Free The Recluse Storyteller by Mark W Sasse Page B

so.’
    “‘Papa, I don’t understand.’
    “He looked over at her with a blank stare but finally smiled and reached out his hand. She reached over and put hers in his.
    “‘Papa, where did you come from?’
    “‘Up there,’ he said, lifting his forehead toward the sky.
    “‘I don’t understand.’
    “‘I am like the wind. I come and go, but I will always be near you. Whether near or far.’
    “‘Papa, I’m afraid. This morning, I woke up and I …” her voice trailed off, afraid to speak the rest.
    “‘What did you see, my child?’
    “‘Papa, how did you know I saw something?’
    “‘What was it that you saw?’
    “‘A light. A bright and powerful light. It lit up the sky like a dozen shooting stars all at once. And—’
    “‘It was beautiful, wasn’t it?’
    “‘Yes. You saw it, too? Oh, Papa. I knew I wasn’t making things up. Gwen didn’t believe me. She never believes me.’
    “‘This is about you, Georgia. What do you believe?’
    “‘I believe that I saw a special light in the sky. At that moment, I knew you were coming. I don’t know how I knew, but I knew. That’s what I told Gwen. That’s why I said we had to come to Harper’s Hill today. We just had too. And now you are here. Wishes do come true.’
    “Georgia’s father looked intently at her as if he wanted to remember every last hair, the exact placement of her dimples, and the precise shape of her earlobes. A single tear came down his face.
    “‘Papa, why are you crying?’
    “‘Georgia, listen. You have to listen, and listen carefully. And you have to do exactly what I say. Do you understand?’
    “‘Yes, Papa.’
    “‘I need you to be brave, braver than you’ve ever been before. I am putting you in charge. You have to do it.’
    “‘Do what, Papa?’
    “‘It’s up to you.’
    “‘Papa, I don’t understand. Wait for Gwen to arrive. You can tell both of us, and we can both be brave.’
    “‘No. There is no time. I cannot stay here.’
    “‘Papa, Gwen is almost here. I’ll go get her.’
    “‘No. You mustn’t. It was you who saw the vision last night. That is why I am here. To say goodbye. It is you who must be brave.’
    “Georgia paused for a moment. She wanted to ask one more question but was afraid of the answer she might receive. But she had to ask. She might never be given another chance.
    “‘Papa, why did you leave us?’
    “Her father squirmed around on the seat for a moment and then reached deep down inside his overcoat pocket and pulled out something that he hid inside his fist.
    “‘Hold out your hand, Georgia.’
    “She held out her hand, trembling as one should never have to tremble in the presence of a loved one. His hand brushed over hers like morning dew vapor that dances in the breeze. She felt something cold and hard placed in her palm. It was a gold locket with a thin gold chain. It looked familiar to Georgia.
    “‘Open it.’
    “She unclasped the chain and opened it to see an ink portrait of Gwen and herself.
    “‘Do you recognize this?’
    “‘Yes, this is Mama’s locket. Why are you giving it to me?’
    “‘Ours is not to ask why. But there is something you must always remember. This locket shows that no matter what happens, your mother and father always love you, and that’s what’s important. You keep this, always.’
    “‘But it belongs to Mama.’
    “‘You keep it.’
    “Georgia looked down at the locket. She stopped everything for a moment and stared right at her father. Her breathing picked up, and with every exhale, she sensed emptiness around her. She sat on a chair, at a table, with her father in front of her. The tree rustled in the wind, and a lonely crabapple leaf fluttered unevenly, picking up every wind-powered rip current that twirled it uneasily until it gently landed on the table in front of her. Georgia heard it scraping across the table like a team of horses screeching to a halt. She started rubbing her thighs as her breathing