FrAcTuReD (Part One) (Completed continued in Part Two)

Chapter. 14

"Hi Dad," she said when she answered. "It's unlike you to call me while I'm at school. Did something happen at work?"

"Well, no. Things have finally calmed down, though if I'm truly honest sweetheart I had to surprise the urge to throw the lot of them out the top story window that caused this whole issue at work."

"You sound like you really wanted to throw them out that window Dad," Charla said blankly then she asked him. "Did you make your scary "I'm going to kill you" face again to those directors?"

"I don't make that kind of face..." he paused as if looking into a mirror. "Do I?"

"You do," she said. "But only when those who work with you don't listen to reason. Remember I was with you last year for the "Bring your Kid to Work Day" and you had to deal with a number of people who wouldn't listen and wanted to cut corners on a redevelopment project, you had a glare that could cut deeper than a knife."

"Really?"

"Yes, though in your defence Dad you were angrier at them for the comments they made about me than anything else. After that you had no intention of working with them again."

"Ah yes, that so-called family oriented group that prides themselves on the housing company. People like that who only hold a pack of lies can burn."

Yeah that sounds like Dad... "So are you okay?"

"I am, but what about you? You don't sound well."

Charla's shoulders sank slightly. "No... it's... it's nothing, I'm alright."

Johan was silent, and Charla didn't say anything further. "Charla, what happened? Tell me, tell me what happened."

"I..." she sighed then looked around if anyone was around and moved herself to a far corner of the garden sitting down on another stone bench that was tucked away and kept her voice low. "I've been seeing things again, images and the like, all jumbled and disoriented. There's more but... you... you may need to come here sooner, I think." Her eyes squeezed shut tightly. "I'm sorry Dad."

He was silent for a moment before he asked. "You don't need to be sorry Charla, never for this. What you are going through even I cannot imagen. But your uncle..."

"He doesn't know," she said quickly. "He doesn't know Dad; he only remembers the car accident. So I reminded him about my blackouts... but the other thing... I just... I couldn't tell him Dad, I couldn't tell him... about the incidents. I'm afraid that he wouldn't understand."

Her father was silent she could only guess as to the expression that was on her father's face at that very moment. It was anger, silently brewing anger, like foreboding storm. "I see..." was all that he said in a low tone in response.

"Please don't be angry with him..." Charla said softly. "It's okay if he doesn't know. At least for now, nothing really bad has happened yet. But I'm not sure, this whole town has ears and eyes everywhere." Her body began to shake as her eyes grew wide. "I'm afraid... Dad I'm afraid. I'm afraid of myself!"

"Charla calm down, you know as well as I do that worrying about that will only make things worse for you." he said in a calm soothing voice. "You said nothing has happened yet, you need to believe in that okay? No matter what, you have done nothing wrong."

Charla closed her eyes as she had the sudden urge to just go home, but even then she knew she couldn't do that. She was in this town for better or worse, she only hoped to get a better understanding before it turned to worse.