RockScars

Lark came down the stairs dragging a suitcase that was obviously much to heavy for her to carry. She held her baby doll in the crook of her other arm and stood at the bottom of the stairs.

“I’m moving out now.” She said looking at Shadows who was sitting on the couch watching television. He turned his head to look at her. “See ya,” he waived and turned his attention back to the television.

Lark frowned and dragged her suitcase to the front door. She opened the door and dragged her suitcase outside and looked over at Shadows one last time before pouting and closing the door again.

Of course the young one dragged her little suitcase across the lawn to the manor. She would end up staying there under Vengeance’s watchful eye for two nights without a word or a care from Shadows. While he did make his way over to the manor throughout the course of those two days, he paid no mind to the little princess whom he once referred to as his best friend.

Vengeance meanwhile, had a good mind to teach them both a little lesson. Lark was allowed free rein within reason. If she wanted to be a grown up, he would let her. She had no bedtime nor did she have to do what anyone told her. She ate as many cookies as her little stomach could hold and played princess all day long.

On the third day, Shadows was going to get his own little lesson in the form of a bitch-slapping lecture from Vengeance.

Lark was sitting outside on the steps by the pool looking up at the stars trying to count each one. Each time the number got higher, she lost count and had to start over again. Shadows saw her sitting by the pool pointing her finger at each star as she counted and decided to test her strength. With a handful of cookies, he wandered over there and sat down just a few inches away from her.

He didn’t say a word when she looked over at him. He just sat there looking straight ahead quietly eating cookies. Lark pouted and folded her hands in her lap and looked away. She looked back at him again and he was still sitting there in the same position he was in the first time she looked at him. “Daddy?” She said softly, but he just went on eating his cookies.

Lark sighed and stood up. She turned around and walked away back towards the manor. Shadows smirked to himself and turned around to see where she went. She was walking with her head down. When she wiped her face with the back of her hand, he started to go after her.

Inside the manor, Vengeance was waiting for Shadows.

“My office.”

Shadows nodded and started to follow after him, but not before noticing Lark sitting on the couch wiping her face and sniffling.

*******

In Vengeance’s office stood Shadows, Gates and The Rev while Vengeance sat behind his desk. It had been three nights and there was no sign of Daisy.

“Nix is tracking the address with Christ. He’s supposed to call in when they have something.”

Gates paced back and forth. “She’s alive, I can feel it. I’d know it if she weren’t”

Vengeance nodded and turned his attention to Shadows. Here it comes!

“I asked you to do something and you didn’t do it. Lark sees Daisy when she sleeps and you have the ability to join her in her dreams. Why didn’t you do it?”

Shadows rolled his eyes. “I was pre-occupied and lost track.”

“Mmm, Pre-occupied with Twyla.” Vengeance made a steeple with his fingers and stared at Shadows. “Let me remind you of something. Lark sees things that the average mortal can’t. That does make her special and I know that Twyla is in need of help right now, but you failed to see while you were helping Twyla, that Lark is still just a child. She’s only seven. She needs a father and if you can’t handle the responsibility of being her guardian, then I am going to have to step in. Me stepping in means Twyla moves back here.”

Shadows was about to protest, but Lark walked into the office with her baby doll. All four men watched her as she set her doll on a chair in front of Vengeance’s desk and then climbed into the other chair. When she looked at Vengeance she smiled.

“We’re in a meeting,” Vengeance told her.

“But I have a pointment.”

Vengeance looked down at his appointment book and sure enough in bright orange crayon was Lark’s name. He held it up so the others could see. “Gentleman, would you excuse us, the lady has a pointment.”

The three of them tried not to laugh and walked out of his office, but remained outside the door so they could hear what her “pointment” was about.

“So, what is the nature of your appointment?”

Lark turned her head around to make sure all of the other guys were out of the office before turning back to face Vengeance again. “Zacky, could I have a mommy?”

His mouth opened like he wanted to speak, but her question took him by surprise. From outside the office The Rev lowered his eyes to the ground and Gates glared at Shadows.

