Finally,Home

Chapter 2: Something is changing

"Ssshhh.. stop crying Deb! Dad is here, stop crying, I won't leave you. I can see that you are still dreaming."

my dad gave me the comfort that I have never felt before. Oh how I long for this. I press my face in his chest, I cannot stop my self from crying. It's like the first time that I ever felt that I am home, that someone is with me.

"I'm going to stay here until you fell asleep."

"No dad! please don't leave me alone, please!"

my voice is trembling because of fear. I can still see the man's face every where. I still hear his laughter. I think I'm going crazy! He sighed and nod.

"Okay then, I'm just going back to my room, I will just get something. I will return as quick as I can, is that okay?"

I don't want him to go but I don't have a choice, then he quickly run back to his room and when he returned, he have his pillows and blankets in his arms. He place it in my couch and he started fixing it.

"You can sleep in my bed dad."

I said. My voice is still cracking. Maybe I screamed too much.

"You know honey, first, it's not appropriate anymore, you're a woman now, you must understand that, and honey, you should learn to conquer your fears okay? I will not leave you until the sun rises, is it okay?"

I nod. I get his point, but what I didn't understand is I don't even know what am.i scared of, I know it is just a bad dream, but it seems so real to me. It felt like I already saw and in that situation before.Weird. I tried to calm myself until I didn't notice that I already fell asleep.

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Tomorrow morning....

Like dad promised, he didn't go until the sun rises. I quickly run in the bathroom and have a hot shower. I am in the middle of my bath until I noticed that something is changing in the water's temperature, it's getting hotter. I didn't do something and continue my shower until the temperature gets more higher, it feels like my skin and my head is going to burn. I hurriedly walk away from the shower and look at the screen. It's in a high temperature, it's impossible that my dad will enter here just to adjust this! and my room is locked! my dad is in the garage when I decided to take a bath! oh gosh! I know that I am not dreaming this time! I am already done so I quickly put my clothes on and go outside.

"Good morning again honey! I'm glad that you're more relaxed now."

he said and he stops talking when he noticed that I'm terrified.

"Are you okay is there something happened this morning?"

"Dad, is there any problem in my bathroom?"

I ask and he stops the engine of the farm truck and he gave me a weird look.

"Problem like what? I always make sure that everything is working so well in the house, though it is hard for me to clean the whole house, the faucet is new and even the system, I'm always checking it every other day."

he said. I take a deep breath, what the heck is happening?

"I'm showering when the water's temperature gets high, it almost burned my skin! when I look at the screen, the temperature is not the same as I programed it!"

I said with a panic tune. He gave me a doubtful and questioning look.

"I'm sure about it dad! this house is weird!"

"Everything in your room is new! how can it be possible? I'll check it later okay?"

he said to comfort me but I am still not at ease.

"Dad, tell me, aren't you noticing something weird is going on in this house?"

I asked before he enter in his farm truck.

"No, there's nothing, maybe it just give you a bad vibe! hey, guess what?! I bought the paint you needed and the wall paper, maybe we just needed to clean the surrounding so you can be at ease, what do you think?"

he said and he get in to his truck. I took a very deep breath and sighed. Maybe he is right. I nod and gave him a peck of smile.

"Everything you need is in the storage house, just go to the back door in the kitchen and you will find the storage house, and a little favor, maybe you can cook something for lunch, I have a visitor later. Is it okay honey?"

"Sure dad."

I replied, he pat my head and say his good byes that he is just going to feed the cows on the other side of the farm.

It's just six in the morning so I decided to make breakfast first before I decided to get the materials in the storage house. I can't believe how rich he is! maybe the mansion and the surrounding is a mess, but the facilities here is very unexpected! This storage house is huge as our apartment when I'm studying college. The supplies are just scattered but it is air conditioned! and every appliances here is new! I take a look in the whole house until I found a note in the table.

The supplies you needed is in the box below this table. Thank you.

He's penmanship looks like mine. I can't help to smile. At least now, I know someone who's like me even just in a smaller things. I take a look at the boxes, I decided to change the wall paper in the living room and the dining area first because he said that he's going to have a visitor this afternoon.

There are lots of choices but I decide to pick a mint green for the living room so that it will be relaxing in the eyes. I started to tear off the old wallpaper, as I am tearing it, I noticed the hand writing in the wall saying....

I want to get out of you!

I found it weird so I tear another wallpapers, I found a drawing of a child, it's an angel with horns in her head.

"What are you staring at honey?"

