Guardians of the Shadows

2

2.

"Dad! Why can't I move to the city?" yelled Bruce irritably.

"Because we'll miss you," Sean winked playfully at his daughter.

"Ughh... please! I'm eighteen for god's sake. I am legally an adult."

"Well, you're forgetting something, sweetie. The state law does not apply here! Vinbrooke is an independent town with its rules and regulations."

"So what? I am still old enough. Most of the others my age have already moved to the city to live their life."

Sean pretended not to be listening and continued doing the dishes. He closed the window above the dishwasher to block the cold breeze from making its way inside.

"Can you at least tell me why I can't go?"

"I already told you."

"No, you're lying! I cannot be cooped up here in between of nowhere my whole life, like you! I'm leaving tomorrow."

Sean turned around and gave her a hard stare, "Enough!"

"Ughhhhhhhhhh... I am so done with you guys."

Bruce went upstairs to her room and smashed the door behind her in anger hoping to the point that she was a big girl now who could take her own stand. The whole room was ripped apart in the next 10 minutes.

Old clothes that made her feel like daddy's little princess were on the floor while all the blacks were thrown towards the suitcase. She picked up her journal and pushed it on top of her clothes to finally zip the suitcase.

I'll miss you too, Dad. Bruce murmured to herself before stuffing the family photo inside her backpack. Tightly pulling on its belt around her waist, she reached out for her favourite black boots and opened the window to make the jump.

The thud was louder than she anticipated. As strong as Bruce thought she was, she landed on her right arm which jerked through pain. Maybe she had fractured it. But, for now, all she wanted was to catch the last bus to the city which left exactly at 6:00 p.m. every evening and dropped people in Flanington, before heading to other areas of which she was not aware of.

Managing to stand up without making any sound, she tip-toed towards the main gate.

"Bruce...!!!!! Where the hell do you think you are going?" Linda shouted from behind the kitchen window.

Bruce turned around to see the main door sliding open and her father coming out.

"You don't have to do this, sweetie. Please listen to me. Let's talk about this tomorrow morning."

"No! I said I am leaving even if you don't want me to." Bruce ran to cross the wet roads. A few cars were approaching at high speed and she knew this would halt her father from following her and then she would just disappear into the forest behind and take the shorter route.

She turned around to look at her parents for the last time.

"I love you, Bruce."

Tears started to roll from her eyes, but she had to stay strong.

"Please forgive me, sweetie," Sean adjusted the brown bracelet that Bruce had given him on his birthday. He looked to his right and jumped right in front of the speeding car.

"Dad!!!!!"

"Sean. Oh my god!" Both Linda and Bruce ran towards the center of the road.

"Where is he, Mom? Where is Dad?" Bruce yelled, crying at the same time.

They were both scared, imagining the worst of the situation.

"Sean? Are you okay?" Linda dropped to the ground, howling and losing all hope.

"Look, Mom...there's no blood."

"Sean!!"

"Dad!" Bruce woke up panting heavily, having had this same dream she'd been having since the day he went missing. Or maybe he was dead. There was no way to find out. The clock struck seven. The room was bright, and the window was open, cold breeze letting itself in. But Bruce was sweating.

It was her bed. Her room. But she had no clue how she ended up here. She tried to recall the last thing she could. She felt a tinge of pain around her neck and that's when Devin's face flashed in her mind.

Did he bring her to the house? But how? And what the hell happened to me? she thought to herself.

Making her way downstairs, she called out, "Mom? Are you home?"

"Morning, Bruce! How are you feeling now?" Linda answered while watching television.

"What happened to me?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, how did I come home? Did you meet that crazy stalker?"

"Who are you talking about, Bru? You came back yesterday saying that you wanted to sleep and don't even want to have dinner."

"So, I was alone?"

"Yes, you came alone. But, why? And who is this person you are talking about?"

"Umm... nothing, leave it. I might have dreamt of someone and now I'm confusing it with reality."

Linda gave a sly smile, "How did this guy look? Is he someone from around?"

"Stop, Mom. It's nothing. Just a figment of my imagination," her voice mellowed down.

"I don't believe it but that's okay. You know you can share anything with me, right?"

"Yes, I know. Now let's have some breakfast. I'm hungry and I have to go to the Community Hall then."

Linda started preparing eggs for breakfast. Bruce looked to her left outside the window, which opened up towards their backyard. To the dense forest of the town.

It suddenly dawned upon her what the stranger said about her Dad. She wanted to see him again but didn't know how.

Maybe I should wait for him in the forest at the same time as yesterday, she thought to herself, adjusting her dad's bracelet.