A Shadowed Man

12 years before that…

A shadowed man. A dark heart. An obsession. Control! Choking, control!

“Do it, now!” Don Moorfield growled.

A mottled black and grey beard.

Katherine eyed the dog. Gulped. Narrowed eye conviction! Then wrapped her fingers around its neck. Control! Choking control! Now!

Whimpering and weak. A life taken. But now Katherine was rewarded by father’s hand.

Alice, 2 years younger, fragile and weak. Barely Moorfield.

“Now… you…” Don said.

A red glint in the air. He brought out a white dove in a cage. Opened the cage. Blood shot eyes.

“Do it, now!”

“No! No! Please!” Alice whimpered. Eyes teary, afraid.

She fell to her knees. Shaking.

Katherine looked at her as if she was an idiot.

Don looked at the window.

“Weakness… I cannot allow it…”

Picked up his cane. Glancing at foolish Alice.

“One way or another you must learn.”

***

Later… Years later… When the shadow fell…

Midnight. Two sisters walking the empty street.

He couldn’t hurt them. Not anymore.

Katherine never showed it, even though she passed every one of his tests, he cursed her mind with numbness.

“It’s over… But I keep looking over my shoulder,” Alice finally said.

“It is not over… Now, we must do this work…” Katherine said

“I can’t… I won’t… I’m not made for the mafia. I just want a normal life,” Alice said.

“We aren’t normal…” Katherine said.

“Why not?” Alice pleaded. Her honest eyes.

“Why can’t we choose?”

Katherine didn’t have an answer that wouldn’t hurt her sister. Why did she have to hurt so much? Weak from the very start.

“I’m heading to a friend's place…” Alice said, walking away. She needed to get away. To smoke away her fears.