DISCONTINUED

Chapter 32

Luna wandered slowly along the beach with her head hung low, kicking shells and pebbles as she walked. She zipped up her coat in an attempt to keep out the cold wet air that was making her shiver. Then again, maybe her shaking had nothing to do with the weather. She stopped and looked up at her Dad.

"It really has to be tomorrow?"

"Yea" he said quietly, his voice barely audible above the sound of the wind and waves. "They said that tomorrow night is my only chance."

She watched her Dad as he reached down to pick up a handful of pebbles and started throwing them one at a time out into the ocean. There was such a deep, deep sadness in his eyes. She was sad too. Of course she was sad. But she'd basically stopped believing in good things a while ago now - sometime between her Mom being murdered and her and all of her friends being given a death sentence - and well, this latest news fit that narrative perfectly as just one more chapter in the nightmare they were now living.

She was mad too. She was mad as hell, but not at him. If he stayed, he died. If she left with him, she died. So, he had to leave, and she had to stay. What other choice did they have? She took a deep breath and puffed out her cheeks as she exhaled slowly, shaking her head slightly to herself. She had to admit that it was fairly rational, unemotional reasoning for someone in her situation, and she hoped her Dad understood and accepted her apparent detachment. She was sad and she was mad, but mostly she was numb.

"Listen, Luna... I don't have to go." Her Dad turned to look at her, his eyes moist from more than just the ocean air. "What if I, I don't know... talked to them or something? What if I turned myself in? Maybe... maybe they'd give me an extension, you know, as like a reward for coming clean?"

"Right Dad, 'cause they've been so freaking reasonable so far." Her voice dripped with sarcasm. Her Dad didn't even bother trying to defend his idea. They both knew it was ludicrous.

"Dad, it's ok. I mean, no, it's most certainly not 'ok'. But I understand. It sucks and I hate the thought of losing you too, but there's nothing we can do about it. Like you said, at least this way it will buy you some time. Maybe... maybe something will happen." She kicked the sand, spraying it into the crashing waves. "Maybe. Something." she repeated, almost to herself. "And then you can come back."

"I'll try to visit you. I mean, if they can sneak me out then I'm sure they can sneak me back in too, right? At least just for a bit."

Luna looked up at her Dad. She stared into his watery eyes. His lip quivered as he tried to blink back tears. Would she ever even see him again after tomorrow? She had already felt memories of her Mom starting to slip away. How could she lose him too??? Her shoulders started to shake as she reached out for him and began to sob uncontrollably, her face buried in his chest. She wasn't that numb. Not nearly.