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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Miss Parker's Ensnarement
pretender_gurl
Parker House
Blue Cove, Delaware
April 12, 1994 ~ 08:39
Miss Parker was still in a deep sleep when the phone beside her bed began to ring. She ignored the first four rings, hoping that whoever it was would just go away. On the fifth obnoxiously shrill ring, Miss Parker reached over and brought the handset to her ear, with her face still buried in her pillow.
"What?" she asked in a groggy voice.
"Angel? Did I wake you?" said Mr. Parker.
Miss Parker quickly sat up in her bed. "Daddy? No, no. I was just getting up. Is everything all right?"
"You betcha," her father dismissed. "Listen, Angel. I need you to come to the Centre. I have a surprise for you."
Miss Parker rolled her eyes. She hated surprises. "Daddy, I can't. I have that interview at the Dover Art Museum and…"
"It's important, Angel. I need you here by ten o'clock. Oh, and I forgot some papers in my study. Would you mind bringing those with you? Thanks, Angel. I'll see you soon," and before Miss Parker could argue, her father hung up the phone.
She threw back her covers with a groan and swung her legs over the side of the bed. What could her father want? I hope he's not trying to buy me over with more gifts, though I could use a new wardrobe. If I mean to study art in Paris I'll need to be updated on the latest fashions. Miss Parker looked through her closet until she found attire that suited her. Then she called the Museum to cancel her job interview, explaining that she had a family emergency. She almost felt guilty when the Museum staff expressed genuine concern that everything turned out all right.
Two hours and three pairs of shoes later, Miss Parker was speeding towards the Centre.
Office of the Chairman
The Centre
April 12, 1994 ~ 08:45
"She'll be here," Mr. Parker said, placing the handset on its cradle.
"Are you sure about this? Inviting her into the Tower could be dangerous. After all, when Catherine…" Mr. Raines wheezed.
Mr. Parker turned and glared at the emphysema-stricken man. "My daughter is no threat. I raised her, not Catherine."
"I hope you're right, for all our sakes," Mr. Raines wheezed.
Mr. Parker looked up sharply. "Of course I am. I know my daughter, dammit. She'll be an asset to the Centre. Her bloodline shows the gift, and I have worked to manipulate that gift. Her intelligence mixed with the indifference I taught her will prove her to be unstoppable. Oh, yes. She will be quite an asset."
Mr. Raines's eyes narrowed and he glared at the Chairman. "What makes you think she'll accept?"
"She won't have a choice," Mr. Parker said with a smirk.
County Road #4
Blue Cove, Delaware
April 12, 1994 ~ 09:37
Miss Parker sped around a curve at almost twice the speed limit. Her black Mercedes convertible took the turn without hesitation. The car had been a gift from her father when she turned sixteen, but she rarely had the chance to drive it as she was never home. It felt wonderful to sit in the warm leather seats and wrap her hands around the smooth steering wheel as her foot pressed firmly on the accelerator. The wind whipped her dark hair about her face and brought color to her cheeks. She groaned with disgust as the Indigo Girls came on the radio singing "Least Complicated." They sound like dying cows, she thought. Miss Parker impatiently pushed at the buttons on the console until Pink Floyd blared over the speakers.
{Where were you the day I was burned and broken?}
Miss Parker continued at her breakneck speed until the towers of the Centre were in sight. Slowing down to 40 miles per hour, she twisted around the Centre's drive until she reached the front doors. She turned off the car before the song was over, ending with the lyrics:
{I knew the moment had arrived for killing the past and coming back to life…}
She tossed her keys to the valet attendant on duty and grabbed her Halliburton briefcase and the DSA player she borrowed from the nerdy tech. Taking the font steps two at a time, Miss Parker flung open the doors to the familiar building. She signed in at the security station and gave the secretary a cruel glare when the poor woman tried to hand her a Visitor Clearance Badge.
"The Chairman is expecting me," Miss Parker spat.
The woman behind the desk blushed. "I apologize, Miss Parker," she said as she read the signature. "Please proceed to the Tower elevator."
Miss Parker gave one last look of contempt before walking away. She checked her watch. It was nine fifty-six. She didn't have enough time to run the DSA player to SL-5 and still be on time for the meeting with her father. Dammit! Oh well, Daddy would probably find out I requested the DSA anyway. Still cursing herself for not getting here sooner, Miss Parker boarded the Tower elevator. Two Africans in traditional garb and a Japanese ambassador also joined her on the elevator, acknowledging her with only a slight nod.
When the elevator reached the fourth floor of the Tower, Miss Parker exited the lift alone. She turned left and walked to the end of the hallway. This was one of the few floors in the Centre that could boast natural sunlight. The third, fourth, fifth, and sixth floors of the Tower were privy to multiple picture windows and the hallways were almost floor-to-ceiling glass. The third and fourth floors were primarily office spaces and the fifth floor was solely conferences rooms. Each conference hall was decorated with different cultural theme. For example, when the Triumvirate came to call, they were escorted to Conference Hall A, which had colorful tapestries, large animal sculptures, and abstract art depicting ancient dark-skinned men riding in a hunt. There were eighteen rooms in all: Africa, China, Japan, Germany, Brazil, Scandinavia, the Middle East, the Philippines, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Russia, and six rooms that could be assembled for other countries in less than one hour. The sixth floor was a residential floor for Tower executives and their clients needing to stay overnight. Though the Centre showed little kindness towards employees and their subjects, clients were shown unrivaled hospitality.
