Trees shrouded Bobbie's old mansion, sitting in the middle of the wilderness. She shuddered as wind howled through the house, and she glanced out the window, squinting at the darkened forest.
A tottering zombie stumbled around the backyard, and Bobbie sighed, rolling her eyes at it. A figure caught her eye, and she watched as it lunged at the zombie, fighting it to the ground. Something glinted in the figure's hand, and the zombie went limp.
Bobbie stood as she noticed the figure began to approach her balcony. She prepared to call someone when Anthony appeared with a charming smile. She felt her stomach flutter as she threw down her fire ladder.
"Hello, beautiful." Anthony climbed over the balcony wall. "I couldn't stop thinking about you."
Breath caught in Bobbie's throat, and she pulled at her pajama shirt. Her heart raced as she looked at Anthony's lips. "I couldn't stop thinking about you either. But… you shouldn't be here. My father doesn't want me to talk to you. And honestly, after today… Well, you scared me."
"I'm sorry for scaring you. That's just what a man is like when he's protecting his woman."
Anthony leaned in closer, and Bobbie's face heated up. She looked down and said, "I don't know. My father was never like that."
"Your father doesn't have to protect you like that. He's a powerful man who can get other people to do his dirty work."
"My father is a good man."
"I've known him for some time." Anthony clasped Bobbie's chin, lifting it. His eyes locked onto hers. "Sometimes fathers hide things because they don't want their family to see who they really are. It's one of the reasons he doesn't want you talking to me… No, I probably shouldn't say anything."
"Tell me." Bobbie clasped his hand.
Anthony frowned. He grabbed Bobbie's hands firmly in his and looked deeply into her eyes. "I don't want you to hate him."
"I can't hate him much more than I do now."
"I couldn't live with myself… It's not my place to tell you."
"And I can't live with my father knowing he did something bad that I'm unaware of."
Grabbing Bobbie's shoulders Anthony pulled her into a hug. "This might sound crazy, but why don't we run away together?"
"You're right," Bobbie said, pushing Anthony away. "That does sound crazy."
"It's just-" He stepped closer. "I really like you, and I just know that your father will make it harder for us to see each other. Just getting here today wasn't easy."
"I don't know."
"You said it yourself, you can't live with him."
"Yeah, but from what I've seen, you're not much better."
Anthony clenched his fist, "Look, Bobbie. I know I'm not the best person, but I promise to be honest with you. Plus, I've changed. I'm not the same person your father once knew."
"Then will you tell me about my father and your past?"
Something flashed in Anthony's eyes, and a tingle rushed up Bobbie's spine. "It's hard to talk about, but if it's you, I think I can someday."
"Let me think about it."
Pulling Bobbie's hand to his face, Anthony kissed it. "I have to leave soon, but I can wait until midnight tomorrow. You have my number, contact me when you are ready."
As he climbed down the ladder, Bobbie watched him until he disappeared past the tree line. And she continued to watch until her eyelids began to droop.
Even while under her warm blanket on her soft bed, her thoughts raced around her head. Before she knew it, the sun peeked out from behind the trees. Her alarm clock buzzed loudly, and she watched it until it finally stopped. She pressed her hands against her head as it pounded. The pressure provided a small relief to her burning eyes and throbbing skull. But as the alarm went off once more, Bobbie flung the blankets up and got herself ready for the day.
As she headed downstairs, she rolled her eyes as she noticed her father. His arms were crossed in front of his chest as he talked with the head of security, Torrez. The guard stood with his arms behind his back and his feet in line with his shoulders. They both seem tense.
Bobbie walked up to her father, who noticed her and stopped his conversation. Facing her, he said, "You won't be going to school today."
"Why not?" Bobbie glanced at Torrez, then back at her father. "You know what, I don't actually care. I didn't sleep well, so I'm going back to bed."
"Sorry, sweetheart, but you can't stay here either. You will have to come with me to work today."
Bobbie frowned, "But I couldn't sleep last night."
"I'll tell you what. I can have Janice clear a room for you to sleep in." The president began to dial his secretary as he walked away.
"Mr. Torrez, what's going on?"
The man looked straight ahead, swallowing loudly. "Your father is just being cautious."
