The Minister’s Obsession

Marissa Volleyball practice had ended an hour ago, and Marissa was still sitting on the bleachers waiting for her father to come pick her up. Her teammates had all left, and their coach was starting to ask too many questions. "Are you sure he's coming? I could give you a ride back," he said, swinging his car keys with one finger. But Marissa didn't want a ride; she wanted her dad. He was supposed to be there. And they were supposed to get milkshakes like they always did after practice. So where was he? "I'll wait," she said, maintaining her position. She knew the coach was only being polite. He couldn't leave unless all the other students had left, and she was the only one keeping him waiting. "Well, if he's not here in the next hour, I'll have to take you myself." He reached into his pocket and brought out his cellphone. "Here, try and give him a call again." Marissa took the phone and dialled the same number. They both listened to it ring until it went to voicemail. She handed it back to him. This was unlike her father. He'd never missed Thursday milkshakes before. Marissa was confused at first when she realised he was running late, but now she was just annoyed. "Right... Well, if you need anything, I'll be over there," the coach said, walking towards the lawn chair under the shade. He brought out a magazine, but Marissa knew he would soon fall asleep. And she was right. It had barely been five minutes when she started to hear his snores. Without thinking, Marissa picked up her bag and started to leave. She could find her way home by herself. It was pointless waiting another hour for her dad to show up. She had enough change for a bus, and she could walk the rest of the way. The coach didn't even stir as she passed. Typical, she thought as she snuck away. She waited at the bus stop for a while, then boarded the first one that came. People looked at her strangely. An old woman even asked what a twelve-year-old was doing alone, but she paid them no mind. She knew her way back home. What she needed was an explanation from her father. The bus stopped, and she came down. She was now in her neighbourhood. She checked the time on her watch; it was 5:33 pm. From there, the rest of the journey would take her no more than a ten-minute walk to get to her front doorstep. And soon enough, the driveway of her home came into view. Her father's car was parked right there, meaning that he was definitely at home. So why hadn't he shown up? Marissa started to walk a little faster. She stopped when she noticed something strange. The front door was open. Not too widely, but just enough for anyone close enough to see. She looked around. Nothing else looked out of place. But it was unusual for her dad to leave the door open. She climbed up the porch steps and pushed the door slightly further. "Dad?" She called out as she walked into the house. But there was no response. There was no sound at all. Marissa was starting to feel uneasy. His car was outside. He was here, so why wasn't he answering? Marissa went to the living room. Everything was in place. Even the TV remote was at the spot where he liked to keep it out of reach. "Dad?" She called again. This time louder. Her sports bag slipped from her shoulder and landed on the ground with a thud, startling her just a little bit. But aside from that, there was still no response. She turned and headed for the kitchen. It still smelled like the cookies they'd baked together the day before. Out of the corner of her vision, she noticed a glint on the counter. Then she realised what it was. She went close to it and picked it up. It was her father's cellphone. He must have forgotten it. No wonder he hadn't taken any of her calls. Then she noticed something else, a dark liquid on the floor oozing from the other side. She went around the counter and figured out what it was. It was her father lying still on the floor. His eyes were half closed, and his limbs were strewn like a rag doll. The dark liquid was coming from his head and had soaked through part of his dark blonde hair. Marissa could tell by the metallic smell what it was. A cold shiver ran through her spine. And her heartbeat picked up. She knew immediately that something was wrong. She knelt beside his body and touched his arm. It was cold, but she still tried to shake him. "Dad, wake up," her voice broke as she spoke. She was on the brink of tears. "Dad, please wake up." She called, but his eyes remained half closed. Then she remembered she was still holding his phone. She would call 911 just like he had taught her to do during emergencies. She held the phone to his face to unlock it and opened the dial app. But stopped just short of hitting the dial button. She saw something move in her reflection on the phone screen. There was something behind her. Someone. She turned, and sure enough, she was right. A man in a black coat stood only a few feet from her. Marissa gasped in fear, and the phone fell from her hand. Had he been standing there all this while? Did he do this to her father? The man took a step forward, and Marissa wanted to get up. Her mind was screaming at her to run. To call for help. But she was frozen in fear, rooted to the spot. He kept coming close, and she could feel her hands trembling, but still she couldn't move. Even her voice failed her. All she could do was stare. Then he crouched low to her level. Marissa stared at his face, but it wouldn't come into focus. His image kept slipping away from her mind like the details of a dream disappearing from her memory the moment she woke up. He, on the other hand, kept his gaze locked on her, staring her down until he reached out with one hand and grabbed her by the neck. His fingers came into contact with her skin, and Marissa could feel his cold, electric choke hold, squeezing harder and harder until she could no longer breathe. Her vision started to dim, and the darkness closed in, faster and faster, until nothing remained.