Tainted Crimson by Tarisa Marie

and down the hall to the exit which leads us to a room full of souvenirs with the ride’s theme smacked across them.
    “Want anything?” he asks.
    I reach for my wallet and realize I don’t have it.
    “I’ll get it,” he promises while eyeing a t-shirt. “I think I’ll get this. No way am I ever letting myself or you forget that five minutes of you screaming bloody murder. You do realize that you were the only one screaming right? Like not even the little kids were screaming.”
    I glare at him. “I will pay you back.” I grab a tank top with a picture of the ride on it and hand it to him. “This.”
    “Is that all?” he asks.
    I nod and he goes up to the front counter to pay. While he stands in line I walk around the small store and take everything in. Everything from the sounds, and smells to the people. The atmosphere is amazing. More so than I could’ve imagined.
    After a few minutes, D returns with a bag full of our stuff and we leave the building and walk out into the crowd again.
    “Now what?” he asks.
    “Can we get popcorn?” I ask him pointing excitedly to the popcorn stand.
    “Of course. Stay here.”
    I wish I had a camera. I’m in sensory overload.
    I’m still standing there staring out at the crowd when D returns, popcorn in hand.
    “It’s nearly been an hour, we should probably go soon,” he says and laughs when he sees my look of disappointment. “We’ll come back another time or maybe your dad will take you once this mess is all over with.”
    “Speaking of which, what is the plan? Are we just going to run around and hope that this Marco guy doesn’t catch me?” I ask.
    “You’d have to ask your dad that one. I’m just the warlock doing the protection spell.” He shrugs. “By the way. I got something else for you while we were in that store.” He pulls out an envelope and removes a picture from it. A picture of him and I on the ride, me screaming my head off and him laughing his own head off.”
    I laugh and he hands it to me.
    “So you don’t forget your first Disney World experience,” he says and grabs my arm. I know our hour is up when I feel the familiar rush of hot air enter my lungs once again and the familiar scent of dad’s pine tree air freshener takes over my senses.
    “Where the hell have you been? You were gone over an hour!” My dad sounds absolutely furious and cringe.
    “Disney World.” D shrugs with a laugh.
    “I’m serious!” he hollers, reaching back and punching D in the jaw.
    “Hey!” I cry, “Stop!”
    “If anything would’ve happened to her, I swear I would have ripped your heart out,” he threatens.
    “I know, but nothing happened to her. She’s fine. We seriously did go to Disney World and nothing bad happens at the happiest place on earth,” D tries.
    “We did,” I agree, “And it was so cool, dad. Oh my gosh you should’ve seen the people and the food-oh god-and the stuff and just everything! We even went on a ride!” I exclaim and I see Jacob grinning.
    “No harm was done. She’s fine and it sounds like she had the time of her life.” Jacob takes his turn trying to convince my dad our dad, god that’s tough to remember, that all is okay.
    “You could’ve at least told me where you were going! For all I knew you guys had been snatched by Marco!” He’s obviously still angry. Very angry.
    “If I would’ve told you, would you have let us go? No. Not that you could stop me but you would’ve followed us, been angry the whole time and ruined the experience for your daughter,” D exclaims back at my father.
    “Dad, look,” I demand and shove the picture in front of his face hopping I don’t cause him to crash.
    I can’t see his face and can’t help but wonder what he’s thinking. I hear him sigh.
    “I haven’t seen you smile like this since your mother was alive,” he admits finally. “I’ll let this go but it better not happen again, D. Not until it’s safe to go gallivanting around the