SCARLET POV

The last time I saw my father, I was 12. We were at the beach. I was sitting next to my mother; leaning towards her as she wrapped an arm around me. I looked up at her as she kissed the top of my head. Her Albino skin glowed and her bright yellow eyes shined happily.

Hearts Content by Brandi Carlile blasted out of the boom-box we brought as dad and Zoya were playing in the water. Mom began to sing the song softly. "Here's to you and me and in between we draw a line, but we can-" momma stopped abruptly and smiled brightly.,I turned to see Zoya and dad walking up to us, laughing.

My eyes narrowed as Zoya rode on his back. I've never gotten to do that. I'm invisible in my father's eyes. I'm the child that wasn't supposed to be born. The mistake. I lowered my eyes as I feel the tears well up in my eyes. I won't cry. I refuse to. He doesn't want me, fine. I don't want him either. -Liar. You want his love and affection. You want to feel what Zoya feels when she's with him.-

I gnash my teeth at the person inside my head. She haunts my everything. Dreams, heart, mind. -Don't talk to me. I don't like you. Go away.- I yelled in my head. I clenched my eyes shut and pulled my knees to my chest. I rest my head on my knees. Tears. Their beginning to fall. Fat, wet ones. Very noticeable ones.

I jumped up and ran. I heard them yelling my name. The voices. My mother, my sister. But not the voice I wanted to hear. The one I seriously needed to hear. I stopped and looked back. My so called loved ones stared back at me. My mother's gaze held concern. My sister's gaze held shock. My father's gaze...nothing.

Unreadable.

Nothing.

No love.

No affection.

No Nothing.

I stared at the piercing blue eyes so much of like my own. The black hair that hung in his eyes, just like mine. Then I caught something in those eyes. The evaluating, judging, feline eyes of his. Curiosity. That's what shows in his eyes.

He blinks, and his mouth hangs open. I guess seeing my eyes made him realize how much I looked like him. He blinks again, amazed, seeing them. Twin blue orbs staring back at him. For once, he doesn't look at me with malevolence. Questions shine in his eyes.

Where did you come from?

When did you get here?

Where have you been?

When are you going to leave?

More tears burn the back of my eyes. A choked sob ripped the back of my throat. Zoya mouths to me 'What's wrong? Come back.' She doesn't understand. She doesn't understand that sometimes the unrequited must demand reparations, that love can be a mean and evil process. That sometimes one loses all patience with love.

When the nerves and guts have been packed away, and sewn in and cleaned up so as not to make all the innocent people uncomfortable, the one that carries this love becomes heavy with the toxic lump that grows slowly and steadily, into a rugged ball of scarred tissue.

"I hate you." I whispered to myself as I stared at him. Tears began to pour from my eyes as I screamed with all the hate and anger I could muster, "I HATE YOU!" His eyes went from curious, to shock, to hurt, all in a matter of seconds.

Tears fell as my legs began pumping in the other direction. My vision was blurry and I couldn't see much, but I won't be ridiculed by those evil, calculating eyes anymore. So I ran; I ran as far as my thick thighs and strong calves would carry me. My arms pumped beside me as I tried to pick up speed. My legs burned and my face felt numb. -You dumb slut! Go back! Dumb whore, we have no where else to go! Your so stupid!- The girl inside my head babbled. She was wrong. I had everywhere to go. Everywhere was at free game to me. Everywhere.

Once I thought I was far enough away, I stopped taking in big gulps of air. Dried, crusty tears covered my face. I looked around; see if I knew where I was. Had no idea. Perfect.

And with that, I began walking away. Away from the pain and suffering I'd been through in my short span of twelve years. And I walked pretty far. All the way out of San Diego. Went to San Francisco. Took me a while, but I made it.

The police found me in a restaurant eating with two ladies by the names of Juliet Simms and Sammi Doll. The police barged in and Ms. Simms and Ms. Doll almost got arrested. I got sent to an Alternative Academy in Chattanooga. Now it's time for me to go back to the home that caused all this shit. Let's count the days before I finally murder my father.