• Part One.

    12:06. Dark. Ginger lay in bed awake, she could hear soft voices coming from downstairs, she listened to the wind rushing through the tree’s. she herd the door from downstairs open and slam shut, it must be her dad coming home late… but this was too late, he had never come home at this time, but all the same, ginger through back the covers and got up, every time her dad had come home she had ran to him an hugged him, asking how his day was and even at this time, there was no exception. Ginger glanced at her clock on the wall and slipped down from her bed, she walked slowly to her door of her room and opened it, the hall light was on, it glared at her, the brightness getting into her eyes so that she had to squint after being in the darkness, she trudged downstairs, holding onto the banister tightly and trying to make as little noise as possible. she got down and peeped her head round the kitchen door were the voices were coming from. she listened. A man – not her father - was talking
    “well…you have to understand what your doing, have you put lots of thought into this?”
    “yes…I think so…” that was her mothers voice, then the mans again.
    “you have to be absolutely shore, I don’t want you to be regretting this, because after I take her there’s no going back, you know you’ll never get her back?” there was a long pause then her mother again, bust slowly, almost sadly
    “yes…yes I’m sure, just do it now, I don’t want to have this Burdon anymore.” Ginger peeped her head round a little more so she could see what was happening. Her mother was there sitting at the kitchen table in her sky blue dressing gown opposite a man that wasn’t gingers father, it was a man she had never seen before, he wore a black leather trench coat and a dark polo neck jumper underneath, his hands clasped on the table, he looked young, no more than thirty years old and his dark brown hair was slightly ruffled. Now he stopped mid sentence and looked up, surprised, then his faced softened and he smiled weakly
    “hello there.” Ginger slowly edged round the door, her eyes fixed on the new man. her mother looked at the man
    “what are you-?” then she noticed what he was looking at then spun round in her chair, her eyes widened and she blinked in surprise “oh…what are you doing up ginger? Its very late.” Ginger stared at her bare feet on the cold slate floor.
    “I…cant get to sleep.” She lied, her mothers eyes flickered to the man then back to her, ginger looked back up “who is this?” she said, trying to stifle a yawn to show that she really wasn’t tired.
    “this is…dale.” Her mother said, pointing to the man. Ginger rubbed her eyes weakly
    “what is he doing here, mommy?” she couldn’t help the fact that her voice was croaky with sleep. dale smiled at her.
    “oh, I’m just … an old friend, it’s a terribly late time, I know, but I was passing and I thought I would pop my head in since I’m going in the morning, early.” Ginger smiled slightly and nodded. her mother then got up.
    “ok sweetheart.” She said smiling and walking over to her daughter “lets get you back to bed.” Bed, that sounded good. nice and warm, sleep, comfy… But ginger didn’t budge
    “where’s daddy?” a flash of guilt suddenly shot over her mothers face
    “uhh…he’s just not back yet, you know how he is.”
    “yes, but he’s never come back at this time” ginger exclaimed gesturing to the big clock on the wall, it was so big that you could watch the minuet hand moving.
    “yes well…he’s just back late, ok? Now, its bed time.” Her mother commanded, she was getting slightly stressed.
    “no! I want to know were he is!” ginger almost shouted they had never really had a proper row like this before. Her mother sighed.
    “ginger, don’t do this, your tired, and you have school tomorrow, so lets just-“
    “no!” ginger did shout this time “why wont you tell me were he is? He cant still be at work, it finished 4 hours ago! So were is he?” she stamped her foot. Yes, she was stubborn. Her mother didn’t reply, but her face darkened slightly
    “right…” she said calmly “up to bed. Now!”
    “but I want to-“ but her voice was shortly cut of.
    “if I may just…?” dale cut in, gingers mother sighed. Dale looked at ginger and smiled warmly “your father had just popped out for a bit, I met him on my way here, he said that he was going to just pop out for a drink with a friend and that he’ll be back soon.” Ginger nodded slowly, dales voice was so calming and soft, it could just make her go right to sleep right now… ginger glanced at her mother, then walked back up the stairs to her room, groped around in the darkness and finally found the tip of her bed and crawled under the covers.
    She woke up in the middle of the night again, still half asleep, there was someone standing over her bed, he raised something to her face, some sort of cloth, it smelt sickly sweet, she was about to struggle, but she was out for the count.