My father. Standing right in front of me. And all I can feel is fear. I don't know what to do, for the first time in my life while I am with my father. All too soon, I feel emotion climbing back up inside my gut, trying to crawl out. My mind dances with the idea that this could be fake, that somehow my father is not this man, that he is a fraud. No, why would he do that to me. He is, was my father. I test out the word on my tongue carefully.
"Father?" I call out into my usual darkness and I hear a sigh of relief, like the wind gushing through trees.
"Ember. I—" He starts but I interrupt. I'm mad at him so suddenly that I can't control it.
"No. You left me, and you never said goodbye. You don't have the right to come back here and pretend that I am okay with this. You don't have any right to tell me you're sorry because you promise me; promised me, father that you would return." I yell and I am now saying these words so viciously, but it's true. It's totally true, and I know it. All I want to say is out into the air before I can realize I've actually said all of this to his face. To yell at my own father, is one thing, but to be angry like this for no certain reason, is just unbearable, yet relieving that I run. I shouldn't feel that way. I love my father and I should be happy to see him that he is alive; that I could just run up and hug him until I am exhausted, and collapse into his lap, but instead I run.
I am alone on the docks, hanging my feet over the edge when I hear steps carving their way towards me, engraving the spot they stand for only seconds. The thrum of the vibrations from their step lets me know it's not the person I want to talk to right now. I close my eyes, hoping that she will go away. But even now, I know it's not true. She'll come right up to me, just to get into my business and still be the mysterious woman she is.
I wait for her to approach me enough for me to tell her to leave me alone. But instead, I am met with liquid. Water. And I am surrounded by it. Another splash beside me tells me she is near. I attempt to swim away and find that she suddenly drags me under the surface. I kick her, but water is impossible to make a movement with the right amount of strength. She laughs, and then I know why she seemed so familiar.
She's the one behind my dreams. She's the one with the salty maniacal laugh. I shiver and struggle underwater, holding my breath as long as I can until I've got a wondrous plan. I let myself float, and relax. I feel my body return to the top of the water, until I can't take it anymore, but I know that she is still watching. My plan has blown up in just seconds of activating it. I feel my body lower, slipping into the depths of the waves, laughter filling the liquid around me.
And when I feel my mind collapsing into darkness from lack of air, I hear "I'll be back for you, just you wait." Until a pulling sensation at my belly lingers and I fall into the darkness.
***
I regain consciousness and stir from a pleasant mattress underneath me. I open my eyes.
"Oh thank god. She's alive." Says a very familiar high voice. I smile at Madilyn, who I know is next to me. I feel another figure next to me, laying down and cuddling into my shoulder and instantly know its Avery.
"What happened?" I ask. There is a sigh until someone answers.
"You drowned. Jack came to save you. It was very fortunate that he was getting his boat together for another day of fishing or you would have—"
"Okay, she gets it. Ember, are you feeling alright?" I hear my father's voice and I want to cry, but I don't. Instead I decide to try to move.
"Nuh, uh. You're not moving. You need your rest." It's not a voice I know, it's someone I've never heard before and I listen intently, trying to picture what they might look like.
"If the kid says she's fine, she's fine. Alright, doctor?" I hear Jack say. I almost fly into a set of laughter from his mocking tone. I do remember drowning, the weird and odd sensation a little too familiar by now. But this time it happened for real.
Its silent, then I realize I am supposed to answer. I quickly laugh at myself in my head. "I'm fine." I repeat it almost like Jack's previous words. I hear a sigh of relief next to me and turn to face Avery, who is still snuggled into my shoulder. It was him, he was scared. I know it from the way he had been awfully tense, and I hadn't realized it until now. I reach for him with my arms outstretched and place in my chest, giving him a tight embrace for comfort.
"Alright. I'll let you go." The doctor's voice echoes, and I smile.
"Thank you, for coming so quickly to help us." It's my father's voice. I still don't know what to say to him. The door closes at the front of the cabin as the doctor leaves and then its dead silent; the only thing heard is breathing. I try to think of something to say, but no words come to mind.
"Thank you Jack. For saving me." I blurt out forcedly. I had to thank him, or it would just be rude not to mention it.
"You're most welcome, Ember." And I can detect a smile rising on his lips as he talks. I end up smiling too, even if I don't even know why both of us smile in the first place. I pull away from Avery, but I stay close. I have to stay close; in fear that I might lose him or the other way around, and I know neither of us could bear that.
"We should all go. Just so she can rest properly." Madilyn replies suddenly, it's almost as if someone had pushed her to say such a thing because it sounds rehearsed. I sigh anyway, knowing my best friends were leaving me for today, and I'd be alone with my returned father. The front door closes, and it's strange to have him here, right in front of me. We are enclosed in the darkness of silence and I can't speak; I won't.
"Ember, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—" My father starts but I am angry enough that I interrupt him once more like before.
"You didn't mean what? To make me think you were dead for months, to leave me like that? What? Nothing will help." I yell at him, my voice scratchy from the way the water collected in my lungs. Another uncomfortable silence.
"Ember, if you wouldn't interrupt me, I can explain." He says. I laugh.
"Dad, there's nothing to explain. You left me, and made me think my only parent was dead! I thought you were gone!" I exclaim loudly.
"I know, I know. And I'm sorry. But listen, I didn't mean to stay long." He answers quickly and then when I'm about to yell, I grow confused.
"You didn't mean to stay long? Dad, what are you even saying? That you didn't mean to stay long to raise me, or what? What do you mean!" I say a little softer, all the hurt and confusion pouring into words, like ink on paper.
"Ember, calm down." He starts to say and I can't take it.
"No, you didn't answer the question. Answer! I want to know what happened." I yell angrily again, my throat suddenly feeling like it was torn in half.
"I—I didn't think it would come to this Ember. I have to tell you something." He answers and I feel like I'm on fire. Really, now he admits he has to tell me something? That's what I've been trying to get him to do for the past five minutes of our argument. I growl at him.
"I wanted you to explain since the moment you returned dad, and now you just tell me that you have to tell me something? Really?" I ask annoyed at his behavior. I hear a sigh. "What? What could be so important that you make me think you're dead, that I think you left me and died drowning in a terrible storm? What is it?" I yell.
Silence. Then; "Ember, I was with your mother."
+I+wond�f{i�\t
YOU ARE READING
Ariel's Daughter
Fantasy"I don't like it, but it's true." It's my dad's voice. Sad and full of guilt. I frown. He must feel horrible, but I realized yesterday, that I can't blame him for this turnout. It was my mother that kept me in the dark all this time. Dad was only th...
