Delirious

She was here

 The sky was lit up in an array of lightning. It was strange, considering mere hours before it had been one of the most idyllic sunsets I had ever seen. But the end of twilight and beginning of dusk had proven to be treacherous, granting the Earth with a storm of high severity.

Curse words slipped through my lips as I grappled with my umbrella, rain surging from the skies. The wind threatened to tear the umbrella from my grasp, but I held on tight, teeth gritted as I struggled to walk forward.

If I had known about the upcoming storm before I had let my house, I would not of gone to the local mini mart. Nevertheless decided to walk there. Now not only did I have to worry about my children- one of which being petrified of thunder- being home alone and myself having to walk in this weather, but I had to spend an extra twelve fifty on an umbrella.

Luckily, my house wasn't too far away. Only a half mile walk, in this case I would have to trek through flooded streets, but it was obviously something that needed to get done. Sadly, the umbrella quickly proved to be a waste of my money, as the wind kept turning it inside out.

All of this for a stupid bottle of Pepto Bismol. I groaned inwardly as the rain soaked through my clothes, another bolt of lightning taking over the sky. The wind and thunder was deafening, making me question my sanity for still continuing to walk home in this.

Discomfort and worry prickled in my chest as I thought of my two children, home alone. CJ, the oldest, was only thirteen. And then there was Charlotte, who had just turned four. Charlotte had a crippling fear of thunder and lightning, and thinking about her all scared in the house made me lengthen my stride even farther.

Ever since Violet- my former wife- left me three years ago the whole aspect of parenting had gotten harder. CJ remembered her mother clearly, and it made it harder for me. I had new news about Violet's whereabouts, but didn't quite know how to break it to CJ and Charlotte. I highly doubt Charlotte would remember anything about her mother, considering she had terrible memory, and was only one when her mother left her. But CJ had been close to her mom, and Violet just leaving like that had already caused a gash that couldn't be headed. This new update I had learned, would just break her.

I stifled a sigh of relief as I saw my house, standing strong in the downpour. But the thing that scared me, even through the thundering of the wind and crashing of thunder, I could still hear my daughter's high pitched scream. It pierced through the air like lightning, yet it caused more fear in me than any lightning bolt could.

I ran up to the house, cursing in frustration as I realized the door was locked.

"Charlotte c'mon, calm down. Dad will be here soon." I heard the muffled voice of CJ say. I knocked on the front door carefully, trying not to scare them.

"See look? He's here." CJ said, opening the door with a sigh of relief. I quickly moved into my house, water dripping from my hair.

"Some storm we got out there." I said to CJ, who nodded apprehensively, "Where's Charlotte?"

"I..in the living room." CJ said, and I narrowed my eyes curiously as I saw her shaking in fear.

"Is everything okay?" I asked quickly, it's not like CJ to be fearful.

"Daddy!" A high pitched scream interrupted our conversation, and I turned to face my youngest daughter. She threw her arms around my neck as I bent down to hug her, "Daddy I was so scared."

"It's okay," I said, resting my chin on her head, "Daddy's here now Char."

"Why didn't you tell us Mom was here?" CJ asked, and I straightened myself, Charlotte glued to my side.

"What?" I whispered, my voice hoarse in nervousness and confusion.

"Mom, I saw her." CJ said back to me.

"Yeah Daddy! She was in the entryway!" Charlotte chirped.

"She didn't look good Dad." CJ added, and I backed up slightly in sudden fear.

I shook my head, a sense of protection surging through my body. I walked over to my cabinet, swinging it open and pulling out my rifle. As I loaded it, I saw CJ staring at me wide eyes. Charlotte had her head tilted slightly, staring at the gun and probably wondering what it was, and what it was doing in my hands.

"Dad? What are you doing?!" CJ exclaimed angrily, a loud thunder boom following her words. Charlotte squeaked, cowering behind her hands, at the noise.

I ignored CJ, quickly running through the house and searching. She shouldn't be in this house.

"CJ!" I called, finding her comforting her sister, "Where did you see her?"

"In the entryway, one moment she there, the next she wasn't. But I didn't hear a door open or anything. Dad, this is a good thing though! Mom's back! Why are you holding a gun?" CJ said, frozen as she processed what was going on.

I was breathing deeply, peering into the dark shadowed hallways, keeping my daughter's right next to me. I tightened my grip on the barrel of the gun, ready to fire at any moment.

"Dad, you're scaring me. Why are you carrying a gun?! IT'S MOM!" CJ screamed suddenly, her face starting to tint red in her anger, "Are you going to shoot our Mom?!"

"CJ...Charlotte.." I whispered quietly, fear pulsing through me, "Your Mom died two weeks ago."