September 3, 2017

Dad calling me out of the blue like that really got me thinking about, well... A lot of things.

Yes, I haven't called him, even though I promised I'd call the next day and because of that, I've been feeling guilty. I mean, I haven't really talked to Dad since... when? Some little ways before I went to college? It may sound like a short time, but it feels like a decade. And since he and Mom went their separate ways, it hasn't been the same.

The bullshit I had to endure because of him...

But he's not entirely to blame. Mom was no better.

She just left.

No goodbyes.

No warnings.

And she stole all of Dad's savings for her own lavish spending (They had a joint account).

Oh, but there's more: Apparently, she was having an affair with another man who lived in another state.

Basically, Mom financially fucked Dad over and left me behind.

Then Dad started drinking hard and took out his frustrations on me.

There was yelling and cursing.

Punches were pulled and kicks were swung.

Hell, he's even attempted to strangle me if he was completely wasted.

I was only a kid back then, so defending myself was little to impossible. I never considered foster care a choice and the rest of the family turned a blind eye towards the abuse.

Overall, my childhood really was a living hell— a desperate struggle to survive.

In the end, I had to fend for myself.

But, there were times where he did act like a caring father. For instance, he gave me a gun in my late teens and when he was sober, and he sort of taught me how to use it. He was a firm believer of self-defense.

That night, he actually took the time to call me and he sounded haggard and worn-out. I assume life hasn't been good to him these last few years and it still baffles me that he and Mom still contact one another. I only asked just as a simple joke, but they're still talking to one another.

I... really don't know how else I can explain this.

But, I should call back.

I at least owe him that much.

Ethan W.

September 4, 2017

3:23 a.m.

I should have at least told him that Mia and I have adopted a daughter. Now when I think about it, I think Mia's only seen my dad at least once or twice because before my guilt-trip as I tried my very best to avoid him.

But that's another story for another time.

But today, I'm going to take Eveline to the park. Today's Labor Day and that means I didn't have to come in for work today. Mia's out and about, though. Apparently, she still had to work through the day, which I found odd and unfair. But she assured me that she didn't mind and that there always had to be someone working, even on holidays.

True. But, it would be nice if she stayed home for once. Even if it was for one day.

Prior to leaving, it was just me and Eveline. Even though I feel as she and I came to an understanding of one another, there were still problems. She was still prone to breaking objects and writing on the wall. I mean, she turned on the stove and left it on. Thank God I was able to turn it off before it spread.

This child...

I wanted to yell at her, but I didn't want to be that kind of dad.

(Jesus, Ethan, have some backbone... She's just a little girl, after all.)

She seemed... confused, at first. She gave me a blank stare and asked a stack of questions, and it was then that I started putting the pieces together.

She's never been to a park before...

No wonder she's been acting so erratic.

God, her birth parents must have been horrible. What have they been doing to this girl? Keeping her locked up since birth?

And I kind of wanted to blame the Bakers, too. Did they ever give Eveline time to go play outside? Or did they want her to end up like Lucas? An anti-social hermit still living with his parents? I know that parents can be overprotective, but this was ridiculous.

This bothered me to an extent. Even I knew that kids needed to go outside and play. They need to get that energy out somehow and vandalizing the home certainly wasn't the most effective way to do so (it's costing me a fortune trying to repair the damage).

Going to the park might help Eveline release all that energy, plus Terry said he'd be there today with his own children.

This is like killing two birds with one stone: Eveline not only gets to play outside, but she also might learn a few social skills.

It's a stretch, though. And I'm crossing my fingers, hoping that everything goes well.

Instead of opting to explain how a park worked, I told her that I'd "show" her. She seemed interested in her childish squealing and bolted to get ready.

I'm currently waiting for her to get ready. We'll leave by 3:40 and come home an hour later. That should give Eveline plenty of playtime, I think. It's a bit cold outside, about 44 degrees, so I told her to go get her jacket just in case.

Let's hope this all goes well.

Ethan W.

EDIT— 6:27 p.m.

We just got home. Eveline fell asleep mid-drive, but that's probably a good thing. After what happened today, we both need some time to sleep.