Miss Parker stopped before the frosted glass doors of the Chairman's office. Taking a deep breath, she set the DSA player on the floor and knocked.
"Come in!" her father's deep voice boomed.
Miss Parker pushed open the door and strolled in with a confidence she didn't feel. When she saw Mr. Raines sitting before her father, Miss Parker's blood ran cold. She detested and feared this man with all of her being. She remembered the day she met him…
The Centre Lobby
January 3, 1977
Miss Parker held tightly to her mother's hand. She didn't want to be here, but Momma had said they couldn't have her birthday party until Momma took care of something at work. Miss Parker didn't like the place where Daddy and Mommy worked. It was a scary building with lots of cameras taking pictures of them. Momma said the cameras were just to make sure nobody got hurt, but Miss Parker still didn't like being watched. As they passed another camera, Miss Parker stuck out her tongue and made a face at it. She looked up to see if Momma saw what she did, but her mother was looking at someone else. A short man with funny looking hair was coming towards them. He had a cigarette in his mouth and was breathing in very deeply. When he opened his mouth, smoke came out the side. Miss Parker stared in awe of this man and her grip tightened around her mother's hand. Momma noticed and gave her a quick squeeze back, saying that it was all right. The man was right in front of Momma now and he talked to her after breathing in through the cigarette again.
"What are you doing here, Catherine?" he asked Miss Parker's mommy.
"I work here Dr. Raines. Why are you here?" her mommy said back.
"I live here. What do you want?" the man asked. Miss Parker was getting the feeling that this was a bad man. She didn't want the bad man to talk to her mommy anymore.
"We're gonna take care of somethin' and then it's my party!" Miss Parker said. Her mother's hand tightened around hers as Dr. Raines turned his attention to the little girl. He bent down and stared her right in the eyes. Miss Parker's heart was beating faster and faster. Then the man opened his mouth and let the smoke in his mouth blow into Miss Parker's face. She began to cough and wiped her itchy eyes. Then she felt her mother's arms around her as her mommy picked her up and walked away from the smoky man.
"Leave us alone, Dr. Raines," said her momma over her shoulder. Then Momma turned to Miss Parker and whispered, "It's all right, baby girl. I won't let Dr. Raines come near you again."
Now, fifteen years later, he was still a thorn in her side. Miss Parker took the empty chair that was obviously intended for her and turned her attention to her father.
"You wanted me to come in, Daddy?" Miss Parker prompted. She wanted to get this over with so she could stop by the Dover museum before they closed.
Mr. Parker stole a glance at Mr. Raines and then cleared his throat. "Angel, I'm very proud of you, you know that don't you?"
Miss Parker felt her heart leap for joy. She had waited so long to hear those words from her father. Suddenly the museum didn't seem so important after all.
"Of course, Daddy," she replied.
"Good. Well, I've been talking with Mr. Raines and the rest of the Tower executives about a new position I have available. It's a challenging assignment, one that requires skill, intelligence, and precision."
"Daddy, what does this have to do with me?" Miss Parker asked carefully.
"I'm glad you asked, Angel. There's a reason I sent you to England to study business. I had a plan in mind from the day you were born," Mr. Parker said, unable to keep the gleam out of his eye.
"A plan?"
"Yes, Angel. It's a plan to make you a success! An opportunity like none other…"
"Wait a minute. Are you… are you saying that you want me to take this new position? At the Centre? Working for you?" Miss Parker asked incredulously.
"Not just a position, Miss Parker. This is the position that most candidates would have to work towards for at least a decade. However, your father is convinced you are ready now," explained Mr. Raines. "I, on the other hand, disagree."
Now there's a shocker, thought Miss Parker. She turned back to her father.
"What exactly are you proposing, Daddy? That I walk away from my own dreams to join you and Uncle Fester in this house of horrors?" Miss Parker was thoroughly peeved by her father's audacity. "I'm an adult, Daddy."
"And a very capable one at that," Mr. Parker returned, sighing as his daughter turned her head. "I know about the art thing that you're considering, but I want more for my Angel. You can do such wonderful things with your talents! You're gifted, Angel. Don't throw that away to chase some fleeting whim!"
"It's not a whim, Daddy! This is what I've wanted ever since I was a little girl - ever since…" Miss Parker's voice faltered.
Mr. Parker's gaze softened. "Ever since your mother died."
Miss Parker looked up at her father with tears in her eyes.
"Angel, I know that you miss your mother. I miss her too. But you can't fashion your life around her death. Instead, finish what she began in her life. You know that's what she would have wanted."
Miss Parker drew in a sharp breath as she thought about her father's words.
"I know that you are strong enough for this. It's time to show the rest of the world what the Parkers are made of. What do you say, Angel?"
He's right. Momma always worked hard on the Centre's behalf. She would want me to finish her work here, like a Parker. Miss Parker slowly nodded her head.
"I'll do it, Daddy. I'd be honored to work here like Momma did," Miss Parker said with a dry voice.
"Excellent! You'll start tomorrow!" Mr. Parker said jubilantly.
"No, not tomorrow. I'll begin on the fourteenth," Miss Parker said as she stood up.
"Ah, of course Angel," Mr. Parker replied, remembering the date. "I'll see you at home!"
Miss Parker left the office without a word. Her heels clicked as she hurried to the elevator and pressed the button for SL-5. As the lift began to lower, she changed her mind and hit SL-21. There was someone she needed to speak with.
