Father.
She wore dark glasses and tears on her cheeks. Her lipstick was smudged and bruises marred her pale skin. Self-inflicted. Her middle and index fingers of her right hand sought the comfort the comfort of a cigarette that wasn't there. Her left hand shook, splashing amber liquid from the glass it held, onto the floor. Her breathing was slow and shallow, blowing at her dark hair, which was tangled from her running her hands through it.
The phone rang. "What?" her icy tones making it clear she didn't appreciate the interruption. There was a pause on the line before a long sigh was released.
"I'm sorry." Came the familiar husky voice.
"So am I, but sorry doesn't change anything." The harsh words betrayed her anguish.
"Leave. Walk away. It's too late to forget and forgive, but it's not too late to leave it behind." His voice was hard, but she detected a trace of hope behind it.
"No. it was always too late, I just never saw it before. They'll never let me go."
****
She stood in front of the mirror, staring at her freshly washed face. She picked up some lipstick, red, blood res, (like his blood), and started to apply it, putting on a brand new face of colors which they had assured her wasn't tested on animals. Fuck the animals. She didn't care any more. She stopped caring about her shiny-plastic-I-work-at-McDonalds-face and allowed the lipstick to trail down her face, a long red line of (blood) waxy color.
She stopped, picked up a washcloth and cleaned the failed attempt of perfection off her face for the fifth time that day.
****
She stood by the grave, forcing herself not to cry. Not for him, never for him, but for her. All the things he had put her through her through so she could receive parental approval that never came. A tear crawled down her face, and a comforting male hand brushed it away tenderly.
"Forget him," he whispered in her ear softly.
"No. He made me what I am. And I'll never forget!" she cried, anger hoarsening her voice.
"Come with me." He breathed into her ear, tenderly wrapping his arms around her waist, allowing her to relax against his broad frame. He stroked the hair away from her face as her body was racked by sobs.
"He took it all away and left me with nothing! He took my life away…" she trailed off as the fight left her.
"With him, you never had a life to begin with." His hands caressed her face, and she leaned her head back on his shoulder.
"What now?" she murmured, her voice expressionless.
"Come," he said, holding her hand, "we will build a new life for you, for us, together." A soft smile played across his lips as he stepped away from her, his hand still possessing hers. She looked at the grave one last time, then walked away, never looking back.
End.
Mandy.
Back.