Willow trees.

Charlāe's POV-

Two weeks later...

I left this morning, I couldn't face my mother so I left a note with her made breakfast. Ill miss my mother very much, she is all I have left.

I need to do this though, my life will be left incomplete if I don't. My daddy was a lot like me, he had determination, if there was room for improvement he made it. He never ever gave up, not even after the bullet. He waited til they left to take his last breath, it wasn't giving up it was letting go.

As much as it hurt I knew my daddy would never be the same if he had survived, he would always be in pain. That was the last thing I had ever imagined him having, he always had a smile as long as I was around. He said I was his pride and joy, that with me he could do anything and be anything. I loved how proud he was of me, it helped push me when I needed the extra boost.

I now barely attend school, I have to help my mother an she feels its unsafe. Why I'll never know, she's had glazed eyes for six years. When I do attend school it's hard to keep up with the work, I miss so much.

I don't have friends they all left me when my dad died, they thought it would put them in danger. Boys checked me out and talked descriptively about me, that always irritated me. The teachers always felt sympathy I didnt talk, and I looked like i died instead of my father. Lastly the girls.. They gossiped and had assumptions, they would feel bad for me then they would gossip. If you ask me they were just confused in their heads. That wouldn't be surprising to me at all.

I think escaping Louisiana for a short while will be good for me. I don't eat much I'm never hungry, I realized the emptiness in my stomach would probably be there till I took care of mystery man. My stomach would be filled with satisfaction, and victory when I find him and show him the innocent little girls face. The face he saw that night and scarred with the depth of his cold soul for six years.

I've left already, with about 200$ and some food and clothes. The necessities of course, but I have no idea where to start searching for evidence of the murderer. The police refuse to give out any information because they were worried one of us would go to get revenge. I guess they were right to my dissatisfaction.

I guess I should start with leaving the Hessmar Grocery store, I needed somewhere to get gas before my long adventure. I might cross the country or the murderer may be stupid and still live here even after he did his business making money outta my dead fathers pockets.

Before I leave Louisiana I have to stop by my fathers grave, this is always incredibly hard for me. My life before his death was pretty perfect, I had no negativities or worries. Now all I worry about is my mother and if I can lay my father in peace finally.

People say "God has a reason for everything" I believed that before, we used to go to church every Sunday. We were Christians, my mother refused to go after daddy's death. She refused to let me go to, I keep a bible in my room and read from it once a week though she doesn't know.

I don't have a pet, a friend, or really anything I'm leaving behind besides my mother,and she hasn't been there for me for six years. I had to mourn and cry in silence all by myself when my daddy died.

This year is my senior year, I haven't attended much of it though. I've studied all the things the kids are currently learning. I may seem stupid because I haven't really attended school, doesn't mean I haven't learned things though. I have a 4.0 GPA, school is easy for me.

So like I said I'm not leaving anything behind. I've arrived at my fathers grave, the tears started slowly streaming down my cheeks. I hate crying in front of people, the sympathy makes things worse. I feel weak when I open up to people, all they do is judge anyways. I can't look weak, weakness means defeat and I can't have that. I wiped my salty tears away. "I will find who killed you daddy, I will finally put you to peace. I love you,you are my reason to keep fighting everyday. Ill visit you once my job is done. I miss you daddy. Love you." I tried to stay strong until I at least got to my car,I will not let people see me cry.

The grave yard is 30 minutes south from Hessmer, and of course the police station is 30 minutes north from Hessmer. So needless to say I'm just backtracking. I guess that gives me time to think of my whole approach on this "vacation."

Most people would call a road trip through a variety of states a vacation. My definition of a vacation is something fun, not something depressing. This will hopefully be a quick task, find the killer get some answers and turn him in.

If things don't go as planned I have to be prepared, I have to have something to hold against him. Records, memories, personal thoughts, or blackmailing. Yah blackmailing is a crime, but so is murder and I'll do just about anything to prove his guilt.

I'm finally at the police station, I'll either be accepted or denied. It wouldn't surprise me if they still deny me information, I think I have the right to know what they have come up with after all I am his daughter.

The way the world runs nowadays is so confidential. Everything about our rights and knowings is confidential. If a sheriff sends a search warrant you have no privacy, but if you wanna find out the evidence they found then you're screwed.

"Hello how can I help you?" An officer asked me at the desk. "Hi.... Shirley. I was wondering if I could find out the evidence leading to my fathers murder." I said with an upset frown. "I'll get the head sheriff to decide that for you, wait by that door over there he'll be out shortly." She said with a sympathetic smile. I'm glad I'm being helped, but with the sympathetic thing again. I don't go around wanting people to feel bad for me, I hate attention.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

15 minutes later-

"Hi you look somewhat familiar how can I help u?" Sheriff Claude asked me. "I'm doing ok I guess, I just have a few questions I'm hoping you can answer," Charlāe replied. "Ok I'm listening," sheriff answered. "Ok so my father was Dale Peterson, I don't know if you remember his case?" I asked him. He stared into space for a moment, "oh yes, your father was a great man for such a thing to happen and you witness that must've been very traumatizing." He replied. "Yes well I was wondering if you have any lead on who the murderer could possibly be? Any evidence at all?" He sighed and went into thought I knew that the sheriff and my father knew each other well and this case is probably hard on him, murder in Louisiana is very scarce. After thinking it over he told me that there were no matches of fingerprints on record. Meaning their were no records of the person even existing, this had put them on hold in their search. He couldn't tell me anymore information, so I know just as much as the police.

This is fantastic. Just great. *sarcasm*