Daddy's Girl

A daughter visits her father in an mental institution on her birthday.

She was escorted through the hallway by the guard and his doctor. The air is filled with the smell of dank sterile existence with the sound of moans and random screams. The institute is dim lit but she can see the numbers on the doors and the eyes peering out of little box slots at her as she passed. His holding area was different though; a small padded room with a glass door like he was on display. She knew it was him but he looked different than the last time she had saw him, his hair had grew and it draped down covering his face as he looked down staring at the floor slowly rocking back and forth. She didn’t speak but he knew she was in his presence.

“Mister Chambers, your daughter is here to visit you.” The doctor said looking at him sitting in his corner.

“That’s not my daughter; my little girl is ten.”

“A lot of years have time has passed; She’s older now and she wants to see you on her birthday.”

 

He stays quiet not even trusting his own mind let alone the man that probed it.

 

“Hey Peanut.”

“Hi daddy.”

“Happy birthday.”

“Thank you, I’ve been waiting on this day.

“Talk calmly and make sure not to say anything to make him upset and you will be just fine.” The doctor said looking in at him.

 

The institution rule was that minors were forbidden within these walls because of perilous insurance payouts. She was eighteen now and she dreamed about this day every night that she went to bed holding on to the closest thing that connected them. Before the doctor walked away, he pat the guard on the shoulder.

 

“I can expect that you can keep things under control,” He said in his ear.

“Yes sir, I’ve got this.” The guard remembers many occasions where he proudly beat and prodded him with voltage because he violated the rules.

 

The doctor peered at his patient and shook his head before walking away. The guard looked his daughter with a grenchy grin like he liked a fresh turned girl into a woman. He walked away checking on the other residents.

 

 

“You should have forgotten about me love.

“I could never forget about you.” She answered as she ran her hand down the glass that separated them.

“I never thought you’d see me like this.” He said hugging himself in a jacket provided for him.

 

He looked down at the padded floor that he sat on still ashamed to look at her while he was in his current position. It had been eight years since he had been in the place where they deemed him to be in the environment that he was suited for. Coming home from work early on Christmas Eve and he found a man breaking into his home, another making his second nature come forth; he mutilated the man with a cutlery knife as he tried to run out. The $100.00 down comforter was stained with the stranger’s blood as he entered into the room that she, her sister and her baby brother slept in.  They all awoke to the sight of a man being slaughtered before their eyes by dad but she was the only one that understood why he did it. He had some good lawyers so the best they do was prove that he had a split personality and suffered from multiple mental illnesses so he wouldn’t spend his time with the true murderous maniacs of society. Instead he was ordered to accompany three hundred others that didn’t fit into what the so called reality made the norm. She had developed her own as she missed the nights that he would tuck her in bed and say the nightly prayers with them all.

 

“Your cell phone, I kept it on so I could hear your voice; I would leave a message just so I could feel like I was talking to you.” She said as she looked at the last thing he gave her.

“You still have Benjamin I see.” He said seeing the teddy bear in her hand he gave her years ago and slowly shuffled her way with just his legs toward the glass.

“I always keep him with me.”

 

He put his head against the glass that separated them; she ran her fingers down it like she was stroking his head. Closing his eyes he could feel the warmness her fingers; he wondered if it was just his imagination but he didn’t care as long as he felt it. Slowly he looked up at her.

 

“You’ve gotten so beautiful.” He said remembering her from eight years ago only in his mind.

“I love you.” She responded.

“How,”

 

To himself he was a monster; a person who felt pleasure in observing blood draining from a mutilated body. He was never caught because all of his victims were nobodies to everyday clean cut society; homeless, molesters, dope heads and he kept a finger of one of his victims just so when he got the urge he could just grab it and take a whiff of rotted flesh; that’s how they caught on to him.

 

“You’re my daddy.” She answered simply.

 

She knew his past; from her mother who downed his character whenever his name was spoken for the first three years after that night, to what the internet said about him. She didn’t care about that; she remembered the man who protected her and her siblings on the night the stranger ran into their room. The thorazine kicked in and pumped through his blood stream when everything began to slow down for him. Remembering stopping his passion when her mother got pregnant with her, the impulse resurfaced on that horrid night was for them but the other half of their fear came from seeing the smile on his face.

 

“I’m sorry,”

“You are our hero dad; don’t be, no matter what the others say about you.”

“How is Dezirae?” He asked.

 

She was the middle child; gorgeous, spirited, and always had a way of adapting to her surroundings. She was one year younger than her sister and he now wondered if she would be there on her birthday. He missed her as well but she had always had a mind of her own and her personality made it easy for her to dismiss her own emotions.

