A Fate Renewed

Chapter 2-Another Day Another Dollar

(Amira)

A knot formed in the pit of my stomach after Jacob left… something about him just rubs me the wrong way completely.

Everything in my body told me not to go near him. Call it intuition if you will, it’s just something that I have felt from the moment I met him, even when we were kids.

The rain had stopped, and that night, my father's friend Greg picked me up from work.

He was a kind man who had known my father for years had also struggled with alcohol in the past, so he knew what it was like.

Greg would make excuses for my father, saying he would get better soon and that he would eventually realize the life he was missing out on and change his ways… it has now been four years since he first said that to me.

I began to wonder, at what point would life finally pass my father by and move on without him?

We pulled up to the house, and I waved a thank you to Greg as he drove off back down our dirt road.

Walking up to the porch, the ground was still wet from this morning's rain when a chill suddenly trembled through me. It was almost like I could feel someone watching me.

Turning around, I peered into the woods across from our house, trying to see if there was any type of movement.

An eerie feeling washed over me as I quickly opened the front door and shuffled in, locking it behind me. Looking up, the clock on the wall read 8 p.m. as I quietly took my boots off and entered the house. I could hear my father before I even saw him.

Loud snoring echoed from the front room with the TV still on. I crept over towards the sound and found him lying on the couch, his hand still grasping the bottle he had almost finished.

I pulled it from him gently, his black peppered hair was shaggy and overdue for a haircut. The one short stubble along his jaw was now almost a full beard. He looked so much older when he slept, the past few years had not been very kind to him.

I grabbed a blanket from the chair next to me and placed it over him, staring at the man who I barely even recognized anymore. We promised to always take care of one another. That was one thing my mother was adamant about, as if she had known how broken we would become. At least I kept up my side of the bargain, dad, not so much.

After making myself a sandwich I made one for my father and placed it on the counter for when he woke up. Taking the other sandwich with me to my room, I ate it slowly while listening to music from the old ipod my mom had given me, it was the last birthday present I had gotten from her.

I listened to everything that reminded me of her, all of the songs she would sing while driving or cleaning, those memories coming back to me with each verse as I sang along quietly. I eventually drifted to sleep, smiling to myself softly and thinking of the times when I was my happiest.

The next morning, I woke up early and went to work, busying myself since I had to work a double shift. Luckily, the day went by quickly.

I glanced over at the clock and it was already 10:30 p.m. I was just about to finish up and start gathering my stuff, knowing Mr. Anderson would be here soon when I glanced outside.

It seemed darker than usual since the moon was hidden behind the heavy gray clouds, making it rain yet again.

I finished gathering my things, slipping on my rain jacket and baseball cap, my wavy dark brown hair cascading down my shoulders. The hat was a gift from my father. The memory is still fresh in my mind, considering it was one of the only things he had ever gotten me.

I had just celebrated my twentieth birthday, and my dad had come into the store. He would fill up his truck every Wednesday, go to the back, and buy a case of beer. That day, he just so happened to place a light blue hat with a pine tree stitched on the front of it onto the counter right next to his beer. I blinked down at the hat and looked up at him with confusion.

"Put twenty on the truck too." He grumbled, his voice being rough and cold as usual.

I nodded, ringing him up quickly, adding the hat to his total.

He opened his black leather wallet and placed forty dollars down on the counter. I didn't really know what to say when my father came in. It was as if he were some regular customer I would see every week.

Honestly, if this town wasn't so small, I bet people wouldn't even believe we were related.

"Here you go." I squeaked, my voice sounding so small and meek as I placed his change on the counter.

My father just nodded, slipping his change into his pocket and grabbing the beer. He turned to leave, forgetting the hat entirely.

"Dad, the hat." I spoke up, holding the hat out for him to grab.

Glancing behind his shoulder, he looked at me for the briefest moment before turning back towards the door quickly.

"You keep it." His response was quick and emotionless, and then he was gone, disappearing back outside towards his truck.

Going home that night, I wondered why he had done that. With that being such an odd behavior for my father, I couldn't wrap my head around the reason, and then I realized tomorrow was my birthday.

A soft smile played on my lips, that had to be it. He actually remembered this year. I still wore it every day since it was one of the only things he had ever bought for me.

The door chimed, bringing me back to reality as I noticed Jacob was now standing in front of me once again, not getting the hint from yesterday.

“Amira, I know some good trails in the area, private ones.” His eyes pierced into mine as he spoke.

The thought alone made me uneasy. I didn't have the energy to deal with this today.

Thankfully, Mr. Anderson stepped into the store, shaking his umbrella outside and sighing loudly.

“It’s raining cats and dogs out there.” He boomed, setting his umbrella down before looking towards me.

Jacob quickly grabbed his items and hurried out, not saying another word.

I quickly gave Mr. Anderson a relieved smile as he looked outside once more.

"Is that boy still giving you trouble?" He asked, glaring out the window towards the rear truck lights that were now speeding through the parking lot.

