Prologue

It was Wednesday just before daybreak. I was awakened by the same nightmare I had almost every night since the day of the incident, on the day I should have died. My physique was already drenched in sweat when I rose from my bed. I felt dehydrated. I desperately needed water...and maybe spaghetti.

I glanced at the clock and it was still 3 AM. I quickly swung my feet towards the floor and walked out of my room and turned on the lights before I silently descended the steps. As I made my way towards the kitchen, I jumped in dread because of the sound of the piano teasing a familiar song.

My breathing suddenly deepened, my heart was pounding wildly that I could hardly hear it and I unexpectedly began trembling. I tried to swallow my fear but It had no effect.

Great! Just great!

OMGGGGGG, what if it's a ghost?! Or worse! A monster! or what if it's GHOST THAT LOOKS LIKE A MONSTER?!  AAAHH!

Okay snap out of it Krie! Snap out of it! Deep breaths, deep breaths. I said to myself, slowly and silently gesturing towards the piano in the living area.

Anticipation surged every inch of my body when I abruptly heard someone started singing. But it dissipated rapidly, as soon as the synchronized rhythm between the voice and the piano arose to be oddly....reassuring.

Love of my life, you've hurt me

You've broken my heart and now you leave me

Love of my life can't you see?

Bring it back, bring it back

Don't take it away from me because you don't know what it means to me

By the time I reached the living room, I froze. The moonlight lent the man's details a somewhat dreadful shade. The man or...what ever it was, was partly in shadow making his face difficult to discern. Too frightened, I stood still in the silence.

Hurry back, hurry back

Please bring it back home to me

Because you don't know

What it means..to me

I could sense the ache of loneliness in the stranger's voice. The living area basically reeked to high heaven, the disgusting combination of booze and cigarette residues mixed in.

In the shadows the features remained obscured, but by then I knew exactly who it was. The dim light from the moon reflected a striking portrait of mom on top of the piano as well as the liquor beside it. He kept staring at mom's photo while he sang as if he was courting him all over again as if she was still alive as if the incident never happened at all

“Dad?” I said cautiously.

“K-krie?!” He said in shock. He stood up but I noticed he could barely sit upright.

He turned on the lights, revealing the remnants of cigarettes and dozens of beer and then wiped his face with the back of his hand. His bloodshot eyes indicated the years of pain he had endured. Time had done nothing to diminish his love for mom.

“W-why are you here?” His voice was raspy.“Shouldn't you be asleep?”

In his crapulous state, a thought abruptly reached my mind. Although there were many times I tried to say this to him but I never had the chance. This actually might be the right time to say it. It may not make sense and it may not sound logical because he's drunk, I couldn't care less.

“Do you wanna tell me something?” He asked.

I drew a slow deliberate breath and replied:

“Dad..” I said “I wanna be free”

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