mess with and your outfit matches your face," she continued.
"Wow, thank you, Jenna."
"Of course, hon. Now to get myself ready... I'm going to try and make Jophiel fall for me with my looks.
At his name, my stomach churned and I got up, facing her. About to speak, I was cut off by her front door slamming. Instantly, Jenna's energy changed and her bedroom door swung open. "Jennaaaaaaa," a man's voice sang from the doorway. Fear filled the room and Jenna’s eyes filled with tears and I stood there, unsure of what to do. "Stop, dad. I have a friend over; we're going to a party. Just leave me alone," she whimpered. The man that now stood in the doorway looked over at me, his eyes trailing up and down my body and it made me feel uneasy. "Hello, Jenna's friend," he said sweetly, smiling to show off decayed teeth through his plump face.
"H-hi, sir," I said quietly. His eyes went back to Jenna and there was a twinkle in them, making me shudder. "Be home by curfew, okay, darling? Don't have me worried," he said before leaving the room. As soon as he left, it was as if the air came rushing back in and I could breathe, but Jenna's energy was still twisted with negative emotions. "Are you okay?" I asked as she sat herself in front of the mirror to do her makeup.
"I'm fine. Thanks, Uriel."
"It's no problem. You can talk to me about anything."
I sat on her bed as she busied herself getting ready, and within five minutes she turned to me abruptly. The energy coming from her didn't let up, instead it was pushed at me, making me wince. "He's an asshole," she said through clenched teeth, startling me.
"Who? Your dad?" I asked, confused. She nodded.
"He's a drunk piece of shit and all he does is ruin my life... ruin me."
"You... Don't have to tell me, but what did he do to ruin you?"
She sat on the bed next to me and put her face in her hands before reaching for mine and looking at me with tear-filled eyes. Her body was shuddering and I knew I was about to be let in on something big... something I didn't think would have happened between parent and daughter. "H-he... touches me and... Does things he shouldn't do," she said with a whimper. My heart sank to the pit of my stomach as she went into detail on how every night he would come to say goodnight and leave with more than he should, a piece of her innocence. This was heavy stuff and something that could not go unpunished in the end. Instead of just sitting there, unable to feed her false hope that things will be okay, I just pulled her into a hug. I had just become her friend, but she had done something she wouldn't have done to anyone else; open up. "I-I don't know how... but you're so easy to talk to, Uriel," she said through tear induced hiccups and all I could do was hold her and send my calming energy to her.
Continuing to soothe her, my eyes caught a book on her bookshelf from across the room and I let go to get it. Taking it from the shelf, I walked back to her with my eyes reading the title. The Holy Bible. I put it in her lap and sat next to her. "It is hard to find happiness when the ones you trust the most hurt you in ways they shouldn't," I said looking straight ahead. "Though there is no way to truly escape the scars he gave you, there is always one path, one being, that could guide you to the happiness you deserve." She stared down at the leather bound book before looking up at me, a small smile peeking at the corner of her mouth. "I will read this because I feel you know what's best," she replied before looking at the clock. "For now, let me finish getting ready and we'll go to that party."
----
Music blared from the house we approached, and a crowd of people were already pushing through the doorway. As we walked inside behind the crowd, the music got louder and the crowd of people had already began dancing to the beat. I was being led by Jenna to the kitchen where it was less crowded and she put a drink in my hand. "Here, have a beer," she said smiling, chugging
Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Martin A. Lee, Bruce Shlain