“My Dad’s Chair”

Ava R.

        I stared at my father’s chair. Empty. Untouched. The black cushion had gathered a thick layer of dust in the past five years. The back of the chair was falling off, and there were only three legs of the chair. No one had ever sat in the chair other than my dad. My dad had caught me about to sit in it once. He yelled at me so much. “Abigail! Do not go any closer! Back away! You are not ready.” I didn’t get the last part, though.

A single tear streamed down my cheek at the memory of my father. I reached out to touch the chair. Pain shot through me. I let go. I was out of breath. I touched it again, and the same pain came, and I let go. I sat in the chair. The pain shot through me again, and it got worse the longer I stayed in it. I couldn’t help it. I screamed. I felt the chair disappear below me just as I blacked out.

I collapsed onto what felt like concrete. I opened my eyes. I was in complete darkness, yet I felt like I was being watched. “Hello?” My voice echoed off of nothingness. No one answered. I stood up. I could see or hear nothing, yet I knew who it was and burst into tears. I knew I was probably being babyish and overreacting, but I continued to cry for ten minutes. When I pulled myself together, I managed, “F-father?”

“Abigail!”

I turned toward the voice. There he was standing there. Smiling. Arms open. I ran toward him, also smiling and arms open, only tears were streaming down my face. What I was about two feet away from him, he fell to the ground, his eyes showing no signs of life. His falling down also revealed a man behind him, smiling wickedly.

“What did you do?!” I screamed, kneeling down to my dad’s lifeless body. I reached one shaking hand out. My hand went through. “I—it’s a hologram. I—it’s a hologram.” Anger rushed through me. “It’s a hologram.”

The man laughed maniacally, and an army came from nowhere. More anger surged through me. I closed my eyes and screamed. I felt myself burst. I kept screaming. I screamed because my father was missing. I screamed at the man who was doing this, and most of all, I was screaming at how hard I work, and how I’m always awarded with something unexplainable. I heard clanging. I opened my eyes and stopped screaming.

An army was fighting back. I knew I should have been afraid, but I wasn’t. I felt like I was leading them. So I did lead them. My army was strong, but so was the other. A sword fell from above me and landed at my feet. I felt like it was calling my name. I picked it up and joined the fighting. I swung the sword, and when I hit the person, they vanished. I fought my way to the front, and I looked back at the fighting. The dancing swords. The battle cries. The clattering swords make when hitting the ground. The constant thumping in my head. I tore my eyes away and looked at the man.