Sophie:The broken Mistress

Sophie raised a perfectly carved brow. She took the letter from his outstretched hand, wondering what it was about that Rhys could not just handle it alone. Usually, Rhys did stuff like this. He prepared all the documents she needed and made sure their accounts and tax books were up-to-date; basically, everything was his unit. She looked at the letter, noting the agency’s logo and their name spelled out in fine, meticulous prints behind the envelope. Her eyes went back to Rhys, who, as if understanding her unspoken question, quickly shrugged his shoulders. Sophie tore the letter open and ran her eyes through its content, then looked up to Rhys and then to the shop across theirs, whose shutters were sealed shut. “What does it say?” Rhys asked impatiently. She handed the letter to him and placed her notepad on the table. “Apparently, the laundromat and the restaurant have been bought, as has the land around them, and the new owner will start renovations as early as next week.” She

For the five years that Rhys had worked with Sophie just across from the jewelry and pawn store, they had always been careful to avoid Neal and his business, so he had not been in here many times.“So, what brings you in here? Mm?” Neal asked. “Uhhhh… Man, so you know? Did you hear about the sale?”He glanced up briefly, then went back to his work. “Do you mean the shops beside yours?” “Yeah, yeah. That. We got the notice yesterday.”He stared at Rhys now. With his eyes wide open,. “What?” Rhys asked. “Its just I’ve known for a while now. I was just surprised you guys were hearing it for the first time yesterday.” He returned his focus to the work in his hands. “Just in case you didn’t notice, man, your bakery has some kind of weird energy. It was crushing the other two businesses, and you guys were just there, thriving in between.”Rhys furrowed his brows. “What do you mean? If anything, they crushed us. I mean, we’re literally sandwiched between the two. Most times, people com

Rhys was saying goodbye to the Uber driver when he noticed the woman rushing towards them. She drew Sophie in for a hug, and she laughed loudly. “It’s so good to see you, Sophie.” She squealed. Her eyes skimmed over Sophie’s figure, and she brought her hand to her lips as though she would cry. Sophie just stood there, with no expression on her face. “You’ve changed a lot.” The woman commented. “You look just like her if she were here now.” She sniffled, and her eyes immediately caught Rhys. Her mouth opened wide, and her eyes darted from Rhys to Sophie and back. “Oh my!” She exclaimed, pinching Sophie. “You never told me you were getting married!”“Oh… uhhhh. No ma’am. Sophie and I are not married. I am, uh, a friend of Sophie’s, Rhys.” He sputtered, stretching forth his hand. The woman shook it eagerly. “A friend indeed. Nice meeting you, Rhys. Come on, Sophie, Adrian has been waiting for your arrival.”Rhys felt Sophie stiffen beside him, but the woman had not noticed this. S

Her uncle lay on a small bed in the bare room. It looked as though the light too had chosen to distance itself from him, casting its shadows all around the room, but only in the part where her uncle lay. His once-strong frame was now frail and weakened by illness. Sophie’s breath caught in her throat as she caught sight of him. There was nothing left of the man she once knew. She could barely recognise the skeleton of the man that lay before her as that of her uncle. She still remembered him. His huge weight, which shook the building when he walked, had been blessed with height and muscles, a chest, and thick legs, but now all she saw were scattered bones laid out carefully on the bed and fading skin. Wisps of his hair flew about on his head, and his eyes could barely open as they entered. His mouth moved, and he groaned unintelligible words. Anger, resentment, and sorrow battled for dominance within her, each emotion clawing at her insides with a ferocity she couldn’t contain.

Her feet paced the room of their own accord, and her hands clasped each other tight. Sighing deeply, she threw herself on the small bed. The women were gone, and now the house was still there. She heard nothing but the sound of her heartbeat as it thudded in her chest. Her eyes strayed to her open window, and again she felt the pull to the forest. Without hesitation, she crossed the space from her bed to the window and peered into the darkness that had blanketed the world. The cool night air rushed in to greet her like an old friend. It blew through her hair, and she smiled as its soft, whooshing sound passed by her ear. With a determined glint in her eye, Sophie climbed onto the windowsill, her muscles tense with anticipation. Her legs and arms worked as though they had a mind of their own. With a swift leap, she launched herself into the darkness, the ground rushing up to meet her with a soft thud. Ignoring the slight pain, she darted into the welcoming embrace of the forest, th