"I promise this is a place-"
"I don't want to go," she interrupts.
He flicks the turn signal, it lights up the dark road behind them. "You'll want to see," he finishes, shooting a glance as his daughter all gloom and grimace in the passenger seat.
They turn onto a gravel road. Trees stretch up, reaching for each other overhead. The night gradually recedes. He hurries. They get to the parking lot and he pulls in the car, shutting it off. "Come on, it's a short walk."
She lets out an exasperated groan, but doesn't protest and follows.
Once on the trail, he clears his throat. "So, Ally..."
"What, Dad?" She draws out her words.
"There's something you need to know."
"I thought there was a place I needed to see," she grumbles, struggling up the incline.
"Well..."
They make it to the top and a cliff drops off several feet away. The forest below is lit by the first blush of morning.
Ally stands stunned, more engaged than he's seen her in a while.
"Have you ever seen the sun rise?"
"Nope," she replies.
He pauses wondering why he never knew that. "Ally, you gotta know."
She doesn't turn, but her back tightens.
"Ally, your mother is leaving me."
"Really? I thought she left us a long time ago." But her back relaxes.
He sighs, the throbbing in his head dulls and steps up beside her. "But we'll be OK."
"Course, Dad."
(Note: this won on week 179 of #ThursThreads, linked below)
YOU ARE READING
The Eternal Return
Proză scurtăA collection of speculative short stories and flash fiction. A few of these are also posted on my blog and others still I wrote in creative writing classes or for flash fiction contests. Please, let me know what you think.
