Chapter 8

My breath hitches when I make it to the top. Daddy lies there looking as if he is peacefully sleeping. His raven colored hair, much like my own, is styled just as he always wore it. You can see the bags under his eyes from his lack of sleep. If I didn’t know any better, I would think that it has all been a nightmare. It’s not, though, and my heart breaks.

“Daddy.” I whisper. I know he can’t hear me here but maybe he can hear me where he is now. “I’m not ready for you to leave me.”

I reach out to brush his hair from his face. “You promised me, Daddy. You promised that you would always be here for me.”

I feel my knees buckle under the strain of standing on the last ladder. Tears are flowing now, unstop, and I clutch my chest. The second that I let go, I nearly fall back. I hear every one gasp but I don’t care. Instead of climbing down, I climb into the sticks with him.

“Rae!” I hear Talon hiss. “Get down from there! That’s too far.”

I ignore him. It may be wrong but I need to lay beside