The drive

Morning came slowly, grey light creeping through the thin curtains and spilling across the worn floor of Sofia’s bedroom. She hadn’t slept much. Every time she closed her eyes she heard her stepfather’s voice again, the strange excitement in it.

You’re going to make me very rich.

The words had stayed with her through the night.

Sofia sat up in bed and rubbed her hands over her face, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling pressing against her chest. The apartment was quiet now. Her stepfather must still be asleep, passed out somewhere after finishing the bottle.

For a moment she considered leaving.

The thought had crossed her mind many times over the years. Running away, disappearing somewhere he would never find her. But every time she thought about it, reality settled in quickly. She had no money, no family who would take her in, and nowhere to go in a city as large and unforgiving as Moscow.

Running sounded easy until you had nowhere to run to.

Still, something about last night felt different.

Dangerous in a way she couldn’t fully explain.

Sofia pushed the blanket aside and stood, crossing the small room to the window. Outside, the early morning streets were dusted with snow, the city waking slowly beneath the pale sky. People hurried along the sidewalks in heavy coats, taxis moved through traffic, and somewhere far away a siren wailed briefly before fading.

Normal life.

A life that had always felt just out of reach for her.

She pressed her forehead lightly against the cool glass.

Maybe she could leave.

But the thought died almost as quickly as it came.

Her stepfather always found a way to drag her back into whatever mess he had created. If she ran, he would simply use her absence as another excuse to make things worse.

Sofia stepped away from the window and quietly moved toward the door.

The hallway smelled like alcohol and stale smoke. Empty bottles still sat scattered across the kitchen counter, evidence of last night’s drinking. Her stepfather wasn’t in the living room where she expected him to be.

For a moment she thought he might still be asleep.

Then the front door opened.

Sofia froze.

Her stepfather stepped inside, brushing snow from his coat as he shut the door behind him. Unlike the night before, he looked strangely alert, his movements steady, his eyes clear.

He wasn’t drunk.

“You’re up,” he said when he noticed her standing in the hallway.

Sofia crossed her arms slightly. “Where were you?”

“Taking care of things.”

The answer came too quickly.

He walked past her into the kitchen and grabbed a glass, pouring himself a small amount of vodka even though it wasn’t even midmorning yet. Sofia watched him carefully, the unease in her chest growing heavier.

“You said we were going somewhere tonight,” she said.

“Yes.”

“Where?”

He smiled without looking at her.

He turned then, leaning casually against the counter as he studied her. The look in his eyes made her skin crawl.

“You ask too many questions.”

“And you don’t answer any of them.”

His smile widened slightly.

“You’ll understand everything later.”

Sofia shook her head slowly. “I’m not going anywhere with you if you don’t tell me what’s happening.”

For a moment his expression hardened, the brief flash of anger reminding her of the man he had been the night before. Then it disappeared just as quickly.

“Relax,” he said, waving his hand dismissively. “You’ll be fine.”

The words did nothing to calm her.

“Fine doing what?”

He took another drink before answering.

“Meeting some powerful people.”

“What people?

Something about the way he said it made it clear he wasn’t joking. These weren’t friends or business partners. Whoever he planned to introduce her to held enough power to make even her stepfather act careful.

Sofia leaned against the hallway wall, watching him.

“You sold something, didn’t you?” she said quietly.

His eyes flickered toward her.

“What makes you say that?”

“You said you solved your debt problem.”

“And I did.”

“How?”

He didn’t answer right away.

Instead he finished the vodka in his glass and set it down slowly.

“You really don’t need to worry about the details,” he said after a moment. “All you need to do is come with me tonight and behave yourself.”

The cold feeling returned to Sofia’s chest.

“And if I don’t?”

His gaze sharpened slightly.

“You will.”

The confidence in his voice made her uneasy.

She looked away first, staring at the cracked tile floor while her mind raced through possibilities she didn’t want to consider. Her stepfather had done terrible things before, but this felt bigger somehow. More permanent.

“What time are we leaving?” she asked finally.

“Evening.”

He grabbed his coat again, clearly preparing to leave.

“Where are you going now?”

“Out.”

“You just got back.”

He shrugged.

“Things to prepare.”

The door opened again and cold air swept briefly into the apartment before he stepped outside. A moment later the door closed behind him, leaving the apartment silent once more.

Sofia stood there for a long time without moving.

The uneasiness inside her chest had grown into something heavier now, a quiet dread she couldn’t shake.

Meeting powerful people.

Solving his debt.

You’re going to make me very rich.

She turned slowly and walked back to her bedroom, her mind replaying his words again and again. The feeling that something terrible was waiting for her tonight refused to fade.

And deep down, Sofia knew one thing with painful certainty.

Whatever her stepfather had planned…

she wasn’t going to like it.