The drive to the park wasn't as bad, though Eveline was a tad upset that she couldn't ride in the front seat because "only grown-ups can sit in the front."

Once we arrived, it wasn't long until Terry and his daughter spotted us. I swear, every time Terry was around, he'd find a way to uplift my day, no matter how terrible it was. He was glad that I came, later joking about me and Eveline not coming to the park.

Come on, Terry. I'm not that bad.

Meanwhile, Terry's daughter Carol wasted no time to introduce herself. Like her father, she was kind, outgoing, and overall she was a bundle of energy. Carol was a stark contrast to Eveline, which I was initially worried about. From the look Eveline gave, it seemed that she wasn't so fond of Carol. She retreated behind me and stared at Carol. I really think she was giving Carol a death glare.

"I'm sorry," I'd apologize to Terry, "She's not used to this, yet. This is her first time at the park."

Terry understood completely and Carol took it upon herself to approach Eveline and take her by the hand. I remember her saying that she'd show Eveline around and pointed over to an old playground down the path. She also said that some of her friends were there too.

I looked down towards Eveline because I knew she was looking at me. She looked scared and she continued to cling to my leg. All I did was move my head, "Go on, Eveline. Go and play."

I tried to play a more supportive role and encourage her to play with the others. It took her a moment before I felt her grip loosen on my leg.

"Okay. Fine," I heard Eveline say, albeit begrudgingly, "I'll play with you."

Carol wasted no time to lead Eveline towards the playground. Terry and I followed suit. Terry couldn't help but smile at what we just witness. He also took that moment to boast about his daughter's social skills, but I simply brushed it off.

I was just glad that everything got off to a good start.

Once they made it to the playground, I noticed that Eveline lowered her head and turned away slightly once Carol introduced her to the others.

Yeah, I knew that feeling all too well.

That moment when you're just too timid to even make eye contact with one another.

A feeling of shyness...

I couldn't help but see myself in that situation when I was younger, but it was worse. Much worse.

At least Eveline was playing with some decent people. I didn't have it so lucky when I was her age.

She was really struggling out there. She couldn't muster up a word, let alone look at any of the kids and they were nice kids, too.

Damn it, Eveline...

I stopped mid-conversation with Terry and approached the children. I felt so awkward in that situation, but I had to help Eveline. I crouched down and put my hands on her shoulders, comforting her as best as I could.

"Eveline, say hello," I said, cracking a small smile, "They want to be your friend."

Eveline then looked up at me, "… F-Friend?"

Apparently, she knew what family was, but not friends.

I explained that friends are like "extended family." That was probably the worst analogy I could come up with, but it came as no surprise that Eveline believed it instantly. Still timid, she did manage to say hello and introduced herself to the kids. From there on, Carol took over and Eveline followed their lead.

Moments passed since then. Terry introduced me to some other parents and I managed to come out of my shell a bit. Most of the conversations were about work, news, and the children. I even got some insight about school system around Dulvey and some recommendations on some of the better schools around town.

Eveline also seemed to be having a good time with the other kids. She learned how to play kickball and she really liked the swing set. She seemed to be opening herself up more, which I couldn't help but smile. She seemed so happy...

By the time dusk came around, some of the parents were already gone by then, so I decided that it was time to head home. Terry agreed and we went back to the playground to pick Eveline and Carol up.

But our faces suddenly turned white.

Eveline was gone.

Carol was gone.

Chills still run down my spine when I remember Terry's ear-piercing cry for his daughter. My heart skipped a beat several times and my blood ran cold. We both didn't even want to know what happened to them, we just wanted to find them before something awful happens.

We looked around the playground and we found nothing, aside from Carol's green hair tie. I found it just outside the boundaries of the playground, leading up to the dense forest ahead. There were muddied footsteps afterward when I took a second look.

There was a pair of small footsteps, but my heart almost stopped when I saw a third, larger set of footprints.

Our worst fears have been realized.

Someone abducted them.

Even as I write this now, my hand still shakes every time I think about it.

I called Terry over and once he saw the footprints, the man dashed into the forest, frantically calling Carol's name. I followed suit. Both of us were desperately calling out our daughter's names while following the footsteps. I don't know about Terry, but I was beyond scared straight.

