Hostage (H.S)

Chapter 4

"Faye come look at this!" I hear my dad yell from outside of the tent.

It is early in the morning when he calls my name and I was still half asleep. We take a father daughter trip each year. We have been doing this ever since I can remember, it has become the only tradition. I rush out of the tent to find him. He is standing on the edge of the lake looking out to the water. I reach him and he wraps his arm around me.

"It's so beautiful." I say in awe as we watch the colors paint the sky. This is always my favorite part of the trip. Even though each year we watch the sunrise together, each year it's even more beautiful.

He squeezes me closer to him. "So what does my little girl want to do for her birthday this year? The big thirteen!"

"It isn't that big of a deal dad." I laugh.

"Yes it is Faye. You are entering your teen years,  God help your mom and I." He says.

I nudge him. "I'm not going to be one of those teens who rebels and doesn't listen to their parents. You have nothing to worry about. As for celebrating...I don't know... It's not like I can have a party. No one would come."

"And why is that?" He asks.

"No one likes me. They say I'm too weird to be friends with." I kick a pebble beneath my shoe. I can feel my eyes start to tear up so I move my head in the other direction so he can't see me. I hate when he sees me cry.

"Look at me," He turns me so I'm staring at him with wet eyes. "That's what makes you the most amazing person. You are beautiful and strong, you shouldn't let anyone tell you otherwise. I am so proud of the person you are becoming sweetie. And if they don't want to be friends with you, well it is their loss."

He brings me in for hug. He is the only friend I need.

"Well this is getting depressing." I cry into his flannel. "Lets go make some breakfast." I look up at him.

"Sounds good. I'm right behind you." He ushers me ahead of him as we make our way towards the tent.

"So how do you want your eggs today?" I ask but he doesn't answer. I turn around and he is gone. "Dad?"

I take a couple steps back to the lake but there is no sign of him. The air starts to get cold making me wish I had a jacket on. I yelled out for him again, still no answer. Where could he have gone? When I turn around I see him lying next to the fire pit. I rush over to him, dropping to my knees.

"Dad?"

"Dad wake up..." I shake his shoulder. I look to his chest and it isn't moving. He isn't breathing.

"Oh my god...Dad..Wake up please....." I cry out.

"Dad!" I wake with a jolt but I'm pulled slightly back down as if something were restraining me. I look to my right to see a silver handcuff wrapped around my wrist, the other end attached to the bed post.

I yank at the wooden frame to see if it would give but no luck. I can't tell where I am since the room is dark with little light coming in through the window. My head gazes to the corner of the room where I see a silhouette sitting on a chair.

"Bad dream?" He asks with a deep accent.

"Alex?" I start to remember the cemetery. The men showing up, them taking Silas, the one chasing me. I remember him placing the white cloth over my mouth and then nothing.

"Yeah about that." He stands from the chair and walks over to me. "That's not actually my name."

"What? But- you said-"