Age nineteen

Chapter nine

In a short while, we were back in the basement. My father led the way, and I followed quietly. He pointed out a lot of things that I hadn't seen when I came here alone, and some things that I had seen, but didn't understand, he explained them to me. "You see? " His finger pointed at the dark end of the basement. I nodded. I had seen that end when I had come up here, but I  didn't dare go close to it, it looked so haunted. "That's where we kept all their stuff." Although the light was on, that end looked differently dark. I was dying to get closer and see for myself, but I wasn't ready to go down there by Myself, and nor did I want to go with my father. "You can come here and look around whenever you are less busy. You will always find something new." I nodded, I was glad I didn't break the door down, because I would have been in a lot of trouble, now. How did he know about the basement, if it were my mother's evil hideout? I kept my questions to myself. He caught a cobweb in his hand and laughed as the spider that made the web created more web, which it used as an escape route.

"Shall we?" He looked happier than he was while we were at the picnic.

"We shall." I walked ahead of him, while he followed quietly behind. We were both thinking about a lot of things, we were left to our thoughts. We paddled up the stairs to the kitchen, and both settled on chairs in the kitchen. No one had noticed our presence. it was either that, or no one was home.

"Honey..." My father called out to my mother.

I rolled my eyes. "Honey indeed," Kain answered him instead. 

"She went to the grocery store to pick up our supplies. Welcome home picnickers, you both are home sooner than usual." His voice grew closer, he was coming towards the kitchen.

"Uhm, yes. We uhm had to come ehh.." my father looked at me for help.

"We came home after the picnic, Kain, no big deal. You know we left without the car, so we had to set out early, to come home early." My father heaved a sigh of relief, he was grateful that I had saved us both. 

"Oh, really?" Kain was now in the kitchen. He sat on the unoccupied chair opposite me.

"Yup." I knew Kain was smart, but I wasn't in the mood for his numerous questions.

"Then how do you explain that you both barely touched any of the things you had gone out with?" He gazed at me and then at my father. 

My father looked helplessly at me. I was cut off balance, I didn't know what to say.

"I'm waiting, Kerah!"

"You, see, Kain."I searched for words. "Food isn't all there is to a picnic." My father nodded in agreement. "We had a great time together, but had no appetite, so we brought it home instead. Anything wrong with that?" Kain smiled. It wasn't a satisfying answer, but I prayed he would buy it. "Okay, then Kerah." He adjusted the chair back and stood up. 

"I have heard you." He walked out of the kitchen as if going to get more proof that we were telling lies.

"Oh my Gush, Kerah!" My father exclaimed as soon as he left. "How did you know what to say to him?" He knew how bad I was at telling lies, and how I never told them. He was surprised that I had become a pro at it.

"I don't know dad, necessity demanded." I was yet to recover from the last seconds. "I am not taking chances!" I had finally said.

"Chances," My father raised a brow at me. "What chances?" He adjusted his chair close to mine, I was uncomfortable. I was itching to tell him to go away, but he was the only one who knew about the curse, and I needed someone to talk to.

"Anabel, my oldest sister. She appears to me." I was careful not to let him know that I had found out about the curse before he told me about it. "She has been giving me a lot of riddles, and I have been trying to crack them. Besides, she also said I shouldn't tell anyone about the riddles."

My father's face had no expression on It. He stared into space for some minutes and then spoke. "Does she appear to you in your dreams, or…"

"In broad daylight, dad." I felt nervous about the fact that I had gone against Anabel's instructions, but I didn't care so much at the moment. All I needed was someone to talk to, someone who would listen.

'Tell me all about it." he pulled me closer to him and rested my head on his chest.

And, my father was an amazing listener.