Masterpiece

Slipping away

"You have nothing to cry about, so stop crying Clem." She continued to rub her red eyes.  The rain outside fell just as the water had fallen off of me three days before.

"But you're mad at me."  She said as her lip quivered.

"It's been three days Clementine. It's over with, done. I'm not mad at you."

"You sound mad." She huffed.

"I'm scared. I'm scared that you will fall in, just like I did. Except, I'm afraid you won't come back up." I sat at the edge of my seat at the dining table.

"But you can't take the boat away! Please Arlo, I'll be carful I promise." She pleaded as she tried to convince me.

"I'm selling it tomorrow and that's final. I'll use the money to buy you whatever you want." I could tell that my bribe wasn't  working. She just cried even louder. It seemed these past few weeks Clem had cried more than ever before. It seem, her happiness was slipping away.

"Dad wouldn't let a little mistake get to him!" She screamed. Her face grew redder as salty tears streamed down her face.

"Dad this and dad that! That's all you talk about, that's the only thing you compare me with! Father was a fool, Clementine. He made stupid and risky decisions. There's a reason why he's dead!" Clem began to hit me over and over on the chest. They didn't hurt, but I could feel the emotions within each punch.

"I hate you! I hate you Arlo! You don't know anything about anything! Daddy was a good man. He was smart and kind. He loved us, unlike you!" I grab Clem's arm. She froze.

"Don't you dare accuse me of not loving you and mom! You are the only thing that is keeping me going! I'm trying to protect you, why don't you understand that." She looked at me with horror as I squeezed my hand around her frail arm.

"Arlo, that hurts! Stop it!" I let go as I realized my violent action. She rubbed her wrist as she hiccuped.

"No, Arlo you're the one who doesn't understand." Clem ran out of the room and out the front door.

"Clem wait!" I yelled as I quickly followed behind her. She ran into the wheat field nearby. I chased after her, but I lost her in the tall plants.

"Clementine! Please come out! I'm sorry okay. I didn't mean what I said. That was stupid on my part. I'm still selling that boat. It's too dangerous." I saw the wheat begin to move. The top of Clem's head bobbed as she ran through the crop. I could hear her small feet splashing in the mud as she sprinted across the field. She was running towards the lake.

"I won't let you take it!" Clem  yelled. I quickly ran after her hoping to catch her before she got to the boat. I grew nearer and nearer to her back. I was almost able to reach out and grab her, but I slipped in the mud and fell. I laid still with pain and shock. The rain hit my face as blood streamed down my arms and legs. The rain stung and burned. I hated the rain. My father though, to him, rain was his favorite. He always said it washed away all of the bad in the world and made everything fresh and knew. A clean slate. It was like crying. Once you cry, your heart feels a little lighter, a little clearer. He said that's what the earth was doing. It was refreshing, cleansing, crying away the pain. I finally had recovered from my shock and limped my way to the dock. Clem entered the boat a pushed off of the angered wood.

"Clem! Please come back to shore! Lets talk about this!" She tried to row the best she could away from the dock, but only escaped about forty feet away. The rain still beat down on my head and shoulders, trying to knock me down with their hits and kicks.

"I'm not coming back until you let me keep the masterpiece." She cried.

"Okay! You can keep it! But for the love of God, please come back!" I said panicking at the edge of the dock.

"You promise?" She whimpered.

"I promise!" She reached for the nearest ore to row back, but it slipped into the water. It started to float away as Clem reached for it leaning over the side. The boat begun to tip.

"Clementine! It's tipping over!" I screamed in horror, but it was too late, she landed head first in the green, thick, water. I stood there, paralyzed with fear, hoping, praying, Clementine would be okay. I stared into the water once more. It was faint, but I swore I heard a chuckle come from the lake.