 

“She is still the same; many boys chase her but she doesn’t pay them attention, she is still in her own little world.”

“What about my boy?” As he asks about his son.

 

His name is Donovan; his prince and the only one to carry on his name. He was thirteen now and the only thing that stopped his mind from worrying about him was the fact that he was his son.  

 

“He is a ladies man dad; much like you put your mind on your passion that made you who you are, he put that same lust into making women’s mind his victims. The girls love him; all my girlfriends want him, but he prides himself on taking girls from their boyfriends. But he has some issues too.”

 

He smiled at the response.

 

“That’s my boy.” He said feeling arrogant about how he was in his early days.

 

His emotions were dulled from the pills he had to take every day; he could have faked taking them like he did many of times but the consequences were the voices that hindered his thoughts while sitting alone in a box so the medication made things easier for him and the staff.

 

“Did you get our letters?” She asked.

 

In the ward he was in he wasn’t able to read his own mail, but if he behaved himself at their judgment; the orderlies’ would read them to the patients while in the strapped jacket so if something was said that could cause a change in their moods, they could be easily put down with a needle of control potion. He caused problems but it was only for his on amusement.

 

“The last one I heard; you were with the prom king, Dezirae only told me hello, and Donovan had a million questions for me.” He responded.

 

She knew the whole truth on what he didn’t see.

 

“Dezirae is wrapped up in her own life daddy; Donovan just wants the truth about you, only hearing what has been said when you were taken away and what they put on television; they had you on the ID channel.”

“What did he hear?”

“That you were sociopath.”

“I was before you came along.”

“What did it feel like the first time you killed someone?” She asked.

“The second time was a rush.”

“What about the third time?”

“Oh the third time felt like sex; it’s the best worse feeling.”

 

The medicine made him answer quickly forgetting that she was daughter and one of those doctors that just wanted to probe his mind just to be able to write the next thesis for their peers. She didn’t mentally shunt at the commit.

 

“What did you use?” She asked.

“I used a meat cleaver, a steak knife, or a razor blade. It really didn’t matter at that moment as long caused a mess. I even tagged the walls with a couple of veins just to laugh about it.”

 

She started laughing and it felt like one of those songs that were your favorite back in the day, then you hear again and it brings back a load of memories. He hung his head and smiled as it pierced his soul.

 

“How is your mother?”

“She’s doing alright now. For a long time we all thought she would end in a place like this but she ended up being just free with probably the same thing they give you here. She went crazy for years without you before she found a boyfriend that thought could make her feel better.”

“How did that work out?”

“He had a dog that he loved; two days before his birthday I told him that it got hit by a car. On his birthday I made it his birthday dinner to make him feel better.”

 

He laughed for the first time in years from a healthy place within himself.

 

“What the hell is wrong with you?” He asked.

“I’m my daddy’s daughter.” She answered swiftly.

 

He laughed a little harder bringing emotion to the point where it brought a tear to his eyes. She hadn’t heard him laugh in a long time and it touched her essence as well.

“Where is he now?” He couldn’t help but ask.

“He left as soon as I told him what he ate.” She said laughing harder.

 

It made him bend over and laugh so hard where he couldn’t tell it was a laugh or a cry.

 

“Nobody takes your place daddy; and when we met him, he said he was our new dad. There is no other dad but you.”

 

He was touched instantly making his laughter go back to the sincerity.

 

“You shouldn’t have done that.” He responded like he was now a responsible parent.

“But is your mother alright?”

“She misses you dad; all she does is watch the ID channel from wake up to sleep.”

 

He missed and loved her so much that his other regret was messing her up in the head.

 

“What is the last letter you heard from us?”

“The last one I heard was when you had a boyfriend and you were mad because he cheated on you with the prom queen.”

“Wow, that was a minute ago,” She said with a giggle.

“They will be together forever; do you remember where you took us fishing for the first time?”

“Yeah I do; that pond not too far from our house.” He answered.

“Yeah that one, but we’ve had to move six times since then. They’ll be together forever now.”

 

He knew that he poisoned his bloodline and she was the result.

 

“You have to stop.” He said bringing his head back up looking at her.

“It’s too late; I like it. The feeling, the satisfaction, and the best part is; I understand you.” 

“You don’t understand anything yet, you’re still too young.”

“I know how it feels to not have control on satisfying your own urges.” She responded.

“But do you know how it feels to be locked away from the world; to be thrown into a dark hole and treated like an animal?” He asked her.

“I heard you escaped a couple of times.”

