Winters Daughter

Departure

I was outside on the front steps reading a flash comic book because I am bored out of my mind. It was hard to concentrate anyways from all of the traffic going on up and down the street as people went on about there business. It was all I could do to not listen to the radio or look at the local newspaper headlines. I haven't heard from Charles in a while, which made me lonely and think of my childhood. 

"Eddith! I asked you to put the dishes away hours ago, why haven't you done that yet?" My mother nagged. 

I stood up and went inside passing her, not responding, it'd only get me in trouble. I threw my comic down on the kitchen table and started to dry the dishes. 

"I'm going out, I'll be back in a bit, do you need anything?" She asked me. 

I had a lot of smart remarks I could have said to her such as a new mother, but I kept silent and shook my head. I'm kind of in a state of not talking to her, I haven't for the past two days and she doesn't seem to notice anything. I heard her sigh but then leave because she had more important matters to attend to. 

After I had put the last pot away I found myself surprised to see Charles sitting at the kitchen table reading my comic book. I threw the towel down and crossed my arms. 

"How long have you been sitting there?" I asked. 

"Oh, maybe ten minutes, I haven't read this one yet. Of course, I was going to say something but you know... I got distracted." 

I nodded my head. "What are you doing here?" 

"Just stopping by." He said shrugging. 

"Uh- hu." I said. 

"Well and to drop off your papers that you'll need." 

I gasped, "Really?" 

"Yeah." He said pulling them out of his back pocket and handing them to me. 

"Thank you." I said pulling him into a hug. 

"I have to go, but I left your trunk in your room." He said and turned away and was out the door before I could say anymore. I didn't want him to leave but he did, and I don't know why. I instinctively went to my room. I shuddered as I passed through the door, the air here seemed colder. On my bed sat a small black trunk, inside was an army green uniform. I tucked the papers neatly inside and then hid the trunk where it will wait until I'm called for duty. 

*** 

I hadn't even said goodbye to my mother when I had left. She wasn't even home. In a strange way I felt kind of abandoned. I've only ever had myself since a young age. 

"Eddith." Said a voice somewhere behind me. I spun around and there stood Charles in the mist of all the people running about. 

"I-I didn't think you'd come to say goodbye." I stuttered out, following him to a less crowded area. 

"I thought about it." He shrugged. "I can't believe I did this for you." 

I smiled, "I can. You completed the mission just like old times." 

"Is that what this still is for you? Just another mission in that wild head of yours?" He inquired. It was a fair question. 

"No." I said quietly gazing into his perfectly blue eyes. 

"Can I ask you something?" 

"Anything." I replied. 

"Why were you so set on doing this?" 

"Because I needed to leave and do something with my time. My mother hates me and for all I know my father's dead. He doesn't write that often." I laughed. "But I don't know really, I feel a need to." 

"Ok." He said looking at his shoes. "Please come back. Eddiee-" He said. I dropped my trunk on my toes. "Oh-I'm sorry it kind of just came out, I know you hate it. It's just I've never called you Eddith in my head and it just slipped out don't-" 

I cut him off. "It's okay."

"Really?" We were really close, I could feel every breath he took. 

"If I don't come back..." 

"You are though." 

"If I don't have this." I said closing the space between our lips. "Goodbye Charles...I love you." 

"I love you too, Eddiee." He said, and those where the last words I'd ever hear from him, but I never noticed until it was too late. I was already halfway gone by the time he'd said it. I was on another mission; complete my training.