Echoes of the Unseen

Running through alleys, bumping into by standers, crossing the road in panic without looking, sound of the police siren getting closer, Elizabeth's heart pounded in fear. "Will this be the day I get caught" she said in her head. Gunther, an irritable foul smelling man whose stench rivals that of a pig has kept Elizabeth his hostage for as long as she remembers, using her teleportation abilities for his selfish gain.

"Stop right there!" The police yelled chasing her into the tunnel. Elizabeth was centered by the police. "There's no place to run". Elizabeth moved slowly back and forth panicking, it was time for her to teleport again. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes thinking of where to be. The moment she opened her eyes, she fainted at the front porch.

"This is the third time in two weeks" a police said lowering his gun.

"Captain, we lost her again".

The harsh light in the room pierced Elizabeth's eyelids, forcing her awake. Slowly blinking her eyes, she looked around her and found herself in the worst place she ever wants to be, Gunther's hideout.

"You should have been more careful" a voice across the room uttered.

"Don't tell me what to do" Elizabeth said slowly getting up from the bed she was placed. A man slowly emerged from the dark corners of the room, it was Ray, Gunther's dog. He was a tall man with commanding presence that made people shrink back without thinking. His presence seemed to darken the very air around him as if he carried the storm in his wake.

He was called Gunther's dog, not because he was loyal, but because he did the kind of work no one else could do. He handled Gunther's dirtiest business, quietly, efficiently, and without a shred of remorse. His loyalty to Gunther wasn't rooted in friendship but in a shared hunger for power and dominance.

Dressed in a long black jacket that seemed to blend with the shadows, he radiated an aura of danger. People who crossed his path knew one thing for certain, "if Gunther's dog came for you, there would be no escape".

"Where's the money" Elizabeth said standing up facing Ray bold. She was the only one who got to Ray and not feel a thing.

"Ahh, that. Gunther needs to see you now"

" He had to send you down here to tell me that, nothing new" she scoffs sarcastically.

"Don't piss me off Lizzy, you're only alive because of Gunther" Ray said walking towards Elizabeth, his tall imposing figure and piercing gaze designed to intimidate. But Elizabeth didn't flinch; she had grown accustomed to his presence, and his attempts to unnerve her no longer had any effect.

"Well, all thanks to him" she boldly said and walked towards the stairs leading outside the room. Ray looked at Elizabeth behind, his gaze most likely to stab her from behind, but what could he do about Elizabeth.

"Gunther !" Elizabeth yelled, slamming his office doors wide open

"Where are your manners Lizzy" Gunther slowly swiveled in his chair to face Elizabeth, his bulk nearly spilling over the edges. A greasy, irritable smirk spread across his face, dripping with disdain and malice, as if his only goal was to provoke her.

" Where's my share?"

"It seemed you've grown wings Lizzy" Gunther said as he took the cigarettes from his mouth and stubbing it out in the ashtray.

"Where's my money Gunther, I did all the work, you can't keep doing this to me"

Gunther laughed menacingly, then looked at Elizabeth, her face starting to turn red in anger.

"You've sure grown wings Lizzy"

" This wasn't the deal, if this is how you want to keep doing things, let me go and tell me where you kept my sister"

" The deal is that I own you and I can do whatever I want to you".

Elizabeth's anger boiled over as she glared at Gunther, her voice dripping with venom words she has longed to say for a very long time. "You're a disgusting, fat liar who can't even keep his word."

Gunther's face twisted in fury, his expression darkening as he pushed himself up from the chair. The effort was slow and awkward, his heavy frame making the act a struggle. But his anger fueled him, and once on his feet, he loomed over her like a storm. "You need to be punished," he growled.

Elizabeth instinctively stepped back, her heart pounding as Gunther's bulk moved closer. His beady eyes bore into her, and his voice dropped into a sickening sneer. "Say that again." This time Gunther sounded more intimidating.

She froze, fear coursing through her veins. But then she caught sight of the lampstand behind her, her hand slowly reaching for it as she steadied herself.

"I said say that again!" Gunther roared, raising his fat meaty hand as if to strike her.

But Elizabeth was faster. In one swift motion, she gripped the lamp and swung it with all her strength. The heavy base cracked against the side of Gunther's head, the sound dull but satisfying.

He stumbled, a grunt of pain escaping his lips as his massive body wavered. Elizabeth's breathing was ragged, her grip on the lamp tightening as she prepared herself for what might come next.

" How dare you!! You little bitch" Gunther said trying to get back on his feet. As he struggled to his feet, Elizabeth didn't give him the chance to recover. Moving with swift determination, she brought the lamp down on him again, harder this time. The impact sent him crashing to the ground.

She didn't stop. Years of fear, anger, and humiliation erupted in her, fueling each strike. Over and over, she brought the lamp down on him, her movements frantic, almost automatic. Gunther's groans grew weaker with each blow, and soon the room, soundproof as always, was filled with nothing but the dull thuds of her assault.

This was the room where he had done unspeakable things, the place where screams and pleas for mercy were swallowed by the walls. Now, it was silent.

Elizabeth didn't stop until the lamp slipped from her trembling hands, her chest heaving as she stood over Gunther's lifeless body. The realization hit her like a wave. She had done it. She had ended him.

For the first time, the monster who had controlled her life was gone. But as she stared at his motionless form, a new thought crept in "what came next?"

"Mr Gunth" she heard a voice echo from upstairs, getting closer. It was Ray, and he was going to get loosed on her if he ever found out she had ended his master.

"Mr Gunth" Ray echoed again, this time, his voice got closer. Elizabeth was snapped back to reality when she heard the voice the second time. Elizabeth's chest tightened with fear as she scanned the room, searching desperately for a way out. Her eyes landed on the pile of money sitting on Gunther's desk, the money she had stolen from the bank under his orders. Without hesitation, she hurried over, scooping it up along with a stash of bills hidden beneath the desk.

She frantically searched the room for any clue about her sister's whereabouts, tearing through drawers and papers. Her hands trembled as she found a scrap of paper with an address scrawled across it. It was unfamiliar, but it was all she had.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Elizabeth closed her eyes. Her mind raced. She could only teleport to places she had been and could feel, a memory she could vividly anchor herself to. Focusing as hard as she could, she let the room fade from her mind, preparing to vanish before anyone could discover what she had done.

"Mr Gunth" Ray called out again, this time he found his way to the room where laid Gunther's lifeless body, covered in pool of blood. Ray wasn't shocked because he knew it was going to happen one day and he knew who exactly had done this. He looked at the scattered room Elizabeth had left and gave a light smirk. As a dog who always stays loyal to his master, Ray was determined to find Elizabeth but not for revenge, for his own selfish need. He needed the money Elizabeth had stolen.