divine—an enemy to be feared. These were not the sources of the unbridled beacon, though. These two knew how to control their true nature.
While the panther gathered the information needed, I plotted. All possible means of having a direct encounter with the girl were too risky. The gray-eyed menace seemed to be always present, and even when not visibly around, it was still too dangerous for me to gamble on its staying away and not returning at an inopportune moment.
One day, a change of events led to an opening, a chance for me to act. The girl was given a conveyance to use, and left for school on her own for the very first time. The greatest chance to succeed in confronting her was for her to return alone later. The decision was made. The only people around were her mother and father: the perfect bait.
During midday of the girl’s birthday, with an unrestrained power and an intent that I alone could have given it, the panther broke through the unlocked French doors into the living room, where it scattered Halloween decorations about. I remained hidden in the trees while the animal did as it was commanded to.
I entered and walked across the room, neither giving a second glance to the carnage below nor caring. I knelt and stroked the sleeping cat. And there I stayed until she came home.
7 SHATTERED
My dad’s deep voice reached into my dreams. “Good morning, princess!” he said, stroking the hair out of my face and kissing my forehead.
“ Thanks, Dad.” My morning voice sounded thin and a little gravelly, but remembering it was my birthday made me jump up in bed. As I staggered onto my feet I gave him a tight hug, letting myself get lost in his scent of Axe deodorant and aftershave. I looked up at him. “How come you’re not at work?”
“ It’s my little girl’s birthday—how could I miss that? Come on, kiddo, get dressed and come downstairs—breakfast is ready,” he said as he walked out of my room.
“ I love you, Dad!” I called after him.
Mom had bought me some new outfits a couple of days ago, but I couldn’t touch anything until today. I slipped into the new Ramones white shirt with the black long sleeves, the new jeans, and black boots. Then I gave the front of my hair some loose curls, adding some volume so it wouldn’t just hang lank, and went downstairs.
Mom was at the stove, flipping pancakes. The smell of bacon made my stomach growl like a hungry house cat. For as long as I could remember, this had been my “birthday breakfast of champions.” I wrapped my arm around Mom’s shoulders and gave her a kiss, then headed for my stool at the island, next to Dad.
“ Happy birthday, honey,” she said, greeting me out of the corner of her eye. “I see you couldn’t keep your hands off your new clothes.”
“ Hah!” I said. “It was torture not getting to wear them before now!”
Minutes after she brought us our breakfast, I had inhaled mine. Taking the plate to the sink, I looked over at the clock that hung above the refrigerator. “Claire was supposed to pick me up . . .”
“ Oh, she called earlier,” Mom said. “Something came up and she can’t make it. But anyway, your dad and I’ve been talking, and . . .” She had that crooked grin that made her look like a kid herself. “You can have Dad’s pickup truck.”
I gaped at them both in disbelief. “You’re really giving me the truck?” I squealed. “It’s mine ?”
Dad held up his hands and said, “It’s old, and we figured, how much damage could you do?” He paused, grinning. “Maybe I’d better reword that—forgot who I was talking to.” He was attached to that old beater. He had taken Mom on their first date in it, way back when you could tell what color it was. But he needn’t worry—I would treat it like a family heirloom.
I rushed outside and rolled down the windows. I shouldn’t be this excited about a three-block drive, but it was pretty cool. With the windows
While the panther gathered the information needed, I plotted. All possible means of having a direct encounter with the girl were too risky. The gray-eyed menace seemed to be always present, and even when not visibly around, it was still too dangerous for me to gamble on its staying away and not returning at an inopportune moment.
One day, a change of events led to an opening, a chance for me to act. The girl was given a conveyance to use, and left for school on her own for the very first time. The greatest chance to succeed in confronting her was for her to return alone later. The decision was made. The only people around were her mother and father: the perfect bait.
During midday of the girl’s birthday, with an unrestrained power and an intent that I alone could have given it, the panther broke through the unlocked French doors into the living room, where it scattered Halloween decorations about. I remained hidden in the trees while the animal did as it was commanded to.
I entered and walked across the room, neither giving a second glance to the carnage below nor caring. I knelt and stroked the sleeping cat. And there I stayed until she came home.
7 SHATTERED
My dad’s deep voice reached into my dreams. “Good morning, princess!” he said, stroking the hair out of my face and kissing my forehead.
“ Thanks, Dad.” My morning voice sounded thin and a little gravelly, but remembering it was my birthday made me jump up in bed. As I staggered onto my feet I gave him a tight hug, letting myself get lost in his scent of Axe deodorant and aftershave. I looked up at him. “How come you’re not at work?”
“ It’s my little girl’s birthday—how could I miss that? Come on, kiddo, get dressed and come downstairs—breakfast is ready,” he said as he walked out of my room.
“ I love you, Dad!” I called after him.
Mom had bought me some new outfits a couple of days ago, but I couldn’t touch anything until today. I slipped into the new Ramones white shirt with the black long sleeves, the new jeans, and black boots. Then I gave the front of my hair some loose curls, adding some volume so it wouldn’t just hang lank, and went downstairs.
Mom was at the stove, flipping pancakes. The smell of bacon made my stomach growl like a hungry house cat. For as long as I could remember, this had been my “birthday breakfast of champions.” I wrapped my arm around Mom’s shoulders and gave her a kiss, then headed for my stool at the island, next to Dad.
“ Happy birthday, honey,” she said, greeting me out of the corner of her eye. “I see you couldn’t keep your hands off your new clothes.”
“ Hah!” I said. “It was torture not getting to wear them before now!”
Minutes after she brought us our breakfast, I had inhaled mine. Taking the plate to the sink, I looked over at the clock that hung above the refrigerator. “Claire was supposed to pick me up . . .”
“ Oh, she called earlier,” Mom said. “Something came up and she can’t make it. But anyway, your dad and I’ve been talking, and . . .” She had that crooked grin that made her look like a kid herself. “You can have Dad’s pickup truck.”
I gaped at them both in disbelief. “You’re really giving me the truck?” I squealed. “It’s mine ?”
Dad held up his hands and said, “It’s old, and we figured, how much damage could you do?” He paused, grinning. “Maybe I’d better reword that—forgot who I was talking to.” He was attached to that old beater. He had taken Mom on their first date in it, way back when you could tell what color it was. But he needn’t worry—I would treat it like a family heirloom.
I rushed outside and rolled down the windows. I shouldn’t be this excited about a three-block drive, but it was pretty cool. With the windows
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