Dancing In The Rain

two

What did he mean by that? I know it wasn't meant for anybody but Dad to hear it, but I heard it. What's wrong with his dad? And why does he call him so formally? Who even does that? Other than Draco Malfoy, obviously.

I pretended not to look like I've heard him and went to the windowsill to look at the view.

It was beautiful, but really high.

"Alright, who wants to take a picture?" Dad asked. A chorus of "ME" could be heard and we all climbed back down to get a picture.

I got up on Adrian's back and Jae posed next to him. Dad grabbed his camera and positioned it to his eye level.

"Say treehouse!"

"Treehouse!"

***

That was it. That was how the picture was taken. The question I asked; "What did he mean?", I found the answer for that. Funnily enough, I found it on the same day.

***

"Okay, I'm going to get you kids some blankets for your little house, alright? Adrian, come on and be a man. Give me a hand, will you?" Dad looked at Adrian.

Adrian knew he had no answer to this type of questions. Adrian nodded and followed Dad into the house.

"Come on, Jae. Let's go to our treehouse!" I chimed.

"Sure, Ash"

We climbed back up and stared at each other, in questioning looks. What were we going to do? There weren't any toys up here.

"Okay, let's play Scissors Paper Stone," I spoke up. He stared at me amd laughed.

"It's called Rock Paper Scissors." I scowled at him.

"Whatever, we're playing the same thing, anyway."

We began playing for a good five minutes before Jae looked out the window and squealed.

"What?"

"Father, he's here!" he squealed again.

"He hurts you! He tried drowning you in a pail when you were two! So I don't see why you're so happy. And, who even calls their dad 'Father'?" I asked.

He ignored my questions and opened the window and called to his dad.

"Father! Come up here! Look what Uncle Brent made!" He shouted excitedly.

I looked out tbe window too, and I swear, I saw his dad give a sinister smile when he saw me.

He approached the tree and climbed up.

"D-do you think Dad is coming any time soon?" I asked Jae as the man climbed.

Jae shrugged, and pulled the lever of the door on the floor of our house.

A few seconds after, the man, muscular and burly, reached up into the treehouse.

He gave a laugh. A loud and low laugh, which sounded more like a distorted cackle. A chill ran down my spine. What was he going to do? Why does he sound like that? Why does Jae even love him? Is he drunk?

I think that him being drunk has been confirmed, from his breath which reeked of alcohol. Jae ran to hug him, only reaching the height of his waist.

"You have a beautiful little house, kids. Who made it?" He asked, his voice low and gruff.

"Uncle Brent did, Father!"

"Who the hell is that?" he asked. I was horrified. He didn't even know whose house his son was at.

"My dad," I answered shortly.

"Oh, hello beautiful girl, what's your name?" He asked as he approached me and touched the little pigtails Mom made this morning. He sounded familiar, he sounded like The Big Bad Wolf in the Red Riding Hood fairytale.

"Ashley."

"It's a beautiful name for a beautiful girl."

The next thing that happened shocked me. He forced Jae who had his arms on his waist off of him. He then pushed Jae off the treehouse.

Didn't he have any feelings? How could he do this without a second thought? He gave a laugh when Jae fell into the grass, unconscious. He was insane!

He then closed the windows and the door and it must have been really hot but I couldn't tell, because goosebumps appeared all over my body, making me feel cold.

My eyes widened when I heard the sound of a zipper.

***

Tears flood my eyes as I recall the memory. The memory which haunts me every night to this day.

I'm sorry, Jae. I could've saved him on that day, if I had somehow got his dad out of the way and got down the ladder after he was pushed off. But no, I stayed frozen like a coward, and let his father do what he wanted. Now, at the age of 16, I go to the same school as Jae. I can do nothing but avoid him in every way to keep the demons in me silent. During the day, at least. Of course there are other days when they're uncontrollable and Abby and Eden, my bestfriends, have to skip some classes to calm me down.

I turned off my phone and ignored the messages Adrian sent. He must be asking why I was on my phone at three in the morning. I lay down and bury my face into my pillow while covering myself with the warm blanket.

Time to cry myself to sleep.