A Writing Legend

A hooded figure walked through the empty alleyway, the moonlight shining down upon them. Tiny droplets of rain fell down against the bricked pavement and cottoned cloak. The sound of smooth jazz and laughter could be heard more clearly as the anonymous individual stopped in front of a hidden door behind a wooden barricade. A feminine hand revealed itself as the sleeve of the cloak slid down its owner's arm as she raised her arm up to knock on the old, metal door. All of the noise coming from behind the door went dead silent as she continued to knock a secret code. Music and the laughter continued as the door opened to reveal a hidden bar. The hooded figure walked into the secretive establishment and revealed herself as she pulled off the cloak and placed it on a clothing rack. She was wearing a pink, silky gown that reached right above her ankles, along with long pink gloves to match. Her hair was short and blonde and was gelled into waves against her head. A man in a blue suit walked up to her as she looked around. The room was filled with many men and women, all having the time of their lives as they enjoyed their moonshine.

"I'm here for Dimitri," she said.

  The female pulled her gaze away from the buzzing crowd to the man before he had a chance to question why and quickly added, "I'm here for the meeting."

  He had a nice set of hazel eyes and slicked back dark brown hair. His face was perfectly smooth, and he had plumped lips. His voice was smooth as he talked, he had a nice deepness to it. The male pulled back in utter shock, as he asked, "You're K.T.W?"

"Yes, but you can call me Katherine." She smirked.

  The male still held a shocked expression on his face as he mumbled something under his breath. This wasn't the first time someone had acted this way because of Katherine's gender. She always found it comedic when men always assumed that she was a man.

"But you're a-" he gaped.

"A woman? Well yes. I am a woman, and you are a man. Now can you take me to Dimitri?"

  She never did find it offensive when they called her a woman. Of course, she wished that they wouldn't be so shocked, but it's only expected when everyone thinks a woman is just there to be someone's wife. But Katherine, oh no, she's a writer. A writer could be everything and everyone. She could write a tale so realistic, that it could, in fact, become real. Well… those are one of the many rumors that follow her name. Many people have heard of K.T.W, but everyone just assumes that K.T.W is a legend, a fairytale you would tell aspiring authors.

  The man didn’t say anything else, as he gestured for her to follow him. He had led her through a crowd of tipsy customers and had taken her to a door in the back, behind a polished bar. On it showed a sign that read, “Employees only.” 

“The boss is in here,” he claimed. 

  Katherine goes to open the door, but the man stopped her. She looked towards him with an eyebrow raised as he continued to talk. 

“You must be a careful, he's not always kind.” 

  Knowing Katherine’s history, and the fact that Dimitri requested her here, she was not scared. She had met plenty of “threatening” people who had claimed that they would “fill her with lead”, but she was still there, alive and still breathing. There was nothing that could stop her, she was invincible. 

  This, however, had made Katherine very cocky with the things that she does. She wasn’t worried about death, she had no emotion for him. Death has burned that feature out of her from her sickened past. Events have made her careless… emotionless.  But even then, she knew nothing bad would happen to her because she had made it impossible. Perks of being what she is, and being involved in top secret confidants.

“I think I’ll be fine.” She smirked. 

“Okay, whatever you say,” he sighed, as he opened the door for Katherine.

“I’m James, by the way.” 

Katherine paused as she looked at the man in front of her; actually looking at him. He seemed… familiar to her. The way he talked and the way he sighed, he simply reminded her of- “James, nice to meet you.” She replied, earning a grin from the man that she had just met. 

  Inside revealed a beautifully decorated office covered in warm colors such as light  browns and dark reds. To the left, stood a fireplace and above it was a portrait of the man that Katherine had agreed to meet with. He had sunken back, deep grey eyes. His roots were grey as they faded out to black hair. A perfectly groomed mustache laid on his upper lip. He was a little bit on the heavy side, and he filled out a silky black and white, thinly striped suit. On his left hand, gold rings were placed onto his sausage-like-fingers. He was standing straight, and he held a scowl that was permanently glued to his face.

“Who is this, James?” A voice called out, pulling Katherine’s attention away from the painting. 

  The man that stood in the portrait was now standing in front of her, suit and all. Behind him sat a desk that held multiple objects including a scotch bottle and a smooth revolver lying peacefully on the sculpted wood. 

  “This is K.T.W, Mr. Gallo,” James answered. 

