Leira [Completed]

Chapter Ten

"To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you."

—

JUSTICE'S POV

The worst part about hiding was how much it would hurt after uncovering the truth.

The horrible facts about my father were endless and different acts of unpleasantries reached my ears as more time passed. He escaped prison, killed multiple people including my sister's father and wounded a young woman for something that happened much more than a decade ago.

The punishment of a prison sentence was given and yet his time in a cell did not seem to improve him as a person.

Leira and I tidied up my room and cleared the blood that previously covered the floor.

I was lying on my bed while she was seated beside my foot.

She intrigued me further as more things were shared. Turning up with cuts on her body claiming there were attackers in her home was bizarre, but I could list facts that I learned that was just as unusual. Like carrying a weapon around, living in a forest and having a father that taught her the weirdest rules.

"I honestly don't know how to feel. The things I found out were disturbing and truly sickening. But...I just want to feel how it's like to have a father," I admitted.

"He might seem to be heartless, but I'm sure he would never hurt you," Leira told me.

"Yeah, I hope not. I want to believe that too," I responded.

"Take it from someone whose father isn't that great of a person either. Everyone has a weakness and family is usually it. Perhaps only you can stop your dad from committing more sins." There seemed to be a message behind her words. It was as if she was hinting at me to confront my father and actually stop him.

"I did meet him recently," I revealed.

"Where?" Her face held enthusiasm for the topic.

"I explored the east and he was there, guarded by people. He might have left town already and I probably won't ever see him again," I explained.

"No, I don't think so," she disagreed. "Although the whole town has its eyes set on him, he is protected by those who stayed loyal to him. He had the guts to expose himself while being a wanted man, which implies that he is protected in this town. Hence I doubt he'll leave so soon. Moreover, he is in contact with his people and he'll need reception, which isn't present outside of town."

I was shocked at her inference. She had put quite a lot of effort into thinking about Calvin and his current situation.

"He's probably well hidden though, due to how he was a multi-millionaire. There might be places he requested to build that no one has a clue about," she concluded.

We were thinking on our own when my door was slammed open. My little niece had an eyebrow raised at the stranger sitting on my bed. She held onto a piece of paper in her left hand.

"Is this Constance?" Leira glanced at the ten-year-old with a small smile.

"Yeah, she was doing homework in her room," I said as the little girl scooted beside me and pointed at a question.

"How does this mean?" she raised a question.

"Is that Math?" Leira poked into our conversation with piquing curiosity. "I dropped out, but I remember the subject."

"Dropped out?" Constance questioned before I could. "You don't go to school?"

"No, not anymore," Leira answered.