The Dark Place (#FrightFest2016 Gold Winner)

The Dark Place - Chapter Twenty-Two

"What are you doing in here?" her father hissed at her from the doorway.

Tamicka didn't know how to answer him. She just backed away from the computer until she felt her back touch the window and then froze. She could see the burning anger in his eyes and trembled as she realized he had left her again.

"I'm sorry daddy." Was all that she could say; her eyes wide with fear.

"What have you done?" he shouted as he stormed into the room.

"Nothing!"

"You shut it down!"

"No daddy, I didn't. I... I..." Her voice was quiet and shaky and she could feel the salty tears threatening to burst their banks.

She wanted to run out of the room and away from the stranger who had been her father, but he was blocking her way. All she could do was stand there and watch as he re-entered his password and looked through the computer's files.

"It's gone, it's all gone." He turned to look at her. "You've deleted everything."

"But I didn't touch..."

"Don't lie to me. Why Tamicka, why did you do it?"

"But..."

He grabbed her by the shoulders and held her against the window.

"Daddy, you're hurting me," cried Tamicka as she tried to shake free from him.

He let go of her and turned back to the computer, frantically clicking on other folders but they were all empty.

"I don't believe it, you even dumped the photographs. Why?"

Tamicka took a couple of steps forward and wiped away a tear from left her cheek with the back of her hand. "But daddy, I..."

Before she knew what was happening he spun round and pushed her hard against the window again. "It's all your fault you selfish little girl," he said, raising his hand as if to slap her.

Tamicka shrank away from him. "No daddy, please," she begged.

He stood and watched her for a moment then turned away and focused his attention back towards the computer. "Get out of my sight."

Tamicka covered her face with her hands and started to cry. A heavy hand grabbed her arm and dragged her towards the door.

"D... daddy, I d... didn't touch it."

Without another word, he pushed her out of the study and turned his back on her.

"Why... why are you doing t...this," she sobbed.

He slammed the door and locked it.

Tamicka was alone again.

3

Amanda heard her phone ring on the other side of the room. She didn't want to answer it, she just wanted to go back to sleep. The more it rang the more irritable she became.

just leave it, they'll soon give up. She pulled the pillow over her head and listened to the muffled ringtone until it finally went dead, throwing the room into silence.

Thank god for that.

Just as she took the pillow away the ringtone started again.

"FUCKING HELL!"

Amanda pushed the bed sheets away and walked over to the chair where Graham's heavy waterproof coat lay draped across it. She dipped her hand into one of the deep pockets and fished out her phone. The display said, Wendy. She pressed the green button.

"Look bitch, do you know what time it is?"

She listened to the girl on the other end of the line for a moment.

"Don't worry about that, I think she got the message. Now all we have to do is concentrate on that other little cow." Amanda grinned.

Wendy laughed through the earpiece.

Amanda lowered her voice when she heard the heavy footsteps out in the passageway. "Have you heard anything from Sarah since yesterday?"

The answer was no.

"That old witch really must have freaked her out. I'll try to get in touch with her. Meet me here in about an hour, okay? I've got a plan."

She pressed the red button, ending the call, and smiled.

4

Cass awoke to the searing hot pain in her head. She tried to raise herself from the ground but could not find the strength. She tried to remember what had happened the night before but it made the pain twice as bad. She opened her eyelids and slammed them shut again against the powerful sunlight. A memory flash came back to her in that instant; someone was standing over her throwing something towards her head, and then nothing.

Cass slowly opened her eyes again. It was hard to focus on anything but at least the pain that throbbed in her right temple had eased.

She blinked a few times, trying to clear her vision, until things began to make a little more sense. Everything was a mess. The contents of her two plastic bags, the only things she owned in the world were spread over the ground. The cardboard box that had been her home had been ripped to shreds. And hanging by the neck from a low branch was her only friend, her cat Jasper.

Author's Note

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