In Our Blood

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Charlie sat in the dining room, she looked out the windows seeing the night sky as she tried to imagine what it'd be like to just stare up at the stars without restrictions. She sighed a little as she heard the food cart being pushed into the room.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed the person in black clothing and black mask from earlier in the day.

Charlie placed her hands on the table, her palms faced upwards.

The person didn't say anything as they lifted off the lid and placed the empty plate in front of her.

Charlie looked down at the plate, she couldn't figure out what was happening.

"He knows. Knows there's something. Can't work it out. Smart little puppet master." The person hushed behind their mask before straightening their stance as they waited by Charlie's side.

She knew what the person was talking about, she rose to her feet and turned around. Charlie noticed her father standing in the doorway, his hands behind his back as he asserted his dominance with his posture.

"Is this the final showdown?" She questioned her father.

He remained silent, so did the puppet.

"Two on one. Sounds fair." Charlie kept herself calm as she kept her focus on her father, she showed her empty palms as her hands rested by her side.

Again, silence from her father and the puppet.

"Mind games were always your strength." Charlie stayed by the table. "Mine was always physical pain."

Her father let his gaze linger on his daughter as she stayed still.

"I said you were in my head; You always have been. You never left even when you physically left." Charlie could feel a wave of weight leave her shoulders as she spoke. "I thought running, changing who I am. Meant that I could be free from you." She let her words linger in the air "Charlie was just a name." She tried to hide her fear as she struggled to lie about her name.

"Enough." Her father finally spoke.

It was Charlie's turn to stay silent.

Her father turned his head to the person standing by the food cart. Charlie kept her focus on her father.

"Leave" Her father spoke.

The person didn't need to be told twice as they excused themselves from the room, squeezing past him.

Charlie hated how her father kept his poker face, she hated not knowing what he was thinking when it came to her.

"Target practice again?" Charlie asked.

Her father took a step towards her.

Charlie went silent.

He took another step towards her.

Charlie kept her focus as she stayed silent.

He took his final step in front of her.

Both stood a short distance apart. Both stayed silent. Both stared each other down.

Neither could find their words to say, Neither knew what to say as they stared down each other. Neither breaking eye contact as they stood in silence.

She knew he was testing her; she knew he was trying to break her plan without her even being vocal about it.

He did the one thing she wasn't expecting, he turned her back on her and took his steps back to the door.

"Pathetic." Charlie called out "Pathetic, turning your back on your daughter."

He ignored her as he turned to face her "You can't pick and choose, Charlotte."

Charlie glared at her father as he turned his back again and walked out of the dining room.

"Asshole" Charlie breathed as she turned her attention to the food cart, she felt frustration at the emptiness on the tray. She stormed her way out of the dining room as she headed back to her room.

She hated that she had to retrain her body to savour food when she ate, she hated that she had to retrain her body accept the suffering her father was putting her back through.