Hailee Ball

Mr. Persinger

Grade 9 English

Short Story

Liability

      It was a rainy June day as I wrote on the pad of paper writing my next novel as I awaited Daryl to arrive. Daryl was everything I could ever ask for and more. We had both our past but we accepted each other. Ever since my mother died all my happiness had been taken away from me. My mother was my rock the only person I could ever trust when she was ripped out of my life by that damned drunk driver nothing was ever the same. I was only fifteen then, that was one year before away from my horrific abusive father. I was sixteen when i ran away in the hopes that I would escape him and to become an author like my mother always wanted me too so i went new york in the summer of 1979. Times were tough back then when I was in highschool, worked two jobs, and lived on my own.

    Well of course that was before I met Daryl. Daryl made everything easier for me. I remember that fateful day in the winter of 84’ when of his gang members tried to steal my purse and he had told them to leave me alone because,‘a girl like me should not be treated that way’, we had instantly hit it off. Everyday after that day he would wait for me at the same booth in the same cafe that I went to everyday. We had started to talk and soon after they became official. We were never not together unless one of were on a business trip or he had to deal with gang business. I don't necessarily agree with with everything that him and the gang do but I love him and the gang they have all done so much for me. Because of Daryl and the gang I had gotten my novels published and was now a New York Times best selling author. I was taken away from my thoughts when i heard the sound of the door opening.

“Tatiana, why do i always find you in this position everytime i come over?” As I look at my form I start laughing because I had the notepad, a pen pressed to it, my back pressed to the wall, while the notepad was balancing on my knees.

     I got up and walked towards him and pulled him in close. “I missed you,” I whispered as he wrapped his arms around me.

  “Even though it's only been two days, I guess I missed you too,”he said sarcastically, while I just rolled my eyes at him. He walked over to me and planted a kiss on my forehead.

  We separated from are embrace when we heard the doorbell ringing. I went The door and opened it to see the delivery man with a package. The door and opened it to see the delivery man.

 “Package for Tatiana Ryder,” he said to me while handing me the package.

  “This is weird. I wasn't expecting anything,” confusion written on my face as I looked at the box.

  “Here let me open it first, just to make sure,” taking the package and grabbing a knife from the kitchen. He proceeded to open up the package.

  “Ah. Just looks likes some fan mail,”he expresses handing the box back to me.

    I reached in the box and to my horror finding something I'd never thought I'd see again. My mother necklace. The necklace she died wearing. The necklace that she wore    

                  

everyday. Sitting in my hand was the necklace that haunts my dreams. The one thing I left my father.

   “He's here. He's here. How did he find me?” I think I'm going insane this can't be happening.

  “Tati, calm down. Who's here?”

  “My father, Daryl,” the realization of what I had just said hit him hard and he looked like he was ready to kill. A look I've only seen once or twice before. He reached into the box and grabbed the piece of paper at the bottom of it. He read it before setting it down and grabbing the landline on the wall and dialing a number I assume was Mitchell, his right hand man.

  Picking the paper up off of the counter; reading the words that would haunt me; ‘My dearest Tatiana, It's been a while hasn't it, my sweet baby girl. I love that you have come so far and have watched you succeed. But I also would like to retrieve what is mine. We can do this the hard way or the easy way. Come to me or I will come and get you myself. Meet me in that alleyway by that cafe I always see you in with that boy of yours. I'll see you at 9 o’clock my sweet girl. Love, you father. P.S. I don't like that you changed your last name to your mother maiden name but we will discuss this later.”

  I started crying profusely as my eyes scanned over the words again. I was finally happy and content with my life and  he had to come back and mess everything up like he always did.

    Daryl made his way over to me wrapping his arms around me as I sobbed onto his shoulder.

 “You know I'd never let the monster get you ever again, but we need to go there tonight to stand your ground show him your not a little girl anymore. Me and the whole gang will be there by your side,” he encourages me.

  “Daryl, I'm scared. Scarred an understatement. I- I'm petrified. I don't know if I can do this, that man, my father, is a-a beast,” I sobbed.

  “Tatiana you're the stronger person I know, you can get through this,”  he smiled down at me and I believed him.

    The hours had passed and we were on our way to the location my father had set for us. I was freaking out internally but who wouldn't be. We edged nearer to our destination and the only thing that was keeping me sane was Daryls hand in my own. As we rounded the corner that's when I saw the person I despised more than anyone on the planet.

  Him. My father. The man that had made my life a living hell.

   “There she is. My girl,” he enthused. “Look at cha. What a woman you have grown into. Well let's get this show on the rode kids. I want what's mine and I want it now. So hand her over kid. I'll take her off your hands.”

   “See that where you're mistaken. You ain't gettin no where near her. You'll have to go through me first, she's my girl now,” Daryl explained.

   “Well kid that's where you're wrong kid,” he said while pulling out a gun that had been stashed away in his belt. That's when I heard the whistle that came from Daryl's mouth. Soon after people were running in the alleyway jumping from the roofs above us. “You're making this a lot harder than it needs to be.”

  He grabbed Daryl by the arm and turned him around so he was facing me. Pressing the gun to the back of his head.

    The waterworks of my eyes pushing the salty tears that ran down my cheeks as my eyes board into the deep brown eyes that stared back into my seafoam irises. The fear and distress laced in his eye caused the storm in my eyes to come pouring down even harder. He grabbed my hands in his larger ones and gave me his famous smirk. The gang was roaring behind us worrying for their leader's life. The filthy man that I had the displeasure of calling my father held the shiny gray metal that withheld a bullet in its chamber to my lovers back.

   As I closed my eyes, I heard the cocking of the gun, letting if Daryl's hands as I clenched them up into fist at my sides as I awaited the shot to be heard. As the shot rang through the air so did my screams. Everything inside me was numb except the ache that I felt in my heart. As I opened my eyes the scene before me left me speechless.

  Daryl standing breathing alive nothing wrong with him. His curls plastered on his face from the sweat that etched over his olive skin. My father was the one on the floor lifeless. Dead.