Rebecca's Bad Day

Prologue: Nightmare

I'm finally going on a Hunting Trip with my father.

We drive on the H1 SUV listening to Duran Duran in silence, the outside is miles and miles of deep black forests where shadows lurk.

We pass by a bus stop and a homeless woman dressed in men's clothes waves at us. The sky is not grey but it's not normal either, it's almost an indigo shade.

No stars, no sun, no clouds. We drive in silence. Another bus stop, same lady waves at us goodbye.

The Duran Duran song distorts, dad taps the wheel. His leather gloves make the thud noise dry.

It sounds like slapping.

-Dad.-

He taps the wheel and hums, ignoring me. The CD begins skipping and the music stops.

-Dad.-

Last year he started growing silver hairs on the side of his head, right now he looks like a brooding Mr. Fantastic, clenching the wheel. His neck tense, I can see a vein beating.

-Dad?-

-What, Rebecca?- He gently asks.

-Why are we going to Oregon today... Alone?-

Dad clenches harder, his driving gloves squeak against the leather of the wheel.

-Because you said you wanted to stop being a spoiled princess. You want to be treated like your brothers so badly, I'll show you what these trips are about.-

Dad extends his hand and points to his tumbler, I hand it to him, he sips and offers me some of his coffee. It burns to the taste.

On the side of the road, corpses of animals mauled and dispersed across the woods. Blood and guts spilled everywhere.

-Dad...-

-No. Stop acting dumb you know why I never took you to the lodge with the boys.-

I don't, I don't know why and I felt left out. I am the favorite but he never takes me hunting with them.

Again the homeless woman appears on the side of the road, waving.

I wish we weren't driving to Oregon, I wish I had kept my mouth shut. But we finally reach the Lodge and while we park I can feel my stomach twisting and turning.

-End of the line.- Dad says with an ominous tone, smirking.

I get down from the car, he throws my backpack to the gravel. It's a fresh summer morning yet the woods around the house look eerie.

-Pick it up, kid.- Dad barks, walking to the lodge carrying his duffel bag and ignoring me.

-Dad, I didn't mean to hurt you.-

He turns towards me, smirking. I can see myself reflected in his black wayfarers

-Oh but you did, Rebecca. You have no limits. You need to learn that those little tantrums you throw, have consequences in the real world. -

He stands menacingly in the stairs of the deck, blocking me from entering the house. He does this on purpose, so I have to walk by his side but I don't. I stay still looking at him.

-But all I said is that I wanted to spend more time with mom... I'm a girl, dad, there's stuff I don't feel comfortable doing with you anymore.-

He nods while he listens. -Yes, that's totally valid.- Dad chuckles -You are blooming into womanhood and you need a guide with a bleeding cunt like yours.- He points at me and makes a disgusted face.