Faye and Ruin

Her Father's Revelation

Dustin had left over two weeks ago and hadn't once tried to contact me, despite a couple attempts on my end to see how he was doing; which also eventually stopped. Claire had finally returned home a few days after he left and I had hidden myself away in the little writing office. She came over three times a day to bring me food, but we hardly spoke during any of that and I knew she was beginning to worry.

I, on the other hand, was feeling overwhelmed. All the different myths and lore about fae and mystical creatures held too much information. Some of the descriptions of different creatures fit some of the species I had seen in the arena. I knew for certain that Elves and Dwarves and High Fae existed, which made me assume that regular fae and fairies and branches of species similar must exist.

Witches existed as well, remembering the thought of the woman's memory I had so often dreamed about but what of witches and elves and dwarves and fae was true or not, I didn't know. What else outside of them existed, I also didn't know. My suspicions about the realms being separated was confirmed as almost every legend spoke of a veil, or wall, or something that kept the mortal and immortal worlds apart. But it was always a different reason or tale as to why.

Frustration was the next exhausting feeling that riddled my soul. I rubbed at the temples of my head as a soft knock sounded at my door. Assuming it was Claire, I told her to come in but didn't look up from my computer. The door shut quietly and footsteps shifted towards me, creeping closer and closer. No smells of food hit my nostrils and no usual bubbly greeting of hello reached my ears.

"Everything ok, Claire?" I asked, still scrolling through some ominous blog that rang similar to everything else I read, but something in me said it wasn't quite on target.

A deep sigh reached my ears, one that did not come from Claire. "Claire's worried about you, pumpkin." The voice said and I spun around in my seat.

My father stood in the doorway. He looked smaller than usual, his flannel shirt hanging limply over his body. Worry riddled his face, one that had my stomach turning on edge. "Daddy? What are you doing here?" I asked and rose from my chair. He threw his arms around me as I buried my face into his shoulder.

Communication between my dad and I had become a little strained since I'd moved to New York at eighteen, but that didn't mean I didn't love my father. He had been thrown into the single dad role when I was just ten years old, and did a phenomenal job despite everything that had fought against him.

"Claire called." He said again, his quiet tenor voice ringing in my ears just a little too long. He placed his hands on my shoulders and pushed me away for a minute, his brown eyes searching mine. "She said you've barely slept. You don't come out of this room nor eat unless she brings you food and Dustin left over two weeks ago and you hardly speak of him. What happened during those four days you were missing?" My worry for him was swept away with anger as he asked his last question.

"Where were you? I was missing for four days and only now you show up?" I screeched at him, unnecessary anger spilling over and shoved his hands from my shoulders.

"Pumpkin, the police told me to stay at the house just in case you came there. They told me to stay in Ohio, hoping that you would go somewhere familiar to you. I was ready to fly out here in a moment's notice, and when they called to say you were back at the apartment, safe, I jumped in my truck and drove to the airport." He paused and I hung my head in shame. Of course they would tell him that. Of course he had to stay for they had no idea I wasn't even in this realm.

"Oh." I murmured out and he chuckled. A strained chuckle, but a chuckle all the same.

"I only turned back around when they said you were fine and just relaxing on the couch." He finished and I watched his brown eyes fall to the ground. "Maybe if I had just come then, you wouldn't be like this a month later. You wouldn't look like you've barely slept."