Chapter 1: Cliché of No Sorts
Dear Life,
I've been thinking a lot about you here lately and I've always wanted to know just one simple question. How can you be taken away from someone so easily? It's not right, nor is it fair. You should not have such power over the people that I love.
The summer had just bloomed into the breeze. The high sun burning directly on my delicate paper like skin was only the beginning of a series of hurtful events that would follow. I rubbed my arms gently in some feeble attempt to make the sun stop beaming on me, but it honestly did nothing to help.
Beside me, he picked a flower - a yellow one - that he knew was my favorite kind. With a childlike laugh, I allowed him to push it behind my ear. It was fairly useless considering I planned on rolling down the hill that streamed of bright colors. He must have known too, that or the obvious gleam in my eye gave it away. Sometimes I'm like a map to the people I love.
So, I tumbled down the hill. My skirt hiked up my backside, but I didn't care because all I saw was his laughing face next to mine. He held my hands as we continued downward. Finally, our bodies came to a halt at the bank of the river.
I glanced down with a smile into my reflection. Dirt was prominent on my very young features and I looked up at my disheveled hair. The yellow flower he so carefully put in my hair was all but still perfect in my hair. The sunlight made it seem as though it was much brighter than it already was.
"You okay?" he asked lightly. His fingers ruffled my dark hair softly, forcing my loved flower to fall slowly to the green earth.
"Of course! You think that a small hill like that is going to keep me down?" I giggled at his silly question. I answered my own as well by promptly standing up and pushing my green skirt down.
"I'm glad to see that you're eager to roll down that hill again, but we should probably go inside. After all, I'm sure your mother has got food all ready on the table." he said as his stomach growled.
"Dad, you never seem to surprise me."
He only responded with a hearty laugh. It was days like that when my father put nothing but joy and merriment in my small sheltered world.
"Come on you two, I have had food on this table for nearly half an hour!" I heard my mom holler from our country home. "Better get on in here before it gets too cold for you!"
My dad's brown eyes shown with the sun, it merely hinted to me that he was putting on a competition of some sort. I gave into his wants with a quick nod as we both dashed toward the rustic home. The wind blowing my hair at full speed and the grass needles catching in my toes made me feel free in the moment.
We scrambled in the doorway like lost puppies. My mom simply sighed as she motioned for us to sit down at the dining room table.
"Honey." she said, glancing up at my father, "Won't you say grace?"
"Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the wonderful blessings You have given to me in this life. Bless everything that is within this earth, from the soil to the food we are eating for You Lord. I ask You this in Jesus' name. Amen." He said barely audible. My father had tendencies to be very spiritual with his prayers and felt that if they were softer God would listen closer.
Dinner was very quiet that night. We had the usual chicken breast, green beans, mashed potatoes, and a dinner roll. My mother usually tried to make our meals well balanced based on some food...triangle of sorts.
"Darling," my mother voiced with a hint of questioning, "Please help me wash these dishes up." I never said no to her, so I couldn't understand why she even asked.
"Of course." I replied softly. Promptly, I picked up the dinner plates and silverware as she requested. She took care of gathering the pots and drinking cups.
I ran the faucet water so the hot and cold would mix together with the soapy texture at the bottom of the sink. Dumping the messy dishes in, I turned to face my pale faced mother. It was clear there was stress hidden beneath her soft features, as her eyes were bloodshot.
"Mom," I whispered. "Is something the matter?"
"I've betrayed your father." she whispered just loud enough for me to pick it up. My ears twitched in disbelief as my eyes whirred with confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"I have had an affair. I've been secretly meeting with a blonde haired blue eyed man who's name I dare not speak unless I wish for my throat to be cut open." she said. Her head floated to the ground at her blue shoes. "But, my young one, you are not to speak of this to your father. He would only wish a tragic death upon me."
"Y-yes, of course." I stammered unknowingly. My mind was that of just a ten-year-old's and I did not understand the full capacity of my mother's words. Her eyes bore holes into mine for a moment until I forced myself to look away. When I did, there was an unexpected visitor in the kitchen.
"Hi dad." I said with a smile.
His eyes shot passed mine and connected with hers. I looked from one parent to the other and immediately I knew something was not right. What it was, I was not so certain.
"How?" he whispered. His voice cracked like an old record player. He placed a firm hand on my arm but his gaze never met mine, it only remained upon my mom. "Why?" His voice was less pleasing with each word. With a disappointed look in his eyes, he broke the staring contest.
"Daddy, what's wrong? Are you sick?" I asked innocently. It was all I could fairly assume at my age, for he didn't seem to show too many outward emotions often. I felt him tug gently on my arm to turn me toward his eyes. He bent down to my level with a crooked smile.
"Yes, I guess you could say that." he choked out. I felt him embrace my body strongly as he pulled my face closer to his. "I love you sweetheart. Don't you ever forget that. If I don't feel better soon and I don't come home from work soon, don't venture out to look for me. Promise me this."
I nodded my head in approval.
"Thank you sweetheart. Now, go run out in the fields, I'll follow after you when the clock reads half passed."
