Saturday morning found me ringing my parents' doorbell at seven in the morning. With Mathew finally out of the way and a full, quiet day, there was no reason to doubt that nothing would disturb the still waters with his parents out of commission. My parents were the only ones left, and now older than they used to be when they inflicted pain on me; causing them physical pain would only paint me as a coward. They had swept their favorite child crimes and the crimes of many others to maintain their place in society. I could not see the physical damage that my father had done when I was weak and helpless, and they would only feel the pain when they were weak and helpless.
Sunshine had gone through a lot of trouble preparing my parents' final home. It was deep in the country from the backwaters she had emerged from. The police were a foreign concept, and the laws of the wild stood firm and true in that village. They would never know comfort again, at least the level that they were used to. A lot of money had been requested for this final stage of our revenge. She needed to purchase a house deep in the rural area to prevent the possibility of them ever leaving. She arranged for someone to bring them the basics they need and someone immoral enough to keep them locked up but loyal enough not to betray us.
Everything was set except my parents, although the house in upcountry was their ultimate punishment, I first needed to break their spirit. More often than I cared to admit, my parents consistently chose money over me. When I was younger, it had stung. As a teenager, I tried to enjoy my privileged situation as most people saw it, and by my twenties, I had resigned to its presence as a slave does to his master. Fighting was futile, and if you had the required strength, you would not be a slave in the first place. Money had given them power while stripping me of my very dignity, and as such, it was only fair that I took everything they had carefully accumulated, even at my expense.
The door was finally answered at my third ring by the butler, who did not hide his shock at my presence. The maids were busy cleaning and scrubbing every surface, lifting furniture as they went. My mother was a clean freak who hated having dust specks present in the air around her. She ran a tight ship at home and was never once considerate of the people who worked for her. Despite the harsh treatment, he workers were well composed and their loyalty was ensured by their monthly checks. All these people, old and slow now, had once upon a time stood by and watched as I was beaten and broken by my family and held their tongue. They had enjoyed the fruits of my misery and their servitude, and I felt a small trickle of joy warm my heart at the chance to cause a bump in the road of their lives.
My mother floated down the marble stairs, her silk gown billowing behind her as she hurriedly came down. My father was not far behind her, and they wore anxious looks on their faces before they spotted me, and their anxiety only grew once they saw me. My father overtook my mother at the bottom of the stairs. His eyes had tripled in size since the last time we saw each other; his body seemed frail, like age had not only caught up to him but had had its way with him and not gently. I stood to my full height, which I just noticed was a few inches taller than his; he had slouched with age. I couldn't help but laugh at the irony of our current situation; they had taken advantage of my weakness as a child, and they would pay for it in their old age now that I had outgrown them.
Mother, father, please have a seat I called out, welcoming them in their own home. My father had a lot to say, judging by how many times he opened his mouth, but no words came out. He seemed rattled, so did she, like they had barely slept all night, and I for the life of me couldn't figure it out, not that I was concerned bout the source of distress. After a tense pause, my mother cleared her throat, showing more initiative in the past two encounters we had than she had the entire time I knew her.
"Did you do something to Mathew?" Her voice was taunt with something akin to fear. I swear I saw my father's hand tremble before he hid them away from me, and a smile covered my face. They, still waiting for my response, visibly recoiled as if my smile had inflicted pain on them and they had no choice but to distance themselves from me. These strangers knew nothing about me save for what they observed while still under their care. Despite this, they knew enough about me to know without a shred of doubt that I had done something to Mathew. It finally hit me why they looked exhausted and anxious; they had been the last people to see Mathew, save for me, Sunshine, and Mercy.
"He never really left my house; you guys brought him to his death. Thank you for that. He is in the sea, his ashes probably in different parts of the continent, but let's not talk about the dearly departed."
"How could you do that? That is a crime you could go to jail for that!" my father interjected, finally getting his voice back.
"Please, Daddy dearest, in what reality are we existing in that has you caring about crimes and the justice system? Was it not you who habitually broke my limbs as a child and had to bribe staff to not report you? What about Brian's crimes, or are those all part of this exclusive boy club you two had going on?"
Once again, he was back to flapping his lips without producing the accompanying sounds. Mother held her chest as if trying to physically still her heart. Her face was almost white, something she would have been grateful for under more pleasant circumstances. They acted like I had revealed myself as a monster, as if they were not the original architects of my depraved mind. Every flaw I had had been etched into me by these strangers who were meant to protect me. It was their fault that I was alive; they brought me into this world and proceeded to show me hell. It was only fair that I return the favor.
"Why get shocked at just Mathew? There is also Brian and his three pig friends, and Mathew's parents. I had a whole list, and you guys are the last ones."
My father's dark face turned at least three shades lighter in a matter of seconds. It was as if whatever life had been left in him had been drained out, the final straw cut. My mother fell back into the sofa, her eyes blank save for the glimmer brought by the tears in her eyes. I had no qualms about confessing my crimes to my next victims. Even though they had not participated in any of my activities, pinning something on them was child's play, and I let them know, not bothering to give them time to recover.
"Are you going to kill us?" My father asked his voice small and frail.
Before I could answer, the chef brought out a full spread in front of us, the sweet aroma wafting into my nose, tempting me with its goodness.
"Enjoy your meal," I gestured towards the dining room where the spread lay. "It is going to be your last one in a long time.". I let his question hang in the air, letting them draw their conclusions. They had believed each and every claim I made, no questions asked. They were truly my parent after all, apple's proximity to the tree and all that. They seemed to have aged from my presence alone; my father was almost doubled over as he made his way to the table, my mother following quietly behind him. Their fear made my work easier, I just had to supervise them until they were tucked away in the mountains with no one to call for help.
I laid out several documents in front of them. My father took one in his trembling hand and read. There was a brief pause during which he set the paper down. One look at my cold face, and he picked up the paper once more. There in his kingdom, where he ruled with a mighty fist, he signed away all his property and money to me. His loyal workers milled all around him, still ready to do their every beck and call, yet they all seemed frail now. By this time tomorrow, they will be in their homes.