Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Babylon ❯ Volume Four, Chapter Fourteen: Ruined Castle ( Chapter 14 )

Ruined Castle

“Everyone says I should just walk away,” he told me. I glanced up at him.

“Why is that?” I asked. This man came to me three days ago. He arrived in Babylon a week ago. His distress was still fresh in my mind.

The man (let's call him Charlie) shrugged.

“I don't know,” he said. Charlie sighed.

“I just want to find my daughter.”

“And you think she's here in the city?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“What's her name?”

“Gemma.”

“How old is she?”

“Thirteen.”

I raised my eyebrow. “Is she runaway?”

“No… Not exactly.”

“What does that mean?”

Charlie took a breath. “Her mother took her and left the country ten years ago.”

“Wife? Ex-wife?”

“Um… It's complicated.”

“What does that mean?”

He lifted his chin. “We never officially got married.” Charlie said that in a way he expected to be judged. I just stared at him as I listened.

“So it's a common-law relationship?” I asked.

“Sort of?” He didn't sound to sure about that. His eyes shifted back and forth.

“Why did she leave?” I asked. Charlie rubbed his forehead.

“It was all over some stupid mess. I don't want to get into it. It would take me forever.”

“I can listen. I have time.”

He sighed. “We were young and dumb. She had problems.” He shook his head.

“The whole thing was a mess.”

“And you think your daughter is here?”

“Yes. I have spent years looking for her. No one wanted to help me. They told me to walk away.”

“Why is that?”

Charlie threw up his hands in the air. “I don't know. Maybe she convinced them I'm the bad guy or something. Believe me, I am not.”

“I'm not here to judge. I am here to listen.”

Charlie hesitated. “Right…”

“You just want to see your daughter, correct?”

“Yes!”

“What will you do if you find her?”

“I… I don't know. I just have to see her again. My ex has blocked me from talking to my daughter for years! I'm tired of these games!”

“Have you had any luck yet?”

Charlie shook his head. “No.”

“Why do you think Gemma would be here?”

“I don't know. I saw the city on a post on social media.”

“Gemma's?”

“Yeah.” The whole time, Charlie looked like I should be judging him.

“What do you plan to do now?” I asked. He stiffened up.

“Go track down my daughter,” he said.

“And then?”

Charlie threw his hands up. “I don't know. Maybe talk to her. I'm still working on that.”

I put down my pen. “Well then, I wish you luck.”

“Thank you.” Charlie stood up and bowed. I watched him walk out of my office. I haven't heard anything from him yet since. I hope he does find his daughter and they can make it work.

Fourteenth Shot