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

Chapter. 14

"You really think that?" she asked him.

"Yes," he said. "I do, you are my daughter. I will always be on your side. Regardless of what anyone else says." There was a brief pause before he spoke again. "I will speak to your uncle about your condition, since things over here are almost settled I'll take the chance to come by in person."

"Okay..." she said softly. "Dad, I'm sorry for putting you through all of this on top of everything else you do."

"You can't take the blame, if anyone should be blamed it should be the one who pushed you, Carlin and the driver off the road. He was one man I will never forgive."

Even though he said that Charla couldn't help but blame herself for it all, even though she wasn't the one who caused the accident, she felt like she was the cause and that was a feeling a guilt that would never go away.

"Charla," her father spoke drawing Charla out of her thoughts. "I know things are hard but you have to try your best there. At least until I'm able to get to Sharlton, okay?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "I understand text or call me when you find something out."

"You know I always will Charla, I love you sweetie."

She closed her eyes and savored those words. "I love you too Dad," when she hung up she stared at her cellphone with a sad almost blank expression. Even though his words helped remove some of the feeling of dread, she couldn't help but think what may happen in the future because of her condition, and the horrible things behind it all.

As she leaned against the wall of the school and looked up to the sky, it looked cloudy with dark grey clouds in the blue clouds. Charla inhaled the afternoon air and she could smell the fragrance of rain, it was going to rain soon. Her eyes remained looking up at the sky, as her mind drifted from here into a small memory.

A memory of her and her brother playing in a field in the early autumn of Germany, where old homes seemed to stand tall against the ways of time, holding old charm with the afternoon sun beginning to set, she recalled the laughter that she and her brother shared as he held her hand as they ran through the tall grass. Even as they ran he never let go of her hand, always held tight when they finally reached a spot where a large rock lay resting above the tall grass. The two of them sat there, for what felt like hours as they watched the sun set as they remained on that rock holding hands in that blazing sky.

What she wouldn't give to go back to those days, but those were days she could never truly have ever again, no matter how much she wished for it.

The sound of a cat meowing drew her back to reality. When she opened her eyes she looked to her side to see the cat from before sitting there and staring up at her.

"Hello again Shadow," she said with a faint smile. "I haven't seen you for a while, what have you been up to?" she asked the black cat as she ran the back of her along the top of its head as it purred loudly. "You must have been on some interesting adventures, when I was little my brother and I would sometimes follow stray cats in the when we were in Germany, to see where their secret hideout would be. It was only a barn in the country but it was still fun to explore." Her gaze looked back up to the sky. "It makes me wonder... if I'll ever do that again." She felt something pawing at her leg and saw that Shadow was kneading her skin. "You want food right?" she asked the cat as she gently picked it up and set him on her lap while keeping her hands underneath his front legs. "That's why you come around to people isn't it, well I'm sure it's nothing wrong too it but if you keep this up you'll just get fat."