The Dragon King

Katherine put her breakfast plate of food on the table after turning off the stove and placing the pan in the sink. As she was about to sit down, Thomas glanced at his daughter’s neck, his brow furrowing in curiosity. Something about the necklace caught his attention, prompting him to speak up just as she reached for her chair.

“It seems whoever gave you that necklace wanted you to notice it today,” Thomas continued, his tone a mix of teasing and concern. “Are you sure you don’t remember anything about it, Katherine?”

“Dad, what are you talking about?” Katherine asked, confusion evident in her voice as she glanced down at the necklace resting against her collarbone. She tried to recall anything unusual but came up empty, her fingers brushing hesitantly over the blue diamond heart.

Following instructions, she placed her plate on the table and walked towards a mirror on the wall, where she discovered a necklace. The blue diamond heart appears to be wrapped in the shape of a dragon, and it lights up when she touches it. She can’t recall purchasing something so expensive.

“Dad, I have no memory of receiving this from anyone.”

“Katherine, your dating life is fine as long as you don’t end up pregnant. You may keep any presents given to you by these individuals.”

Although her memory is fuzzy, she doesn’t want to make herself dizzy by trying to remember. So, she goes back to her food, which is probably cold by now. She really doesn’t care; she just wants to eat it. Katherine wonders whether she should tell her father about her afternoon interview, knowing he might be tempted to go to a bar or casino beforehand. She’s probably hoping to get this job so she can move out of her cramped apartment and into a home. Instead of sharing a bathroom with her father, she desires to have her own.

The rain hasn’t stopped since last night, as if someone made the goddess cry. She gazes out the window while enjoying her breakfast and sipping her coffee, which she rarely drinks unless she is exhausted and doesn’t get any sleep.

“Father, I have a job interview later.” Will you manage being alone here?

“Why are you giving me the impression that you see me as a child?”

“Father, I know you, you sneak out of this apartment somewhere, which I am going to have a hard finding you. Therefore, there is no need for leaving, which you have food, beer, and the TV to keep you entertained in the apartment.”

After cleaning the dishes and placing them on the drying rack, she recalls the need to do laundry, fortunately, this apartment has a washer and dryer instead of a cold, damp basement that gives her chills.

She enters her room and retrieves her laundry basket, pulling it into the washing area. While that is happening, she rummages through her clothes and selects a professional outfit comprising blue dress pants and a white blouse. She quickly styles her hair into curls and grabs her two-inch heels. By the time she notices it will be afternoon, and her bed will be made and room cleaned, and all her clothes are washed, dry, and folded on her bed. Katherine occasionally needs a glass of wine while caring for her father, who has her running around like a child.

“Father!”

Since he didn’t hear her, she left her bedroom and went to the door to look through the peephole and see who it was. The living room was empty, and she wondered if her father had quickly retreated to his room. Indeed, he was in there, peacefully sleeping on the soft mattress.

After cleaning the apartment, Katherine checked the camera she’d secretly placed in the living room to monitor her father while she was away. One hid in her closet and bedroom to prevent further searches by her father. Katherine walks into her closet. As she put her clothes on the shelves, she noticed a white envelope. It had slipped her mind, but she eventually remembered – someone mailed this to her, it didn’t have no return address only her name. She quietly went to bed while her father slept, and with shaky hands, she opened it. She stood there, afraid to open it, as if something terrifying was awaiting inside. Katherine carefully opened it, the sound of the unfolding paper echoing softly in the room, before gently placing it on her bed.

There is a letter on top of some papers, but Katherine wants to read the letter first.

“I hope that this letter is made to you. You might not know me, but I have known you very well even since you were born. There are things I have carried silently for years, watching you grow from afar and wishing I could have been more present in your life. If you're reading this now, it means the time has come for some truths to be revealed that I could not speak in person.”

She is so confused about who would send her this—there was no name or anything but the letter. As she looks at the documents on the bed and reads them, it has her name on it. Each page seems more mysterious than the last, and her heart pounds as she flips through them. She keeps looking until she hits the last page, which jolts her—an arranged marriage contract to an unknown man. Katherine freezes, her mind racing. Who would setup her in an arranged marriage? That is weird.

Now overwhelmed, Katherine knows she can’t do this. She quickly puts the papers back into the envelope and returns them to the hidden spot in her closet. Bracing herself, she checks her phone, hoping for some normalcy or distraction, but her thoughts are tangled in worry and suspicion.