Secret in the Heart ||Descendants|| (♡Ben)

11

"First things first
We start the scene in reverse
All of the lines rehearsed
Disappeared from my mind." I sing and take a few steps towards the lake. A memory starts to flood my mind. It's about the fight I had with my father, just before he disappeared.
"When things got loud
One of us running out
I should have turned around
But I had too much pride." We were fighting about the fact that we hadn't had much medicine left and that he needed me to steal some more. Now of course I would do anything for my father because I wanted him to get better, but this morning when I went out for food I got caught stealing a loaf of bread. I got chased around half of the island before I could finally shake him off, so I was scared to go out again. My father didn't understand this and just kept saying that I should go. Eventually, I just stormed out and didn't look back.
"No time for goodbyes
Didn't get to apologize
Pieces of a clock that lies broken." When I had cooled down and got over my fear of being caught again, I stole some medicine. I went back towards our house only to find it empty. I turned the whole house upside down looking for him. Thinking that he might want to get back at me.
"If I could take us back
If I could just do that
And write in every empty space
The words I love you in replace
And every time would not erase me." I just wish that I had turned around and that we had made up. I think that I would at least have some peace. Every day I live with this regret inside of me. Every day I get reminded of the fact that my father isn't here anymore and now the bucket has just tipped over and is starting to flow.
"If you could only know
I never let you go
And the words I most regret
Are the ones I never meant to leave
Unsaid Stilt." When I couldn't find him in the house I searched around it. I went on the roof to see if he was there, but I couldn't find him. I looked at the other rooftops, hoping to find any sign of my father. While I was looking I felt this weird jolt through my body. I quickly climbed down and started to search for any tracks he might have left. My father made no tracks but I know that that's not true, which leaves the fact that he knows me and doesn't want to be found. He erased his tracks, which I expected. He is my father after all. I walked around the whole island that night, even searched the beach. There was just no sign of him. He had truly disappeared.
"Silent days
Mysteries and mistakes
Who'd be the first to break
Guess we're alike that way." The days after he had disappeared I didn't speak and ate almost nothing. I was just mourning. I had loved my father very much and now he was gone. I had nothing to live for anymore. Until I met Jay.
"He said, she said
Conversations in my head
And that's just where they're gonna stay forever." I think about the fight often. I mean it was all my fault. If I just hadn't reacted so paranoid when he said that we were almost out of medicine then we wouldn't have had a fight and then I would've kissed his head and went out like I always did. If I were just braver.
"If I could take us back
If I could just do that
And write in every empty space
The words I love you in replace
Then maybe time would not erase me." I wish there was I way that I could go back to that day and do it over. I would have been braver, then we wouldn't have gotten into a fight. Then I would've got medicine for him and we would've enjoyed the evening together as he told me stories about my mom. Maybe he would have eventually gotten better or maybe not. At least I would've known when my last hour with him would strike and then I could've said goodby.
"If you could only know
I never let you go." I walk towards one of the trees that stand in the forest and place my hand on it. I then lean my head against my hand and tears start to stream down my face.
"And the words I most regret
Are the ones I never meant to leave
Unsaid Stilt." My father's face appears in front of me and I smile. I miss him so much.
"If I could take us back
If I could just do that
And write in every empty space
The words I love you in replace." I sing softly.
"Then maybe time would not erase me." My voice now raised.
"If you could only know
I never let you go." I turn back towards the lake.
And the words I most regret
Are the ones I never meant to leave." I slowly walk towards the lake.
Unsaid Stilt." I finish the song. I am now standing at the edge of the lake looking at the Isle. The Isle is my home. What am I doing here? It was foolish of me to come here with my friends. They don't need me to succeed in this plan. Mal can just take my place and I can go back to the Isle without anyone noticing it. I take in a deep breath and place one foot in the water.
"Kara?" someone says and I spin around. "Ow, hey Conner." I say and I quickly wipe the tears away that are still on my face. "I didn't see you there." I say. "Are you okay?" he asks. "Yes." I say. