In The Eyes of Gracie - Unedited Version - Being Rewritten

Chapter 3

The sun floods through the window shedding sun light on the sad, bare walls. Gracie is still asleep but I know I should wake her. We need to leave soon so she can beat her dad home and avoid anymore trouble. I feel so bad to wake her though.

I feel bad to have to send her back to such a broken home. Id much rather her come back with me but I know that she wont. She has her mind set that one day she'll return home and John will greet her at the door with a hug and an apology. She has her mind set that John does no wrong in her eyes, that hes just hurting. Still, even if that is the case, she doesn't deserve to feel his pain.

She doesn't deserve to feel any pain. I want so bad to take it all form her. I want so bad to take her place and feel her pain instead. Shes too great of a person to endure such blasphemy from her father. Its ironic really, her father used to call his self a Godly man and if anyone asked him, he'd still say he way. Blasphemy. I wish God his self would come down and strike him with lightning. 

The fire in the fire place has died down to merely ashes and small pieces of burning wood. Its quite cold in here but its comfortable. I look back at Gracie and gently shake her and she looks up at me as she starts to come to and rub her eyes.

"What time is it she asks? I guess I have to go." she says with a hoarse voice.

"About noon," I answer, "You should get home."

"What about you, what're you gonna do?" She asks as she folds up the blanket.

I wish i knew, I think to myself. They've probably cut the power off by now.

"I'm not sure," I finally answer  "I guess ill go home and take a shower."

"Thanks for staying with me last night, Ans." Gracie says as she walks over to the door.

"No problem, better than being alone." I say.

To avoid the awkwardness, i walk outside and stand on the porch steps.

"You now, Grace, poppa is paying for my cell phone bill so my cell phone will still be working. Pops doesn't even know dad left.. but, if you need me, you call me. Okay? I have moms old car.. and I have gas soo.."

"Ans, don't worry," Gracie assures me "Dad wont be home until 2 am tonight.. Ill be okay. Ill head straight up stairs."

I nod my head as i walk down the steps, "See you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow." Gracie promises as she walks away.

Luckily, my house isn't far from here. There's two easy ways to get to it, walk to the road and follow it, or take the path in the woods. I'm not in much of a rush. So I decide to take the path. Mom and I use to walk this path all of the time with Allie and Gracie. We always went to see Gracie's grandmother. Mom always said she thought of her like a second mom, actually, more like her only mom. Mom never really saw her mom when she was young.

She was always gone. I guess that's why my mom was so amazing. She always said that she never wanted to make the same mistakes that her mom made. Mom always kept her promise. She said she'd never leave me.. I guess that was a promise she didn't mean to break.

I kick the dirt beneath my feet and watch a small bug scatter by. The trees around me sway back and forth and sing with the wind. The leaves are beginning to turn a golden brown and are crunching beneath the weight of my feet. A squirrel scurries up a tree and perches on the branchnibbling at an acorn. The sun beams down in rows, allowing a small amount of light here, and a small amount of light there.  I see  my house at the end of the path and I cant help but have some slight hope that my father will be home when I walk in the door.