Her Fallen Crown

HFC | Chapter I

Chapter I | Welcome Home

Heavy footsteps walk the damp pavement of the familiar residential street. The block is quiet, which was normal for the midday hour on a weekday. Everyone was either working or simply out the house. That was fine with Phaedra. She didn't want to draw attention to herself anyway. Approaching the home she once knew, she stops in her path. The driveway is empty and the other car isn't parked on the curb. She jogs down the stairs to the entrance and lifts the flower pot. There sat the spare key where she left it. Entering the key into the door knob, she frowns at the sight of it not turning.

"What the fuck?" She whispers to herself. The locks have been changed which she didn't expected. The thought of the back door crossed her mind however both locks use the same key. If it didn't work for the front door, why would it work for the back door. Cursing under her breath, she tosses the key somewhere in the yard. She had a lot of questions but figured she'd get the answers later. Phaedra searches her surroundings before briskly walking around the side of the house. She remembers a window that's blocked by faulty brick in the basement.

For reasons like this, she's never told anyone because she needs some things to herself. Kneeling in the damp grass, she feels for the small buttons and presses them. The window sounds off a small pop notifying access. Phaedra opens the window towards her like a door, searching for the false brick. When she finds it, she opens it and types in the code. It beeps twice and opens. She uses her weight to push the door in and jumps down into the furnished basement. As she closed the window back, she couldn't help but sigh in relief.

"Thank you Papa." She whispers to herself, thinking about her late father. His scheming ways always comes in handy. After closing the door, Phaedra turns to see a different decor from what she remembered. Her once decked out office space was now a entertainment center with a bar and surround sound. The light blue, black and charcoal gray room fit more of a man's domain. It made sense why the door was so hard to open. The fools painted over it. Not caring to explore the place any further, she jogs up the stairs that leads to the kitchen. To her surprise the door was open so she walked right in. Just like the basement, all over neutral and plush decor was gone.

It was clear at this point that someone wanted her gone and forgot about. Entering the bedroom, she studies the furniture rearrangement. Where the bed stood, there was a hole in the floor for her safe. The nightstand was a perfect size to block any suspicions of something being there. With the new design of marble she knows now that the place is long gone. Phaedra begins her search, throwing clothes and shoes across the room. She looked in the trunk placed at the end the bed, the closet and other hidden places she remembered. Of course all those places were long gone. She wouldn't luck up this time like she did with the door in the basement.

Meanwhile outside a car pulls up in the driveway. Cutting the engine, they get out and slam the door closed. A few neighbors call out to speak and they smile, waving at a few. Opening the screen door, they frown to the fumbling sound from inside of their house. They immediately reach for their gun out the back of their pants, gently placing the key inside the knob. The door slowly creaks open as they push their way through to step inside. The commotion continues to come from the bedroom until it stops completely. With the gun aimed away from them, they head in the direction of the room. It's destroyed with their clothes and broken furniture everywhere. Phaedra moves some boxes out the way, revealing the old nightstand of hers. Grabbing the handles, she reveals the safe and turns the dial. The safe opens and to her surprise it's empty.

"That mothafucka." She curses, freezing when she hears the gun cock from behind her.

"Welcome home." The familiar voice says then chuckles. Phaedra slowly turns to the known person, looking between the silencer of the gun and him. She slowly rises to her feet as he follows her movement with the gun aimed at her head.