Destroyed...
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Bronte Cheeseman
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Short Story
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2021
"Daddy?"
"yes sweetie?"
"im scared."
"why?"
"I don’t know... I feel lonely. Can we go home?"
"honey, im sorry."
"daddy? Whats wrong?"
"im sorry sweetie, but we cant go home."
"why cant we go home?"
"...."
"daddy, why cant we go home?"
"honey, im sorry. But we cant."
"but why?"
"something happened..."
"what? What happened, daddy?"
"something bad. Im sorry sweetie."
"but what about mommy?"
"your mother is... not here."
"is mommy going to come back?"
"I don’t know. Im sorry sweetie."
"but mommy... is she ok?"
"I don’t know."
"daddy... im still scared."
"i know sweetheart. So am I."
"I want mommy. I hope shes ok."
"me too, sweetie. Me too."
….
….
….
"what does dead mean?"
"what?"
"I heard some people talking before, and they said some people were dead."
"You shouldn't believe everything you hear."
"but what does It mean?"
"it means... it means they will be gone for a very very long time."
"is mommy dead?"
"I don’t think so."
….
....
….
"those people were talking again. They said we couldn't go home."
"I thought I said to stop listening!"
"can we go home daddy?"
"don’t listen to those people anymore, OK?"
"but daddy, I want to go home."
"i know sweetie."
"can we?"
"im... not sure. I don’t think so."
"is home dead too?"
"what?"
"is home going to be gone for a very very long time?"
"y...yes. Kind of. Its not really dead... its just dying."
"but what does that mean?"
"it means that... home will be gone for a very very long while, but someday, we can go back."
"go back home?"
"yes."
"and see mommy?"
"...yes."
"I am going to wait a very very long time then, until I get to see mommy."
"me too sweetie. Me too."
…
…
…
"cant sleep?"
"no."
"you should try."
"but daddy, its dark."
"so?"
"im scared of the dark."
"why?"
"monsters hid in it."
"no. That’s not true. Who told you that?"
"Elizabeth said so. She said they have big red eyes and teeth."
"oh. you made a friend?"
"Elizabeth is older than me."
"but is she your friend?"
"I don’t know."
"well, try to get some sleep."
"but its dark."
"there are no monsters."
"how do you know?"
"because... because..."
"daddy?"
"can I tell you secret?"
"yes."
"when I was your age, I was scared of the dark to."
"really?"
"yes. But you know what? I never ever once saw a monster."
"but what if they are invisibible?"
"what?"
"invisibible. Elizabeth said that you couldn't see them until they were really really close."
"its invisible. And how does she know?"
"she said she saw one."
"but... if its invisible then how can she see it?"
"I don’t know."
"you see. They don’t exist."
"but..."
"they aren't real."
"ok."
"You know what helped me?"
"what?"
"I used to pretend that the darkness was a blanket."
"what?"
"think of the darkness like a blanket that the moon put over the world."
"so the moon tucked us into bed?"
"er... yes."
"and when the sun rises it takes off the blanket?"
"exactly."
"goodnight daddy."
"goodnight honey. Sweet dreams."
"you too."
…
…
…
"I miss mommy."
"me too."
"when will she be back?"
"what? Oh... er... um..."
"well?"
"im not sure."
"soon?"
"I don’t know."
"I hope its soon."
"me too."
…
…
…
"daddy?"
"yes?"
"can you sing?"
"umm. I don’t know. Can I?"
"can you?"
"ok."
"…"
"that wasn't very good."
"I know."
"can you teach me to sing?"
"why?"
"because I miss music."
"why?"
"it makes me feel better."
"really?"
"yes."
"well, let me tell you something. Sometimes, the best music in in the air around you."
"how?"
"listen closely and tell me what you hear."
"birds, trees, water... the birds sing. The trees sound like music. So does the water."
"see? There is beauty in nature."
…
…
…
"I wish I was like a bird."
"why?"
"they sound so nice. And they can fly. I wish I could fly."
"honey, you sound nice."
