Work Text:
***
Drew looks up when she finishes lacing and tying her shoes. Her dad and the weird man with horns have come back to the living room. Looks like they’ve finished talking.
Her dad hands her a backpack. He gets down on his knee and looks her in the eye, putting his hands on her shoulders. “You can trust him.”
Drew looks at the man. His horns look like goat horns. His legs look odd, even under the baggy pants. But his face is kind and his smile is gentle. He waves. Drew hesitates for a bit before waving back. All she knows is that her dad is sending her away with the strange man; she doesn’t know why. Her dad wont give her any answers, especially because it all seems so urgent. She feels a familiar itch in her eyes.
Her dad’s face hardens, but his lower lip begins to shake. “Don’t cry. Tears are beneath us.” Drew sniffs, but she manages to hold the tears back. Gently, he cups her face. His eyes soften. “Send me a letter when you get there.” His voice is soft, softer than Drew has ever heard it.
The man with horns pats her dad’s shoulder. “Time.”
Drew’s dad closes his eyes and takes a deep breathe. When he stands back up, his face is serious again. His lower lip is still shaking. “Make sure she gets to this ‘camp’ safely,” he says to the man, “or else…”
The man chuckles and rubs the back of his head. He sounds nervous. Drew’s dad nods; he’s gotten his point across. He sees them out of the house. Sees them off as they walk away. He always tells Drew never to look back; that it’s a bad omen and invites misfortune, but… but Drew gets the feeling this might be the last time she sees her dad. In that case, looking back is worth the bad omens and inviting misfortune—worth her dad’s disappointment when he sees her do it.
When Drew turns around, his face is buried in his hands. His shoulders are shaking.
***