THE COLD CASTLE

"No dad, you can't keep treating us this way," Roxanne said as she ran down the stairs after her father with tears in her eyes, behind her was her twin sister Roxalle also in tears.

"Dad, please stop acting this way," Roxanne said again as she blocked her father's path to stop him. "Dad please…" Roxanne clasped her hand up to her front as she begged the man who was staring at her with a stern expression.

He was 2'1 taller than her, he had a thin moustache, thin lips, well-built body, only his presence could make you shiver and get you looking down, but Roxanne was not afraid of him.

Behind Roxalle shook her head to signal her twin sister not to do it, but Roxanne was determined to beg him this time, hoping he would give ears to their words.

"Go back to your room Roxanne!" Mr Alex ordered her and his voice echoed in the whole mansion making Roxalle jerk back out of fear.

"Why won't you just let us chase our dreams, why won't you let us handle our life ourselves?" Roxanne said the words despite Roxalle's signal from behind.

"Dad I don't want to do business, I am not interested in your company either, you are also ruining my life by doing this!" Roxanne shouted as more tears rolled down her cheek.

Roxalle, who was behind her father, rushed over and stood between Roxanne and Mr Alex. "Dad, forgive her, she has no idea what she is saying," Roxalle begged in her sister’s stead, but Mr Alex slapped Roxalle across the face and Roxalle held her cheek in pain.

"You are the reason for all this, get lost from my sight!" Mr Alex raised his voice with his eyes burning in fury.

Tears streamed down Roxalle eyes and her lips quiver as she looked down to her feet.

"How is it her fault!" Roxanne barked. "Roxalle has done everything to please you, she has worshipped at her feet and done all she has to to make you see her as someone but…"

"But she isn't worth it Roxanne!" Mr Alex cuts her off. "You are the one who deserves that, Roxanne, you are going to inherit my company as your own."

"I won't!" Roxanne said with gritted teeth as she glared at her father, this has always occurred. "Roxalle is intelligent, she loves your company and she alone can handle it and succeed after you, I have my dreams, I have always adhered to all you say, all your directions but doing so I am also killing myself on the inside, I am not happy anymore dad, Roxalle is not happy either."

"I don't care about your happiness, you will do as I say and take over the business…"

"I will leave." Roxanne cuts her father off, shocking Roxalle and Mr Alex.

"What are you saying, Roxanne?" Roxalle looked at Roxanne with large pupils. "Dad, forgive her, she knows nothing about what she is saying." Roxalle shook her head.

"I will leave and I will go chase my dreams and I will prove you wrong and make you believe we can oy be happy if we chase our dreams and not live in others dreams," Roxanne told him amidst tears.

"Roxanne stops saying this, you aren't going anywhere…" Roxalle tried to persuade her, but Roxanne was not only stubborn, but she was also determined, the only reason she had not said all this was because she thought her father would change, but this way would only destroy them all.

"Come with me Roxalle." Roxanne searched her sister’s eyes but Roxalle looked over to her father.

"Dad, I am sorry, it is my fault, but don't listen to Roxanne, she is only angry and I will take her back to the room," Roxalle begged Mr Alex.

"Leave then!" Mr Alex said the words that made Roxalle's heart skip a beat. "If you want to leave, then go!" Mr Alex said and walked away.

"Dad…" Roxalle turned to her sister. "Go and apologize to him right away Roxanne." Roxalle held her sister’s to pull her in the direction their father went, but Roxanne pulled her hand away.

"Roxanne, just do as he said, you are already in your final year, just stop all this." Roxalle held Roxanne’s hand to beg her.

"This is wrong Roxalle, you and I know, no one has been happy in this family after mom's death." Tears streamed down Roxanne’s eyes. "Leaving is the only thing I can do to prove dad wrong."

Roxanne rushed upstairs to her room to pack her bags as Roxanne went after her.

"Listen to me Roxanne, don't leave this way, it isn't right." Roxalle held her sister’s hand to stop her from packing her things.

"Being bullied by him is not the right thing either, this mansion has become a hell hole, he won't let us have fun anymore, he took down everything that made us happy, this place is so suffocating and it is no longer that paradise we love, it is more like a dark castle and you know it!" Roxanne wipes off her tears and grabs whatever clothes she could from the wardrobe.

"Then where would you go? How about school?" Roxalle asked her as she followed Roxanne who was busy packing her bags in the large room.

"I will transfer, I will complete my final year at another campus doing what I want and I will find a place to stay, why don't you come with me." Roxanne zipped her bag and looked at her sister.

"This is a mess, Roxanne! You are only 18 years old." Roxalle sat on the bed almost tired of all the shit hole they had gone through. "I can't leave dad," Roxalle said softly.

"Why can't you? He will only keep bending you to his will." Roxanne squats close to her sister. "Staying here would be bad for you…"

Roxalle held her sister’s hands. "You should go chase your dream, I will be here waiting for you to prove dad wrong, even if he has turned this cold, one of us has to be here with him, mom would want that."

Roxalle embraced Roxanne and they sob for a while before hearing the room door swing open, the refrain and looking towards the door to see Mr Alex standing there with an expressionless face.

Roxanne got up and grab her luggage, she picked up her bag and hung it over her shoulder and was ready to leave.

"Hand over your car keys, credit card and cellphone!" Mr Alex said in a deep voice.

"Dad, what are you doing? If you take all that away from her, it all means you are asking her to go die."Roxalle said immediately and the tears that have gotten dried for a few minutes seem to roll down her cheek again.

"She wants to leave, then she should go without anything, let me see how she survives without anything!" Mr Alex coldly said and Roxalle looked at Roxanne with teary eyes.

"Roxanne…"

Roxanne put down the car keys, credit card and her cellphone on the table, she glanced up at her sister once more and then grabbed her bag as she left the room.

"Roxanne…" Roxalle rushes down the stairs with her. "Don't go."

Roxanne looked upstairs to see her father in his majestic but cold self upstairs staring down at her with no emotions.

"Goodbye Roxalle, I will be back to save you from this cold castle," Roxanne told Roxalle and walked out of the mansion, slamming the door behind me.