when you were my father

outside

"What?" I ask my brother outside, where we don't have to be quiet. "Why are you acting like this?"

"I'm only asking the logical questions. You guys just seem to pretend that nothing crazy's happening?" He quickly snaps back. Am I seriously having this conversation again?

"We're not pretending anything," I calmly tell him. "I'm just trying to keep a level head. You're right, it is crazy and I don't know what to do either. It's confusing, trust me, I know. Just don't get all on Isla."

"It's hard not to, since this could easily be all her fault."

"How can it be my fault?" Isla asks quietly, appearing at my side with her arms crossed.

"You're the one drawing, I don't know." Micah yells at her, God he's tired.

Isla leans on her hip and purses her lips. "Excuse me? I'm a six year old child that's been through hell this past week. I'm flippin' covered in blood and you're blaming this all on me?"

This shuts my brother up. I can see Valentina's trying to hold in laughter, maybe she's not all serious like I thought.

"I..." My brother seems to be speechless. Standing there trying to make the words out, he doesn't notice the sky fading. The cars, lamps and benches along with it.

"Again?" Brian asks, but soon he's fading too.

I breathe in, preparing myself for whatever's coming. I'm fed up with all this fading.

*********

"Brian...JAMES! Don't give her away! She's my daughter! She's your daughter!" woman screams at the top of her lungs, looking straight at a man. A familiar man.

The two of them just appeared in the middle of the street. They're standing next to a black jeep. A toddler sits inside, strapped into a pink car seat, tears stain her small, round face.

"I have to! She's dangerous! It's not safe for her to be with us, she'll be better there!" He tells her, firmly but somewhat calm. This man seems so familiar, but at the same time a complete stranger.

"At a house for insane girls? Are you kidding me?" The woman screams back at him, tears running down her face and her nose scrunched up with anger. "She's your daughter, you have to stop this! What about our family, you're ruining it!"

"I'm not ruining it, you're about to have another one soon anyway!" He screams back. She looks at him, if looks could kill he'd be dead.

"You think that I can just replace my daughter that I've known for two years?" She asks him, calming down and catching her breath. Within her sudden calmness, there seems to be even more anger. "You're a jerk!" She shrieks, punching his head with all her strength. He falls down onto the cobblestone street, hitting the other side of his head against a stone.

Black flash, flashes again and then everything's all blurry. Everyone disappears and the streets are back to how they were just moments prior. But not everyone disappears, the man still lays on the dusty ground, knocked out probably.

Turning around confused, I realize that this time Brian hasn't come back.