Dysphoria

An Unfortunate Turn Of Events

"Will you do it or not?"

She tapped her chin. "Alright, I do like a challenge after all. But you have to buy the cookies first"

"Deal" I opened my wallet and handed her my dues. She tossed my cookies in my bushes and skipped off. "Hey!" I shouted. "Come on pooman! You can tell me my job in the park"

I sighed in slight relief and ran after her. Still bitter I had agreed to work with an ill-mannered child. But at least she wouldn't be easily swayed away from the task at hand. "So is this a secret mission?"

I nodded. "I'd rather it stay between us two yes"

"Okay okay" she winked.

Once we arrived at the park she plopped down on a swing. "Do you know Brea Miller?" I began. She nodded, "Of course I do, everyone in town has been making an awful fuss." I did not take the time to dance around the subject. "I would like you to speak to her father. Mr. Miller, ask him a few questions" Poppy tapped her finger on her chin a while. As if she only did it because she liked to test my patience.

"Okay, what kind of questions?" I thought about my answer before speaking. Surely the child wouldn't be so smart to see my motive (Finding Brea and avoiding Mr. Miller during the process) ,however I trusted her just slightly more than any adult in my life.

"I would like you to ask a bit about Brea, how she was acting before she went missing. When he last saw her, maybe where?"

"Hmm"

"I would like it if you didn't tell him I sent you"

"Ask questions! Don't get caught!"

"Correct" For a child she wasn't as dreadful as I originally thought.

"Pooman"

"Hm" I gritted my teeth, I had to avoid an argument because she was my help at the moment.

"Do you think Mr. Miller killed Brea..?" she asked looking down. Really I didn't know how to answer her. I didn't know what I believed at this moment in time.

"No Poppy, of course not. Parents..love their children" We began to walk to the Miller house.

"Then where are yours?" Poppy had been too young when my mother passed to have remembered her much, though the question stung a bit I answered.

"My mother has passed"

"And your pa?"

"Dead" Which was true, he was in fact dead to me.

"Why Ben! You are just like Annie!"

"Whom?"

"Little orphan Annie!"

"Yes, I have red curly hair and no parents. Uncanny" I rolled my eyes.

Poppy laughed for a while before talking again. "I'll be your family Ben" she hugged my leg and smiled. "Only if you promise not to be annoying"

I smiled back. But only a bit.

"Here we are" I stopped just half a block from the Miller house.

"Ask questions, Don't get caught! Then ice cream!" she skipped off atop the sidewalk.

"Yes- Wait." I sat on the park bench and saved my breath. And began contemplating how a child learned to drive such hard bargains.

You know the feeling of a pit in your stomach? It almost feels as if you've swallowed a stone? That was the feeling I sat with now. 'I should be used to this feeling' I thought. Perhaps now you are wondering why specifically I am not fond of children. There could be multiple factors contributing. One reason is the simple fact that children are sticky. They whine, and the smell. Another being I had never really been around children...