"but I can't fly."
"neither can I."
…
…
…
"when's mom getting back?"
"what?"
"I miss mom. When is she going to be back?"
"I don’t know."
"soon?"
"honey... I don’t know where your mother is."
"you said she would come back."
"I know."
"you lied?"
"no."
"but..."
"your mother will come back."
"but when?"
"I don’t know. In a while."
…
…
…
"dad?"
"yes?"
"you want help with that?"
"sure."
"no, dad. Ill do it."
"what?"
"have a rest. I can do it. You've been working all day."
"thank you."
"there. That was the last of them."
"ahh, my old bones are getting to me."
…
…
…
"dad, where is mom?"
"I don’t know."
"you say that every time. And you also say that she is coming back."
"she is..."
"dad, im not 3 anymore. Don't lie to me."
"your mom is coming back."
"if you don’t know where she is, how can you be sure?"
"because she promised..."
"dad. Promises can be broken."
"but your mother... she wouldn't."
"sometimes people don't have a choice."
"honey, stop. Your mother is coming back. That’s final."
"sure. whatever you say."
…
...
…
"dad... in three days im old enough to join the recovery team."
"the what?"
"the recovery team."
"whats that?"
"they are going to go back to see if it has recovered."
"going back... where?"
"home."
"WHAT?"
"I know."
"but, home was destroyed. We can't go back. Not now."
"apparently we can."
"honey, I don’t want you going"
"dad, you don’t get to decide."
"then let me come with you."
"no."
"why?"
"your too old."
"ouch."
"im going. Your staying."
"but..."
"but what?"
"it could be dangerous."
"so..?"
"you could get hurt."
"that’s what doctors are for."
"they can't bring back someone from the dead."
"you think im stupid enough to die?"
"….no. Im just worried."
"well, then don’t worry."
"honey, you’re my daughter. I cant not worry."
"whatever."
...
...
...
"dad."
"your back!"
"uninjured."
"are you sure? What was it like? What did you se?"
"yes, im fine. And it looked... different."
"of course it did. Details."
"well... everything was broken. The wind sounded like cries of the dead. There were bones."
"...oh."
"there were no other survivors that we could see."
"are you sure?"
"100%"
"absolutely?"
"look, we searched everything top to bottom, and saw no signs of life what so ever."
"not even..."
"no. There were no birds, no insects, no trees, nothing."
"so we can’t go back home?"
"no."
"but..."
"well, unless you want to die. I advise staying here."
...
...
...
"dad?"
"oh... hi, honey."
"what are you doing?"
"nothing."
"are you packing?"
"what? No."
"dad. What are you doing?"
"well, ive been thinking about what you said."
"what?"
"im getting old now..."
"no. We are not going to have this conversation."
"we need to. Whether its now or in a couple of weeks, it's not going to change."
"dad, I am not going to let you die."
"its nature. Its inevitable."
"but what a I supposed to do without you?"
"live. Have a family. Then when you get old, it will be your time too."
"but you are my family."
"do not fear death."
"why? It takes away everything I love."
"in death, you find peace. Calm."
"but I need you."
"honey, you do just fine without me."
"…"
"well, I guess I could always stay a little while longer."
...
…
...
"honey. Im leaving."
"what? Where?"
"home. Im going home."
"why?"
"I need to see it... one last time."
"dad?"
"its time."
"what are you doing?"
"from now on, it will be arthritis and pain. I don't want to live long enough to forget your mother."
"but dad.."
"no buts. This time im going."
"say hi to mom for me."
"what?"
"in heaven. Say hi to mom."
"ok. I will. Remember, we will always be with you. In your heart."
"I know dad. I know."
"don’t cry for me. Know that im leaving this world and going into a better one."
"its hard."
"I know. But when has that ever stopped you?"
"daddy. Im going to miss you."
"shhh. Shhhh... its ok sweetie."
"do you have to go?"
"yes."
"I love you daddy."
"I love you too, sweetie. More than you could ever know. More than anything."
"don’t go."
"goodbye."