"I think Jacob gives every girl trouble." I said with a small laugh.

Mr. Anderson looked at me worriedly, knowing how often Jacob had been coming in recently. Looking outside, he glanced around the parking lot once more.

“Your dad ain’t picking you up today, Amira?” His voice now matching his expression as it filled with concern.

I shook my head. Susan already called from the tavern, I knew he had been driven home an hour before.

“I have my bike. It should be okay.” I spoke confidently, trying to show him I really didn't mind.

“I ain’t letting you go out there at night like this “ He scoffed and shook his head.

Mr. Anderson was a kindhearted man, much more than my own father. He had a scruffy beard that went to his neck, golden hair, and a round stomach that shook every time he laughed. He was tall and often wore plaid button-up shirts, the epitome of a mountain man.

He had lived here all of his life, his father before him owning this very store. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson never had any children and, in a way, took me under their wing. Giving me food and shelter when I didn't have any, even coming to my school plays after my mom died.

I thought of them as family, like an aunt and uncle who really stepped up when I needed it most. Mr. Anderson went to reach for his umbrella, and the rain began to lighten.

“See, it will be fine, it’s only a few minutes. I don’t want you to have to close the store down.” I said while looking outside, smiling reassuringly.

“Okay Amira, but this is the last time I’m letting this happen, I’m taking you home from now on, ya understand?” He stated sternly.

I nodded, knowing he meant it, and felt embarrassed for the fact that he knew exactly why my father wasn’t here. The fear of going home struck me for a second. Usually, on the nights he has to be driven home, he is at his worst.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Nothing I hadn’t been through before, I thought as I waved at Mr. Anderson and ran out the door.

Grabbing my bike, I hopped on and began to pedal. I had taken this route thousands of times before and knew it like the back of my hand. Even on a dark night like this, I could find my way home easily using the old street lights that lit up my path.

The light rain gently splattered against my cheeks as I peddled around the small bend, nearing my road when I suddenly noticed something small and dark in the middle of the pavement.

My senses went on alert as I slowed my peddling and approached cautiously. It looked as though a small dog or some type of animal had been hit. I stopped and hopped off my bike. It hadn’t been there earlier, I would have remembered.

Walking over cautiously, I saw the small creature was a fox, no ordinary fox but a white fox. I knew all the animals that inhabited this area. This was the first white fox I had ever seen. Its fur almost looked silver.

Suddenly, the clouds drifted, and the moon lit up the night. That's when I realized its fur really was silver.

My eyes widened in shock as I impulsively reached my hand down, wanting to touch it. Sadness filled me as I saw this poor creature limp on the ground, its chest not moving, as if life itself had just left it.

I gently dragged my hand down its smooth, soft coat and felt my palm become warm, causing a glowing trail of light to follow behind. A sharp gasp escaped me as I watched the light glitter across its fur, seeping into the foxes still chest before disappearing.

Startling me, the sky turned dark again as the clouds rolled back over the moon. I glanced up at the sudden change, shocked by what I had just witnessed. But once I turned my head back towards the silver fox, it was gone.

I blinked my eyes in confusion, looking around only to find nothing. No blood where the fox had laid, no sign that anything had been hit in the road. I stood up carefully, feeling a chill run down my spine.

I wasn’t sure what had just happened, but I hoped the fox had somehow survived. Maybe it was in shock or something. As for the light… I have no idea what to say about that.

I went back to my bike and peddled home quickly, feeling this eerie sense clinging to my chest as I tried not to glance over my shoulder every few seconds.

Once I reached our dirt road, I had to push my bike the rest of the way. Because of the deep puddles that now covered the road, it was too hard to navigate around them without walking.

By the time my house came into view, my shoes were soaked through with rain. I could see our porch light shimmering through the drizzle that had begun to sprinkle down from the cool night sky, making a shiver tremble through me.

My father’s yellow truck was nowhere in sight, but I knew it would be at the Tavern waiting for him tomorrow.

Greg would most likely pick him up in the morning to take him there, and I wouldn’t see him again until late that evening. I didn’t care. Tomorrow was my day, my free time to go out and do what I loved the most. To be where I loved the most, with the woods that nurtured and comforted me all of my life.

I put my bike under the carport and crept up the porch steps quietly. Maybe I would be lucky enough that he had fallen asleep on the couch already. I waited outside the front door, pressing my ear up to it, listening, waiting for any evidence that my father was still awake.

I slowly turned the handle and cracked the door, peering inside quickly, noting the lights were off. I bit my lip nervously and looked inside once more, creeping in slowly. I made it down the small hallway, not looking around, just listening, and opened my bedroom door gently.

But what waited for me inside my room made my heart drop… Everything had been trashed.

All of my drawers were pulled out of the dresser, and my mattress had been flipped over. I saw a small wooden box was broken, lying on the ground, and I knew right then that I was in trouble.

Shit... he found it.