Decamore

My name is Siren Louise, I am 17 years old, and I live in a small town called Caterwaul, the town is known for nothing good. It has the largest mental hospital and the most orphans. But, I still thought I had the perfect life, until I turned five and Mom decided she would go live with some guy she "fell in love with" and left me and Dad alone. I can't help but get angry when I think about her. Thinking about her puts me in a place I'd rather leave behind, A place where death hides behind a cheery mask, where zombies feed on my innocence, memories jump out and scream, and poke, and prod. 

She broke my Dads' heart, and she stole my childhood. I was forced to grow up fast, so I could take care of him. You see, after she left us, He'd come home and dive straight into the tall amber bottle,  where he can tread the suffocating loneliness and forget all about his broken heart. When he walks around, he's a proud man. No drinking problems there, no sir. But scratch that surface, and you'll see a broken soul, a man with no friends. He only had me. 

Right now Dad's sipping on the bottle, while I'm in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner.

"You need some help in there?"Dad yelled shattering my thoughts, causing me to drop the dish back into the sud filled sink.

"No Dad, I'm almost done."

"All right, well when you're all finished up come here for a second."

Now what does Dad want? Maybe he needs me to fetch him new bottle from the store. Well, I'm not gonna to find out if I keep wasting time in my thoughts. I picked up the dish in the sink and washed it off.

"Sweet girl, always slaving away trying to take care of Dad."

I turned to see Dad leaning in the door frame, grinning. His salt and pepper hair reflected the flourescent lights, it almost made him look like a corpse. Why would he get up? I told him I would go there when I finished up.

"Dad." I looked at him curiously, "What is it you wanted?"

His grin widened and he chuckled, "I hate to ask this of you, but would you mind running down to the store and get me another bottle of whiskey? You can get yourself something nice while your at it."

"Oh Dad, you know you don't hate asking me. I'm used to it." I grinned over my shoulder as I headed out the door.

"Oh, Siren?"

I turned around, he never used my whole name unless it was serious.

"My sweet, sweet Siren. Keep your chin up.

"I will Dad. Don't you worry."

As I began the walk to the store, there was something a little off. I didn't see as many kids hanging around, and there was quite a lot of cops.

"Aye there little miss, what you been up to? Come to fetch your old man 'nother bottle?" The shop owner cackled at me with a toothless grin as he checked the fake ID carelessly, as always.

"Yes sir."

"Ah, well ye' better tell him to hurry and stock up. I'll be raisin' the prices in this ol' shop soon. All them drunk cops hangin around, roundin' up them scruffy orphans has made buisness quite busy. Also now that there ain't no dead little 'uns that froze."

The cops are rounding up the orphans? I'd hear about there being more and more dead Orphans showing up, ever since the night temperature dropped. Are they rounding them up, to try and help them? Take them somewhere with heaters?

"Thank you sir, I'll tell my Father."

Caterwaul doesn't have an orphanage, I think maybe thats why there's so many just hanging around. They feel like no one can stop or control them. So where are they taking them? It's these times when I'm glad I have Dad, I pity the children. I would never want to be in their position.

I was right next to the house when a big black object blocked my way.

"'Scuse me miss, but are you a resident of this house?"

I was startled, it talked? The blurry orb thing shifted and my eyes focused on what seemed to be a very . . . large cop, who was red in the face from the sun, not a large orb like I thought the heat had tricked me into seeing.

"Yes, this is my home. Why does it concern you?"

"Girl, your Father was found in here not a moment before your arrival, when someone heard a shot."

What is he getting at? Is he saying that Daddy was killed?!

"Whats wrong? What happened to him?" I shouted, admitedly I was growing a little hysteric.

"Your father commited suicide, and since it was just you two here, I'm going to have to put you with all the other orphans and send you away to a new home."

No. I couldn't go with them. I'm not like them. I'm staying here, Caterwaul is my home. Nowhere else. So I ran, and ran, and ran, away from them. The cops, the house, everything there. I ran until I reached the worst part of town; the place with all the empty buildings and druggies. It probably wasn't the best place to go but, I needed to get away.

Once I knew I was out of hot water, I threw up the contents of my stomach, my vomit tasting like death, but then, the smell hit me. It smelled of death, nothing can hide that odor, It chokes you, makes your insides feel weak and like mush. And only when I began to stumble around for a place in the shade did I realize how weak I was being.

I knew Dad would hate me for being so weak, he's not going to forgive me . . . Except Dad isn't here anymore.

He killed himself and he isn't coming back.

The sudden sting on the palms of my hands caused me to realize that I fell. Blood seeped through the scrapes and then spilled over, mixing with the delicate things falling from my eyes. Tears? Yes, tears. 

I haven't cried since Mom left us. But I couldn't hold back the salty tears as they spilled down my cheeks and then dropped onto the dusty ground.

I had no one now, no warm hugs or kisses from Mom, and no more pats on the back or crinkly eyed grins from Dad. I was all alone. I layed there, crying until my eyes were dried out and I was left shaking and whimpering. Staying that way, until the sun went down and I finally slipped into a nightmare filled sleep.