“I only escaped from my bondage to go to the roof just see and feel the sun. People like me don’t get the privilege to have that too often.”

 

He could’ve gotten away from the institution; contemplating the plan thoroughly he once made it to the exit but he knew he just would’ve hurt more if he was back in society. The hunger in him had died away except for the guard that looked at him with a smug glare as he passed him talking to his daughter; in his mind he killed him in a million ways. The guard passed by them again,

 

“You only have five minutes left little lady.” He said curling his lip.

 

She didn’t pay him any attention, she was had all she had ever wanted since the last time she had saw him.

 

“Please do me a favor; tell them all that I love them.” He said wishing he could just tell them himself.

“They already know daddy.”

“They know that I’m a murdering piece of s**t like you should have known and went on with your life.” He said.

“No, you are our father. Do you remember your son?”

“You know I do.”

“Do you remember your middle child?”

“I do.”

“Do you remember your wife?”

“Yes.”

“So I don’t have to ask if you remember me by now.” She said pounding her fist lightly on the glass.

 

In an instant he saw every one of their faces individually with a smile or laughing in his presence making him react in the same manner. He recollected on how they made him feel; like a normal person. The killings, the screams he heard with his hand over his victims muffled mouths, and the gratification afterwards. None of it was worth it when he saw each one them being brought into existence and out of all of the conversations with the doctor he began to realize his mistakes. Time had went past so fast that between his own choice and the medication he had forgot all of the thoughts that crossed his mind that he would say to her if this day had ever came.

 

“I could never forget you; from the day you first came to this world and when you heard my voice you stopped crying. No matter what they give me in here, I’ll never forget about any of you; especially my first girl,” He responded from his heart.

“I watched the special they did on you on the ID channel.” She said to him.

 

He was quiet for a moment as he wondered if the other two had seen it. He was drugged before the interview with that judging woman probing his mind and invading his mental space, but the cocktail they gave him because they were afraid of what he would do; cut scenes and editing made her questions be answered a sadistic smile making him look more demented.

“Don’t believe everything you see on that devil box.”

“What about when they said you would say some crazy quotes before you took a life?

“I don’t even remember saying that let alone actually doing it.” He responded.

“They said you suffered from paranoia.” She said.

“Only because I said something about the government agendas, we used to talk about that all the time.  Do you remember that?” He asked her.

“I remember our Illuminati conversations; you ruined me, I see the signs everywhere now.”

He smiled looking back down proud that she had said what he wondered for a long time. The guard came back and stopped looking harsh at him first before he smiled in her face.

 “Time is up sweetie say your goodbyes quickly.”

 

She looked at him with a pair of puppy brown eyes and took her fingers rubbing them down his cheek.

 

“Please can I have five more, I’ve been waiting this long to see him and he doesn’t even recognize me. It’s my birthday mister and it really would make traveling for three days’ worth it if he would just say my name.”

 

The guard was entranced by her caress let alone the way she seemed to bring tears to her eyes with the quivering lip.

 

“I’ll give you five more because you’re so cute, but I have a job to do.” He responded getting his composure back. He walked away and she looked back seeing her father looking up right into her eyes.

 

“You didn’t get that from me.”

“I know; that’s all mom right there.” She responded with a smile.

 

“Will you do me a favor and sing for me?” He asked.

 

She started to sing a lullaby that he had taught her as a kid and all of the rest of the natives listened with no sound coming from their imprisoned situations. The guard even had to stop and listen as she mesmerized the whole block. Her singing had always been one of other things he missed from her and it he sat absorbed in the moment putting his head back down allowing it all to soak in while feeling the medicine getting ready drift him off to another world. After she is done he looks back up at her.

 

“You can turn a prison into a paradise.” He said smiling.

 

The guard walked over and his grin became a sneer.

 

“Alright little lady it’s really time for you to go. That was a pretty little song but honestly he’s so doped up he probably didn’t even hear it.”

“No, he heard it. It was my gift to him for being the best father in the world. But I’ve one more for him.”

 

She brought her teddy bear closer to her face rubbing it against her face, then in a quick motion before the guard detected it he had a butcher knife jammed upward into his jaw. As one eye looked to the left and the other ventured in the opposite direction before he faded away she brought her lips close to his ear.

 

“Nobody hurts my daddy.”

 

His legs gave out and he fell limp to the ground and began twitching. She reached at his waist and took the key card he possessed. Swiping it unlocked the glass door and she ran in jumping on her father’s lap like she used to do wrapping her arms around his neck. She sat in silence as they both basked in the moment. He didn’t respond at what had just happened wishing she hadn’t but not regretting the embrace he was currently in. The alarm sound as red lights began to flash quickly.

