The Father

Red Dead

Thankfully we were approaching the next stop; I planned on having this girl sit in the middle so I wouldn’t have to be close to them. This orphanage was unlike mine or Barbie’s. Mine was in the middle of nowhere while Barbie’s was in the middle of luxury. This one looked to be in the worst part of a city, of which was unknown to me.

While we were exiting the car sirens could be heard in the distance, and the coughing of the homeless sounded from the sidewalk yards away. The air smelled unclean and buildings looked run down and dirty. This orphanage had boarded windows and a crumbly set of stairs leading up to the door. Before the driver had even begun knock, the door opened and out came Daniela, who made it clear she liked to go by the name Danni. She exited with her suitcase in hand throwing it at the passenger and proceeded to lit up a cigarette.

She took a few puffs and looked around at every one of us staring awkwardly at her. “Well hello.” She said confidently with a bit of a smirk spreading across her lips.

 She was drenched in boyish black clothing, and a face full of piercing. Her very short hair seemed fried by too much straightening, and looked to had been dyed pitch black, but had faded to a dull almost charcoal colored mess. It was cut short styled with most of it covering her face and only revealing one big pretty dark green eye with curly lashes, and no make-up. She believed she was meant to be born. She thought of herself as a boy that someone had messed up and planted her inside a very girly body. A prison. No matter how hard she tried it was very obvious she was female. She reminded me of a devilish pixie. She was slim, but had shape, and owned a messy attractiveness. Her voice betrayed her even more, with its soprano sounds.  

“Damn. Where are my manners?” She dug through her pockets and pulled out her pack of cigarettes. “Would ya like a smoke?” She offered to me.

“No. Thanks. I don’t smoke.” I replied. She shrugged and shoved them back into a pocket.

“My God. Shit you guys, I’m so glad to be out of there.” She thumbed to the orphanage without turning to look at it, while talking to none of us in particular. Honestly without knowing much about it I could tell what she meant. It looked like the last place I’d ever want to be.

After a few more moments of awkward silence we were soon settled back into the car and to my odd delight Danni sat in between Barbie and me. I was soon replaced by the much worthy subject of Danni by Barbie and Marciella for which I was very pleased. I was especially happy when Danni overheard them talking about her and got involved where’s I had been too afraid.

They’d been discussing how creepy they thought her piercings were when she decided to chime in on the conversation.

“Oh Amber. You pretty thing.” She flirted and scooted Amber’s way.  “I woulda never guessed you’d be into piercing and shit, and I’m not usually interested in girls like you…but if you keep up your good girl behavior you might just change my mind.” Barbie looked too terrified to speak, and Marciella just looked relieved she wasn’t involved. Danni put an end to all the nonsense real quick. She then proceeded to take out an old scratched up IPod and blared horrible, loud, screaming music in her ears. I really was beginning to like her.

The rest of the car ride was boring, and the repetitive green scenery made me tire quickly. So, I got as comfortable as possible in the cramped car, and slipped into a collage of dreams. These dreams felt like reality, like I had been sucked into another world, another life. I believed the dreams because somehow in this sleeping state, I had never felt so alive.

At first the dreams consisted of just flashes of images, horrible demented faces that I didn't recognize, beading sweat, and blood. Lots of blood.

The blood. It covered me, like a thick blanket of snow on a crisp sad Christmas morning. I held my hands in the air out in front of me. I could hardly see in the dark room. Why wasn't there any light? I leaned close to my hands and watched the blood as it dripped from my fingers slinking its way down my arms falling heavily from my elbows.

 I was enraptured by the way it traveled. I loved the designs it made upon my skin. I could hear the drops as it puddled beneath me, like rain on a lake. It was music to my ears. I only sat in its warmth. It felt almost comforting. It ran thick, rich, dark, warm, and fresh all around me and my entire body. Like a fresh kill. It was as if the horror of where I was and what was going on couldn't touch me. I was unafraid and felt excited and free. I felt almost as if I had been a part of this act. I had been a vital piece involved in the effort to end someone else's life. I felt brave and invincible, like nothing could stop me. My lips curled in a ridiculous grin. Though, I couldn't understand why I was happy. I couldn't understand why I felt achieved. This was terrible. Awful. Nightmarish. Then I started thinking and I couldn't help but wonder who had died?

The answer came quickly. I heard footsteps approaching, and a deep happy male voice. I couldn't make out his words, but the footsteps seemed to come from up a flight of stairs; I must have been in a basement. It smelled old and musty. It smelled of rotted wood and dirty floors. For some odd reason, at the sound of the footsteps, I could feel the grin on my face spread even more with satisfaction. What was I so happy about?

 I still didn't understand. My whole being felt two sided, like a piece of me knew exactly what was going on, while the other piece had just arrived and knew nothing. This being was me, and I felt her emotions, but I did not own all the control. I had little influence over anything that happened. I had so many questions. Though, I trusted in the other side of myself and let it carry me through this confusing life inside the dream. I was not the master.

The footsteps were very close now. My eyes were almost adjusted to the room, but it didn't matter. When the man opened the door to the dark basement, a light from up the narrow stairs crept through its passage. The man's face was all shadows. I had no idea who he was, and I doubted I ever would. The creeping light shone directly over me and a sudden revelation chilled me to the bone. I finally realized who had died or actually who was dying.

The unknown man exclaimed, "Oh Sylvia! Precious beautiful Sylvia...What have you done to yourself child? My queen, my love. My Sylvia, why?” His voice was deep, and his words were heavy with extreme sorrow. He hurried in a half run down the stairs to me and my seat of blood. He collapsed in front of me in a heap of sadness.

 He stared into my vacant unseeing eyes and then he almost instantly had begun to weep with his face in his hands, while his identity remained shadowed. I felt weak and dazed from the loss of blood. The life within me had almost entirely evaporated.

I could not think, or see clearly, nor move. I was leaned up against the wall, taking in fast gasping breaths of the damp smelly air. Survival instincts forced me to hang on, without my permission. I wanted only death, and it was racing upon me quickly to my satisfaction. Just not fast enough.

 The unknown man reached up and placed his hands on my shoulders gently, lovingly. He began to pull me closer. My body was limp and I could not hold up my head. Before tugging me all the way against him, he hesitated and reached toward my chest with a moan of despair, grasped and pulled a pointy shard of glass out from a space between some ribs. My body seemed to jerk a little at the action, but I felt nothing. He held me close and cried for a while.

Using much effort, I chocked in my last breath and used it to say as clearly as possible to the unknown man, "You. Will. Never. Win." blood dripped from my shaking lips. The dream ended with a soul squelching yell from the miserable man and the stopping of my worn heart.

I awoke in the car sweating heavily and panting away my fear and clutching at my chest searching for any sign of injury. Then I quickly looked over to see Danni, Elle, and Barbie staring at me with almost disgusted expressions. I must have looked like a complete loony. This was just great behavior for making friends. Now I would be deemed even weirder than Danni!