Vengeance crooked his finger. “Come over here.”

Lark hopped off the chair and walked around to where Vengeance sat. He lifted her up and set her down on the desk in front of him. “I can’t give you a mommy.”

“Why not? You gave me a daddy? I want a mommy.” She looked sad almost as if she was about to cry.

“Sweetheart, it doesn’t work that way.”

Lark tried her best not to cry in front of him, but a tear fell down her cheek. “How does it work then? My mommy left me. Everybody leaves me.”

Vengeance would have given her the world at that point. “Do you really think your mommy wanted to leave you?”

Lark nodded her head. “Because she had Twyla already and she died when I was born. If she wanted me she wouldn’t die. I promise if you give me a mommy, I’ll be good.”

Vengeance gave her a half smile. “You are good, princess. If I could give you a mommy, believe me I would do it, but I can’t. I’m sorry. Your mommy loved you and she didn’t die because she didn’t want you. She died because some bad men came to your house. You have a family here, all of us are here for you.”

Another tear fell down her cheek. “Then why did Daisy leave me? Why did my daddy leave me?”

Gates and The Rev both folded their arms across their chests and looked harshly at Shadows. “Daisy didn’t leave you because she wanted to and we’re going to get her back because you were so smart and you told us that the bad people got her. So we’re gonna find her and bring her home.”

“Ok,” Lark said with a sniffle.

“As for your daddy, he didn’t leave you either. I think you were both wrong there. You shouldn’t have attacked your sister or Gates or your daddy for that matter. If you were angry you should have gone to one of us and told us about it. Violence doesn’t make you a big girl. You can’t always have everything your way.”

She wiped her eyes and he handed her a tissue. “He loves Twyla now.”

“That doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you too.”

“He doesn’t play with me anymore. He just gives me cookies and goes to see Twyla.”

Vengeance nodded. “Yeah, that was wrong. I think he knows he was wrong too, but I don’t think he knew how angry you were. Maybe you should have told him.”

The Rev smacked Shadows in the back of his head and knocked his cap off.

“Your sister needs lots of help right now, and your daddy has his hands full. I do know he does love you. He just kinda got a little stupid lately. Daddies do that sometimes, but you can’t just pack up and leave whenever things don’t go your way. A big girl would hold her head up high and work through it.”

“I’m a big girl,” she nodded.

He lifted her off the desk and set her down on his lap. “You’re a big, tired girl.” Lark rested her head on his shoulder and yawned. “Sleep, princess. It’s ok.”

Lark nodded and closed her eyes. She slept soundly in Vengeance’s arms for nearly an hour before waking up again. Her dreams as of late would keep her from sleeping for long periods of time.

Another hour later…

When the doorbell rang, Shadows got up off the couch and set his beer bottle down on the end table. He answered half expecting a confrontation from Vengeance, but that’s not what he got. As he looked down he saw Lark standing there with her hands behind her back and looking up at him.

“Can I help you?” he asked and she nodded in response completely oblivious to his sarcasm. He knelt down to her level and looked into her sad eyes. “Well?”

“Daddy,” She said and yawned.

“Yes?”

“Are you still gonna love me too much anymore even now that you love Twyla now?” She said a mouthful, but in her little ramble, Shadows understood the question she was trying to ask.

“Yeah,” he nodded.

“Daddy?”

“Yes?”

“Do you miss me at all?”

Shadows rubbed his chin. “Yeah.”

Lark pursed her lips together and looked at him. “I’m sorry, daddy.”
“Apology accepted.”

Both too stubborn for their own damn good.

“Could I hug you now?” She asked.

Shadows opened his arms and Lark walked right in. He closed his arms around her and the little girl put her arms around his neck and squeezed as hard as she could. “I love you too much, daddy.”

“I love you too much, too.”

He carried her back inside the house and set her down on the couch taking a seat right beside her. Lark climbed over and got on his lap and put her hands on his face so he was looking at her. “Did you know my mommy?”

