Long Lost Found

I came out of the bustling party and breathed in the fresh air. The air was thick with baking gingerbread cakes, mulled wine and Christmas. I opened my hair out of its tight and usual rubber band and rand my hand through the length of my mane. The icy cold wind struck my cheeks and saturated my golden brown hair. Coming to this party was a bad idea… a really bad one.

First of all, I can’t stand parties. Secondly, alcohol makes me puke. Third Luke was here with his new girlfriend. Not boasting. But I look better than her…

But it was the last day of school and Lorane wouldn’t listen to any of my complaints. So I was dolled up in a short black dress, my hair pulled back in a tight ponytail at my crown, red lipstick splashed over lips and my eyes heavy with mascara and eyeliner.

The street was overflowing with people doing their last-minute Christmas shopping. I turned and was about to go inside again when I felt my neck prickling with tension. I turned around and in a flash of a second caught a pair of green orbs staring at me.

My breath stopped short and I don’t know why. I knew those eyes. But I didn’t know to whom those eyes belonged.

I instinctively started following the figure in the long black coat. Weaving through the crowd, I felt a sense of dread rising in my chest. My hands were clutched close to my side and my nails were digging into the palms of my hand. My eyes were not wavering one bit away from the back of the coat.

I pushed through the crowd roughly, elbowing people, making my way across the hustle. Some stared in surprise, some in suspicion and some were in such a hurry that they didn’t bother.

My heels were tottering on the sidewalk and my legs and knees were jittery and shaking. I could feel a fine sheen of sweat covering my face and my hands were moist and clammy.

The night was dark now. I kept asking myself, “Rose, what is wrong with you? Why are you chasing a stranger at this time? You could get yourself into serious trouble!” But I couldn’t seem to stop. My mind was woozy and I just kept walking like a possessed spirit.

My heart was beating fast and rapidly and thudding against my ribs in quick succession and synchronization.

Suddenly we reached the dead-end of the road. There was no soul to be seen in sight. The hooded figure turned around.

It looked at me straight in the eye, the green eyes glowed momentarily with an unearthly pale light.

The eyes were something close to me. Similar to me. I too shared the same green orbs. And I knew exactly why I knew those eyes.

“Father…” I whispered. My eyes filled up with tears of joy and sadness.

My father was here. My long lost father. My long lost found father…