Strange Days

November 7th, 1992,

It was a Saturday Morning, I had just woken up to the smell of bacon my mother had been making in the kitchen downstairs. I jump out of bed and run downstairs, this was my favorite part of the day. Walking into the kitchen I see my mother finishing breakfast in her light pink apron I got her for Christmas.

I love the weekends because usually during the week mother is in the office and father Is out in the city somewhere drinking coffee and yelling at people over the phone. So the weekends is the only time both of my parents are home and we can spend time together.

"Finally decided to get up" said my mother laughing.

"Its only a quarter past eleven" I said laughing back.

She hands me my plate full of eggs, bacon, and toast with butter. I get up to poor myself a glass of water as I hear father coming in from feeding the chickens.

" Good Morning father, Mother made a delicious breakfast as per usual" I said as I start to fix him a plate.

"Oh uh sorry sweet pea but I have a important meeting I have to go get ready for" he said back.

"Oh okay" as I set the plate down.

This is so unlike father, he never works on the weekend! I had so many questions but I brushed it off and I knew that my dad tells me everything and If I had any reason to worry he would tell me...right?

As I get up from the table and walk over to the sink to help mother clean up from breakfast I hear the front door shut...

"What was that" I said confused.

"Your dad had a very important meeting to get to" mother said.

"Yeah, but he never just leaves without saying goodbye."

"Well hun, he probably was just in a hurry...I'm going to go lay down for a bit"

"As if this morning hasn't been weird enough" I thought to myself.

I go back upstairs to my room to go change my clothes and get ready for the day. I throw on my overalls because somebody is going to have to go out there and finish feeding the rest of the cattle sense my father is busy today. I put my hair up in a high pony, brush my teeth, grab my boots and run downstairs.

I open the back door as quietly as I can because I don't want to wake up mother, then run to the sheds were I'm then greeted by our three cows, Daisy, Buttercup, and Winnie the Moo. I grab some of their grass and hand feed each individually. Buttercup kept missing the grass and tried eating my hand, this had made my morning so much better.

After I finished feeding the cows I cleaned up and said my good byes as I slowly start making my way back to the house. I go inside and I was surprised to see mother hasn't woken up yet to start preparing lunch which she usually does around this time.

"Its been a few hours, shouldn't she at least be awake"? I thought in my head.

I ran upstairs to get washed up because mother should be waking up soon to go make lunch and she always hates it when I'm dirty at the kitchen table. I clean myself off and change into fresh clothes. I then decided to walk across the hall to mother and fathers room to check on her.

"knock knock"

"Mother are you still sleeping?" I whispered just to be safe.

"She slowly opens her eyes to see me standing at the door"

"What time is it" she says while yawning.

" Its 3 pm mother, you slept for quite some time"

" Oh my goodness Joana Jones why didn't you wake me up sooner!"

"I'm sorry I lost track of time and I assumed you would be up already"

" I wasn't expecting to rest for this long, are you hungry?"

"Yes, but I can go make myself a sandwich you seem tired"

" That's so responsible of you, I'm just going to take a warm bath, be down in a little"

Mother seemed a bit odd when I woke her up, I mean she never takes naps and If she did they most certainly don't last as long as she slept for today. I will try not to overthink it to much, people have bad days sometimes and that's okay. I knew I needed to step up and help my mom out by making my own lunch today, I'm going into middle school and its about time I made my self my own lunch.

Its later in the night and mother finally came out of her room to tuck me into bed.

"Were is father" I ask as she walks into my room.

"Hes probably on his way home right now" she said not sounding too convincing.

" I nod "

I've tried to avoid getting anxious all day but I'm starting to get worried because today has been nothing but abnormal. I mean first its father skipping breakfast and leaving in a hurry to go to a meeting, mother has been in her room all day, and now father hasn't come home. Perhaps today is just a little bit different.

"I'm sure tomorrow will be fine" I say to myself hoping to make me feel better.

I toss in turn all night until I wake up to the sound of the front door slowly being opened.

"My heart starts to race"

I start to walk downstairs as my legs are shaking, I suddenly stop to hear the fridge open. I walk a little farther so were I barely see the kitchen. I see a little bit of movement but not very much. I hear a can of some sort open, at this point I'm confused. I decided to be brave just like mother, so I turn the lights on and-

"DAD?"...