"What is there to be cautious about?"
"It's not my place to say, Ms. Clark."
"Will my father tell me if I ask him?"
"You would have to ask him to find out."
"In other words, he won't tell me. Great!" Bobbie headed back upstairs and changed into some shorts and a t-shirt. Grabbing her pillow and a blanket before heading back downstairs, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.
Her father looked up and motioned for her to come down. Clutching her pillow tightly, she tried to ignore it. There's only one person who's been texting me these days. Torrez rushed them out the door and into the car.
Bobbie watched her father from the corner of her eye. He was flipping through papers, and his eyebrows knitted together tightly. Leaning over just a little, Bobbie caught a glance of the word Sky right before her father closed the folder.
He looked at her with worry. "Daddy," she said. The word sounded almost foreign. "What's going on?"
The president sighed, setting down his document. He turned to his daughter, "I can't tell you, sweetheart. Just know that everything I do is for your safety."
"Does this have anything to do with Anthony?"
Rage lit up in the president's eyes. "Has he contacted you again?" Each word came out with a biting tone that made Bobbie's entire body shake. "Sorry." His eyes softened. "He is not a good person. Please, stay away from him from now on."
Tears formed in Bobbie's eyes, and she shook. Is Anthony really a bad person? She looked at her father. How much can I trust either of them?
Her father's office came into sight, and the car pulled into the underground parking. The second the door opened, she rushed into the building. Janice had prepared a room for her. It was small with no windows, and a couch had been moved into it. Jumping onto it, Bobbie pulled the blanket she brought over her face.
For the longest time, she lay there staring at the stitching on her blanket. Her eyelids felt heavy, but her racing mind kept her from falling asleep. And despite the comfortable couch and dark room, Bobbie found herself thinking about how cruel her father's tone was when she asked about Anthony. What are they hiding?
Pulling her phone out, she texted. 'Father says you aren't a good person and to stay away from you.'
A reply came as quickly as it was sent. 'Hello, beautiful.'
The dots flashed across the screen.
'He must be worried because I'm taking his precious daughter away. I would be too if I were him and I had a daughter like you.'
'Don't try to play this off. This is serious, he says you are dangerous.'
'He just can't let go of the past. I'm telling the truth when I say that I'm no longer that man.'
Bobbie sighed exasperated. Then she wrote, 'You and my father both refuse to tell me what happened. So, if you want me to trust you. I suggest you fess up!'
The dots appeared, then disappeared. Her phone's light started to fade, and she clicked on the screen. Had she scared him away?
'I guess it's only right that you know.'
Time passed slowly, and she held her phone close to her face as she waited, minute by minute.
Then… 'It's hard to talk about.'
She felt bad. Bobbie hadn't wanted to upset Anthony. She just wanted answers.
'It's okay,' she typed. 'You don't have to-'
'But you deserve to know.' Her heart beat wildly, and she erased what she had typed out. 'You remember I told you that woman at the park reminded me of a woman from my past?'
'Yes.'
'Your father also knew her. She was like an older sister to me. Or at least I thought she was. It turns out she was conning me into selling out your father.'
Bobbie waited for more of the story, and when none came, she texted, 'So what happened that makes you a bad person?'
'Just promise me one thing…'
'Name it.'
'Don't tell your father, he really loved her.'
Bobbie's mind raced. He couldn't be talking about mother, could he? She shook her head, no, Mother died of cancer. There's no way. I watched her in that hospital.
'I won't tell him. Not if it causes him pain.'
'You know about The Twelve?'
'Aren't they a myth?'
'No, they are very real. And that vile woman was working for them. She conned your father into a relationship with her to try and sell him to The Twelve. It's a common occurrence to try and sell invisibles to those monsters.'
Invisibles? Bobbie had only heard that term in school. Jack Clark was the first invisible, and he was my great-grandfather.
'And you never told this to my father?'
'I tried to, believe me, I did. But he was so in love he wouldn't listen.'
'How did my father get out of that alive?'