I glanced at the clock and ran hurriedly out the door. I was thrilled that dad and I were spending so much time together. We hadn't had such a good time since I was about 7-years-old. This seemed to be a grand day.
But...
He never came out of the house.
I waited so patiently for him. I allowed butterflies to pass me by, I felt mosquitoes suck precious blood out of my veins. I watched the glowing sun set in the west as the sky turned twenty shades of purple. I stayed out in the darkness as wolves howled deep in the night.
But...
He remained in the house.
So, I did what seemed logical at the time. I ran. I ran far into the thick forest lying behind my humbly disturbed home. I did not allow the tears to fall down my puffy red face, because I felt that it wasn't appropriate for me to cry. I really didn't have a reason; my dad had never forgotten about me on any occasion, but I refused to cry.
My body was soon tangled up in the thorn path, but it was pointless to scream, for no one was close enough to hear me. I writhed my way out with fresh blood trickling down my arms. I ran on further and further without looking back. The sound of woodland creatures filled my ears and my feet finally stopped at the edge of a cliff. I glanced down and I saw clear blue water; the drop looked close to one hundred feet. Slowly I turned away from the rocky edge and my body collapsed under my feet. Unconsciousness took over my frail being.
---
"Hi there. Are you okay? You got dirt on your face?" a childish voice said. My eyes opened slowly to a blinding light - also known as the sun. It was then I saw the outline of a figure close to my face, but all I could focus on was one thing.
Blue eyes.
He had eyes that reminded me of the man who has been with my mother. The same man that made my dad not come outside last night. I balled my fists up tightly and gave the figure a hard shove in the chest.
"Ugh, what was that for?" he asked with anger in his tone. "Fine then, if you are not going to be nice, what's the point of me staying and helping you? Take care of yourself."
He pushed himself off the ground and I didn't take notice to anything about him except those eyes. I saw him with his back against me. He seemed ready to leave me.
"I was going to, believe me, I don't need the help from someone who makes my father break his promises!" I yelled at him. He didn't look back at me. He simply disappeared into the thick forest I ran into carelessly last night.
I sat there quietly confused of what I should do next. I had a choice of sitting beyond the forest all day and ignoring my father or going back home and talking to my father. I chose the latter and soundlessly pushed myself off the moist blades of grass. The morning was barely awake and so was I. I slowly made my way into the forest again.
I couldn't understand how I was able to just run straight through the forest with little cuts on my body. In the bright setting, it seemed much more intricate and detailed than in the middle of the night with my vision slightly impaired by a feeble moonlight.
My body trembled from the wind brushing against my shoulders. I hugged my body close as the forest began to come alive with the sounds of birds and rustling in the green leaves. Summer had barely started, and mine was unfortunately nothing too grand.
It was then that I heard it. My ears tweaked to my left and it sounded as though there was something else in the forest. Startled yet curious, I followed the noise as quietly as my feet allowed. I purposely dodged the leaves laying so motionless on the dry soil until finally the mysterious person stopped just outside of the forest. Somehow, I had turned around and was going the direction I came from.
The figure stood close to the edge of the cliff where I was last night. I squinted my eyes closely to see what it was doing and who it was. I let out a silent gasp when I recognized it was my father. I wondered immediately if he remembered about his promise and if he was looking for me.
I crept closer to my father, but not too close to where he knew I was there. He took a steady breath and ran his fingers through his dark hair. He seemed apprehensive as he stood with a longing eye over the cliff. I didn't know what to expect in those moments but deep down I hoped he would turn around and surprise me; that was far from his mind though, I could see it in his brown eyes.
He dropped to his knees with his hands pressed firmly together, palm to palm. He was praying, his eyes closed and streaming with tears. I didn't know what to make of his sudden show of emotions and I only sat there in the bushes unmoving as he slowly stood back up. He inched closer to the edge of the cliff and took one glance down before his body started to ease forward. Just before the inevitable happened, my feet pushed me up and in his direction and my voice screamed,
"Dad! No!"
But, it was too late...his body gave way under his feet. I could have sworn I saw him take a glance back just before it happened though. I closed my eyes tightly, not wanting to see anything else, but my mind wasn't prepared for what I heard. It sounded like his body hit cement...hard.
I faced myself toward the forest and quickly paced into it. I didn't want to stay to see the outcome. My body shook and my eyes dared to leak tears. I couldn't believe what I saw.
Within minutes, I was out of the forest and my home came into view. Wiping my eyes, I took one last look at the forest and sprinted to my house with a new perspective on my father.
I never saw him again after that. My mother tried to tell me that he died in a car accident, but I didn't believe her lie one bit. I knew what happened, and I didn't trust my mother's words after that.
I wish my daddy would have found a different way out.
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A/N: This story has been reposted due to the fact that I feel it is a good story and no one has really read it. I have about 14 chapters of it already written, it's just a matter of positive feedback. This is by far one of the best stories and plot lines I have ever had for anything that I write. When I get at least 10 reviews for this chapter, I will post a new one.