Page 76 of Shifting Years
Please just let her be okay. That's all I want.
We hurried into the white building and the staff didn't see us but still avoided our group. The two women gestured to the left and we entered a brightly painted girl's room. Four girls,all around age five, stood together. Their skin tone ranged from black to white and they looked toward my little Angel who painted them all as stick figures on a large white paper.
In battle, I ran to a large, armored worm. Now I stayed frozen, unable to move, and it wasn't because of the witches.
"This doggie," said Angel, pointing to another painting, "is looking for another doggie." Her brow under blonde hair scrunched. "It's because they love each other."
Todd and I locked eyes before watching her again.How did she get here?
"Only the worst monster would hurt a child," said both women in response to my thoughts.
Paranormals didn't as a rule, but humans like my uncle did. Who was worse?
"Henry," said Dawn, "wanted his possession, but knew he hurt her and thus dropped her off with the last of his intellect."
"Hurt her?" I asked with bile before the answer came. She was smart, but in her mind, a monster crashed into her aunts' cabin, injured them, and then took her away from her father. The poor girl must have been terrified.
"Shewas," said Dawn, again reading my mind.
Todd ran a gentle finger under my eyes, wiping away the tears.
"She doesn't remember the attack," said Tina. "Or you."
I hugged myself. Todd forgot about me, and my baby girl did as well.
Dawn gestured, showing another rotating portal. A possible version of us appeared back in Whispering Hills at night, and we raced to a bedroom with a screaming pre-teen girl. Memories came of what never happened and never should. She remembered Henry and spent years wondering if a giant worm would come to take her.
Understanding came and I hated the women for it, even knowing they knew my thoughts. I asked questions, just in case, but I already knew.
"If we take her back…" I said.
"She will not grow up well," said Tina.
"She's my daughter!" My voice cracked. "Todd deserves a chance to get to know her, and you're asking us to let her go? She grewinsideme. We should be the ones to protect her!"
My throat burned and Todd rested a hand on my shoulder.
The women gestured again, showing an older Angel. Instinctively, I knew she was twenty, but her life added another ten years to her look. "She will be a danger to herself and others," both said.
"Because we won't be good enough fathers?" I said. "This isn't right!"
"No," said Tina. "However, if you want a life you think you deserve, we can recreate her mind to your specifications. She will laugh, play, and do everythingyoubelieve your daughter should do."
"Like people want to do to Todd and myself," I said slowly.
The women spoke in perfect unison. "The time will come when she remembers. Her mind needs to heal and grow strong for the revelation."
The words came out slowly. "Will she have a good life?"
"Does anyone have a solelygoodexistence?" asked Dawn. "She will grow and have heartache. However, like Mary, she is a leader." She pointed to the four girls who listened to my Angel tell a story about doggies.
"In a possible future, a lonely family will come and adopt them all, but it will not happen without a special child demanding they all go together."
"She's saving her squad," said Todd with shiny eyes. "Making sure nobody gets left behind."
Someone would, and we'd do it, so she'd have a good life. She wouldn't be Angel anymore if we recreated her mind, nor if we took her home. A life with Todd and I would give her nightmares and no sisters her age. A quick confirmation said her future parents, but not us, would be kind.
I never said yes, but my question answered it. "When will I see her again? The one who'll know her fathers?"
