Cadence

Part 53 - Monday, September 23rd, 2106

Monday, September 23rd, 2106

Oh my. I have much to tell about today.

Mother and father went to do shopping, and I sat at home, messaging Wendy and looking after Gabriella. My beautiful angel, my love.

No sooner had I sat down on the loveseat with my tablet and Gabriella was happily playing on her own tablet, than a man appeared. Right in front of me.

He was blonde with lovely blue eyes, and I wondered who he was. He looked so familiar, but different. I didn’t understand what to do. I decided to scream, and Gabriella screamed too.

It wasn’t the best thing to do.

“Cadence!” he cried, bringing a finger to my lips.

It was such a familiar finger. For some reason, I brought my hand up to my cheek.

“What are you doing here?” the strange man demanded. He was dressed in an interesting outfit: a bright white and gold day suit with a gold badge on his chest. The badge was a clock with dark red hands pointing to every number. It seemed strange.

“I live here,” I said, surprisingly calm. I wondered if this crazy man had a weapon.

His mouth dropped open.

“You…oh no.”

The voice was so familiar.

Then it dawned on me. “Dad?” I demanded.

He shook his head, closing his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“You live…that means…oh no.”

“What…are you my father?”

“No Cadence…it’s me, Robin.”

“Robin?” I shrieked, and ran to him, throwing my arms around the man’s neck. “What are you doing…you look so much older.”

“I’m Robin, but from a different time,” he sighed. “Your Robin is…” he closed his eyes. “No, what is she playing at…oh. No, not the head…”

“Robin, what…”

“That horrible old…” he gasped and shook his head, holding his hands in front of his face.

“No, Robin, where did you…”

Then he opened his eyes and let out a yell. Diving forward, he clutched his head with both hands. I jumped from the loveseat just in time for him to knock it down. Gabriella was wailing, screaming. I scooped her up to calm her.

“She’s…she’s…” he turned one head and his eyes rested on Gabriella. “YOU!”

Gabriella whimpered and turned, burying her face into my neck.

“You’re scaring her,” I scolded, numb fear pricking on my chest. I began patting her back. “Stop this, right now!”

“I…I’m sorry,” Older Robin whispered. “She’s just…”

“What are you talking about?” I demanded. “What could a three year old possibly be doing to hurt a grown man?”

“Your angel won’t be three much longer,” Older Robin stared at my little sister like she was…evil. “She will grow up…and when she does, the world will end. She must…not grow.”

“Not grow?” I cried. “How do you…”

And then I realized. “No. No, Robin. You are not touching her.”

“She is torturing your Robin right now, as I speak!” he winced and his fingers were clutching his nose so hard it seemed like he was going to rip it off. “Memories are flooding into my head, of me as a teenager, being beaten by this beautiful but evil woman who seems so familiar…she looks just like you, but she’s not you. She’s…”

He stared at the sobbing child in my arms. “That.”

“Shut up!” I cried, turning red at my horrible words. “This is not her. You’re confusing her with someone else.”

“Is that Gabriella Fulton?” he asked quietly.

I didn’t want to answer.

“Yeah.”

“Then she’s that woman totally scarring your Robin’s life.”

“How could my angel…my beautiful…Gabriella…how could she…” I felt horrible confusion and depression.

Older Robin sighed.

Right now, in fact, he is sleeping in the garage.

I’m too tired to write more. All I know is, my beautiful Gabriella, who I thought was the most angelic being in the world, is going to torture the boy I love.

Is torturing him right now.