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asks. "You heard it all?" I ask. "Yes, I saw you running out of the school and into the forest, so I ran after you. When I got here you started singing." he says. He looks me up and down. "Did you fall?" he asks. I look at myself and see that my pants and shirt are all dirty. "Uh, yeah." I say confused as to why he followed me. "Why did you follow me here again?" I ask. "Well, you seemed upset so I ran after you to see if you were okay." he says and I nod. "Are you tho?" he asks. I frown at him. "I mean for a second it looked like you were going into the lake." he says. "You weren't planning on drowning yourself were you?" he asks. "No, I wasn't." I say and let out a small laugh. He walks over to me. "You sure you don't want to talk about it?" he asks. I open my mouth but then close it because I don't know what to say. "You don't have to if you don't want to. But it sounded like there's a lot of bottled-up emotion inside of you." he says. There is a silence and Connor opens his mouth again to speak. "Yeah, you're right." I say. "So you wanna talk about it?" he asks as he slowly walks back towards the forest and I subconsciously follow him. "Well, I haven't really talked about this to anyone so I wouldn't know where to start." I say. "Start with explaining what the song was about." he says. "The song was about this fight I had with my dad just before he disappeared." I say. "He disappeared?" Connor asks. "Yes." I say and I take a deep breath. "You really don't have to te-" Connor starts. "I was six." I interrupt him. "It was around noon and I had just given him his medicine and he said to me that we were almost out and that I should get some more. I reacted a bit paranoid because I had been caught steeling a loaf of bread just a few hours prior and I got chased around half the island before I could shake the guy off. I was scared to go back out there and steal something else. So we got into a fight and eventually I stormed out. I went to my secret spot on the island and did some thinking. I gathered enough courage to steal something again so I got to it. When I stole the medicine I walked home but when I entered he wasn't lying in his bed. So I searched the whole house and thought that he just wanted to get back at me. But when I yelled that I got it and that I wouldn't be so scared anymore I didn't get a reaction. So I searched and searched, but he was nowhere to be found. The problem is is that I know him, so I know he had to leave some tracks when he left the house, but I couldn't find any. I can't help but think that he erased his tracks because he didn't want to be found." I say. "And then what happened?" he asks. "Well, from that moment I was alone." I say. "What about your mother?" he asks. "My mother died giving birth to me." I say. "I'm sorry." he says. "Don't be." I say. There is a small silence and I can see on Conner's face that he is trying to process it all. "You were six?" he asks. "Yes." I say. "I just can't imagine a parent leaving a child all on their own when they are only six." he says. "It was a rough year." I say. "What happened after that year?" Connnor asks. "I met Jay and the others and I moved in with them." I say. "Ow, wouw. So you know each other for about what? Nine years now?" he asks. "Yes. Nine and a half to be exact." I say. "Wow." he says. "Yes, we've been through quite a lot together." I say.
"So, how about you, son of the Mad Hatter?" I ask him, truly interested. "Well, I was alone with my mother until I was about seven. I don't know why, she would never tell me what my father was doing, but then one day he just came and lived with us. I admid, it was weird at first. Not only because he is a bit mad, but also because I just wasn't use to having him around. But that didn't last that long. I was glad that he finally was around." he says. "Who is your mother?" I ask. "Do you know the tale of Alice in Wonderland?" he asks. "Well, I know a few characters, but I don't know the whole tale. I am sorry we don't have that many books on the Isle." I say. "Don't worry about it. I don't think you would know her, since you don't know the story." he says. "I would love to hear it someday. Maybe-" I start. "Kara!" someone says. I look towards the source. Jay is jogging towards us. I was so deep in conversation with Connor that I didn't even notice that we had arrived at Auradon Prep. "Kara, there you are." he says as he hugs me. "We were worried that something had happened to you." he says. "Oh, I just ran into Connor in the forest." I say. "Oh, that's nice." he says and he looks at Connor, noticing him for the first time. "Mal needs to talk to us." Jay says and he grabs my hand and starts jogging towards the doors that lead into the building, whilst draging me behind him. "I am sorry Connor." I say as I look at him. "I would really like to hear it one day!" I yell as we are now getting further away from him. "Thank you." I yell and I can just see him wave before my view of him is blocked by the doors.
"What was that all about?" I ask Jay. "Nothing." Jay says. "Come on Jay." I say. "We are just a little stressed because our parents clearly want us to succeed in this." Jay says and he starts to rattle. "I just don't want my father to be disappointed in me, you know. And the others have the same. I mean if we don't pull this off then who knows what they will do to us." he says. "Hey!" I say trying to stop him. "We will probably be living on the street or so-" he rattles on. "Hey!" I yell and I grab both his shoulders and force him to stop. "Everything is going to be okay. Do you hear me." I say. He still has a worried look on his face. "We are going to make a plan for the coronation and we will pull this off. We won't be living on the street." I say. He nods a few times. "Besides I would rather be dead than live on the streets with you. I mean you already smell bad when you haven't showered in one day, imagine how you would smell like if you haven't showered in a week." I say as I wave my hand in front of my nose. He gives me an evil look and I start running towards the dorms. I hear his footsteps chasing me. "Good luck Jayson, you will never catch me. You are too slow!" I yell over my shoulder. I slide to a stop in front of his dorm. "I told you." I say to him three seconds later as he slides to a stop beside me. "One day." he says. "In your dreams." I say and open the door.

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2315 words
(10/11/2020)