The Kingdom Of Xänýurãn

Chapter 2

Ophelie POV:

I woke up, slowly opening my eyes. And regretted instantly. I was blinded, only seeing white. The headache was so strong I could faint. Again. I thought. I had fainted in the forest and... Henry. I summoned my courage and sat on the bed. I waited, hoping Henry will come to check on me, like it happens in stories or in books. Ten minutes passed by and I couldn't hold any more. I got up, staggering, and made my way to the bathroom. I tripped over one of the boxes in my way, and remembered last night. Everything that happened. I would go everywhere with Henry, I thought , as long as he is there. And that, I wasn't even sure. What if it has all been my imagination and I was brought home by the man after... Oh my god. I rushed to the bathroom and splashed my face with cold water, but it wasn't enough. I  ducked my head under the tap and let the ice cold water wake me up. No, it wasn't a dream. I grabbed the towel hanging on the wall and dried my face. I threw the towel on my bed and threw the door open. I went to his room and opened it, without knocking. He wasn't there, but none of his belongings were here either.

A knot tied in my stomach. No, it's impossible. He wouldn't leave me. He wouldn't leave me. I got out of the room and ran down stairs. There was no one in the living room. He couldn't leave me. Kitchen, empty. He couldn't leave me. Hangar, no one. He couldn't leave me. my breathing got heavier and panic rose in my whole body. He left... He left me...Still, my mind wouldn't believe it. Couldn't believe it. The garden. The garden, I thought, he loved gardening maybe he was in there. I threw the glass door leading to the garden open. I ran in the garden , holding my head with my hands. Empty. I started crying, reality catching up to me. I ran back inside, and went back upstairs, checked everywhere, closets, bathrooms, even in boxes. I was so desperate to find anything. Anything that could prove me that he didn't leave. That he didn't leave me. I went back to his room, and I found nothing. I just wanted my life to be like the ones in the books. I was just hoping he would come back from the front door smiling ans say "I went to the store, look I got you chocolate". The car. I ran, like my life depended on it. My life did depend on it. I couldn't live without him.I couldn't live without him. I looked through the window. The car wasn't here.

I couldn't breath, I was having a panic attack. I gripped my hair, hard, but I couldn't feel it. He was there. He always was there when I needed him. When I cried and when I laughed, it was always with him. He was the thing I loved the most in the world. There was no secrets between us, no embarrassment. I could tell him anything. He was more like a brother to me, like a friend more than a dad, so where was he. Where was he? I clutched my throat. I fell to the ground, breathing was impossible. I was going to die, and it was good, because I couldn't live with the thought of being abandoned, nor the thought of all of it being because of me. And the man was probably waiting for me somewhere...

And life poured back in me, in my lunges. I breathed back, hard, but breathed. I coughed, saliva dripping from my mouth. He was standing in front of the stairs, looking at me wide eyed and then he ran towards me. I threw myself at him, breathing back, and held him so tight my knuckles turned white. He was here. He was here. Everything was going to be alright. With that thought I closed my eyes.

When I opened my eyes this time, my first thought was Henry, and I was so relieved he was the first thing I saw. We were laying on my bed, my head on his arm, his arm on my waist, like we always did when I was younger. Still, it didn't bother me, I felt safe. I looked at him deeply, longly, and he must have felt it because he opened his eyes and grinned. I couldn't help but smile back as we stretched, at the same time, in unison.
-"What time is it?" I asked, wanting to break the awkward moment. He looked at me then smiled.
-"It's not everyday that we have an awkward conversation right?"
I blushed, feeling embarrassed. He smiled even more, then his face turned serious. He sighed then spoke.
-"I don't know what happened but..."
-"I thought you left me". I blurted out. Re-thinking my words, it seemed awkward so I corrected myself.
-"I thought you left without me"
He looked at me and frowned.
-"Why would I leave you? I don't know but I don't think we have the same definition of Father. Maybe you should check on the web or..."
-"But after what happened in the forest..."I trailed off then frowned. "What happened in the forest?"
I widened my eyes, hoping he was making a joke.
-"Well, you know the man...attack...thumb...piece of wood...
I mumbled something like that, and it was his turn to widen his eyes.
-"You mean you r..b..r...?" It sounded like a question but he whispered it to himself.
-"You mean you what?!"
He looked at me, right my the eyes, and I looked back at him and tilted my head to the side like a child, he shook his head, sighed, ruffled his hair, let out a groan then sighed again.
"Never mind, I am going to the living room, we eat pizza and then we go"
-"Where?"
-"Listen, I know you don't want to move again but I already have everything ready. So please let this one be the last one. Then we will never move again and I'll always ask you about how you feel about your new life. I will be more attentive to your happiness but please do this one. I know I am a bad dad and a bad..."
I didn't hear what he said next because I ran in, and not towards, him and hugged him tight.
-"Everything I said about you that night was a lie. You are like the best fantastic, coolest, handsomest, and funniest dad in the whole universe!"
-"But I am still not a good cook huh?"
-"No one is perfect"I grinned
We went down to eat pizza (that he ordered of course) and teased each other about things the other didn't like. But there was one thing on my mind. The way he looked uneasy about what happened in the forest was suspicious. Also he never came up with the subject at all...nor the man. It was all so weird!  And trust me, I was gonna find a way to make it spill it all out.