What Following Brings by S. E. Campbell

General Yuri. I refuse to leave until I have him back. ”
    She had never been one to give orders, but this was just so important.

Chapter Eight

    The prison was dark as Eden peered down the hallway and crossed her arms over her chest. Yuri was gone. She bit her bottom lip and wondered whether she would ever find him now. What if he disappeared into the cracks, like an ant ? No, Eden thought. I ’ ll find him. I ’ ll find him and I ’ ll fix this. There is no such thing as an impossible task.
    With a sigh o f frustration, Eden slid down the wall, pulled her knees beneath her chin , and stared straight ahead. Lately, she had been feeling sad a lot. She threw back her head and shut her eyes . She thought of her parents. She remembered a day when they had been happy, a day she always thought of when she tried to remember why she had loved her dad to begin with.
    They were at the beach at the Santa Monica pier in California . The ocean spray filled the air and smelled of salt. Eight-year-old Eden leaned out over the side of the railing and looked downward, into the ocean below. The water was dark brown and cold, yet a big part of her was tempted to toss herself into the icy waves below , just to feel the air whistling through her hair . But then her dad grabbed her arm, drawing her away.
    â€œ Eden, don ’ t get so close to the edge , ” her dad said. “ You ’ re so skinny , I swear you could fit through the guard slats. ”
    Eden backed away and her dad grabbed her hand and squeezed . He sighed.
    â€œ I met your mom here, ” he sai d, appearing whimsical . “ I saw her standing right over there. ” He pointed at the corner of the pier where a thin, wiry fisherman reeled in an empty line. “ My own personal goddess, fresh off the shoot. ”
    Smiling, Eden looked at the corner of the pier and found it easy to think of her mom being here, looking into the water. Her mom ’ s eyes were the color of the waves down below, greenish-brown and shimmering. Her mom had always been so beautiful. Eden sighed.
    â€œ I went over to talk to her . She turned around and gave me this large smile, ” her dad said. “ Then I asked her out and she told me not on her life. She walked away, and I watched her go. ”
    â€œ But if she told you no , how come you ’ re married now? ” Eden asked eyes wide.
    â€œ One of the fishermen said she always came here, ” her dad said. “ He said she stared at the water appearing sad or something like that. The next day I came back, and she was here again. I went up to her and said, ‘ Why won ’ t you go out with me? ’ and she stared straight into my eyes and told me , ‘ Because I don ’ t feel like it. ’ Then she walked down the pier again and disappeared. ”
    â€œ Wow, ” Eden said. “ That doesn ’ t sound nice of Mom. ”
    Her dad shrugged. “ Well, I cam e back again the next day and asked her, ‘ Do you feel like it today? ’ and she said ‘ No! ’ and left. I came back to the pier every day the entire month and asked her the same question, and then one day, she said yes. We went to a restaurant and had dinner, and about two months later , I found out she was pregnant with you. That ’ s when we got married. ”
    Staring at her dad, Eden ’ s mouth dropped. She had never heard this story before. “ I thought people got married first, then had babies. ”
    As Eden looked at her dad, she saw a blush come over his plump cheeks.
    â€œ I probably shouldn ’ t have told you that, ” said he said , ruffling her hair. “ Sometimes things get out of order, and... ”
    Eden continued to stare at him, thinking, I don ’ t understand. How could things get out of order?
    â€œ Oh, boy , ” he said, running his hand through his hair. “ I guess what you could say is I was so eager to have you I wanted you before I