Satisfied Debt
9:50 pm
The editor of People Weeklypalmed the bundle of cash into Frank's hands, winking at him.
"I uh, I gotta count it first," Frank muttered.
"Go right ahead," the editor said pleasantly.
Frank flipped through the greens, counting the bills one by one, till he was satisfied with the total. Six Hundred Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents.
"Um, Yep, that looks about right, it's the amount we uh, agreed upon," Frank mumbled.
"Great. Now, you have a good night, because we certainly will," the editor smiled, closing the door.
The cheque was just enough to pay off his entire debt, not a cent more, not a cent less. It was the highest fee any magazine he'd visited over the past week, was willing to pay. Frank slotted the money into his backpack. Cradling the bag to his chest like a rugby ball, he tore down the street with only one destination in mind.
But what destination? The casino or the loan sharks? Fingers crossed for Lily, Phoebe and Ursula's life, it was the latter.
10:05 pm
Phoebe felt hot hands clamp down over her nose and mouth, suffocating her. This was it, the loan shark was making good on his threats, she was quite certain she was going to die soon. But not before putting up a good fight. And so she kicked, bit, fought, hit. Fought to live; fought to breathe. The man had her by the shoulders, rattling her like a doll. Suddenly her eyes flew open, and she saw Ursula's terrified face pressed up against hers.
"Pheebs, you've got to wake up, please!" Ursula sobbed, shaking Phoebe desperately.
Phoebe glanced around wildly, her wide eyes searching for the man who had attacked her, strangled her, prevented her from breathing. He was nowhere to be found.
"W-Where is he?" Phoebe choked out.
"Who? Pheebs, we gotta get outta here! C'mon please!" Ursula pleaded.
"T-T-The man who was trying to kill me? The loan shark? Where's he gone?" Phoebe muttered incoherently, confused with sleep.
"What man? What are you talking about?" Ursula coughed, "We gotta move, we gotta leave!"
"I can't breathe… Why can't I breathe? I thought he was choking me, I thought-"
"You were having a nightmare! Pheebs I don't know what's happening and I don't know where mum is! We need to go!" Ursula babbled desperately.
Phoebe could hardly see her sister's face; the room was filling up with haze. The haze was choking both twins like invisible hands clasped around their faces. The merciless smoke filled their lungs, stung their eyes, and cut off their air supply. Their room increasingly felt like a furnace, the stench of gasoline was stomach-turning.
Phoebe grabbed Ursula's hand, dragging the sobbing girl to window. She picked up her table lamp, throwing it into the window, smashing the window to pieces.
"Ursula, you gotta climb out! I-I think the house is on fire!" Phoebe coughed.
Ursula shook her head vigorously, staring at the large drop below, "I-I can't! It's too high! Maybe we should wait for mum to fetch us, or maybe we can hide in the cupboard like mum usually tells us to," Ursula backtracked desperately.
Phoebe shoved Ursula roughly, "We got to go! That's what yousaid! So go! Move!" she screamed
With terrified tears blurring her vision, Ursula slotted herself through the broken window, clinging onto the roof gutter for dear life. She forced herself not to look down. Phoebe followed suit. In her desperate haste to escape the oppressively hot room her nightdress snagged on the pointed glass, causing her to slip. Ursula screamed as Phoebe slid down the roof, plummeting head-first, 2 storeys towards the ground.
10:10 pm
Frank leapt of the bus, pounding the pavement, desperate to get to his destination. Stopping abruptly, he bowled over, struggling to catch his breath. Wheezing heavily, he hammered the door with his fist.
"Get out here, you son of a bitch! Get out here!" Frank screamed, "It's done, it's here! I've got the money; you don't need to hurt them anymore!"
Slowly, one by one, the lights of houses close by flickered on, as curious neighbours peered furtively out their windows onto the dark suburban street, at the strange bedraggled little man, screaming profanities at their neighbour. The front door swung open, and a sullen burly man in a wife-beater leaned languidly against the door frame.
"I've got the money," Frank announced.
"Great, let's see it."
Frank pulled out a bundle of money, holding it up in front of the loan shark. The man raised his eyebrows in surprise. Pulling the money out of Frank's hands, he began leisurely counting each note, one by one. Frank stood frozen still, biting his lips so hard, he could taste metallic.
The loan shark nodded approvingly, "$600,000 exactly. I didn't think you could pull it off.
"S-So you'll stop hurting m-my family?" Frank asked hopefully. Pocketing the money, the loan shark cocked his head to the side, watching Frank regretfully.
"It's over."
"It's… over? W-what is that supposed to mean?"
"You might want to check with the morgue, regarding your family."
"The what?" Frank choked out.
The loan shark shrugged apologetically, "Buddy, I said I needed the money at 10 o'clock sharp, or I'd end this once and for all. You're here at 10 past. For what it's worth, we'll leave you alone from now on. You've satisfied your debt… I'm sorry, really."
And with that unceremonious explanation, the loan shark shut the door in Frank's face, leaving him standing alone on an empty street, with no money, no hope, and in all likelihood, no family. Frank felt his legs give way as he collapsed onto the ground, pressing his forehead and the palms of his hands against the pavement. Neighbours shut their curtains and drew their blinds, as the sounds of hysterical weeping wafted along the empty streets.