“Yep, I did.”

“What did she look like?”

“Just like you only bigger.”

“I don’t want you to leave me like she did.”

Shadows put his arms around her and kissed her nose. “I’ll never leave you, no matter what happens. I may get mad and I may yell once in a while, but I’ll never leave you.”

“You kissed Twyla and not the same kiss like you kiss me. Like a grown up kiss.”

He smiled and nodded his head. “Yes, I did. I like kissing Twyla, but just because I like kissing Twyla, doesn’t mean I’m not going to have time to hang out with my best girl.”

“and play Barbies with me?”

“Yes, and play Barbies with you.” There’s a Kodak moment. “I’m sorry, I haven’t been here for you lately. I’m trying to be a good daddy and help Twyla too, I guess I suck huh?”

“No,” she shook her head. “You’re a boy. Boy’s are yucky sometimes.”

Shadows laughed heartily. “Remember that until you’re like 35 ok?”

“How come?”

“Because I said so. Boys are yucky! Except me!” she giggled and the two of them spent quite a bit more time together until she started yawning again.

*****
Shadows lay across the couch sleeping with Lark lying on his chest sound asleep as well.

Lark’s Dream…

It was cold, much to cold for a little girl to be wandering around all alone in a strange house. She walked slowly, quietly from room to room looking for her lost baby doll. The house was quiet and she checked every room, but there was no sign of her doll anywhere.

Walking into the kitchen she, she froze when the back door opened. “Daddy? What are you doing here?”

Shadows walked over and knelt down in front of the little girl. “I came to find you. Why are you in this house?”

“I can’t find my baby doll.”

He took her hand and stood up. “Well, lets go look for her then.”

“I looked everywhere, Daddy. Except in there.” She pointed to a door on the other side of the kitchen.

“Then, I guess that’s where we’ll look.” He walked her over to the door and turned the knob, but the door was locked.

“What are we gonna do now?” Lark asked looking up at him.

“I guess pick the lock.” He walked over to one of the counters and opened a drawer looking for anything thin enough to fit in the lock. “Fuck,” he mumbled to himself after only finding forks and knives.

“You said a bad word.”

Shadows turned around and looked at Lark. “You heard me?”

She nodded. “Course I did. It’s my dream. I can hear everything.”

He shook his head and turned back to the drawer to pull out a steak knife. “Can’t hurt to give it a shot.” He walked over to the door and tried the knife in the lock. After a few minutes of trying, the lock finally popped.

“You did it!” Lark said excitedly. “You got big muscles!”

Shadows laughed and opened the door. It was dark and the cold chill in the house seemed to get colder on the other side of the door. There was no light switch, just a staircase.

Lark held on to Shadows hand as they descended the stairs. Each step creaked on the way down. At the bottom of the staircase, Shadows found a string hanging from the ceiling and pulled on it. A single light bulb turned on above his head.

“I don’t think my baby doll is down here, Daddy.”

Shadows took her hand again after sensing her fear and walked with her through the basement. It was damp, dark and empty, but on the other side was another door. “Daddy, lets go home now.”

“In a minute.” He eyed the door and walked towards it taking Lark with him. Upon turning the knob, the door opened. They walked in to the dimly lit room and what met their eyes was the last thing they expected.

Lying on a cold metal table, one that you would see in a place such as a morgue was a body only obvious by it’s shape from under the white sheet that covered it. Each step they took towards the table was cautious, as neither knew what was about to be revealed to their eyes. Shadows pulled back the sheet and there she lie, naked, battered and blue.

Lark’s scream pulled both her and Shadows out of the dream. He grabbed her instinctively and held her close to his chest. The dream had shaken him just as much as it had shaken Lark and now he knew what she was dealing with night after night on her own. He held her while she cried until she was able to calm herself down and resigned himself to the fact that he would start taking the task as her guide and guardian a little more seriously. Even if it means it could cost you Twyla? Good luck with that one.