Blink. Blink. I drew out a deep breathe, green eyes staring back at me. Fog clouded the mirror on the edges as the hot steamy water runs from the faucet below. Blink. Blink. Deep breathe in. Splashing water on my face the reality of a new day started to set in. I can get through another one. After finishing washing my face I quickly dried my face and finished with a big cheesy grin to start my day.
“Sarah! Have you seen my shoes?” Rebecca yelled from her room down the hall.
Quickly dropping my grin, rolling my eyes I yelled back “Have you checked the living room?”
They were a few seconds of silence as she walked to the living room, listening to hear if she would even bother to actually check. I heard her enter not even two seconds…
“No I don’t see them.”
“Are you…”
“Oh wait here they are”
Opening the bathroom door leading to the hallway I walked into the living room grabbing my purse off the couch to dig around for my hair brush. Pulling it out I turned to her to see a half dressed and half ready pre-teen standing before me with very blonde static hair around her round plump face that accentuated her also vibrant green eyes that will be able to stop anyone in their tracks if used correctly.
“Thirty minutes and we are going”
“I’ll be ready.” She foiled back.
I quickly brushed my hair through it up in a high pony put on minimal make up and walked back out the bathroom down the hall and into the kitchen when I overheard Rebecca say something.
“You say something Rebecca?” As I entered the kitchen I saw Rebecca sitting at our two seat dinette turned as if talking to someone across the way. I looked back between here and the empty chair waiting for an answer when I got an answer that sent a chill to my bone.
“Hey Honey.”
I heard my father’s voice behind me. I think all the air left the room because as I turned around to face something or someone who looked exactly like my father. It can’t possibly be him, he’s dead.
“See Sarah dad’s come back.”
I started walking backwards toward Rebecca. This thing standing in front of me gave me a very sickening feeling.
“That’s not Dad Rebecca.” The thing in front of us smiled at us stopped his advance and said,
“Sarah can’t you see I need your help.”
“What kind of help” I crossed my arm over Rebecca pushing her back behind me.
“I want vengeance for my death.”
Gritting my teeth I spat, “You’re not my father.”
“How could you say that to me? I love you my sweet bunny.”
I went cold as he used my own nick name against me because all I wanted in that second was to run into that things arms cry and tell him how much I’ve missed him and how hard it’s been and how tired I am. And to be able to tell him everything so he can help with my burdens. But I knew deep down this monster before me wasn’t going to be able to solve my problems. He’s the biggest problem I have now.
“Leave. You don’t belong here.” Within seconds he was a few inches from my face.
“No and neither do you.” With that the thing vanished before our eyes. I turned around to see Rebecca head down and in shock. I knelt down and looked up in her vacant eyes.
“It’s gone now it can’t hurt you.” Rebecca’s head lifted
“I wouldn’t be worried about Rebecca anymore Sarah.”
Angeline
Yawning for about the fiftieth time I looked up at the clock in the study eleven forty -five. With mounds of half opened books sprawled across the study table in front of me and haven’t gotten far at all. I turned behind me to see Father asleep in his office chair with his computer left on, light glaring off his reading glasses. I got out of my stiff chair grabbed his coat off the coat rack/punching dummy that sat in the corner of the study brought out usually for training. I placed the coat over Father in his chair turned off his computer screen. Left a sticky note on the screen: Going for a coffee run, be back. –Angeline
I grabbed my jacket and made my way out the church. Since the closest coffee shop open at this hour is thankfully a block over I decided to walk. Making my way down Marks St the light from the Catholic Church illuminated the street below. The church stood out like a sore thumb in the area surrounding it. Most of the buildings around the church where liquor stores, run down homes, and a corner convenient store. People fussed when the church was to be built here in this area saying it wasn’t right to have such a holy place near so much filth. That’s why Father likes this church so much. He said “I want to be the light in the dark because that’s what you and I do.” And what can I say the place grows on you. It may be a rundown area and sometimes shady but the people here are just trying to get by like everyone else. Father was the first person to show me that.
As I made my way into the coffee shop I was greeted
“Hey Angeline! Wondering when you were going to stop by.”
“Hey Carl.” I said to the young man behind the counter cleaning out the blender.
Carl lives above and owns the lovely and God blessed twenty four hour coffee shop called Rosco’s.
“So late night tonight?” His eye brows rose looking up at me as he continued to clean.
“You know it.” Shook my head at him tired “I’m just ready for bed”
“You always more than welcome to crash up at my place.” He said with a wink and a smile. He’d swoon girls on a regular basis and who could blame them it’s kind of hard to resist a reliant, independent, very attractive barista but all his good looks you have to give credit to his beautiful model Latina mom and his strong African American father because without them his beautiful tanned physique would have never happened.
I smirked “Yeah Carl keep dreaming.”
“Worth a shot. So your usual?”
I looked around at the nearly vacant coffee shop.“Mm… yeah why not.”
With that he stepped over and started to make my drink. I leaned over the counter to get a better view of him making it. Carl had the knack for putting a secret ingredient that had me always coming back for more. And by more I mean the coffee. He still has yet to share what it is. I am starting to believe there really isn’t one but every time I bring it up to him he assures me it’s something and something very simple but if he told me he’d have no more customers coming into his shop. As long as it’s not crack right.
As he handed me my drink the store door flew open the bell slamming against the store door, Father in the entrance breathing a little heavy with urgency on his face.
“There’s been an incident we believe it might be him. Hurry up and pay were going to see them tonight it’s urgent.”
I handed Carl a five thanked him and walked out and went down a block to Fathers car and got in.
“Why didn’t you drive to me?” I said to Father as he got in the driver’s seat of his 1990 Honda. He closed the car door looked at me and paused then said,
“I don’t know.” I laughed at him for his lack of concentration. He put the keys in the ignition and turned the key but the car wouldn’t start.
“Crap. Father I think it’s time you get a new car or the demons will beat us to every fight.”
“No it’ll crank hold on.” He kept turning the key. Nothing was working. He stopped waited a few seconds and tried again. The car squealed to life.
“Okay now we are going.”
An hour later we pulled up to a small white house in a residential neighborhood. Everything looks and sounds normal that is when you should worry. I knew something lay in the house I felt it and it was waiting for me. Father and I grabbed our duffel bags from the trunk and made our way to the front door. We knocked on the door and after the third knock a woman eyes peeked through the side window then unlocked the door to let us in. We continued through the door way to enter her living room.
The young fit woman probably a few years older than me stood anxiously in front of me green eyes showing me her fear. Her strawberry blonde hair had come loose down to her shoulders. Crossing her arms across her chest,
“Are you going to help me?”
I set my duffel bag down on the coffee table. I looked at her.
“First you have to tell me everything that’s happened”
She took a gulp and nodded at me and proceeded to tell me her story.
April's stories 