Finding Purpose

Chapter V

I'll try to make it a weekly update. Love, Luna_Moonlit

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-Ayme-

'Tell me what to do,' I said to my father.
Dad looked up to me, confused. 'What are you talking about?'
'Give me a start, so I can find a cure.'
My father shook his head. 'It's of no use, Ayme.'
I felt the fire burning in my eyes. 'You're kidding me, right?'
I got up not being able to sit still any longer. 'What happened to the guy who never lost the will to continue on going? Even when there wasn't a chance of things turning out for the better?'
Dad looked up to me, his eyes filled with sadness. 'I've not given up, Ayme. I just don't want to risk anyone lives.'
I was practically shouting by now. 'What the Hell, Dad? Why can't you let me go out there and find a way to save you!'
My dad stood up, swaying a bit before he trapped my shoulders with both hands and forced me to look him in the eyes. 'Because I can't let anyone risk their lives to try to find a way to save my life, if I know they will never succeed. I just can't let that happen.'
I swallowed. 'Is that why you don't want me to go out there?'
'If I could find a way to live my life a little longer, just to see you, and your brother, and your mom, I would. I would give anything if I could be with you for just a little while longer. But I will never allow someone to go out there and risk his life if I know there is no solution. Especially the life of my own daughter.'
I hugged my dad, feeling the tears slipping out of my eyes again.
'I'm sorry Dad,' I whispered. ‘I didn’t mean it that way. I just want it to be all right again.’
Dad held me like there was no tomorrow. 'I know, sweetheart. But it’s going to be all right again. I promise.'

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It wasn't until after a week that my father had gotten worse. It was hard for him to walk, and Mom was getting suspicious on what was going on. If he continued to get worse on this pace, he wouldn't have much more than a month left.
So maybe you can imagine my surprise when my dad came to talk to me in the middle of the night. I had been asleep for a few hours when I was woken up by somebody. I felt someone stir my shoulder and I opened my eyes to see my dad hovering above.
'Follow me,' he said, walking away slowly.
I threw the covers off my body and shivered as my feet touched the cold floor. I followed my father silently when I noticed we were going to the kitchen. Dad sat down and motioned for me to do the same.
'What's going on?' I asked softly, knowing nobody could hear us but still not wanting to talk that loudly.
'I changed my mind,' Dad said.
I frowned, not knowing what he was talking about. The only thing we had had an argument about was if I could go out and find a cure, but he surely wasn't talking about..
That was exactly what Dad was talking about, I realized.
'How come?' I asked him, curious for his reasoning.
My father shook his head. 'It doesn't matter right now. But you will have to leave as soon as possible.'
I swallowed. Dad was serious about it.

I frowned as he took something out of his pocket and put it down on the table right between us.
'You asked me where to start, so this will probably be the only thing I can offer you.'
I looked at what seemed like a vial, but saw no contents in it.
'Why is it empty?' I asked my dad.
'Will you put the lights on for me?'
I got up and did as he asked me to. I watched the soft light flicker on, and took another look at the vial. It had never been empty, I realized. But because it had been dark when he put it on the table, I couldn't see the contents.
The vial was filled with some sort of black substance, and I had honestly no idea what it was. I sat down again, looking up at my father for answers.
'What's that?'
My father picked it up and held it between his fingers. 'This,' he said, 'is a sample of the poison that Apollo managed to distract from my body.'
I leaned back a little, not wanting to be close to the thing.
'This is the only thing I can give you to begin tour quest with.'
'What do you want me to do with it then?'
Dad laid the vial back on the table again. 'The only thing I can tell you to do is to take this vial, and get it analysed.'
I scrunched my nose. 'Why? I'm pretty sure Apollo or Athena could do a decent job figuring it out.'
Dad shook his head. 'They already tried. My last hope is an old friend of mine.'
My eyebrows rose. 'An old friend?'
Dad nodded. 'I need you to go to the Northern Rocky Mountains. When you get there, you need to find a woman named Eva. She lives in one of the villages up there and is the owner of a little bookshop called Syl's Shop. Eva is an outstanding scientist. If anyone can solve the mystery of a complicated enigma like this serum, it's her.'
I grabbed the vial and put it away in my pocket. I had no desire to be constantly reminded that this poison was the reason for my dad dying.
'You want me to leave right now?' I asked my father.
He shook his head. 'No, that wouldn't be wise. We need to think of a cover story for why you're not around anymore for the upcoming time.'
'What are you thinking off?'
'I have something in mind, but I need to work it out. For now, I suggest you go back to sleep. I don't know what tomorrow will bring.'
'Okay,' I whispered.
'Remember what I said, Ayme?'
I nodded. 'It will be all right again.'
Dad smiled sadly at me. He got up and put a light kiss on my forehead. 'Go to bed sweetheart. We'll talk about it again tomorrow.'
I got up to and we went upstairs together, my father taking more time than he needed before. We splitter ways when I stood in front of my room, Dad walking a little further.
'Dad,' I whispered. He looked up and I swallowed.
'I love you.'
I was afraid he hadn't heard me, but my dad smiled at me and whispered back, 'I love you too. Goodnight.'
I gave him a smile and whispered back, 'Goodnight,' before getting into bed again, falling into a dreamless sleep.