A Forsaken path

Chapter four

"Ari, are we good now?" I asked as soon as we got into the car.

"Yes, Anne. We are." She paused. "Anne, there's something I have to tell you."

"What is it Ari?" I asked eagerly. Ari folded her arms tightly which made me worried.

"My dad is alive Anne. I don't understand how, but he is. He says my mum tried to kill him. I don't know what to believe. I'm so scared. I don't- " She said without pausing to take a breath.

"Ari slow down. Slow down." I cut in. I was speeding along the empty road. I pulled the car to the road side, stepping too hard on the break and probably leaving a couple of skid marks. I shut my eyes tight and then opened them. I tried to reassure myself I hadn't just heard my best friend tell me her dead father had contacted her and that he had accused her sweet mother of trying to murder him. I closed my eyes again. Ari appeared a bit shaken from my rather rough parking.

"Oh my God Anne. Were you trying to kill us? Anne? Please open your eyes. I've just been so upset and I shut everyone out. I'm really sorry." Ari said. I opened my eyes looked at her and I couldn't resisting embracing her in a tight hug.

"It's okay Ari. Why haven't you told me this since? I'm so sorry you had to go through that alone. I wish you had trusted me. I don't believe this. When?" I said. I pulled back from the hug and relaxed in my seat, my hands on the wheel, the automobile left at rest.

"Tell me everything. From start to finish." She folded her arms again and relaxed in the front passenger seat of my car.

"Okay." She said. She looked grief stricken. I felt so helpless.

"It all happened the night after we found the book." She paused. "He said the book drew him to me as it should. You left first. After Fred left, my mum arrived and I was so happy to see her. She told me about grandma and I was a bit sad. We had dinner together. Mum bought this amazing mexican food from jo's. When dinner was over, I went to bed." She paused

"Did he climb in through your window?" I asked alarmed.

"No! I haven't actually seen him. He sent an email. I was using my computer when i saw the message from cryptic70."

"Oh then Ari, have you put into consideration the fact that it might have been a prank message after all?" I said

"Oh come on Anne. A prank message from who? I think it's true. Maybe you should read the conversation yourself. My computer is in my bag on the back seat. I really do not want my mom happening on the conversation. She'll freak. I wonder if it's true, what he said about her." Ari confessed. I removed my hands from the steering and reached for her computer on the back seat.

"I doubt it. You shouldn't believe a stranger who calls himself cryptic over your own mother who has always been there for you."

"I knew you would do this." Ari shook her head much to my annoyance.

"Do what?!" I asked wondrously.

"Support her without knowing the facts."

"Maybe it's because i know her well."

"Oh really? Do you know her more than i do?"

"Let's not fight Ari. You're just upset right now."

"He called me Arestiae." She said. Her eyes heavy with tears. I held her shoulder with one hand while I searched for the conversation with the stranger she believed to be her father. I started to read.

"Seriously Ari? Don't get all emotional on me..... Oh my God. Now I get why you think this is your dad. He sounds like your dad. I remember when we used to play basketball together and I was always too short to shoot in the hoop and we used to talk about you going to Stanford and joining their basketball team. This might just be your dad." I said. I could not believe this, Ari's dad was alive. Or maybe he wasn't. Stalkers always had a way with information scooping. I thought it better to keep my thoughts to myself.