  Mr. Gallo let out a chuckle, as he walked around his desk and sat down. He grabbed onto the scotch bottle, flashing the many rings on his fingers. “From everything I’ve heard about you, I’ve never guessed that you were a woman.” He said as he began to pour himself a glass. 

“And please, call me Dimitri. Mr. Gallo was my father. Scotch?” Dimitri added.

“Yes please.” Katherine purred. 

  Dimitri swiftly poured the liquid into a glass as he stared at the woman in front of him. It was true when he had said that he wasn’t expecting a woman, but he was not surprised, after all, he has seen a lot of crazy things in his lifetime. 

“James, could you shut the door, and not let anyone in?” He instructed politely. 

  James hesitated and glanced at Katherine. Knowing his boss, he didn’t want to leave her all on her own. Dimitri can become very violent when his father’s goons weren't in the room. The last visitor here, a florist, didn’t leave alive all because he brought the wrong flowers for his mother who had, at the time, just recently passed. Ever since then, he wasn't allowed to be alone. Well, not until recently. 

“Yes, sir,” James replied, slowly shutting the door behind him. 

  As quietly and stealthy as he could, James snuck through the kitchen and walked into a pantry. As if he had done this a thousand times before, he moved a big jar of olives on a shelf to reveal a small peephole in the wall. From where he was angled, he could see Katherine and Demitri perfectly. 

”Tell me a little bit about yourself.” He insisted as Katherine and he tapped glasses. 

  Katherine held a confident smirk on her face, as she, smoothly, brought up the glass to her lips. Leaving a pink imprint from her lipstick, she gently placed the glass back down on the table. She sat there, staring back at Dimitri, the gears in her head shifting, determining whether or not to share that information.  Nothing good or bad could come from it, all she would be doing is opening up to a mafia leader. With no doubt, he won't care about the answer. He just wants to know if the rumors are true.

”My name is Katherine Degatto, and I am the writer. Isn't tha-”

”You're a writer?” Dimitri interrupted.

  It was normal for people to have questions so Katherine wasn't that shocked that Dimitri interrupted her with one. Of course, it was annoying, but no one has ever listened to her when she asks them to stop. All she can do is answer their questions and correct them. 

”I am the writer, not a writer. Out of everything I say, that's the one part you should know. I do not, and cannot just simply write something on a piece of paper and throw it away. You should know this, after all, you have called me here for that specific reason.” She replied with her voice sharp.

  Dimitri sat back with a pleasurable gleam on his face. “Can you show me?” He curiously asked, grabbing a notepad from behind him and carefully handing it to her.

  Katherine eyed him as she grabs the paper in an alpha like motion. She stood up tall, confidence radiating off of her. As Dimitri goes to grab a pen she interrupts him, “No need, I have my own.”

She seemingly pulled it out of thin air and she watched him as she asked the big question. “What do you want me to write?” 

  James’ eyebrows crunch together in confusion. “What do you want me to write?” He repeated in a hushed whisper.

“I want you to write… Daniel Jr. Gallo is dead.” Dimitri hesitated, sitting on the edge of the table. 

  James sat back in utter shock as he watched the scene play out in front of him. Katherine held a small smile as she looked down to the paper, and Dimitri leaned towards her, watching her as she wrote. James shook his head as he pulled away from the peephole. 

  “Does he really think that this rumor is true?” James criticized. 

“And if it was true… He’ll kill his own father? His own flesh and blood?”

He stood back in disbelief, completely disgusted by the man that he calls a boss. He just wants to be top dog... Everyone knew that for a fact, but they didn’t know how badly he had wanted it. “I’m gonna have to warn him…” James muttered, hurrying out of the pantry. 

  He walked towards the bar and passed it as he moved across the room in a quick motion. He stopped at the phone booth, and picked up the handle, ”Operator? Give me Daniel Jr. Gallo.” His eyebrows were pushed together but raised when he had realized something. He placed the handle down in distress as he asked himself, ”What am I doing? What am I even going to say?”

   He shook his head as he leaned against the phone booth wall, “What was I thinking? Calling Mr. Gallo just to accuse his son of trying to kill him with magic?” He scoffed. 

  “There was no way that that woman could possess such a thing; magical writing.” James had thought while rolling his eyes.

   Katherine sat the pen down against the wooden coffee table next to her. She looked up to Dimitri confidently as he watched her every move, “The task is done.” 

