each night in his
dreams, Kirken remembered bending to retrieve the cap and putting it back on
his head. Brandon only smiled and pretended not to notice what fell off in
Kirken’s hand when he did. He looked away quickly when Kirken opened his hand
and let the hair fall to the ground.
Watching Mel was even harder.
Only a year younger than
Brandon, she even more epitomized the bravery and unwavering desire to live
that was necessary to survive in a world slowly dying around her. There was
something about her Kirken noticed that many including himself did not have.
There was a bravery in her
gentleness and an unquenchable defiance to accept the bleakness of her fate. It
was something Kirken found himself tapping into when he was with her. Sometimes
it would last a week or month past his visits. Sometimes it was just enough to
help him ward off the demons that haunted his restless sleeps and laughed at
his fear.
Mel hadn't given up like Kirken
almost had.
She believed in a pain that was
not constant and in a faith that would keep herself, family and friends alive
forever. She made him believe an escape from this world was possible and that
one day life would be healed.
Kirken had gone with her many
times to the funerals of her friends and classmates. Each service made him feel
even more dead inside, but Mel always appeared unaffected by the sorrow they
were there to observe.
She always seemed to rejoice in
the time that she spent with the family and friends that exited her world on a
frequent basis. She was not afraid of the unknown. She seemed just happy to be
alive in the present.
Kirken knew how much he loved
his stepdaughter and how much of the same she felt back.
"Dad," Mel came
running from the back yard.
The lawn was a different shade
of brown, one not usual for this time of year Kirken noticed. Grass had never
grown on the property, only different grades of dirt.
"What took you so
long?" Mel asked when she came closer. "I skipped out of school an
hour early just to see you."
"Hey, baby," Kirken
said hugging her.
Her long blonde hair did not
look as healthy as he remembered, and her skin was slightly more pale. But her
spirits seemed high. Kirken choked back his tears and tried to smile.
"Where's your brother,
honey?"
"He's not here,"
Deanna said to him. She walked briskly towards them from the street. Her anger
was evident by her step. "I don't know where he is. But he said if it gets
too late to leave without him."
"Well, I surely doubt he
said that," Kirken said casting a tired glare at his ex-wife.
"Let's go inside,
Daddy," Mel said pulling him toward the house.
Kirken gladly allowed his
daughter to lead him inside. He still wasn't quite yet at an equilibrium with
his medication, and he eagerly looked forward to the chance to sit down.
He took a deep breath and walked
inside taking slight reprieve from the deadly sun blazing overhead.
Kirken followed his daughter to
the living room and sat down heavily on the sofa. He removed his protective
glasses and rubbed his temples trying to make the piercing pain go away.
They waited inside for over an
hour for Brandon to return. Mel used the time to relay her last two week's
activities in a breathless ramble while her mother fidgeted nervously in the
kitchen.
"You know Dad, I've been
dying to take you downtown. There's somewhere I want you to go with me. I have
something to show you. Something very important."
"What are you talking
about, sweetheart?" Kirken asked her.
He felt her exuberance beginning
to eat away at the bitterness, anger and frustration that always surrounded him
when he was not with her and living his damnable life inside the domes.
He was excited and interested
despite the chemicals racing through his body and starting to make him sick. He
avoided looking at his ex-wife sitting in the next room to keep his stomach
from acting up any further.
"C'mon let's go," Mel
said grabbing his arms and pulling him to his feet. "The bell's going
dreams, Kirken remembered bending to retrieve the cap and putting it back on
his head. Brandon only smiled and pretended not to notice what fell off in
Kirken’s hand when he did. He looked away quickly when Kirken opened his hand
and let the hair fall to the ground.
Watching Mel was even harder.
Only a year younger than
Brandon, she even more epitomized the bravery and unwavering desire to live
that was necessary to survive in a world slowly dying around her. There was
something about her Kirken noticed that many including himself did not have.
There was a bravery in her
gentleness and an unquenchable defiance to accept the bleakness of her fate. It
was something Kirken found himself tapping into when he was with her. Sometimes
it would last a week or month past his visits. Sometimes it was just enough to
help him ward off the demons that haunted his restless sleeps and laughed at
his fear.
Mel hadn't given up like Kirken
almost had.
She believed in a pain that was
not constant and in a faith that would keep herself, family and friends alive
forever. She made him believe an escape from this world was possible and that
one day life would be healed.
Kirken had gone with her many
times to the funerals of her friends and classmates. Each service made him feel
even more dead inside, but Mel always appeared unaffected by the sorrow they
were there to observe.
She always seemed to rejoice in
the time that she spent with the family and friends that exited her world on a
frequent basis. She was not afraid of the unknown. She seemed just happy to be
alive in the present.
Kirken knew how much he loved
his stepdaughter and how much of the same she felt back.
"Dad," Mel came
running from the back yard.
The lawn was a different shade
of brown, one not usual for this time of year Kirken noticed. Grass had never
grown on the property, only different grades of dirt.
"What took you so
long?" Mel asked when she came closer. "I skipped out of school an
hour early just to see you."
"Hey, baby," Kirken
said hugging her.
Her long blonde hair did not
look as healthy as he remembered, and her skin was slightly more pale. But her
spirits seemed high. Kirken choked back his tears and tried to smile.
"Where's your brother,
honey?"
"He's not here,"
Deanna said to him. She walked briskly towards them from the street. Her anger
was evident by her step. "I don't know where he is. But he said if it gets
too late to leave without him."
"Well, I surely doubt he
said that," Kirken said casting a tired glare at his ex-wife.
"Let's go inside,
Daddy," Mel said pulling him toward the house.
Kirken gladly allowed his
daughter to lead him inside. He still wasn't quite yet at an equilibrium with
his medication, and he eagerly looked forward to the chance to sit down.
He took a deep breath and walked
inside taking slight reprieve from the deadly sun blazing overhead.
Kirken followed his daughter to
the living room and sat down heavily on the sofa. He removed his protective
glasses and rubbed his temples trying to make the piercing pain go away.
They waited inside for over an
hour for Brandon to return. Mel used the time to relay her last two week's
activities in a breathless ramble while her mother fidgeted nervously in the
kitchen.
"You know Dad, I've been
dying to take you downtown. There's somewhere I want you to go with me. I have
something to show you. Something very important."
"What are you talking
about, sweetheart?" Kirken asked her.
He felt her exuberance beginning
to eat away at the bitterness, anger and frustration that always surrounded him
when he was not with her and living his damnable life inside the domes.
He was excited and interested
despite the chemicals racing through his body and starting to make him sick. He
avoided looking at his ex-wife sitting in the next room to keep his stomach
from acting up any further.
"C'mon let's go," Mel
said grabbing his arms and pulling him to his feet. "The bell's going
Similar Books