'I killed that woman…'
Bobbie's hands shook, and she dropped her phone. It slid between her blanket and the couch, cracking on the floor. Everything went dark, and as Bobbie's eyes started to adjust, she saw Anthony's face in the darkness, distorted in anger. Is Father right about Anthony? How could someone kill another person?
Her phone continued to buzz repeatedly. It became difficult to breathe and she pulled her covers away from her face. She watched as the phone went off, and she flinched each time it lit up with a new notification. Then, suddenly, they stopped.
Time passed slowly as she stared into the darkness. She got no sleep before Janice came in, informing her that her father was preparing to return home.
The president didn't attempt to talk with Bobbie on the ride home as she pretended to sleep, and a wave of relief washed over her as she was in no mood to hear him tell her, 'I told you so.'
Peeking at her father, she wondered, Should I ask him about what Anthony said?
He really loved her.
Bobbie's forehead tapped against the window, and she watched trees blur by. Before long, they were back at the mansion. She trudged up to her room with her blanket and pillow, tossing them onto her bed, and she dragged herself over to her balcony. It's only been a short time since she and Anthony stood on the balcony together.
The forest was calm, despite the guards who walked around the perimeter. Will I ever see him again?
Her phone began buzzing once more, and she pressed her hands to her temples. Ignoring it, she crawled into bed. Her eyelids felt like lead, and her head throbbed with an awful pain. Yet, the constant buzzing kept her awake. Bobbie reached over and picked up her phone.
'Leave me alone,' she texted.
'Let me see you.' The response was instant.
'Father says he knows nothing of the woman you killed.' She lied.
'Of course he would say that. Do you think he wants to tarnish the memory of your mother with his first love?'
'Just leave me alone. I'm too exhausted for this right now.'
'Let me see you one last time. If you don't like what I have to say, I'll never bug you again.' Bobbie watched the screen. 'I have to leave tonight. But just know, I was serious about running away with you.'
Remembering the fun she had at the park with him made her heart skip a beat. It wouldn't be fair to judge him for his past without letting him explain himself in person.
'Fine,' she messaged.
She felt as if she was trying to get off a water bed with how shaky her arms were, but eventually she managed. Pulling her favorite hoodie from her closet, she donned it and once more headed to her balcony. The way down was far, and guards surrounded the manor.
Pulling out her phone, Bobbie messaged. 'How do you plan on getting here? There are guards everywhere.'
'I was hoping you would come to me.'
Bobbie could practically hear Anthony whining through his message, and she chuckled. 'Why would I do that? I'm safe here.'
'Yes, but haven't you ever wanted something more than just safety?'
That was something that Bobbie never thought of. She always lived within the city's walls, and even on the rare occasions when a breach occurred, she could turn invisible. Of course, she was safe, but where was the fun in living like that? What's the point in life without taking chances? She thought to herself.
'I'll meet you in the forest beside my house.'
'I can't wait to see you.'
Bobbie took a deep breath, and she thought about how Anthony suggested they run away together. Could she really leave for good? Digging a pen and paper out of her desk, she thought of what to write. What could I tell Father? He would be so mad if I ran away. How do I tell him something like that?
Her phone lit up with another text, 'Hurry, I'm waiting for you in the forest now.'
"This is probably a mistake," she said to herself as she set down the pen. Quickly, she packed a few things into a duffle bag and made her way to the balcony. Taking a deep breath, she shakily heaved herself over the railing and began to climb down. She clung tightly to the vines on the side of the house, praying that they would hold until she got to the bottom.
The guards were on high alert as they scanned the forest for anything suspicious, but they were watching for someone who could be seen. Careful not to make a sound, Bobbie walked right past them and into the forest. She never liked being invisible, but in moments like this, it sure came in handy.
Bobbie pinched her nose as she passed a zombie, and with her other hand, she pulled out her phone. 'I'm in the forest. Where are you?'
Something forcibly pulled her hand off her nose, and covered her mouth with a damp cloth. Inhaling deeply, she let out a muffled scream and began scratching at her assailant.
"I almost didn't see you." A familiar voice whispered in her ear.
She tried to pull the cloth away from her face, but loose, rotting skin covered the man's arms, making it difficult to get a good grip on him.
The world started to fade, and her attacker chuckled. "You should have listened to your daddy."