Red Bullets in June

Chapter 11: Nightmares

     The creak sound of the front door wakes me. I sit up in my bed.

     He's home! I have waited all night!

     I jump out of my covers. I run into the hallway.

     I am so... excited! Yes, excited! I learnt that word today in my Kindergarten class.

     I hear a strange voice. A woman voice. I don't know the voice. I stop. I fall on my bum.

     "Charlotte? Is that you? What are you doing out of bed?" My Daddy sounds angry.

     I don't answer. I am scared.

     "Get in here, Charlotte."

     I gulp. I stand up. I tip toe into the room with a couch. Daddy is looking at me. He looks angry. I look at the shiny wood floor.

     "Why are you still up, Charlotte?"

     "...I was waiting for you, Daddy..." I whisper. I am scared.

     "Oh sweetheart, come here!"

     I look up. Daddy is smiling. I jump into his arms. He blows a wet kiss on my cheek. I laugh. The strange woman watches us. She is beautiful.

     "This is Stella. She's my friend," My Daddy tells me.
Daddy has a friend? I did not think Daddies have friends...

     I smile at her. She smiles at me. My Daddy puts me on the floor.

     "Is Mommy working at night again?"

     I nod my head.

     "That's what I thought. Well pumpkin, Daddy's going somewhere with his friend, so you run back to bed."

     "Okay, Daddy."

     He puts a kiss on my forehead. "I love you, sweetie."

     "I love you too, Daddy."

     He turns away. He opens the front door.

     "Daddy! Wait!"

     He turns back. He looks at me. "What is it, pumpkin?"

     "Are you coming home tomorrow...?"

     "Of course, princess."

     Daddy smiles at me. He leaves with his woman friend. I run to the window. I look out the glass. I watch them walk away.

     They are gone. It is dark outside.

     My eyes shoot open to a darkness that's just as thick and empty.

     It's 3:00 AM. Sunday, June 10th, 2018. A melancholy tear rolls down my cheek as I recall the recurring nightmare of my dad leaving me. That was the last I ever saw of him and even though it happened when I was 5 years old, that fateful night is still just as vivid.

     I know he came to the house to say goodbye to me that night. He just didn't expect me to be awake.
He didn't want me to be awake.

     What hurts me the most is the fact that he promised he would come back. I waited every day, peering my hopeful, little eyes out the front window.