May 21st,
"This world is much larger than you think it is Alex," dad said as we woke up and continued our walk through the woods. "Death in the real world l never truly killed you. He's only touched you. However, when you take the power of death and use it for your own benefit, that disrupts the balance of the universe."
The smell of maple and cinnamon filled our noses as the wind blew gently. Strands of my hair flew around in the wind a little.
"There are three kinds of the force known as Destiny," dad continued. "There is The Red Thread who controls the fate of lovers, Fate who oversees the events of time, and Death who controls the time of a person's demise."
"I don't understand," I said. "Doesn't Fate control every choice that we make in the living world? How would that disrupt this 'balance' if it's something that Fate made happen?"
"That's where you're wrong. You see, Fate doesn't control you. He who is Fate only sees what happens. You are the one who is in control of whether or not you make that choice."
"How do you know all this?" I asked him.
Dad suddenly stopped and looked up at the rising sun. The golden glow shined onto his rough looking face.
"I've been here for four years," he said. "Those people with me aren't real. They're just another part of my past that haunts me. And one day, when you've spent enough time here, you'll see those haunting things too."
I thought back to what had happened with Lily. She was being harassed by a gang in an alleyway and looked like she was always running away from them.
I guess that's what dad means by "haunt."
"Hey guys," Emily suddenly said after staying quiet for so long. "What...exactly are you guys talking about?"
Her head tilted to the right with a questioning look. She looked like she was trying so hard to figure out what we were talking about.
Dad and I chuckled.
Emily pouted.
"I'm leaving now," dad said after walking with us for several more hours. "It's about to be a new day, so I'll have to be on the lookout again."
"Wait, what?"
It was too soon. I didn't want him to leave. I wanted him to come with us and find a way out of here.
"This rifle I have tucked into my cloak is a weapon that I've always had on me since I was your age," dad said. "I've always wanted to take you out into the woods and try hunting for ducks or something."
"You still can," I said sounding a little desperate. "Just come with us. If we can find a way out of here, then we'll be able to do all the things that we said that we were going to do. You still have to apologize to mom!"
I didn't want him to leave. Not again.
Dad suddenly patted my head.
"It's too dangerous," he said to me. "If you get hit in the head with those arrows, if it strikes the brain, then you'll be dead completely. These haunting memories know our weakness, so they'll be coming for that if our expiration date didn't kill us. Eventually, you'll have to face you're own past if you still can't find a way out of here. And if that's the case, then you better be willing to fight, because that's your best bet at getting out of here."
Dad started walking away. A woods filled with dead trees and familiar looking nooses appeared as dad continued to walk back to his world.
I knew he was right. It was too dangerous. Plus, he's been here for four years. Obviously, he knows much more about this world than I do.
But...
"DAD!" I shouted to him.
He stopped and turned to face me.
I didn't know what to say to him. Convincing him to come with us wouldn't work. I really couldn't say anything to him...
No.
There is something I can says to him. Something that'll make him for sure come back alive.
"I LOVE YOU," I shouted to him. "AND MOM LOVED YOU TOO! SO YOU BETTER PROMISE ME THAT YOU'LL COME BACK ALIVE! GOT THAT!!!"
I said all I was able to to him.
I could see him smile from the distance. I might've even seen a tear.
"I PROMISE!!!" He shouted back.
Then, he turned back around and continued walking into the dead forest, which seemed to have swallowed him away from the golden green leaves and the enchanting smell of maple and cinnamon.
He promised, so that was good enough for me.
"He'll come back." I said to myself.
I smiled faintly.