IN A POORLY LIT ROOM

Sophia Collie

The torches illuminated the space dimly. The room contained simply a table and two chairs. The cottage as a whole was on the smaller side. The night was dark, and the trees surrounding the home guarded it against the dangers of the dark. There was no decor in the room where they sat, it was merely a beige box with seating. The one and only window was covered by blackout curtains, nobody could see inside.

“Do you want anything to drink?” the host asked. He stood by the table where the man sat.

“No, thank you,” the man replied. “I prefer my drinks without poison.”

“That’s fine, I didn’t have anything anyhow,” the host said, taking a seat across from the man.

“Then why offer?”

“The mortals call it ‘being polite,’” the host shrugged.

The pair sat in silence for a few moments. The man looked around at the bare room. He put his hands on the table and began to tap a rhythm with his fingers. The torchlight cast an eerie glow on the host across the table.

“This home reflects you,” the man said, provoking conversation in the deafening silence.

“I stole it from a mort al family,” the host said. “I picked it for its solitude.”

“Of course.”

“Shall we discuss our purpose?” the host asked impatiently.

“If we must.”

“Forgive me for wanting you gone as quickly as possible.”

“I suppose the feeling is mutual.”

The host rolled his eyes and then leaned forward, his face serious. “Do you think the girl can handle it?”

“She is more than capable, so long as he doesn’t catch on.”

“Do you predict he will?”

“No. My son is blissfully unaware at all times,” the man said with a joking tone, even though his expression remained passive.

“Which is precisely why she is on my side and not the boy’s.”

“And why I am ashamed to be considered his father,” the man offered grimly.

“I do have another concern.”

“Which is…?”

“Do you think…given their past, that she will be able to disengage her heart from her mission?”

“I would sure hope she would be smart enough not to make the same mistake twice,” the man laughed, the grin on his face contrasting the desolate environment. “Although,” he continued, this time more serious, “their tangled threads could potentially provide her an advantage over him.”

“Such as?”

“If she were to give him the illusion of reconciliation, it would place him in the palm of her hand.”

The host rubbed his chin in thought, mulling over the man’s idea. “And you do not think the boy would suspect anything?”

“I return to my previous statement, my son is painfully oblivious.”

“And you think the boy would reciprocate? You think he will want her again given what happened last time?”

“I may not like him, but I know my son. He would do anything for that girl. He is a spineless coward.”

Malevolence flashed in the host’s eyes. “Yes, I believe this will work beautifully.”

“If the girl can get him vulnerable enough, she will have the perfect opportunity to attack.”

“And he will no longer be an obstacle in our plan.”

“It is my deepest desire to watch the task be completed.”

“You wish to watch?”

“Of course.”

“Then it is settled.”

“What is settled?”

“The date her mission will be executed.”

“And what may that be?”

“The day of the ball.”

“Ah. So you would like that to still go on?”

“It is the ideal time. It will cause the most public outcry.”

“As you wish.”

“I do.”

“And when the girl completes the task….” the man started. However, the host already knew his question.

“I will see to it that your queen is returned.”

“Thank you.”

“It is a family obligation.”

“Even so, I am grateful.”

“And the girl must also be placed in your care.”

“Why is that?”

“Once she completes her task, she will be unwelcome on her own island.”

“Can you not hypnotize them as you have with the others?”

“I could. However, it is rather draining to my magic to use it on that many mortals.”

“I see. And how shall she be welcomed in my kingdom?”

“My followers will see her as the hero that will lead them to victory. And you shall see her as the daughter you never had.”

“I suppose she would be a step up from my current offspring.”

“You will protect her from harm, I trust.”

“Of course.”

The host and the man looked at each other for a brief moment, something silent passing between them. The torchlight danced across both of their faces, illuminating similarities between the two. A thunderstorm raged outside, no doubt a conjuring of the host across the table.

“She is our most valuable asset,” the host said. “Aside from me, of course.”

The man laughed at his joke. “And me, I should hope.”

“I do believe she has the potential to surpass even your brutality.” The host’s tone was light and a smile tugged at his lips.

“I sincerely doubt it.”

“Just you wait. Once she completes her task we will watch her confidence as an assailant skyrocket and soon, she will be unstoppable.”

“I have no doubts about your selection.”

“You do not have a choice either way.”

“No, I suppose I don’t.”

“Well then it is settled, and I no longer have business with you,” the host said.

“So quick to dismiss me.”

“I prefer to not have unnecessary parties in this home I have stolen.”

“And why is that?”

“I am so used to being alone in the depths of the sea that I find it most unsettling to have company.”

“You would think you’d enjoy it after all those years spent alone.”

“Alas, I do not.”

The host stood from his chair and approached the door of the poorly lit house. The man stood to follow but stopped in the hall.

“You must understand,” he started. “The boy could be persuaded. We could turn him to our side.”

“I thought he was an annoyance to you?”

“He is, at that. However, my queen would think otherwise.”

The host looked at him blankly. “We have no time for your romantic infatuation. The boy is an obstacle to our goal, and he must be eliminated.”

“He has the strength, though. He could fight on the frontlines.”

“Then why not simply complete the task now?”

“Because my queen will not forgive me. If she were to know I was here…”

“Then she will not know!” the host shouted, growing agitated.

The man sighed, relenting to the host’s stubbornness. “Fine, fine.”

“Will you leave now?”

“Your intolerance for socializing baffles me to this day.”

“I suppose I get it from our mother.”

“That would make sense.”

“You get your temper from our father.”

“I find that incredibly ironic.”

“How so?”

“You are the one ravaging the realm with natural disasters and killings, yet I’m the one with the temper.”

“Leave my house.”

“It’s not yours. You stole it.”

“Now, Brother.”

“As you wish.”

The man walked through the door the host held open into the dark night. It slammed behind him and he felt a subtle breeze across his back. He looked over his shoulder at the cottage his brother had stolen. As he walked away, the man heaved a heavy sigh.

“And so it begins,” he said to no one.

Author’s Note: This piece was part of an assignment for Mrs. Sica's Creative Writing I class in which we were instructed to create a piece that was mostly dialogue and did not give the readers an obvious sense of what was going on. The goal of the piece was to give readers a “tip-of-the-iceberg” understanding, leaving a lot of room for interpretation. This piece is also a snapshot of a scene from a longer work.