Finding Family: A post-apocalyptic urban fantasy story by Bob Dattolo

Author:Bob Dattolo [Dattolo, Bob]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-07-23T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 33

Alice frustrates me, she really does. She has, for a long time.

At one point when we were younger, we were friends. She’s not much more than three years younger than I am, so growing up pretty much in the same house meant that we were together quite a bit. We played so many games together, especially when she was like five or six years old.

Then things started to change when I turned nine.

I didn’t see it for the longest time. For too long, honestly.

I thought we were getting closer. I really did. We’d talk. Share confessions. Dreams. Hopes. All of that. No part of me felt used when she’d ask for things from Abaddon. I brought them back because we were family and pretty much best friends.

It wasn’t until Raoul happened to mention a look she gave me when one of our conversations broke up and I turned to leave. Contempt. Jealousy. He mentioned it to me, and yet I just didn’t believe it.

Except he’s Raoul. To my knowledge, he’s never lied to me. He’s protected me. Given me advice through the years. All of that. He was like a second father to me until I hit fifteen…then my only one.

Which meant that I listened to him. I listened, and I started watching. Tracking.

In less than eight months, it became so clear to me.

He was right.

I paid attention and I caught the looks when she didn’t think I was paying attention. I caught her spreading rumors about me based on things I told her. The worst part was her attitude towards me if I had something nicer than what I gave her or if I wasn’t able to find something she wanted.

That’s when it was glaringly obvious.

That’s the point that I really started pulling back. She started following me to the market soon after that.

Prior to that, she would come with her parents’ blessing. Then it changed as she stopped getting everything she wanted. She let slip several times about how she wanted to get things for herself. To not have to rely on someone that obviously doesn’t love or care for her.

Unsubtle digs at me as well as some outright aggression that I ignored as I continued to play the oblivious older cousin.

That’s when Cynthia blew a gasket and started pushing back. At that point, everything became my problem. My fault. My issue to resolve.

Except you can’t resolve the issue by making Alice do what she’s supposed to do. No, that’s impossible. Her sweet little angel doesn’t do any wrong, which means it’s other people that are doing the wrong thing.

Me that’s doing the wrong thing.

I was clearly at fault for her following me when I had no clue it was happening. Lord knows they’re probably blaming me for her spending time with guys all over the place.

Look, I don’t care about people whoring themselves out for bucks. This is a hard world, and you have to do what you have to in order to survive. I’ve even contemplated it, although it’s out of the question at this point.

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