 

“You’re in trouble now.” He sang to her.

“I don’t care it is worth it.” She responded hugging him tighter.

 

He was her dad and swore to protect her from anything that could and would harm her; he would whisper it to her mother’s stomach while she sat waiting to grace the world with her presence. It was a vow he made and it was an oath that every father should live by to their seeds until the last breath that they take.

 

“Do daddy a favor honey,”

“Whatever you want.” She responded.

“Relieve me of this garment that retains me from hugging you back.”

 

Moving quickly she unbuckled the three straps at his back and with the last one taken off his arms dropped. She removed the jacket and as soon as he was free of his binds he wrapped his arms around her and hugged tightly knowing it would be the last time the moment would ever be possible.

 

“Listen to me, the nurse’s locker room is on the fourth floor where you can change. Get out of here and go as far as you can go but don’t forget your mother and your siblings. Don’t look back when you leave here and tell them that I’ll always love them.”

“Daddy come with me please, you know the way out.” She pleaded.

“I can’t, we will both never make it out of here but you can.”

“No daddy I won’t leave you, I don’t ever want to be without you again.” She began to say while tears ran down her face.

 

He took both of his thumbs and wiped them away as he looked her in the eyes.

 

“You know that I love you and just like the first day I met you, you will always be branded on my heart. I am so proud of the beautiful and intelligent woman you have become. Do you trust me?”

“I’ll always trust you daddy.”

“Okay then,”

 

He closed his eyes and held her the one more second running his fingers through her soft hair before grabbing a handful and standing up pulling her up by it. He guided her through the door she entered and as he passed the dead guard on the floor he stepped on his head then yanked the knife from it. Seeing the doctor and three guards accompanying him with tasers and batons he put the knife to her throat. They paused at the doctors’ orders.

 

“Mister Chambers don’t hurt your daughter!” He yelled.

“I told you doc, this is not my daughter. It’s just another head probing a*****e you have sent my way to make another story about me.”

“You’re about to regret what you’re about to do.” The doctor said.

“No, what I’m about to do is cut this b*****s throat!” He yelled.

 

He tightened his grip on her hair and brought his head close to hers.

 

“This would be a good time to start the water works dear.” He whispered in her ear.

 

On cue she began to cry.

 

“Please daddy don’t hurt me, I’m your daughter; it’s me Anique. Please daddy don’t do this,”

“I told you all, my daughter is ten years old!”

“Many years have passed mister Chambers, that’s your daughter I assure you.” The doctor said.

 

He loosed his grip a little.

 

“Happy birthday baby I love you.” He said in a low tone.

 

Taking the knife away from her neck he shoved her forcefully and watched her run down the hall passing the doctor and the guards then waited until she exited the door behind them before he lowered his head and began to sway side to side.

 

“Put the knife down so we can get you calmed down Chambers.” The doctor said.

“Why don’t you come and get it. No more jackets, no more shots or pills for today I give back to death what life did steal.”

 

      -007   

 

 

Author's Note

I love this one.

Reviews

[Ani]

Well im now 15 dad and i can say that i still love this story and how it describes us. I love you.

[Dez H.]

The way I feel today is like this, I wish I could be wit them everyday but i'm in a place that feels like an insane asylum. i've said it to everyone i could but once i can leave this place others call home and i call hell, i'm escaping like a prison break. To my kids daddy loves you, to Michigan once I leave this place it can burn in hell for all i care . Naptown forever and Michigan Never F*** this place. Much love to all of my readers and Ill keep em coming as long as you all keep readin. Peace
007

[Dez H.]

I remember my mind state when I wrote this, I took myself and put it to the character's mind.
What would happen if this was true, the feelings came instantly and i started typing letting my mind do the hard work and my fingers being like an symphony that's playing every note the conductor is instructing. All in all I love this one because it took me back to where I got emotionally involved in sometimes having to stop because it was too much.

[B-poet]

A very intriguing and entertaining story. The kids are the stars in this one. The in-depth transitions in between your dialogue kept the flow of the story moving very well along with using third person narrative also. Nice ending as it detailed how sick daddy psychopath really was. Great work. A creatively unique piece. :)

[Dez H.]

Right on gutta and ur latest piece was cold blooded.

[Dez H.]

When I wrote this I thought about my little girl Anique the one that did Shadow of Darkness with me and Walking the Red Line.

[Dez H.]

I know i have some grammatical errors in this but until I come back to fix em... Ull get the point.