She could not hear her own thoughts through the sound of her mother’s breaking heart. The surprise no longer sent shocks vibrating down her body, but the sadness was the culprit for the shattering earth around her. It was only one phone call. The rings seemed almost deafening, almost too much to stand. The familiar sound of her dad’s raspy voice rang through the telephone line. The desperate cries of Daddy were slipping past the phone and leaking into the vastness of the room. Her father quickly talked about how he was being chased by the Beast. He was hiding in the comfort of his own pride, his only security. Both the mother and the little girl could hear the giant creature approaching the man on the phone. The sound of footsteps quickened. Faster. Faster. Silence. Nothing but silence.
     Time ticked by; it could be seen moving through the dimensions and forcing the world to spin. Time carried the world and spun it on its axis, bringing along the never ending seconds. Mother, however, stood frozen in her own time warp. The little girl believed the silence meant safety. The thought of the beast devouring her Daddy played in an eternal loop, but she thought he would never get caught. Of course, she knew her dad had done terrible things. Unforgivable things. She could see the disappointment radiate through her mommy, not fear for her own sake, but for that of her little girl’s. Mother could feel the girl’s future slipping away, being swallowed by the past and the dad’s present. The panic of daddy’s voice will forever be engraved into her brain, as permanent as stone. Maybe her dad has found peace inside his raging mind. Running through the flower filled meadows with the butterflies flying overhead. Mommy always said this was where all precious people go.
     The little girl could feel the way the air shifted. She put down her dolls, pausing their wedding and leaving Ken at the altar. She hurried to her mom as she saw the slickness on her face that was left behind by salty tears. The mom said she was fine, but her red puffy eyes betrayed her. The child did not understand, but began crying too. After all, she was used to not seeing her dad, but she was not used to her mom’s cries. He was always spending his days at the market shopping for the milk the family oh so needed and, according to mom, he was out dealing cards with his friends. The card games seemed to be a controversial issue between her parents. The little girl held her mother, they were both suffocating in the other’s embrace. The young girl did not understand why her mom was so upset. He would be home soon. He always came home. Mommy says that he was put into another metal cage for a very long time. The little girl at least knew he was safe in that small box, he would be protected by the steel from the even worse beasts in the outside world who would love to devour him. She just knew it was always going to be her mom and herself. The embrace tightened.
     Long dark nights stretched into only slightly brighter days. She told the little girl that Daddy will be away for a while, but that she could visit. How will she be able to see her dad if he’s in a cage, contained like the wild animal he is? She would not be able to feel the warmth and comfort that spread through his hugs when he came into contact with her. The little girl was not even sure if he would be able to hear her small voice from the deep cave he was being held in. She would have to shout and watch her voice echo off the dank walls in hopes he would finally hear her, notice her. All she could picture in her mind was that her Daddy was being held down by the chains wrapped around his neck and the weights attached to his ankle. The beast did not want to devour him yet. It wanted to watch the humanity fade from his eyes, become the very beast that was doing the punishing and watch him fold under the system and suffocate because he cannot take the pressure and eventually wither from the lack of nutrients he was receiving in the form of equality and justice just so it could finally lick the bones clean and savor the taste.
     She stared at his blue-green eyes through the cage. She was jealous that she did not inherit the only beautiful trait about him. She tried to memorize the tattoos on his neck and those exposed by the length of his sleeves, as if not even the ink was perpetual. She looked back up towards his face. The neon orange of his jumpsuit made his tan appear slightly darker. The little girl felt her words choked in the back of her throat, refusing to move past her lips. Daddy was the first one to speak. Apologies and empty promises spewed from his mouth. His rehearsed speech was delivered perfectly and the tears were cued halfway through. He was expecting forgiveness to be easily accessible. However, the little girl stared at him with her large, innocent eyes. Her heart yearned to hold her Daddy’s hand one more time. The young girl wished to feel the strength in his arms as he picked her up and lifted her above his world. She wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch him again. But she couldn’t through the iron bars. The little girl could see the darkness from the human cage slowly engulf him. It wrapped its slender arms around Daddy’s body providing the comfort he could never give her. The darkness may have been warm and enticing but it was impossible to see the dangers that hid within it. The darkness slowly crept up to the bars and covered the whole room. He was devoured.