Calling All Aspiring Writers!

Silver Water by Sofia Insignares

CHAPTER 4: Silver water

Now, I know I never really mentioned my father other than the fact that he had died when I was two but apparently he had been doing pretty well since then. In my defense, I never met the guy and mom never talked about him. I only ever asked a couple times and she would dismiss my question and it would be as if I had never asked, so at the end I just gave up, until now. I couldn't miss the similarities between me and this guy, same dark hair, same olive colored eyes. But still it was impossible that he was my father. And if he was then I was pissed off at him, I had practically grown up on my own with only Dave (who was only four years older than me and no kid that age should be in charge of practically raising a child). My mom was there too of course, but you already heard about how she was deteriorating, and even before that started she was never really there.

The guy closed his arms awkwardly when he saw I made no move to greet him. I did not speak, and for a moment, he did not either, and it wasn't a comfortable silence. After what had felt like a while way too long he cleared his throat and nodded at the woman behind me, "you're dismissed Zoë, I believe this girl deserves some explanation?" I think he was trying to sound nonchalant, but his voice came out everything but.

The woman who had brought me in-and whose name I had just learned was Zoë-bowed in curtsy and hurried past the doors, closing them silently behind her.

The guy motioned for me to sit at the sofa, and I would have refused if not for fear of passing out if I remained standing for this conversation, so I sat at the far corner hoping that he would not sit near me.

He did, in a 7 foot long couch this dude decided to sit right next to me where our knees were touching even when I leaned them away. Even then I refused to meet his eye.

He placed a hand on my shoulder but I shook him away, he sighed and began "Look, Alyne, I know you must be very confused, not just about what is happening right now but also about what has been happening during the last few weeks, and I admit most of this is my fault."

Something made me look up at him, right in the eye and I swear in that moment I had never despised anyone so badly. "So it was you she was seeing? You made her a monster! Did you make her kill me as well?"

"She didn't kill you because she wanted too, it was just time you joined us, and besides there were benefits in it for her too, she gets to live."

"So she's just selfish, is that what you're trying to say?"
"Oh no darling, you have got this all wrong. She begged me to keep you and your brother-" "So he is aliv-"

"Hush child, and listen." He sighed exasperated. "Anyway, she begged and I knew she wasn't going to do what I asked while she was in her right mind, so I had to go to extreme measures. I'm sorry you had to die like that, I'm sure burning has got to hurt. Now she must be back to normal but listen carefully," his eyes turned cold "if you try to dishonor me in anyway she will pay the consequences, do you hear me?"

I tried to keep my voice steady, "she never truly cared about me, why should I care about her? And if you're trying to make this a heart warming father-daughter reunion, let me tell you it is not working, Dad". I tried to say the word as if I was talking about something that disgusted me, but I hadn't said it in so long that it came out sounding affectionate. I could not look away from his eyes and I found myself beginning to calm down slowly.

"She did care, but it is a long story that I think you would much rather see than hear, am I right?" He smiled, a fatherly smile that made me wanna believe everything he was saying.

But there was something I could not understand about what he had just said. "I can't see it, It's in the past...whatever it is"

He shook his head slowly as if I had disappointed him somehow and I felt the urgent need to make him proud of me and never disappoint him again. He made a soft tsk tsk sound with his tongue like one might make to a dog who has torn a couch into pieces and now cotton is floating everywhere.