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“Yeah this is definitely it,” Romeo says with a grim tone glancing around, his hands on his hips. He’s a little skinnier than his brother, but you can see the family resembles well. The intimidating eyes and he has those kissable lips. His face takes on a grim look and I can tell that night his father took him here was one he never forgot. Kieran doesn’t show any expression on his face, that’s where they differ I guess.
Romeo opens the back hatch and grabs a shovel, and I cross my arms in an attempt to squeeze myself. As if a hug will keep me from losing my mind as I wait to see the remains of my father.
Romeo stabs at the dirt with the head of the shovel and takes wide steps, counting out loud as he does so, Kieran and he talk to one another as they point to trees, and landmarks they remember.
Standing next to the Navigator, I wait, not wanting to hear the details of the horrid way they buried my father alive. A shiver runs up my spine thinking about breathing in dirt. How dry your mouth would be, to choke, and gag.
Kieran gives me a genuine look, before taking the shovel from Romeo and starts really digging. I look away, his stare too much for me right now. Bugs attracted by the headlights fly all around me and I swat at them until I can’t take them anymore and slowly walk toward the guys. Kieran digs like he’s done this a before. Every time the shovelhead thrusts into the dirt it comes out with a large haul of soil before being dumped onto one side. His forehead begins to bead with sweat, and Romeo stretches his hand out.
“Let me take over,” he offers.
“No, I got it,” Kieran refuses, and Romeo pulls his hand back and crossing his arms. Kieran digs for what seems like forever, his shirt stained, and knuckles white from gripping the handle so hard. Just when I think they have the wrong spot, I barely see a white sheet sticking out of the dirt. My mouth drops.
Oh my god, my father is in that sheet.
I hold my breath to keep from crying. My unblinking eyes rapidly searching the sheet for evidence of my dad.
Holding my hand over my mouth, I wait with bated breath as he digs around it. He’s careful, using his hands to gently scrape crumbs and dust away from it, the respect he’s showing not lost on me.
Kieran kneels down and glances up at me with soft eyes. For the first time since I’ve been with him, I think I see empathy swirling in the depths of those irises.
“Are you sure you want to see this?” Kieran asks, and I nod. Even though I don’t want to see it. But I need to, I won’t believe it otherwise.
He pulls at the ratted sheet, strands coming loose as it untangles from a bunch of dirt. His face furrows into confusion and he wads up the sheet with brownish blood looking stains.
I’m confused, isn’t there supposed to be something inside that material? Bones, clothes, a body?
“What the fuck?” Romeo mutters in confusion. He jumps down into the pit and kicks the dirt around with his shoe. He grabs the shovel and digs some more, but nothing but dirt and rocks come up.
“There’s no body,” he mumbles, and Kieran looks up at me with wide eyes.
“Your dad’s not here. He got out, Leona.” Relief in his voice.
Blood rushes to my ears, and I bite down on my bottom lip in an attempt to feel something other than shock. My toes curl and I feel weak in the knees. Turning, I trip over my own two feet and I fall knees first into the hard dirt. Sitting there on all fours I look down at the grass breathing heavily. I’m confused, hurt, happy, sad. I’m breathing but can’t feel any air filling my lungs. Where is my dad? Is he still alive? He must be. Tears generously stream down my cheeks and over my lips, the taste of salt filling my mouth as I try to process what I just witnessed.
They thought they buried my father still breathing, but he climbed out. Looking up at the tree and the headlights from the car, I drag my nails into the dirt.
“He’s alive,” I mutter, and Kieran is suddenly behind me, helping me up off the ground.
“He must have climbed out or something, because he’s not here!” he says, and hope grows in my chest that was there before. He’s alive, just like I always knew he was. Happy tears fill my eyes and I want to laugh, I want to scream at the darkened sky. I’m happy he’s alive, but sad that I still don’t have my father. It’s as if life is playing a cruel game and I’m the board constantly getting slammed on by all the players.
