Dating Father Time's Daughter (Book 1)

Chapter 18: Caps, Gowns, and Frowns (1/3)

Pixie's stomach twisted and tightened like a tortured pretzel. The pain in her stomach was worse than the pain from the thorn handcuffs Spring placed her in. As Spring and Winter brought her closer to the throne, Pixie sensed that something was amiss.

She kept her head low, which caused her long pink hair to dangle over her face. Her weary eyes hardly remained open as she let instinct—not sight—guide her steps. She was defeated just like her father.

"Dexter, your flower has bloomed" said Spring as she pushed Pixie ahead of her.

Pixie stumbled and fell to her knees. Through her hair, which obscured her vision, she saw a pair of unfamiliar shoes at the foot of the throne. She raised her neck as slow as she could. What stood before her was going to be horrific.

"Don't be shy, Pixie. It's okay to acknowledge the world's final Time Keeper... me" said Dexter.

He was sitting in her father's throne. Throughout her entire life, that seat had only been occupied by one person and one person alone. She used to daydream about sitting in that throne the day she took over for her father. But she often shook her mind free of that thought because it felt so desecrating. Her bottom lip quivered as she searched for the right words to voice an unspeakable sight.

"Y-you don't belong in that throne," said Pixie.

"And why not? I am a Time Keeper" said Dexter.

Dexter's blatant disrespect enraged Pixie, but her rage had no outlet. She was both physically and mentally incapacitated. She had yet to recover fully from the first fight against Dexter and the Seasons. Also, leaving Joe had injured her mentally more than she anticipated. Each image of him that appeared in her mind delivered a sharper pain than the aches of her stomach.

"No, you're not! You're not one of us! You never signed a blood contract. You're a liar! You will never be a Time Keeper!" shouted Pixie.

Dexter leaned back in the throne and raised an eyebrow. His smug countenance displayed his enjoyment at their exchange. Then, he pointed to his left with his thumb.

There he was.

Father Time's arms were pulled behind him and bound by frozen chains, affixed to the locks of Cronus' Chamber. From the neck down, melting ice drenched his clothes and a blue tint shaded his skin. From the neck up, his long beard was covered in chips of ice and his face pointed towards the white floors of nirvana.

While Pixie wasn't bound by ice, she might as well have been. Her face didn't move an inch as she eyed the sorry sight of her Father before her. In her heart, she wanted to rush over and check on him.

Yes, she left him. Yes, she hated him. But, a lot of her hatred stemmed from his know-it-all attitude. He tirelessly lectured her about what a mistake she was and he always made sure to inform her of his infallibility. Thus, she associated her father with perfection.

This was not perfection. Was this even him? She silently asked herself this question. He looked so vulnerable, so overwhelmed, so sad. Maybe this wasn't him. Maybe Dexter created a hoax to fool her?

"Dad! Dad!" yelled Pixie.

"Please don't make an uproar. He hears you perfectly. He just doesn't care. Your father gave up a long time ago, Pixie. He's not dead, but he may as well be" said Dexter.

"So, are you going to chain me up too?" said Pixie.

"In due time. I still need Time to wake up from its slumber" said Dexter.

Pixie hadn't noticed before, but now she saw Time sleeping beside the throne. Time's legs were curled up to its chest as it rested peacefully.

"I have to write you and your father's destiny. Did you forget?" asked Dexter.