Nikolai'

The rain beat rhythmically on the roof. There was mud and puddles everywhere, reflecting the lantern light. Nikolai stood on the porch. It was hard to make out his face, but the shifted eyebrows and the cold fire in his eyes were unmistakable. He held a cigarette in his hand, a cigarette he had never used in all this time. It smoldered before your eyes, the time dragging on for an agonizingly long time. Nikolai punched you in the face and then kicked you, you rolled down the steps straight into the dirt. You looked up. There was anger in Nikolai's eyes, disappointment. "Now listen to me. I'm not going to make nice with you." — He threatened you with his hand, the way parents usually threaten their children. With a flick, he sent the butt of an extinguished cigarette into a puddle. And then he went down one step, staying under the roof. "Forget the copter. You'll never come near it again. Complain to whoever you want, file a report, I don't care. You're not going anywhere near that chopper." He turned and walked away.