Pure Obsession {WIP}

02 | Waterfall to Little Bird

  He nods and pulls me into a tight, sad hug.  "I don't know how comfortable I feel with you being out while this killer is still loose.  All these young girls, they're your age, Mara.  I've watched their families mourn and it just breaks my heart.  I don't want to be the next person mourning the loss of their daughter."

  We hug each other, aware of the coupled sobs.  My father, broken over the fact that he might one day receive a call from the Sheriff to come to the station and identify my body.  My mother's death was hard enough on his spirit, but outliving his daughter would absolutely crush his already withering soul.  As lost as he could be sometimes, he always thought of me whether he recognized me or not.  Since the death of my mother, and especially now with the girls in this town dropping like flies, he has been tethered to his greatest fear: burying me as he had to do with his beloved wife.  The grief is evident in his eyes.  The pain of losing the love of his life coupled with the terror of potentially having me violently taken away.

  The sob that escapes my lips despite my efforts to keep it stuck in my throat causes him to hold me tighter; as if it would keep me here with him forever until there is absolutely no chance of him losing me.  The heaviness in my head and dread in my stomach reminds me what I'm so afraid of.  Anything that could happen to me, any pain brought on by a either a force of man or nature, would be nothing compared to what would happen to my father.  Even if his memory of me lapsed for a few hours, he would eventually be struck with the realization that I was gone.  He would be alone.  I would be leaving him alone.  Nothing could hurt me more than hurting him.

  "Please be safe, waterfall."  His voice is broken.  This isn't a simple request as it used to be, he's pleading with me.

  "I will, barren desert."  I smile, hoping to alleviate some of the tension and remind him in some way that I have no intention of ever leaving him.

  He smiles up at me, wiping away the tears rolling down his leathery skin.  Neither of us was certain, but we had hope.  At least enough to get us through the day.

  "I've got to go, but I'll be back for dinner.  I found a new recipe I'd really like to try that I think you'll like."  I smile, earning a wide smile from my father as well.

  "I cannot wait to try it, darling.  Good luck today, not that you'll need it.  I can't wait to hear about your meeting tonight."

  I nod and kiss his forehead before we whisper a goodbye to each other.  I walk out of the house and to my car, blissfully unaware of how fleeting life can be.  For some reason, my heart lurches in my chest, the walls of my throat constricting as I drive to school and lingers for the rest of the school day.   Fear eats away at the center of my being as each minute ticks by. Uneasiness sits in my stomach like a rock, even after the final bell.

  An entire school day had escaped me without me even knowing.  The uneasy feeling grows heavier in my stomach as I drive to the coffee shop to meet Mr. Knight, or Daniel, as he would like to be called.  Never before had a feeling gripped me so extremely that my mind wasn't my own.  Even as I drive, my arms shake.  Labored breaths unconsciously escape past my lips as if to inform me of something I should be nervous about.  I had been nervous before, but never like this; and especially not for an unknown reason.

  When I finally park I hop out of the car and briskly walk inside.  Without looking for Daniel, I make my way to the bathroom to catch a breath.  Luckily, no one is inside the small bathroom to watch me attempt to pull myself together.  I roll my neck and wiggle my hands, trying desperately to shake off this awful feeling.  When I look in the mirror I see exactly what I saw earlier today, only the makeup can't hide the frightened expression on my face.  I have lost a bit of color as well, making my makeup stand out a little bit more.  The glint on the golden bird dangling from my neck catches my eye, reminding me to stand tall and relax.  I roll my shoulders back and lift my chin, inhaling deeply through my nose and exhaling.