Daddy's Little Girl, Too

Chapter 2: The Downward Spiral

Michael feels rushed to get the gate latch. He's been extremely busy at work, and normally wouldn't have even taken a lunch break, but he has made a promise to his wife. If he were to break the promise, it wouldn't be the end of the world, but still, in Nancy's eyes, a promise is a promise; don't say it, if you don't mean it. Michael would rather just get it done now to avoid having an argument later.

Entering the store, Michael checks his watch; he only has ten minutes remaining on his thirty minute lunch break. He spent most of his time searching for a parking spot.

He hurries to find the isle containing the door hardware. His eyes jump quickly across the hundreds of different products. Each item neatly organized in its own plastic bin. Among the parts are hinges and door knobs of all different sizes, shapes and finishes. There are also door knockers, door bells, weather stripping, metal and wood thresholds, and peephole assemblies. He sees house numbers, mail box slots, and even dog and cat doors, but he can't for the life of him, find a latch for a gate.

Michael becomes frustrated in a very short time. He turns to search for a sales associate to assist him. As he exits the aisle, a patron pushing a cart suddenly bumps into him.

"Oh, excuse me." A tall man with a deep voice offers an apology.

Michael nods, letting the incident slide. "No problem." He suddenly notices the man's cart contains four gallons of a dangerous chemical; hydrofluoric acid. Michael points out, "That's some pretty nasty stuff."

The mysterious man smiles to Michael. "Yes it is, but it's also quite handy, when used properly."

Michael's in a hurry, but he is also curious. "Yeah? What do you use it for?"

"All sorts of things really. It's great for rust removal and getting stains off of concrete...and when mixed with just the right amount of water, it makes one hell of a glass cleaner."

There is surprise in Michael's voice. "Glass cleaner? With acid... really?" A hint of suspicion can be detected.

The man smiles again, "Yes. The clearest glass you'll never see. But, you have to be very careful. Too much acid and it will eat through the glass, and too little will just smear the dirt. You should try it some time."

"I just might do that... hey, thanks for the tip, I'm Michael." He extends his hand.

The man grabs Michaels hand firmly and shakes. "Nice to meet you. I'm Harrison."

"Okay well, you have a good day, and be careful."

The man named Harrison smiles wickedly, "I always am."

***

Nancy's attempt to distract Emma from her nightmares is working quite well. Emma frolics carelessly around the playground; up and down the slide, back and forth on the swings, over, under, around and through the monkey bars. Little Emma loves to run.

Nancy sits on the wooden bench, smiling and waving to her, thrilled that she is having such an exciting time. Yet, Nancy's own mind hasn't let up. She stresses ceaselessly over the nightmares that torment her young child. As a mother, her only want is to keep her child safe, but how can she protect her from her own dreams? Nancy thinks about the newest incident; the writing on the wall. 'What did Emma mean by, 'the bald girl did it?' This was the first mention of a bald girl from her dreams, and it only makes Nancy's worries escalate.

The seconds pass and become minutes, which soon become hours. Nancy checks her watch and sees it is almost four o'clock. "Emma! Come on sweetie, it's time to go!"

Emma hollers from across the sea of pebbles. "Can we stay just a little longer? Please?"

Nancy wants to give in but it's getting late and she still has to get dinner started. "No honey, we have to go! Daddy will be getting home soon...maybe we'll come back tomorrow!"