Sinister (Lethal Fear: Book One)

24 - Stronger

Dad grew more stiff as I went on through the story. Through everything that had happened. Starting from the night Alec had come to the station. He even seemed to become more pale and his were narrowed.

However, once I finally got to Elena actually being alive, he seemed to come back to life. He looked up at me, eyes wide now with almost fear.

"I know I should have told you," I finally said. "I should have told you before this all got out of hand and-"

Dad, to my surprise, grabbed my hand. Then I looked into his eyes and realized they were not the controlled, stern ones of a leader. They were sad, broken down eyes of a man on the verge of a break down.

"Dad-"

"Elena?" He asked, his voice rough and tired. "She's a - one of them?"

I slowly nodded.

Then Dad crumbled and his body shook with tears. Dad was crying. I put my arms around him, trying not to cry myself. The old twelve year old me would have cowered back and went to my room but I needed to be here.

"I'll stop it!" He suddenly cried, nearly knocking me over as he flew off the couch. "I'll stop him! I'll proctect you!" He flung himself at the metal walls. He pulled out his stake and stabbed through the air.

I wanted to hide. I wanted to run back to my room. I wanted to close my eyes and block out his crying. However, I forced myself to grab him by the arm and lower his stake. "Its okay," I tried. "Nothing is here."

He looked into my eyes and I could see the wildness in his. "No!" He shoved out of my grip and punched at the walls again.

'Breathe, Alina'

'You can do this'

I moved more closer to him again. This time I just hugged him tightly. "Dad, its okay. Theres nothing to worry about. There is no danger here."

He didn't break out of my grasp as he began to cry. "I should have saved her! I should have been there!"

"Its okay." I kept murmuring because I had no idea what else to say.

"This is my fault," He sobbed. "Now she's a monster and its because of me."

I could feel tears blurring my own view but I held on to my father. "No, its not your fault! This isn't your fault!" It was all Elena. She had orchestrated all of this just so she could escape a disease. Using a disease to escape another.

I realized I could probably put Dad to bed and I tried to guide him there.

"No." He said, stopping in his tracks.

"Dad, come on."

"No." He stayed planted in the middle of the hall.

"Dad -"

"No, Alina," He sighed as if he were tired and I followed him to the kitchen. "Just go to sleep. Everything will be okay soon."

I studied him. The calmness that started to engulf him. The crazy look in his eyes was nearly gone. Now it was just a sadness but I wasn't sure if Dad had come back.

He looked through the cabinets before he found a tiny plastic bottle.Then he poured himself a glass of water. I leaned in the doorframe cautiously as he poured - thats when I realized what he was doing. This wasn't over.

Dad had painkillers in his hands, pouring as many as he could into his hand.

I lunged for him just as he raised them to his mouth. "Dad, no!" I knocked them out of his hand, breaking the glass of water in the process.