The Butterfly Effect

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Chapter Three – Raife

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‘April 15th

Today I get to meet my father. His name is Raife, and he’s crazy. I hope he lets me call him dad.’

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"My dad lives here?" Fear drips across each syllable.

"Well not in this wing but just around the corner."

It’s hard for her to understand why her father is condemned to this place. She knows he’s crazy… No, that isn’t right, lets rephrase that. She’s been told he’s crazy but she doesn’t know that. Ashley doesn’t quite understand what that really means. All she has to go on are words, not experiences.

There’s a saying for this. ‘Ignorance is bliss.’ And it’s true, Ignorance is the best part because if you don’t know then you can allow your mind to bend horrible situations into pleasant ones. But in a matter of minutes that won’t be the case anymore. The harsh realities of life will set her straight.

"If your dad seems a little sleepy it’s because of the medicine, okay?"

"Okay." She responds timidly.

She is ushered into a disturbingly white room.

"It’ll just be a moment."

With that he’s out the door. Her mind begins to wander, and suddenly she feels more alone than she’s ever felt before. She remembers seeing a scary movie like this before. Of course she wasn’t supposed to be watching it but Glen and Spencer had been able to convince her.

Before her mind has the chance to dig deeper into the memory two figures pass by on the other side of the blurry glass. She can’t see faces through the glass but her heart jumps.

The door opens and a steady nervous thump pounds against her chest. It’s him, her father.

It feels good to be staring back at him. For so long he’s been just an image from a worn out photograph. Now that he’s here she doesn’t feels so alone. He’s no longer just a character in her imagination. He’s real.

"Its okay I won’t bite." She swallows back. This is what she’s been waiting for. Her entire life has been set on this moment and now that its here her words have escaped and slipped through the small space between the windows.

"You’ve seen pictures of me right?"

"Uh-huh. Mom says I have your smile, and your-"

Then it happens. Time jumps a million miles ahead of her and she can’t recall how she ended up on the ground. She doesn’t know why her father is screaming threats of death as he cuts off her oxygen. The guards try to gain control over him as he struggles against them.

"She has to die. Its the only way."

And then her mother is there. Holding her, begging the man she used to know to stop.

"Raife, no! Please stop!"

It isn’t enough, her words hold no meaning to him. He raises his arms, clenches his fists together, and before he can bring them down across his daughters head the guard’s baton hits him across the back of his skull and he’s out, cold.

"Its okay, its gonna be alright." She whispers into Ashley’s ears. As the blood pours out from the side of her father’s head she knows better. For the first time in her young life she finally sees clearly. Its not going to be all right and she knows it.

~

Three Days Later

"We commend to almighty God our brother Raife. May the lord bless him and keep him. Lord make his face to shine upon him, be gracious unto him, and give him peace. Amen."

Spencer takes hold of Ashley’s hand as the priest finishes his speech. For a brief moment her heart flutters but the feeling is quickly outweighed. She shouldn’t be feeling happy right now. Her father is dead. The only thing she should feel right now is sorrow

The car ride home is silent. Why? Why had her father tried to kill her? She had never done anything to him, so why?

Although she was still in denial she finally understood.

She finally realized what crazy meant.

~

Thoughts?