·· lucid ·· glenn rhee

chapter one;

The sound beyond the metal gates was unlike any I'd ever heard before. Childlike laughter drifted through the breeze, and I'd convinced myself that if I closed my eyes I could pretend everything was fine. The wind whipped through my hair and a smile pulled at my lips. 

The sound of the metal gates sliding open tore through my serenity. My eyes fluttered open, met with strangers and the barrel of a gun. Behind the gun stood a man in the uniform of a constable. 

"Who are you?" He asked me, the rasp in his voice not matching the clean, shaven person it accompanied. 

I lifted my hands above my head. "My name is Rhylee. I'm going to take my gun out and put it on the ground." Keeping one hand in the air, I slowly lowered the other and pulled my gun from it's place on my hip. I knelt down and placed it gently on the ground before returning my hand to the air. "I'm looking for my father."

The constable lowered his gun and motioned for me to come in the gates. As I got closer, the others backed away. When I was fully inside, a runner grabbed my gun and the gates closed. The constable tucked his gun away, "Come on. Let's get you to Deanna."

"I just want to know if my father's here. If he's not, I'll take my gun and be on my way."

"No one knows who's here better than Deanna. She'll be able to help you, and maybe find someone to patch up that cut on your arm." He led me to a house, the outside of which was surprisingly clean. 

The front door opened and a woman came outside, a large smile stretched across her face. The first thing I noticed upon walking inside the house was that the lights were on. I could hear water running in another room over.

"They radioed to tell me you'd be coming here. I had my husband go get you a glass of water. Before I answer your questions, though, I'd like you to answer some of mine." She informed me as a man came in and dropped off a glass of water. I took a sip and let the liquid run down my throat. The hydrating sensation that came from the smallest drink was like fresh air. "So, what did you do before all of this?"

"Nothing. I was a kid. I went to school and got beat up by a bunch of other kids. You know, typical kid stuff." The look on Deanna's face faded from a smile to a look of concern. I chuckled slightly and slid back in my chair. "I'm kidding. About it being typical anyway."

"Rhylee, was it?" I nodded and she continued. "I hate asking this question, but after the things we've been through here, I need to know. Have you ever killed anyone?"

"Not anyone that didn't deserve it. Look, Deanna, I'm just looking for my father. If he's not here, I'll leave and then I'm not your problem anymore. I'm not a threat to you, and I don't want to hurt anyone. I just want to find my family. So, can we quit with the formalities and just get to why I'm here?" I asked, trying to sound patient. Every second I spent in here was another second I wasn't finding my father. Deanna gestured at me to continue. "Glenn Rhee. Is he here?"

The smile that spread across the woman's face made my heart feel like air in my chest. "I'll take you to him."

She walked me down the street to a little white house. As she walked up to the door, I worried she could hear my heart beating in my chest. Hell, maybe even the dead could. Before she was able to knock, the door opened. A boy about my age in a plaid shirt was standing there, looking confused.

"I was just going to go for a walk. What's going on, Dad?" He asked, looking behind me. 

I glanced over my shoulder, seeing the constable standing there. While I was toiling over when he got there and how long had he been standing there, Deanna explained everything to the boy, who's name was apparently Carl. I could hear the distant sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. Two pairs of legs were the first thing to come into view, followed by two torsos, and the two faces. One of which, was incredibly familiar. 

"Dad?" I ran up to him, wrapping my arms around him as soon as I made contact.

"Rhylee?"