My Father, Part 1 by Sarah Castellanos

"Stay safe, I will see you later," my father spoke right before he sped down the street. Something was different this time, I had sensed sadness in his voice more than frustration. Sure he had ran out on us multiple times before, but I knew that 'later' was going to be longer then I had anticipated.           I was not the one to call 911 that day, maybe because I didn't care. I secretly thought that he had deserved to die. I walked through my front door later that day to see my fathers possessions spread out on the couch in our living room. The officer informed us that they had been found floating down the nearby river. Still no traces of my father anywhere.          I fell asleep early that night scared to close my eyes, because I saw my Fathers face. I knew I had the game of my life in the morning and I needed to get some rest. My eye lids grew heavy and I finally drifted off to sleep. Only to be awoken a short time later, the police barged into my room.          "You need to get up! Go out your back door."           I dont have a back door. I mumbled.           I was thrown over over a tall mans shoulder and rushed through my backyard. The darkness of the night had scared me more than whatever was going on. 'The back door' was my fence knocked down leading into my neighbors property.As he set me down he told me to watch out for all of the nails, because I was barefoot.           I was in my sports bra and soccer shorts, and the coldness of the night was making me shiver. I wrapped my arms around me in attempt to keep my body heat.          "There is about twenty high-powered guns pointed at your house, we had to evacuate your family because we don't want any of you to get hit by a stray bullet."          My Father had come home, and they intended to shoot.