Prologue

    "Wheeeeee!" Catherine exclaimed as she got off the bus and ran to the gate. The afternoon breeze played with her long blond hair.

  So far, that day had been the longest day in history and running was not going to shorten it. "Let me in!" She called impatiently banging the gate. "Lemme in Peter!" She yelled even louder and calmed when she saw him take a peek, reach for his keys and finally unlock the latch.

   "How was school today, my pretty?" the security guard asked yawning as he let her in.

   "Fine!"

   "Hey don't tell Daddy I'd been sleeping, you know how he gets." He ran a hand through his dirty-brown hair in an attempt to straighten it out.

   "I won't." She said practically racing to the front door. Her dad had promised her a big-giant-enormous-surprise when she returned from school. Last year she had gotten a cute little puppy and a trip to Adventure land and at that moment, Cathie just couldn't wait to find out what she would get.

  Finally reaching the door, she opened it and got into the house, "Am home!" She screamed knowing her dad was on the couch reading the days paper; as it was his daily ritual. Surprisingly-well not really, he did this occasionally-he did not reply.

  Catherine took of her shoes and let them fly in different directions. She walked through the entryway to the living room. Her feet sank into the plush carpeting as she went around the russet-toned furniture to find no-dad.

   'No wonder', the youngster thought, 'He's hiding'.

  She peeked into the dining room, but all she saw was the all too familiar chandelier, hanging with bits of flashing glass that caught and scattered the afternoon sunlight into rainbows on the pale gold wallpaper.

  She started towards the kitchen, a room as large as the living room. It was furnished with oversized furniture; big enough to hide a huge man as her Dad. Melly came towards her then, growling, her sound said she wanted something but Catherine wasn't sure what.

   "Melly! You know where dad is?" she squatted to pat her dog. "Come on, let's go find daddy," she led the way into the kitchen, "Ready or not here I come!"

  Catherine checked the back of both the fridge and cabinet plus under the table, well you never know what he would do-still, no dad. On the table was a wrapped package with her name on it, 'But...he always puts it in my room'.

   "You know what Mel..." She started and stopped when she noticed Melly was not with her, "Here girl!

   "Woof!"

  Catherine headed towards the sound-Her Dad's bedroom, it could only mean one thing.

  The puppy had found him!

  She stepped into the bedroom; Melly was on the long triple dresser that stood beside the four-poster bed. The dog wagged its tail when it saw her.

   "Gottcha!" Catherine shrieked diving on the bed where he laid covered in his quilt-obviously pretending. Even that young, she knew no one actually slept with a strained expression on their face; that only happened when they were in pain or trying so hard to close their eyes. "Game's over!"

   "Aww come on Dad." She continued when he refused to answer. "Not fair. You supposed to get up and say 'Yeah you got me Cathie'."

   "Woof, woof!" Melly barked, drawing attention to herself.

  That's when Catherine saw it.

  She climbed down the bed, "Dad wake up you're scaring me!" She cried as she tugged on his hand, "Daddy!" She pulled even harder-with her eight year old strength, "Please Dad you promised!"

  And to her greatest horror, He fell...

Author's Note

Phew, I’m I glad iNever experienced this?! iNeed comments...pretty please.