I almost jump when dad suddenly appear behind me. Damn. I am becoming so nervous!

"I just found these weird scribbles and drawing. Who's drawing is this dad?"

I asked and I pointed at the wall, and suddenly, his expression changes and I can see that he is not comfortable with the topic.

"I don't know honey, I can't remember anymore, maybe one of your siblings did that."

he said, he smiles and walk straight into the kitchen. I just shrugged and continue what I am doing. I saw lot of same drawing and words in the wall. Maybe someone practiced writing in the wall.

After an hour of tearing off the wall papers, I decided to get a ladder and put adhesive from the top to bottom, I hurriedly put on the new wallpaper. After three long hours, I finished the living room and the dining room. And now, I feel my stomach is going to eat my intestines so I decided to cook our lunch. I can't believe dad still have visitors though this area is too far from the civilization.

"Good afternoon! I'm glad you finally made it here! you must be starving, let's have lunch first before we go straight to our business? come in first, I'm sorry for my manners."

Dad said, he is now wearing a polo shirt and acid washed pants, he is well shaved too. Now I can see why mom fell in love with him once.

"Your mansion looks different now. You make a time for cleaning huh? it doesn't look like this comfortable the last time I got here."

the man with the same age of my dad said while laughing and patting my dad's shoulder. I'm just standing in the stairs, waiting them to come inside.

"Well, my lovely daughter here make some effort here. Come here Deborah."

my dad said and he turn to me and gave me a sweet smile before he put his arm on my shoulders.

"Do you still remember him? he is your childhood best friend's father, he is Caleb Woods, he's my best friend and one of my business partners."

I have a childhood friend? why can't I even remember a single thing? I've been through a lot of therapy because they said that I have a traumatic past but it's too much that my all my memories are almost gone.

"I can see that you cannot remember her anymore, next time I'll ask her to join me here so that you two can catch up."

Mr. Woods said while smiling before he take a seat.

"Anyway, I like your choices in color, it's very welcoming in the living room with the mint green, while here in the dining area is so bright that you will have a good appetite to eat."

"Thank you Sir. I just love light colors, it makes me feel cool and warm at the same time. I hope that you will enjoy the food as well."

I said and he gave me a sweet smile. I take my seat and we started to eat. They talk more about business, I didn't interrupt them because I don't even understand what they're talking about.

"Deb, any suggestions on how are we going to make our business more productive?"

dad ask and smile at me. I put down my spoon and fork.

"Maybe you should hire permanent employee so that we could make the works more easy and if there's more man power, things can be done efficiently. May I suggest, maybe we can innovate and add more facilities like food production facilities, I can see just based in my two days observation here that there are lot of different plantation here, what if we try to invest into something new?"

I said. I think I said too much that made them quite.

"I'm sorry, it's just a suggestion, I don't know anything about business anyway. Don't mind it."

"I can't believe you're a business minded too! I didn't hire anyone because I'm thinking that no one will succeed anything I built so I'm planning to sell it, but now that I'm looking at you and hearing good ideas from you, I'm happy that I have someone who can take over this someday. Let's try it, what do you think Caleb?"

dad said. I never thought that suddenly I can see a bright future for myself. But what's weird is, he didn't consider my other siblings.

"That's great news! actually I feel so sad when I heard from your father that he's planning to sell everything. I'm glad that you came back!"

Mr. Woods said. I just smile and let them continue their meeting. After eating, they decided to visit the Plantations. I'm cleaning the table when I saw someone standing outside the window, I can't see his face because of his hoody.

"Who are you?! what are you doing here?!"

I shouted, but he didn't move. I'm getting scared but being scared in times like this would be useless. I'm about to go out but he suddenly run towards the gate and make his way out. This place is really weird. Now I know what should I do next. After cleaning the dishes I decided to go back to my room to get my phone. I'm not touching it since I arrived here. I received lots of messages from my old friends, telling me that it's great that I left. I ignored every message and try to order some CCTV Cameras. Dad deposit large amount to my account so that I can buy anything I want. He is rich. I'm using his money because this house is really weird.

I continue changing the whole wall paper here in the ground floor. I will continue this tomorrow as I decided to paint the balcony of a cream and dark chocolate color. I drag the ladder and started to paint from the top when I noticed the man again. He is staring at me and I almost fell because of my nervousness when he started to move towards me but in my relief that shout from afar to get my attention, I don't think he saw the man. When I return my gaze to the man, he is already gone.

What do you want?

Who are you?