The thought of your own child being taken away by a complete stranger... Coupled with a serial killer running around town...

I don't want to think about it. I REALLY don't want to think about it.

The sun started to set. Although he was in front of me, I could hear Terry crying. I knew that family was everything to him and the fact that his daughter is in danger was too much for him to take.

I heard him say something along the lines of finding the kidnapper and lynching him with his own belt...

That was how bad it was for him.

I already knew I couldn't come home without Eveline.

I couldn't break the news to Mia.

She'd be devastated.

I'm already devastated.

But it was a stroke of luck when we heard Carol's teary-eyed voice in the distance. Terry and I ran as fast as we could towards the cry.

That was Carol's voice, but what about Eveline?

After sprinting for what felt like a long time, out from the bushes was Carol, crying and scared. Terry was so relieved after hugging her, but where the hell was Eveline?

Seconds after Carol, Eveline came out from the bushes crying out "Daddy!"

I've never been so relieved in all my life. I held her close in my arms, not wanting to let go. Carol went on to explain that a man came up to them and told them that he'd give them free candy and toys, but only if they followed him through the forest.

I can't blame them. They're just kids. They'll believe anything.

Then Carol got scared and wanted to go back but the man refused to do so and started forcing the two to follow him. Terry didn't want to know the rest of the details. We were just glad that Eveline and Carol were alright.

We got out of there as soon as possible. Terry said he'll report this to the police.

While in the car, I couldn't help but look back at Eveline through the rear mirror. I looked at Eveline. She looked fine unlike Carol, almost calm, which bothered me. Most kids would be traumatized by such an event, but Eveline showed no signs of post-terror.

I asked what happened after the man took them. She simply smiled back at me and said:

"The bad man isn't gonna bother us anymore."

I don't know why, but my face turned pale. Why did she say that? What did she mean by that? I wanted to ask more questions, but once I looked back up Eveline was drifting off to sleep.

No point asking now...

Which leaves us right where we started. I carried Eveline to her bed before had the balls to break the news to Mia. She stuttered a bit and showed a bit of shock, but it wasn't the kind of reaction I was expecting. In fact, she seemed rather calm about it, afterward.

Although I was flattered that she called me a "hero" for finding Eveline and Carol, her reaction threw me off so much, but I kept my peace.

I had a long day and the shock still hasn't gone away yet.

I can't help to feel suspicious. Whatever happened to the abductor? What did Eveline mean by what she said in the car? And Mia's initial reaction...

I don't want to sound cynical, but some of this doesn't add up.

Maybe I'm thinking about this too much...

At least Eveline's safe. That much I can be sure of.

Ethan W.

EDIT— 11:09 p.m.

My phone started going off again. I turned off the ringtone and even tried ignoring the damn thing, but it just kept going.

Who the hell would be calling at this hour, I thought.

I've already gone through enough today...

Finally, it stopped, but I decided to humor myself and see who was calling me. I bet that it was Dad again.

I froze.

"ZOE BAKER"

How in the hell...?

Unless Mia gave her my number, I don't think I remember giving Zoe my number. Why was she calling me at a time like this?

I decided not to answer her, at least not now.

And when I looked up, I froze once again. I swear I saw someone peeking through the bedroom door. Their eyes met mine for a brief moment before they walked off. It looked too real to be a dream. I wanted to get out of the bed and chase them down or even wake Mia up, but I was so terrified to even move.

I can't go to sleep.

Damn it...

Ethan W.

Author Notes

Hello, again! Did you miss me?

It's been so long since I've updated this story and I can't believe I haven't posted in nearly a year. Basically, Ethan's been on hiatus.

However! I'm proud to present you with the ninth entry of Winters! Finally!

A lot of stuff happened this chapter, but I'm everything worked out. Now Ethan has even more questions and no answer to any of them.

I feel sorry for him to an extent... He doesn't know what's about to happen...

But thank you for your patience! I really appreciate it! And if you're new, I hope you enjoyed the ride so far!

Chao!

~Bon De Soren