Just after midnight, he heard it. A small, shaky voice breaking the quiet of the house. Daniel Harrington hadn’t planned on being home at that time. He’d canceled a business trip to Berlin at the last minute and still didn’t know why he’d felt the urge to come back. For three nights straight, the same dream had dragged him awake. He dreamt of his daughter calling for him from somewhere dark, somewhere closed in. This time, the feeling in his chest wouldn’t settle so he made the call to return home.
At 2 a.m., he went upstairs to Lily’s room. The door wasn’t quite shut. He pushed it open slowly and nothing looked out of place. The room was too neat. The bed was made, untouched. Her stuffed bear sat on the pillow like it always did, as if she’d never been there at all.
Then he heard it. A faint sound coming from the built-in closet.
Daniel opened the door.
Lily was on the floor, curled in on herself with her arms wrapped around her legs. She had on thin pajamas. There was no blanket. No pillow. Her complexion was pale, and her eyes were red and swollen from crying.
“Daddy,” she whispered when she saw him, holding on to him as though she might vanish. “Mom said you died. She said you weren’t coming back.”
Daniel felt his head spin. When he lifted her, he was shocked by how light she was. Too light.
She said she’d been sleeping in the closet for days. Sometimes longer. Her mother called it punishment and discipline.
Daniel put his crying, scared daughter to bed, turned on all the lights, and saw the bruises on her arms. He could also see the fear in Lily’s eyes.
Downstairs, he heard some noise. Vanessa, his wife, was awake.
He stayed with Lily until she stopped trembling and drifted off to sleep with his hand in hers. Then he went into the kitchen.
Vanessa was sitting there with a cup of coffee, serene, almost uninterested.
When Daniel confronted her, she dismissed it. Said Lily was difficult. Said somebody had to keep her in line since Daniel was never around. That was enough.
By morning, lawyers and social services were involved. Lily was examined. The reports showed what Daniel already knew. His daughter suffered neglect and psychological abuse.
Despite Vanessa’s pleas, he filed for divorce. She was removed from the home and later charged. Daniel sold the house and he and Lily moved places. He also changed his work and found a job that didn’t involve any traveling and being away from home.
It took time before Lily’s nightmares stopped, but gradually, she turned off the lights and laughed again.
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Bored Daddy
Love and Peace
