Poppy

19 years before

"Daddy! Look what I'm wearing isn't it beautiful!" Poppy said as she was twearling in her new sunflower covered dress. "Mother got it for me yesterday, and I have been so eager to show you!" Her father was a very busy man, so he looked at her with a gentle smile, and said, "Dear, you look like a gorgeous dove. You are beautiful! Go show you sister your new dress, ill bet she will love it!" As Poppy ran out of the room, her father immediately returned his attention back to his work. "I know, I'm trying my best to keep it under a low profile...Yes sir, I understand sir. Poppy? Can you come here for a moment please?" Poppy ran into the room, and climbed onto her fathers chair, smiling the brightest, having no idea what he was about to tell her. "Poppy, dear, daddy is going to have to go away for a while, and won't be back for a very long time" He said with his voice breaking. "I need you to be a strong girl for mommy, and take care of your sister for me." As he looked at her, Poppy did not understand if he was being serious or not.

As her mother walked in, the father looked at her in shock. Her father was not planning on telling the mother yet. The mother had seen Poppy crying, and immediately was worried. "Poppy, whats wrong dear?" Poppy looked up with tears on her face and said, "Daddy said he has to leave forever, and-and, he said that I needed to take care of you guys, but I don't want him to leave!" After that whole sentence, Poppys quiet tears fell into loud sobs.

Long conversations happened that night, along with screaming arguments. "I don't understand! Just leave your job!"

"Its not that simple Marienette!"

"You have two young daughters, and you would rather leave and let them grow up without a father!"

"Everything I do is for my family! Don't give me that crap!"

Poppy could not sleep because of all the racket. As she got out of bed, and kept through the halls of their house, she peaked around the corner of her parents bedroom door and watched them quiet as a mouse.

Slamming of dressers, and suitcases being pulled out of closets, she could not handle it anymore. She ran back into her room, shut her door, and hid under the blankets hoping the nightmare would end. Outside her bedroom window, she saw her father, with 3 suitcases, take a car, and leave. She did not know how long he was going to be gone, but it seemed like it was going to be long enough.

Years passed, long days and months of waiting beside her window to see her father come home. Her 20th birthday was going to be in 5 days, and since her father had missed all her other birthdays, she hoped he would at least be at this one. Especially since she just bought her own apartment, and was moving in 1 day after her birthday, she was no longer going to wait around for her father.

Hours later, she was still waiting. She often wondered what she was even waiting for. Poppys father could have been dead for all she knew. Later that evening she would lie away at night, still waiting. Waiting for a sign that her father would return, or that someone would be there for her.

Ever since her father left, her mother and sister were very distant. They said "Hello", and "I love you", but nothing more. They never engaged in a conversation about anything. It seemed that her only friend was a cat that her father had gotten her before she was born. The cat was a painful reminder of her father. Finally able to get some sleep, she wondered how her 20th birthday was going to be. Was her family actually going to talk to her finally? She had no way of knowing.

Checking her time, she saw that is was already 3:12 in the morning. She had been counting the days till her birthday, and now, it was officially, day 4. Around 4 hours passed, and she decided to get up and take a walk around the neighborhood. It was foggy outside, and very cold. It was strange, many memories popped in her head when walking through the fog. She didn't even know why it was foggy because it was summer, but she guessed it was normal, especially since she lived in Pennsylvania. 'Pitter patter, pitter patter, pitter patter'. The rain drizzling against the already formed puddles. It seemed like it could have been a flood 3 feet in front of her. The patter kept going and going, synchronizing with her heartbeat. Shadow figures appeared in her peripherals. She would look to the side, but there would be nothing. Her heartbeat increased, going out of beat with the rain rhythm. She could have sworn that she saw someone following her, but when she turned around, nothing was there. She walked a little faster. Faster, and faster, and faster, until she reached her driveway. She went inside her house, and locked the door. She shut all her blinds, and went to her room. Her room was her safe place. 

When she went inside her room, it seemed that everything was different. You know that feeling where you feel like someone is watching you, that is what Poppy felt. Just to be reassured, she called for her sister, and her mother…..no answer. This is where she really panicked. She went to their rooms, but no one was there. She checked the garage to see if any cars were in there, all cars were still there. She was alone, and she did not like it. She carefully and quietly crept around the house. 'Creeeeeaaaaaak'. The floors did not seem to shut up! As she looked around the corner to the kitchen, she could have sworn that she saw a shadow figure near the pantry door. As she ducked down she heard a piece of glass shatter, followed by a quick and shallow gasp. But, it was not her own gasp, it was someone else's. She was not alone.