Darkened Heart

Chapter Six

Charlotte decided to prove to herself once and for all that he existed. If she had told her father about the other world he would've thrown her in a mental institute. "C'mon Jacque." She said, walking over to her bedroom door. The Scottish terrier did as it was told, following the ginger-haired girl out of her room, he plopped his furry self all the way down the stairs. She kept the key in her hand, outlining the circular button with her index finger. The more she looked at it, she more she felt as if he could see her somehow. Maybe the impression of the doll was getting to her, but this key had a significance she didn't understand. The living room was bare, aside from the boring blue boy that was perched above the fireplace. The floorboards creaked slightly as she walked into the room. However, Jacque interrupted her thoughts with a bark. It startled her so much her heart jumped. Turning around to face him, she watched as he sat himself down at the doorframe of the living room, refusing to move. That wasn't all, his normal easygoing beady eyes were now tense as he began to growl or whimper. "What's wrong?" She asked, not expecting an answer. Jacque turned his head in the direction of the small crawlspace door. Charlotte knew he sensed something she did not. Barking once again, he made a circle and hid behind the doorframe, too afraid to move. She turned her head to face the small door. "You see something I don't..." She said to no one in particular. Charlotte approached the lock with her key and slid it inside. Whimpering, Jacque scurried down the hall, out of her sight. The only reason she knew this was because she could hear his panicked paws on the wooden floor.

She figured he wouldn't be an issue. After all, if a dog like him could make it onto the roof, who's to tell him he couldn't make it out? Then again, now she was skeptical. If Jacque sensed something wrong... then what was wrong? Surely it wasn't the other world... was it? Maybe something was behind the door, waiting for her. That thought sent a chill down her spine.

Turning the key, she braced herself for anything to leap out at her. Much to her dilemma, her eyes closed. She felt that if it was all a dream, she'd wake up. But then... then she felt the cool breeze of the tunnel kiss her face. As her emerald eyes opened, they grew at the sight of the colorful passage. Inhaling deeply and exhaling even deeper, she smiled. "I knew it... I knew you were real." Her thoughts flooded with the memories of the other father. Although only knowing him for a short time, she admitted to herself that she fancied him. Maybe it was because of his kind words, good manners, or playful attitude, but each quality was enough to make her feel comfortable. That alone was enough for her to ignore Jacque's behavior from before. Crawling through the small corridor, she felt the air shift and fizz as it always did. As if the tunnel itself was alive, she seemed to get to the other side quicker than the last. Trying to ease her beating heart, she opened the other door and entered the other living room. Crawling onto the now polished wooden floor, she brought herself onto her feet. Immediately, she looked around her surroundings to see if he was there. To her disappointment, he wasn't, but then, she spotted a folded note standing up on the nearby coffee table. On it, were black cursive letters that read, "Charlotte," on the front. She picked it up and unfolded it. In the same neat handwriting, it read:

"Dearest Charlotte, I apologize for not being able to greet you myself at the moment. I do, however, promise to see you later this afternoon. Mr. Spink and Forcible have invited you to see their performance after lunch. I've already laid out a meal for you in the dining room, along with a new outfit I hope you find to your liking. Until then, my darling XOXO

Love, the other father."

Smiling wholeheartedly, she sat the note back down on the table and made her way to the dining room. The halls were just as she remembered them, vibrant and colorful. The smell of food also hit her nose almost instantly as she came in view of the dining room. It was just as lively as it had always been. Aside from the red décor and old fashioned paintings, was a plate of steaming hot food. Next to it was a velvet yellow box that had a red ribbon to tie it together. As if he couldn't make things even better for her, she recognized the food on the plate. It was food from the Miami fair, the one she would've gone to with her mother if it weren't for the move! She smiled even bigger, feeling her heart light up with joy at the thought of tasting something familiar. There was a golden deep fried taco with a crispy shell and a soft inside. Tomato, lettuce, every kind of cheese, and the occasional meat were all wrapped together within a soft tortilla. Next to it were three jalapeno brisket poppers as a side, but what made her almost want to cry was the slice of chocolate covered cheesecake next to it. It made her think of all the times she spent with her mother. Every laugh, every smile, every small talk flooded back to her head. Wiping away a tear of happiness, she sat down to eat. As she bit into the taco, she could feel the warm voice of her mother in the back of her head. Memories of riding the ferris wheel and that spinning ride that always made her sick came back to her. For the first time since they moved into the Pink Palace, Charlotte felt as if she had never left Florida in the first place. Once she finished it off, she began to dig into the cheesecake, which was coated in sprinkles as well as blue raspberry chocolate. The sweetness filled her mouth with a familiarity that couldn't be told apart from the real fair.