Part 8 (1/2)
”Dad?”
”Charlene! I was hoping you would call!”
Just hearing his voice again made me feel a little better. I could sense more energy within me too. It was a slow burn, warming me somehow.
”I need to see you,” I said straightforwardly.
”Yes, when?”
”Now!”
”Well, I am about an hour away. Should we meet at your work again?”
”Let's just meet at Sulley Park. It's closer.”
”Sure, I know where that is. I should be there in about forty five minutes. Is everything okay?”
”It's okay, but we need to talk. There are some things I would like to say to you, in person.”
”Okay. You got it. I'll be there. Thanks again, Charlene.”
”For what?”
”For giving me a chancea”
I paused at the word; chance. I thought of Delmara. When would I see her again? Was she Jane Chance? Was this my chance at having a relations.h.i.+p with my father?
”I'll see you soon, Dad.”
The conversation ended.
It was now nine at night. I went to Sulley Park and waited on the swings for my dad to come. I didn't care if I changed right then and there. I was at my breaking point. I felt like I couldn't keep it in anymorea”this secret inside me, this creature thriving within me.
He pulled up ten minutes after I got there. As he walked up, he called out, ”Charlene, you made it.”
As he walked over to me, we both took a seat on the bench under the street lamp. Instantly, I felt more and more energy building inside, as if my wings would burst out.
”Why did you leave us?”I started asking him right away.
”Your mothera” He paused. ”Your mother wanted me out.”
”That's not how I remember it. From what my mother told me you chose to leave.”
”You never knew?”
”Knew what? That you abandoned your only daughter for over twenty years? Jesus Christ, Dadaif I should even call you Dad.”
”Look,” he said raising his hands. ”Your mother wanted me out of there. She cheated on me. Did she tell you that?”
”What? Why would she want you out, then? Shouldn't it have been the other way around?”
”Your mother didn't love me anymore, Charlene. It didn't work out between us.”
”Why would you want to leave me, your only daughter?”
”Your mother wanted it that way, so, foolishly I stayed away, trying to please hera”in the hope she would take me back. As the time pa.s.sed, and then the years, it just got harder and harder to take. She would mail me a postcard of you as you grew, but after she met Adam, everything stopped. I never heard from her again. I lost track of you.”
”You never stopped loving me then?”
”Never, Charlene.”
My heart surged with energetic beats, yet I felt a funny feeling on my back. I heard a crack. Dear G.o.d, I was changing right in front of him!
I got up quickly. ”I gotta go, Dad, there is something I need to do.”
Crack. Crack. My back cracked. It was happening again. I stepped backwards a few steps.
”Well, okayabut will we talk again?”
”Don't knowa” I said, rus.h.i.+ng off.
Chapter Sixteen.
I was fully formed into demon shape again, crouched over in agony. There I hid in the forest until I heard a noise. At first I thought it was a deer or some other animal, but then the shadow got closer.
I looked up and saw Benjamin. ”Miss me?” he asked.
Actually, I did, and he knew it. I didn't have to say anything. He picked me up and off we flew back to his lair.
Once we got back to his place of hiding, he placed me on a smooth bed of rock.
”I know it's not as comfortable as the real one, but it will do.”
”Thank youa”
”Don't thank me; thank you.”
”For what?”
”For giving me purpose.”
I pondered on that thought a while. What did Benjamin want with me after all? Maybe he was just looking for a companion, like me, but I wanted to live. He didn't care anymore about his demon form. He was so used to it after so many hundreds of years, it didn't matter to him. Besides, he had become somewhat human anyway.