Karl appeared behind Oskar, placing the barrel of his gun against Oskar’s neck. “Es ist. She dies, you die.”
“You son of a bitch,” Oskar cursed under his breath. He grinded his teeth. “I’ll gladly die,” he then said. “They’ll kill me anyway if I let her walk away.”
Now it was my turn to smile. “I was afraid you’d say something like that.” I pulled my own gun from my handbag, and pointed it at Oskar. “I think this is what my husband would have called ‘checkmate’.”
“Rot in hell,” Oskar said, his eyes not leaving mine for a second. They shone, but I knew I would forget them soon enough.
“Funny you should say that.” I placed the gun against his forehead, and gestured for Karl to move aside. “That is exactly what my husband said, right before I shot him.”
“You–”
Bang.
I closed the door behind me.
![[+]](https://nomaj.nl/images/emerald/collapse_collapsed.png)