Keep Me

Chapter One

January 3rd, 2011

Ashting, Texas.  

I didn't have any plan for the night. I mean, no other plans except for work. It was about 3:05 in the afternoon and I didn't have to be at work until six.( I worked at a local diner in town called ' The Longhorn' . ) So, maybe because I had to time to relax, I was dragging my ass a little. I slugged around the house as if I didn't have anything better to do. Sadly, however my father thought otherwise and I soon gained his attention.

My father was very tall and somewhat muscular from years of foot ball. His hair was dark, and tightly curled and his eyes were as dark as obsidian. My father was very handsome for his age of forty-two and people often mistook him for being much younger than he actually was. Of course, he loved the attention he got about his appearance, who and their right mind wouldn't? 

" Why aren't you out yet, Corrie?" He called to me from out of the kitchen as I sighed and plopped down on the couch.

" I don't go to work until six, dad." I collapsed against the couch and inhaled deeply. From the kitchen, I could hear my dad's awful laughing.

" And since when do you wait for work in order to leave the house? "  He peeked his head out of the kitchen and stared at me with awfully accusing eyes.

" I don't have anywhere to go dad." He laughed again, and raised a brow at me.

" Since when?" I didn't answer him. It was true, I used to never be home during the day. I always had somewhere to go or something to do. But it wasn't like that anymore, many things had changed for me and there wasn't any way for me to undo them.

" Since I grew up, dad," I muttered. He stared at me a moment and then he opened his mouth to say something. He seemed to think the better of it and shook his head.

Instead, he replied, " Sorry I brought it up, Corrie." He gave me a sad smile and ducked back into the kitchen. My dad's pity almost hurt worst than anything. I felt tears prick my eyes and decided that I needed to get out of there,

" Hey, dad? I'm gonna go for a walk." I walked over to the door and sat on the wooden floor to tie on my sneakers.

" Alright," he sighed. He stuck his head out the kitchen again and gave me a very serious look. " Be safe, Corbin." I met his eyes and saw the tension within them. He'd never feared me leaving the house before, not until recently. Quickly, I looked away from him and finished tying my shoes.

" Alright, dad. I will." I stood up and shuffled out the front door. I hadn't made that far past the porch before I was running towards the woods. Once upon a time, the woods had been my wonderland. And I remember, all too well, the day it became so much more.