Chapter One
"And they all lived happily ever after" Grant Marshall spoke before softly closing the leather bound book. Hannah smiles up happily at him, batting her long eyelashes, framing big brown puppy dog eyes. "one more time?" she pleads, looking up into her fathers face, smiling brightly. Grant is usually useless to the power of her big brown eyes but he surprisingly finds some back bone and says in a stern voice "no". her smile slowly fades, hearing the authority in his tone, she nods, pouting lightly.
The small room fills with the deep chuckle of her father. His laugh slowly dims as he sighs deeply, ruffling his daughters hair. "now now little lady we can read it again tomorrow if you want, no reason to start poutin' " , he says leaning down and kissing her forehead lightly. Sitting the large book down on the nightstand, he looks down at his daughter, smiling, "bedtime".
"awww daddy comeon' its barely even 8!" she whines, holding his arm in a bear hug. That only ignites his laughter once again. He pulls his arm free with no effort and lightly pats her head as he gets off of the bed.
"you aint keeping me capture missy". he gestures to the small cage where her hampter once slept. "I don't want to end up like little Ernie" . Ernie died 1 week ago due to lack of hydration.
"hey! that's not my fault! Hows was I suppose to know he needed water" she argues, crossing her arms over her chest.
"well how do you think you'd be if I didn't give ya water for a week?" he asks, raising a bushy eyebrow.
She scowls lightly, poking her bottom lip out and muttering " id be just fine I aint no stupid hamster" . again he laughs, leaning down and kissing the top of her head. "okay beddy bye time little missy", he tucks her in gently, then tucks a stray of scarlet brown hair behind her ear.
Despite her efforts of rebellion she yawns lightly, stretching out her arms involuntarily. He places her favorite stuffed monkey toy next to her in bed, she cuddles up to it.
Taking the large leather bound book of stories and tucking it under his arm, Grant walks up to the light switch.
"sweet dreams daddy" she says softly, sleep close to over taking her.
"sweet dreams" he whispers to the sleeping girl, before darkness engrossed the room.
"Hannah!" she hears, sounding like soft murmurs outside her dreaming state.
"Hannah!" the voices slightly louder this time, still not enough to penetrate her dreaming trance.
She dreams.
She is sitting down on the sand right outside grandma's house, building a sand castle. The sun is beating down on her soft tan flesh. She hums merrily packing sand into a bucket, then flipping it over onto the ground. The structure holds for a small moment, then within seconds crumbles into large sand clumps onto the ground. The sun beats.
Again she packs the sand and again she flips it onto the ground carefully. It holds, a perfectly circle pillar standing proud. She smiles proud of her work, covering the top of her eyes she peers out over the water for daddy.
Where is he?
She stands up and takes a step toward the tide, her toes digging into the grainy sand.
"Daddy!" she calls out, cupping her mouth for a louder sound, something daddy taught her. She searches the horizon for his dark figure, his dark ebony back wiping through the water,
Nothing.
Again she calls out and again there is no response, nor any sign of her father. She begins to panic. Meanwhile the sun begins to heat her flesh. Feeling less like rays of sunlight and more like a small animal nibbling on her flesh. A tongue lightly touches her arm, licking, tasting, leaving behind burning trails of skin where its tongue touched her. She whimpers, quickly looking over her entire body.
that's when she saw it, not beams of light, nor a small creature, but flames devouring every inch of her.
.She awakens.
She cries softly, telling her self it was only a dream.
She opens her eyes and knows she is horribly wrong.
Her Entire door is engulfed in flames, the luminescent snakes inches up the from of her door, smoke seeping through the bottom. She coughs as the smoke enters her lungs.
"Daddy!" she screams through coughs, scooting back on her bed as the flames inch closer.
"Daddy! Somebody! Help me!" she screams as much as her frail little voice would allow. She hugs her knees knowing no one is coming for her, and waits for the flames to come and get her. Like a hungry monster there was no where she could go where they wouldn't find her. A angry beast wanting to devour her, to burn her. She closes her eyes tightly and holds herself, watching the flames, waiting for the absolution that was to come.
Hands grab her shoulders, weak frail, cold hands. She opens her eyes and peers upon her attacker.
Daddy..
Cold.
Pale.
Weak.
Dead.
She hears nothing else but the sounds of her own screams fill the room.
The morbid reality of her existence.
