(The New) Power of the 8 Elements: Part One

Chaptrt Nine: Dads

*TRIGGER WARNING*
CONTAINS IMPLIED OF ABUSE
"Family is supposed to be our safe haven. Very often it's the place where we find the deepest heartache." - Iyanla Vanzant
7 YEARS AGO
CELESTE

I sat alone on the park bench. It was my idea to go to the park, but that was because I couldn't stand the idea of sticking in my house any longer. My babysitter, some girl across the street named Niagara, was too busy talking with her other high school friends to pay attention to me. I didn't want anyone to pay anyone attention to me. I simply sat and stared. It was a rather gloomy day. The sun was hiding behind the clouds, and there were very few light ones to play with.

It was Father's Day. Mommy hated this day most of all, but Daddy, instead of spending the day with me and my sisters, liked to take Mommy out of the house. Mommy didn't want to go out of the house though. I could hear her pleading with Daddy the other night to go out like a normal family and eat dinner like a normal family, but Daddy said no. Daddy made her cry. Daddy makes Mommy cry all the time which is really sad because Silver has to lock Mommy and Daddy's bedroom to make her happy, and she never lets me or Rune in the room.

"Do you have any friends?" asked a little boy.

I turned around and saw a small boy wearing a tailcoat standing by the bench. He had his hands behind his back. The little boy had black hair and wholesome golden eyes. He looked about my age, but I'd never seen him before.

"Do you have any friends?" the boy repeated again.

I shook my head.

"Are you here by yourself?"

I shook my head and pointed at Niagra who still hadn't turned around to look at me.

"They left you?"

I nodded.

"Mine, too. Mine is over there." He pointed over at an ominous looking man with unkempt black hair standing against a lampost and smoking.

"This is a children's park. Why is he smoking? Doesn't he know that's bad for him and us?" I said.

"He doesn't know the difference between good and bad. He was listening to some really inappropriate music earlier. I had to cover my ears because of how terrible it was."

"Oh, dear. Seems we both have some pretty awful babysitters. What's your name?"

"Uh...Joseph."

"I'm Celeste."

"That's a pretty name."

"Thank you. You know, I like yours, too."

"Really? I don't like mine very much."

"No, no, silly. It's great."

He smiled.

"What do you have behind your back?" I asked, standing up from the bench.

Joseph revealed a headband made of flowers. It was so pretty.

"I made it."

"It's beautiful," I said, mesmerized.

"And I have one for both of us."

He pulled out another flower headband and put it on my head. Next, he put the remaining flower headband on his head.

"Do you like it?"

"I love it," I said. "I've never had a flower headband."

"Well, now you do!"

"I can't wait to show this to my mom. She's going to love it, too. What about you? Are you going to show your mama?"

"My mom won't be too happy about me going to the park. She's never happy about things anymore."

"My mom isn't happy either."

"Really, my mom's just mean. She yells at me and my brother a lot."

"My dad..." I tried not to cry. "...my dad does the same thing. Either that or he doesn't come to the house at all. What about your dad? What's he like?"

"My dad is pretty quiet most of the time. Well, I never really knew my real parents."

"Were you adopted?"

He nodded. "Maybe my old parents were nicer, but apparently they couldn't take care of me."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I try not to think about that. It's Father's Day. I try to imagine my dad like he was a good person."

"My dad isn't a nice person. My dad is mean."

"Oh."

"He hits my mom, and he screams. It's scary. I wish I was adopted like you. I wish I could have another dad." I began sniffing which I found embarrassing because I did not want to start crying in front of this person whom I'd just met today.

"Do you want a hug?" He asked, opening his arms.

I nodded, and I hugged him. I smiled as we embraced. I liked this boy. I like-liked him.

"Stop! STOP! GET THE H*LL AWAY FROM HER!!" Niagra screamed, jumping in between the two of us and pulling me away.

Joseph looked just as surprised as I was. What was going on?! Joseph's babysitter got involved as well and he dragged Lucifer away from me, too.

"Niagra?!" I asked, wondering why they were forcing us apart.

"What's the matter with you?!" Joseph's babysitter demands.

"You keep your kid on a leash, you hear me! No dark one should ever be that close to a light one or even with one."

"It's not my fault your kid is a clingy b*tch!"

"Back away!" Niagara holds out a hand glowing with her light aquarius magic.

"I'll kill you, b*tch! I'll kill you!"

The two of them left without even turning away from each other. It wasn't until we got into Niagara's car that I finally began asking questions through my tears.

"What happened? What did I do? I didn't mean to? What did I do?"

"You did a very bad thing, Celeste. Everybody knows light ones don't mix with dark ones."

"That was a dark one?" I asked.

"Are you kidding me? The signs were all over. The black hair, the black clothes, the pale skin. He was screaming dark one, and so was his parent...or babysitter...or guardian and whatever."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

"We're supposed to hate dark ones, not hug and sympathize for them! That's not how the world works, Celeste! Light opposes dark."

"What does oppose mean?"

"HATE! Light hates dark! Dark hates light! If you ever run into another dark one, you are to hurt them."

"I don't want to hurt people."

"Hurt them!"

I sighed and nodded, wiping at my tears.

"Good. I better not see you around that boy again, and we're not telling your mother about this. She won't pay me if she finds out that you were around a kid like that."

I looked out the car window, sadly watching as Joseph was given the same conversation by his babysitter. Hate all dark ones was the only thing my mind was telling me when I went to sleep. So on the first day of 3rd grade, that was what I did.