THE CRICKETS and the gush of the river were the only things audible in the town—until a knock brought Aurora back to reality. She walked towards the door, and greeting her from the other side were two uniformed men with badges.
“Are you Mr. Leon’s daughter?”
She distanced herself from the men, hoping to prevent the distinct pounding of her heart from being heard.
“His body was discovered on the river. We’re sorry for your loss.”
A ringing sound in her ear disrupted her ability to apprehend the information.
She stood in front of the mirror, oblivious to how long she was expecting a scant emotion to emerge on her blank face.
She went to the arch bridge of their town. The moon’s luminosity defeated the streetlights on her way to the bridge Leon considered their sanctuary. She recalled her eighth birthday, wherein her gift was the bright moon above the bridge.
Looking at her reflection on the river’s water below, her father’s words stung her. “Aurora, your deepest secrets can be gushed by the river.”
It came rushing back, how the scars on her body stung as the memories of fists and belts against her skin crept in and how her dagger pierced Leon’s skin in return.
The illusion of a genuine father had vanished forever. Aurora regretted that she could not protect the sole memory of the man who once held her hands gently.
She clutched her chest and buried her face in her arms, hiding the tears that fell in the stream. F – Hjadoeya V. Calica
