always says … behave, and you will be rewarded.
It’s our family’s mantra. A good one, but a harsh rule to live by if you ask me.
I swallow hard as I take a step down into the cellar, where the shrieks are still audible to this very day. I’ve always wondered what was hiding in there. An animal? Or a monster? My imagination always ran away with me.
My father taught me there is no shame in the work he does. He’s proud of his accomplishments, so I’ve always assumed the noise was just part of the job … along with the pain to your heart the second you hear those screams.
But I’ve grown used to it. Or rather, I was forced. As someone who was homeschooled, I didn’t know any better, and I wasn’t allowed to know the truth either. Not until today.
And because that day has finally arrived, the tension is almost too much to take.
I walk down the stairs and go through the dark hallways lit by only a couple of lights. It’s scary and damp and reminds me of a dungeon. There are several wooden doors, but only one of them seems to be in use right now, and my father is standing right in front of it.
I suck my lips inward and stop in front of him.
“Finally … it’s time,” he says, his deep voice always striking fear into my heart, even to this day. Not the fear of danger but the fear of sheer power.
Because my father is one powerful man. I’ve known that since I was a little boy. Men from all over the world would visit this giant mansion just to get some private time with my father. Not just any men, but rich ones. Ones who ruled the world.
And no one knew, of course. No one but us.
When I looked in the papers or online, no one would ever mention a word about these men all meeting here in secret. But I knew. And I relished in their power, wondering what it would take to get to where they were.
But what struck me most of all was how they all revered my father.
What was it about my father that had all these powerful men entranced to the point of them signing over whatever he asked for to take a glimpse at what he does?
It only intrigued me more.
And now that I am finally here with him as he towers over me, I can’t help but feel grateful for the opportunity I’ve been given. But what will I find behind those doors?
“Are you ready?” he asks me.
I nod, but my back is sweaty, and my knees feel like they’re about to buckle on me.
His hand rests on my shoulder, steady, squeezing tight as though to tell me to stay calm and be vigilant all at the same time.
“It’s going to be hard. Unimaginably hard. But no matter what you see, feel, or hear, you must stay, and you must persist. It is the only way to learn what our family does. What we are. Do you understand?”
I nod again, but I can barely contain my own mix of excitement and fear as adrenaline pumps through my veins and makes my toes and fingers jittery.
“All right,” he says, and he turns around to face the door. He casually fishes a key from his pocket and stuffs it into the lock, turning it sideways. One final glance over his shoulder and I’m unable to look away.
“Go inside,” he says.
He steps aside, allowing me to get closer. I swallow and press my hand against the door. It creaks as it opens, and a bright light blinds me at first, so I cover my eyes.
“Don’t look away,” my father growls as he steps behind me, keeping the door open but also blocking the exit with his body.
He turns the knob on a button, and the light dims.
On the other end of the room is a man, strapped to a standing bed, facing the light.
I suck in a breath as my father says, “Go on.”
I move inside with determination even though the dread sinking into my shoes makes them feel weighed down. The man on the bed groans, and I pause for a second, but my father’s encouraging gaze compels me to push on.
But when I finally get to meet this man bound by leather straps, my heart almost stops beating.
His face is covered in scars, his mouth sealed tight with tape, his eyelids forced to stay open as