   His eyes went wide as he understood what she meant. A bit hesitant, he looked down to the telephone hidden behind his desk. He reached for it, grabbing it firmly. Slowly, he dialed his father’s number and waited. The tone echoed through his ear as he anticipated an answer. He knew that his father usually answered by the third ring but as the phone had finally let out its sixth, Dimitri stood there astonished. “The rumors were true…” He breathed out, smiling towards the girl. 

“And my father is finally dead.”

***

James quickly walked back to his bosses office to assure himself that Katherine was okay. He knew that once Dimitri finds out that she wasn’t telling the truth, he’ll try to get her to “swim with the fishes” as Dimitri would like to put it. From his many years of working with Mr. Gallo’s son, he was used to having to clean up his messes and taking over when he acts like a child. There have been many occasions that Dimitri had simply not done his job or done his job so badly that James had to come in and make sure that they had enough money to pay for the illegal alcohol that is supplied at the bar. Especially since that’s Dimitri’s only given job.

James gently knocked on the door but his eyes went wide as he heard Dimitri argue, “You’re not leaving.”

Dimitri stood and walked around his desk towards the magical girl in front of him. He stood there eagerly awaiting a response. He did not want her to leave, he was in need for her to do his selfish bidding. He was in need for power and he thought to himself right then and there that he would do anything to have it.

“I’m sorry?” Katherine looked up at him in disgust.

“Think about it. Together we can do so much! Why waste the opportunity when we can rule?” The man argued happily.  His eyes revealed his lust for control and supermancy. A man so in need of her gift, he foolishly forgot about how powerful and cruel she can be. Which, is the most forgotten part of her many rumors. The woman known as K.T.W simply rolled her eyes with a smirk as she stood up. “Listen here, I do not take orders from anyone, and that includes you Mr. Gallo. Now, if you will  excuse me, I have to go.” 

Dimitri smiled in displeasure as she began to walk away, but she soon came to a stop as he snapped his hand onto her wrist. While holding her firmly, he glared at the girl in front of him. “You are to stay,” his voice was hard. 

James eyes had went wide at his bosses statement and he couldn't help but intervene immediately.  “What are you doing, sir?” He panicked.  “Let her go.”

James stood by the door as he watched his bosses knuckles turn white as he held onto her wrist. Katherines hand was turned into a tight fist as she tried to fight his strength. She stared down at her arm and then back towards Dimitri. “What will you do if I don’t?” She curiously asked.

“I’ll break your hands.” He threatened.

She looked towards Dimitri and forced a chuckle. The two, so far, have ignore the new soul who had entered the room. They haven't even bothered to glance at him. They were too focused on each other to care. “You know, Mr. Gallo. I knew a man once who acted just like you. Want to know what happened to him?” She asked, her strength loosening in his grip. She moved her unoccupied hand on top of his fist trying to relive his tight grasp on her arm. She may not of been able to stop him with her hands, but she could with her legs.

Moving her knee upwards, she slammed it right into his groin. Dimitri immediately let go of her and fell to his knees in pain. Leaning down onto his level, she grabbed onto his expensive suit and pulled him towards her. In a smooth and relaxed tone she whispered,  “He was punched-drunk after I got done with him.” Before she pushed him away, she blew a sarcastic kiss. “Now leave me alone.” She spat.

James stood there completely in shock; he had no idea what to do. He knew well that Dimitri would probably kill him for not stopping the girl but he did know that if he stopped the girl, she surely would've been finished off for good. Even if it was self defence.

Without a care in the world, Katherine turned around and walked out of the room past James. “If I were you, I would leave, too.” She warned the man that she had just met. Pausing in front of the door, she looked over her shoulder and gave him one last look. “He truly does look like him…” She had thought.

Her face and entire body relaxed as she faced him. Stepping towards him, her gaze softened. “I’m sorry, I-” She cut herself off. She slowly raised her hand to his face, her fingers gently rubbed against his skin. “You just look like him so much.” She admitted. Timed seemed frozen for Katherine, and James, well-- he stood there confused.

“Him?” He thought. James had no idea who this woman was and here she was, touching his face. He knew that she obviously had to of cared for whoever he had reminded her of, but who? Did something happen to him? He held sympathy for her.

“James… G-get her, now!” Dimitri groaned as he stood up.

James looked down at his chubby boss and then back to Katherine, fully alert. “Follow me,” He quickly said. Without thinking, he grabbed her hand and lead her out of the office. They swiftly moved through the crowd, avoiding Dimitri. “Get them-” Dimitri was interrupted.

“Get ‘em up!” Two pigs stood in front of the entrance.