The story of a Modest Man (ch1, continuation)

''Daddy?'' I asked, a suprisingly questioning look plastered over my face although as a kid, I still wasn't able to grasp the severity of the situation.
My dad, flabbergasted, stopped abruptly and looked at me with evident horror in his eyes.
''Enric! What are you-- what are you doing here?'', he managed to say, a subtle stutter emphasizing his breaking nerves. As a child, I was innocuous, but as I state this here and now, I would say it all started on that very day: indirectly, my childlike subconscious saw through him as he stood there with bloodshot eyes; eyes of a thirsty murderer.
''Daddy!'' I ran towards him, my arms eagle-like as I willed to accept his lasciviousness into my arms. Something lulled my heart: since then I felt no heartbeat.
He took me into his arms and kissed me on the forehead.
''Enric, son, this is Tora Kimura. She's my new assistant at work.''
I remember staring at her on that sunny day, thinking of a preying feline as I quietly eyed her cold dark eyes piercing into mine, her lips austere and her long black hair mischievously caressing the wind.
She leered at me. I stayed unflinching. Then I smiled.
''Hello,'' I said dearly with my childish voice. She smirked rather amicably in response. ''Hello, Enric.''
My dad turned to me. ''Well, son, what do you want?''
For some reason, I felt a pang of child-like uncertainty, as if what I seemed to want was mere illusion, and what I really wanted was, in that moment, a far-fetched reality.
I hesitated, and then pointed at the Etch-a-Sketch boy who sat on a bench right behind us three, his posture assimilating that of a gargoyle's.
''Kenji, come here, my dear,'' exclaimed Tora with a lovely, yet salient edgy tone.
The boy raised his head, the wind caressing his mousy, black hair.
He gaped at her, then at my father.
His gaze shifted toward me.
He remained seated while minutes passed by; a gargoyle gawking at a pointless destination.
He kept on ogling me, so I eventually returned him the favor.
Outside of our bubble, Tora continued to talk to my seemingly oblivious father, his hand slowly wandering from her back to her behind.
The sunlight suddenly blinded my eyes.
With that, my destiny was changed.



(to be continued)