Part Two: Desperation

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Heads up, guys! Trigger warning for child abuse and suggestive acts! If you want a clean summary of this chapter's events, just shoot me a PM and I'll gladly summarize it for you! c;

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        Charlie knew little concerning the amount of time it took for the white blur to summon her from the Nether once more; indeed, she didn't very much mind her time in wait. Who knew darkness could be such a comfort, such a warm embrace of love and care? Such a revelation had not be made to her until recently, and she couldn't help but enjoy that stasis.

        Yet even so, time passed, and eventually, the blur consumed her once more, drawing her into the hospital room where the Friend waited for her, cradling a black-haired baby with surprising gentleness. Charlie didn't utter a word as she laid eyes upon her body, which looked, if possible, worse than it had before. Wincing at the sight, she turned quickly to look at the Friend, who was watching her compassionately. She hated it.

        Lying the baby down tenderly, the Friend offered her a small bow of greeting. "You're just in time," he informed her, voice scarcely more than a whisper. "You're about to have a visitor." He gestured wordlessly to the door, a smile playing upon his lips.

        As though on cue, the door opened, revealing a horribly familiar face. Charlie felt her face heat with anger and nausea alike as her father stood beside her bed, looking flushed and tense. He reached out to touch her hair, yet Charlie's earthly body did not move in the slightest.

        "He's touching me," she observed quietly, feeling sick in the stomach. "Why is he touching me? Why isn't someone stopping him?"

        She hadn't truly intended for the Friend to hear and answer her, but he did nonetheless. "Despite the pain and horror your father brought you in the past, he does care about you, and he had been trying for quite a while to apologize to you." He gave her a pointed look. "Yet someone is conveniently occupied every time he has dropped by his sister's and daughter's apartment."

        Charlie was by no means bashful concerning this matter. Of course she had avoided her father whenever he tried to stop by. He had been in jail for years, bringing her comfort to know he couldn't hurt her. Yet as soon as he had served his time for what he did to her, he began seeking her forgiveness.

        "He's delusional," Charlie declared hotly. "He has no right to another chance, and that's that."

        The Friend shook his head sadly. "Oh, Charlotte," he clucked sorrowfully. "I thought you were smarter than that. Everyone deserves a second chance."

        "Not him," she answered weakly, shaking considerably. "Can I go back to the Nether now?"

        An apologetic shake of the head served as an adequate response. With a sigh, Charlie gripped the Friend's hand, wondering where he'd drag her this time and fearing that her suspicions might be true.

        Once again, Charlie found herself being led purposefully through the Nether to a destination only the Friend seemed to know and to be able to access. She didn't much like the dependence she was forced to have on him, yet she grudgingly allowed him to lead her as before, mostly because if this place was anywhere near as infinite as its name made it sound, then it wouldn't take much to get lost. And if what the Friend had said in the last visit was true, that theses journeys were a matter of life or death, such an excursion could be costly, indeed.

        A bright light pulsed in the distance, this one an angry shade of red. Closing her eyes tightly, Charlie allowed the light to consume her, not even surprised when she opened her eyes to find the Friend gone. Typical.

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