The walk- Chapter one (rough draft)

It's not completed... but have a read anyway...

Lila woke suddenly from a nightmare, leaving her breathless with clammy palms. It took a moment for Lila to realize it wasn’t real. She wiped away the sweat across her forehead and let the tips of her fingers tenderly feel over a butterfly stitched cut above her eyebrow and took a look around the bedroom. It wasn’t dark anymore, the dawning sun from the outside seeped through the blind, forcing sharp golden rays across her bed and onto the walls. Tiny dust particles dance towards the light, like they were on a staircase to heaven.

  She laid back and turned into her pillow, cuddling it tightly. It wasn’t just any pillow; this pillow meant something to her. It belonged to her mother Aerial and then, Aerial’s mother before her. It was passed down the family; knitted generations lay beneath Lila’s cheek. She could smell the lavender perfume her mother bathed in, with a hint of spice from a burning candle Aerial lit every Christmas morning. Till this day the scent had never evaporated from the cloth.

  Her hazy eye’s glared over at the clock, sitting upon her drawer, and waited for another minute to pass. Lila still had an hour worth of sleep before getting up to the usual routine. Breakfast, sandwiches, and then school but like always, she woke feeling anxious. Not because of the recurring nightmare that had woken her, no, something far complicated, her father Derek.

  Lila wanted to close her eyes for that hour she had left but she hated feeling sluggish; every morning was a struggle because she didn’t have someone worth waking up to. Watching the clock still, Lila felt angry at Derek for buying such an annoying thing as a Christmas present last year. She felt offended and wanted to bin it but didn’t have the heart too. Lila was not the only one in mourning, Derek was also. Lila couldn’t be angry at him for that.

  The sun was almost up, shining brighter through the window; Lila couldn’t stay in bed any longer and let a short sigh pass her lips. She reached towards her alarm clock, turned it off and threw the quilt of her body. Laying there for a minute listening, expecting loud thuds pass her bedroom door. But surprisingly, the house was quiet. She flung her body to the side of the bed and went to the door and poked her head out, listening for any signs of Derek.  But she could not hear anything. Strange, Lila thought. Her stomach growled as her nose caught the scent of food, possibly fried eggs or an omelette with cut pieces of bacon, just the way Aerial would cook it for her. But that’s impossible.

 

Derek was stood by the cooker, turning over bacon with fried eggs. He growl through his teeth as the bacon began to cremate a little. It was the first time he had tried cooking, but he was not only cooking for himself. He was cooking for his daughter too. Making up for the hard time he had given Lila since the weekend, Derek knew grounding Lila wouldn’t keep her from seeing her boyfriend Aden; he didn’t need to. Lila had dumped him already.

He smiled as he heard scuffled footsteps behind him.

 “Dad”

“Morning sunshine”

Derek turned to see his daughter standing with anticipation on her face, he laughed a little at her black messy bed hair and panda blue eyes.

“What’s going on?”

“Well, I fancied a change. I thought I’d cook breakfast, nothing special”

Derek watched Lila sit down as was placing the food on the plate, looking like she was afraid of the cremated bacon and over cooked eggs.

“Please don’t look at it like it’s going to kill you, give me credit for trying” Derek smiled at Lila as he sat down the opposite side of the table.

“I doubt food poisoning it going to kill me but thanks.”  

He stared up at her from taking bite of his toast and noticed she was avoiding eye contact and keeping the conversation small. Derek knew she had a lot on her mind, waking up in the night, most nights screaming that he runs to her aid; not knowing what else to do because she won’t talk about the recurring nightmares.

“How are you feeling Lila? Did you sleep OK?” He asked and saw Lila roll her eyes up at him, dropping the fork on her plate. He felt agitated that his efforts were backfiring.

“Dad please, just leave it alone”

“I’m only asking Lila, you have not been yourself since the weekend and as your father I have a right to ask. I’m worried” Derek kept looking at Lila, who was facing the other way. He decided to change the subject.

“Have you heard from Sidney? I haven’t seen you with your phone.”

“I lost it.” Lila refused to meet Derek’s stare.

“You’re not going to see Aden again are you?” 

Derek felt the urge to ask, he had a feeling Aden isn’t going give up easily. At first Derek thought Aden was OK. Always bringing his daughter back home on safely and on time, gave him the benefit of the doubt. Derek was waiting for Aden to slip up.

“You are so lame dad” Derek watched Lila rise from her seat.

“Lila, he’s too irresponsible and you’re only fifth teen. I know what guys like him want and I’m not going to let him take advantage with my daughter. Look what happened last weekend. You were in hospital”  

“Irresponsible. Don’t talk to me about irresponsibility Dad. Where were you when I was in hospital, oh? The pub, the police had to come and collect you. You only just sobered up when I was discharge and then get yourself arrested for threating Aden. You’re irresponsible. I’m going to get ready for school, thanks for the breakfast”

Derek slammed his bear on the table as Lila walked away. Angry, frustrated and feeling a frailer, at the truth from his daughter mouth punch a hole through his chest.  Lila was right; he hasn’t been the father he once was. 

Author's Note

Let me know what you think?... I'm testing my skills in writing third person. I'm not sure myself but I'm trying lol

Reviews

[KATHY SUE SILLS]

Love what you've written so far, it kept my attention. i found myself engrossed in it and wishing for more!

[KAREN]

You did an awesome job! I want to read more. Love the plot. Well done!!

[SpokenWord]

I use to write in first person all the time it was easier to relate to my writes and I remember this book I read in grade school called "A separate piece" which was written in 1st person and I loved the idea of being in someones mind. Now though I have come to love 3rd person there is so much more you can do with it as you can write from multiple perspectives instead of from only one. I like your first attempt here, I know if you continue to write in this style will also love the versatility it offers. Great write.