Confrontation–Sierra’s Flash Fiction

Sierra received a the following prompt from Emmarayne Redding:

He pressed his fingertips together and looked at me with cold eyes. "You are not," he said. "You are not, and you never have been."
I blanched, unable to believe what I'd just heard. My eyes filling with tears, I took a sharp breath. "How can you say that? After everything we've been through... how?"

She was allowed to use it however she liked, and she ended up using 656 words.

So, without further ado, here is Sierra’s flash fiction:

“Confrontation” by Sierra Blasko

I made my way down the long hallway, my footsteps slow and measured. I was not looking forward to what was ahead. But I had to know. I needed answers, explanations, something.

I passed several people, but they mostly ignored me as they reached their own offices.

I stopped outside the office belonging to Mr. Verrad.

“Is Mr. Verrad here?” I asked one of the two guards stationed at the door, willing my voice to come out confidently.

One guard disappeared inside, then reemerged. With a small nod, he opened the door and ushered me inside.

“Mr. Verrad?” I stood nervously inside the doorway. “Can… can I talk to you for a minute?”

I took his silence as affirmation and timidly entered the office. Mr. Verrad was seated behind his desk, just like always. And just like always, I perched awkwardly on the red leather chair in front of him.

I hesitated before saying again, "Mr. Verrad?"

He glanced up at me impatiently. "What is it?"

"I... I just had a question," I stammered, "About... um, you know... what... Mark said."

Mr. Verrad's eyes returned to the folder and the miscellaneous pages in his hands. "What about it?"

"Well," I took a deep breath, then forged on ahead, "You know, what he said about... about you and Mr. Johnson, and how... you were lying to me, and, and my gift..."

I stopped and tried to collect my thoughts. "I guess what I'm trying to ask," I said, speaking more slowly now, "Is... is whether it was true, all that stuff you said, or... or if it was all just lies... to make me help you."

Mr. Verrad didn't move, speak, or in any way acknowledge the fact that I was still standing there.

Long minutes passed and I began to grow even more nervous than I had been before. "Well?" I finally broke the silence, though I'm ashamed to admit that my voice shook a little. "Am... Am I gifted, like you said?"

He finally looked up from his reports; actually looked at me. Silence pervaded the room, like the heaviness in the air right before a big storm. Setting the folders down on the desk, Mr. Verrad leaned forward.

He pressed his fingertips together and looked at me with cold eyes. "You are not," he said. "You are not, and you never have been."

I blanched, unable to believe what I'd just heard. My eyes filling with tears, I took a sharp breath. "How can you say that? After everything we've been through... how?"

“It was a mistake. I have no further information to disclose at this time.” Mr. Verrad looked back down at his desk, silently dismissing me. I wasn’t done.

“But you said... you told me... I- I-” My voice rose in pitch and volume, but I didn’t care.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the doors in the corridor being pulled shut.

“I’m sorry, Miss Daniels, but I’m afraid I must ask you to leave.”

“How could it be a mistake? How?!” I shouted, flinging the words at him. Mr. Verrad didn’t even flinch.

“You’re causing a scene and disturbing the entire floor. If you don’t leave voluntarily, I will have security remove you from the building.”

“Please,” I pleaded, “I just want answers. Anything. Anything.”

Mr. Verrad shook his head and pushed a small button on the desk.

“How could this happen?” I sobbed as the guards appeared behind me. They took my arms and guided me firmly towards the door. “No! I need to know!”

Mr. Verrad’s indifference infuriated me. I fought and managed to free one arm, but the guard on my right caught me as I lunged forward. They pulled me between them, out of the room and back down the hall I had just come through.

The last thing I saw was Mr. Verrad standing up, crossing the room, and calmly shutting the door.