Sun Child |✔|

|48|

A painting is not a picture of an experience. 

It is an experience. 

-Mark Rothko

***

Daisy hands me her coat. Like a caretaker, she pulls it over my head, careful with the fabric, and making sure it does not hit my face.

Then she helps me up.

"My father?" I whisper out my question.

"Unconscious," Daisy says.

I nod and we silently walk out of my prison.

I look around, taking in what looked to be a shed. My father's body is there, unconscious and tied up.

Daisy still has her arm around me as she pulls out her cellphone, pressing it to her ear.

She waits several seconds before I hear the other line click and the sound of Jay's voice faintly coming through.

"Little Moon, where are you?"

Daisy smiles into the phone, but it's a sad smile. 

"Hey, hot stuff. We found her."

There is a pause. I hear a shuffling on the phone before a sob reaches my ears, "You found her? You actually have her?"

Atlas.

His voice breaks my heart as I take in the desperation of it.

"Yes, Atlas."

"Is she hurt?"

Daisy pauses and looks down at me, her face showing all too well that unanswered question.

"Yes," she whispers.

I feel my knees tremble when the sound of Atlas's broken sobs come through.

"Thank you, Daisy. Thank you."

A faint red appears on Daisy's cheeks. She glances down at me but I am too far gone. I'm swaying, barely able to hold myself up, if not for the help of Daisy.

"She needs medical attention. We are not far from the pack. I'll bring her to the clinic and meet you there."

Before Atlas can respond Daisy is hanging up.

I gasp when she leans down, picking up my knees.

She's strong.

Not like me.

I wasn't strong.

After all my efforts, chants and steeling myself in. I still wasn't able to stop him.

If Daisy had not been there. If Daisy had not been there.

I feel fresh tears make their way down my face at the cruel reality. 

"Shhh, Stay with me, Lexie. Stay with me."

Daisy's soothing words have me clinging to her as she continues to walk through the forest.

We stay like that, in silence until we reach the main road.

There, a truck is waiting.

"How did you find me?"

Atlas didn't find me. Jay didn't. The pack didn't find me. So how did Daisy?

Daisy gives me a grim smile. 

"Let's just say, the Moon owes me many favors."

I'm to confused by her words to ask what she means.