AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’m shaking worse and worse, unable to get the image of myself standing in that snow, eight years old, barefoot, watching my father’s blood redden the blanket of white.
“I’m sorry,” he says. “But your father is a legend in his MC. And they want you to know that however all this goes, you don’t have anything to worry about. You’ll be alright. I want you to know that.”
I take a deep breath and focus on his eyes, willing myself to see just the peaceful lake there. But the snowcapped mountains surrounding are covered in blood now.
“Cross? That’s Lily’s father, right?” I ask and he nods. “She never told me any of this.”
He shrugs. “I don’t think she knew.”
“Thank you for telling me,” I say. “I always wondered about how he died. And why. This makes it a little less senseless, but not much.”
“Yeah, dead is dead,” he says. “I’m still coming to grips with that hard fact and I’ve seen a lot of death.”
I slide closer to him and lean against his side. “This is not at all how I pictured today to go.”
The redwoods here are young trees and their branches reach almost to the ground. The ones nearest to the road are moving even though there’s no breeze, and that old, familiar, scary feeling that I’m being watched rises in my chest.
As always I’m sure I’m right, and equally sure I’m just imagining it.
“What?” he asks, looking over his shoulder to peer at the spot I’m watching.
I could tell him all about my fear, could tell him I’m sure we’re being watched. But then he’ll go look, I’m sure he will, and he’ll find nothing the way no one I’ve told has ever found anything, and he’ll just think I’m crazy the way everyone already kinda does. No.
“Let’s go back to my house,” I say instead and stand up. “My mom will worry, and I do kind of want to lie down. I’m sure you do too.”
He grins, his eyes full of the same suggestion I just made, only stronger, more visceral, more lustful. Even my fear melts beneath that look.
He stand up and offers me his hand. “I think that’s the best idea you’ve had yet.”
We walk out of the park hand in hand, and just like that the world is bright again. And full of hope. By rights it shouldn’t be, but it is.
