Chapter Ten ★ Secrets

｡☆✼★━ Daniel ━★✼☆｡

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Aunt LeAnne sat quiet at the table. The sound of the old coo-coo clock on the wall ticked as the minutes passed. Dad had been gone for a while.

It still seemed like a fairy-tale or a weird dream that I could not wake up from… worse it was like a nightmare. All this time. I’ve been lied to or am I being lied to now?

Darkness fell outside and the chorus of frogs and crickets sounded to serenade the outdoors. The screen door out to the back porch was opened to let the cool evening air waft into the hot kitchen.

A timer buzzed. Aunt LeAnne got up and moved over to the oven and placed oven mitts on both hands before she bent down. Upon opening the oven the sweet scent of chocolaty goodness assaulted my nose.

My mouth practically drooled a puddle onto the old oak table that sat in the kitchen. My aunt smiled as she placed the pan of brownies onto the stove-top to cool and turned off the oven. She removed the oven mitts and placed them back onto their designated hooks on the wall next to the oven.

Oh I hope those brownies are for dessert. My stomach growled just as I thought of their bitter sweet tanginess kissing my tastebuds and washed over with a warm glass of milk. Aunt LeAnne laughed.

She patted my hands then said, “Your father had the same look when I told him I was going to make brownies tonight.”

I snatched my hand away and replied, “Nah-uh.”

Aunt LeAnne giggled then rested her cheek on her arm propped up on the table. She let out a dreamy sigh and glanced out into the backyard where the fireflies were in full swing of their light show mode. Things always seem quiet and relaxed when she’s around.

Heavy footsteps sounded on the front porch. Dad! I got up to go see when Aunt LeAnne grabbed my wrist and gave a slight shake of her head. I stopped and waited.

The front screen-door let out a whiny creek as it opened. We both waited and watched the doorknob to the main front door jiggle then turn. The heavy door moved inwards as it opened and let our visitor come inside.

He sighed, “LeAnne, I thought I told you to lock yourself in when we have these moments.”

She let go of my hand and replied, “Sorry Stephen. I thought I had locked it.”

I rushed to the front area of our small house to see my dad face to face. His eyes still shone their golden gleam. With one quick movement dad let out a groan as my fist landed hard in his stomach.

“That’s for lying to me.” I said and walked off.

Dad laughed, “You’ve gotten stronger kid. Didn’t expect you to do that… not yet anyways.”

I took my seat back at the table and threw my arm over the back of the chair and leaned into it. I asked, “How long?”

He walked into the kitchen through the doorway which his body nearly filled and leaned against it. Crossing his arms he answered, “How long for what?”

My glasses slid down my nose as I crinkled it. I pushed them back up and said, “Don’t play games with me. You know what I mean.”

Aunt LeAnne butted in, “Stephen, it’s time. You can’t keep him in the dark any longer. Especially when his life is on the line.”

Dad rolled his eyes and whined, “Seriously LeAnne, you of all people are going to lecture me on keeping secrets?”

She tapped her fingernails on the table and arched an eyebrow, “Well?”

“Fine.” He said and walked into the room and sat down in the seat backwards so that he could rest his arms on the back.. The chair creaked under his added weight. He rested his chin on his arms and turned to me, “So, what do you want to know?”

‧͙⁺˚*·༓☾ – TO BE CONTINUED… –☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