That old familiar twist in my gut returned. My father stood there in silence as he waited for someone to answer and despite lingering behind the safety of my own door I felt so terrified. My view only extended to his chest, I hated not being about to see his hands. It left me wondering what he was holding if anything or how quick will the find my face or latch into my hair when I opened the door.

Those short minutes lasted longer then a lifetime as my fear turned into hurt. Two weeks have passed since I looked my father in the eye...two weeks! Not once did I get a call or a text asking where I was or if I was even okay after he discarded me like trash. I didn't want to speak with him, I wasn't going to let him in my new home and present himself as the perfect father figure to the new people I've let into my life.

Yet, my brain and hands were on different pages as I unlocked the door and opened it just slightest. To my surprise he smiled at me, another sign of distrustful actions when it came to him. I lingered in there with my body wedged between the door and its frame, not wanting to open it no more than I had too.

"Are you going to invite me in Cora?"

I gave him a once-over look of suspicion before ultimately giving him his way as usual. Releasing a tired sigh I moved from the door and gestured for him to come inside... Immediately regretting my decisions. He took in my new living quarters, roaming the room and checking out every little detail with a stiff expression of complete annoyance.

My father kept one hand nestled deep within is pockets, I could see the lump of his knuckles through the fabric of his dress pants slowly moving up and down. Most likely fiddling with his keys as he always did. It was a mechanism I've noticed over the years when those gears were turning, and he was not happy with the results. Then again, when was my father ever happy when it came to my existence.

There was mail in the other hand. Something that looked to be on the lines of Manila folders and brown shipping envelopes. There was no writing or inked prints found anywhere, this only pulled at my dooming curiosity on what he possibly had up his sleeve.

"Found a place to call your own in such a short time I see."

"Not exactly," I corrected, "I answered an ad for a roommate."

"Ah, finding a loophole as usual."

Loophole? It was a lot better than being homeless and living under a bridge somewhere with winter just a few months away. I took his irritation as a small accomplishment on my part. Still, there was no reason for him to be here if I had so badly shamed his lifestyle. What did he want now?

"I moved on the other side of the city and took what was available at the time. Last I checked I didn't inform you where I was staying at so how exactly did you find me?"

"I pulled a few strings," My father's tone was as dead as usual. "Not like it was very hard to contact your friends,Jasmine was nice enough to answer my call and lend me the new address. Especially after I expressed my concerns when you didn't call me to let me know you were okay."

There it is! Reverse physiology at its finest. Burns my stuff and kicks me out, yet I'm the one at fault and making him worry when I didn't call him to inform that I wasn't dead in a gutter somewhere. Hell he probably even told her that it was my choice to leave and that he couldn't do anything to stop me. So fucking typical.

I froze when he stopped in front of one of my newest paintings in the living room. An up close still life of the peppermint plant in Evelyns garden. Although I've completely quite a few works since moving in, I could never seem to get them out the door to sale before my roommate gets her hands on them. It was oddly nice to have a fan actually want them hung around the house and not concealed in a corner.

"Well, I see you're still carrying on with your nonsense."

"I thought doing my nonsense was a part of the forced freedom deal." I snapped back coldly." He never missed a chance to insult my work. "Apparently along with getting fired."

"That was for the best." My father's comeback was quick, "You were no longer needed and my firm as no time or space for those not serious about what they do for a living. After all, look at what I have done for you...you seemed to have no problem landing another job with the skills I've provided for you."

"I guess you talked to Jasmine about that too."

"No no, I found your workplace through your bank stubs when you recently got paid...remember? We share an account because you were too young to have one for yourself at sixteen years old." He turned to me with a sly smirk on his face. Like victory would be his once again. "Quite an amateur move not creating your own once you moved out."

I suddenly felt so sick to my stomach that I had to hold me breath for a moment or else I would vomit. "You're the one who took my money."

"I withdrew your newest pay grade yes. As well as emptied your savings."

"Why?"

"It was necessary."

"Bullshit!" I spat. "It was wrong and you know it! I took care of mom when she was sick and worked my ass off for that money!"

"Watch your tone with me." His voice was stern and cold as ice. Even out from under his roof he still had that same ground shaking power over me that left my body paralyzed with his words alone. "This is your only alternative."

Holding the folder in front of my face before tossing them onto the coffee table next to us. I recognized a school emblem on the corner of a slip. "These are college applications I've collected for you, with your extra credit and experience at the firm you should have no trouble getting accepted into more than one. Fill them out, send me proof of completion and I'll return your money...Just enough for food."

"That's blackmail." His words had completely drained me of power. "I thought this was over, that once I was out of your house you no longer had to say what I could do with my future but here you are. Being an artist makes me happy, it's my passion...why can't you accept that and let me be?"

"Because you're still only a child playing house. Love never dominates logic, you have no future at the tip of a paint brush and no nothing of the real world." His words pricked at my skin like thorns. "Don't you see I'm trying to save you, stupid girl. Be realistic, you'll never make it."

"I'd rather do what I love and let the world swallow me whole then ever choose a path that made me miserable for your sake."

My father sighed in disappointment. "You have thirty days to comply...or I will be back."

Just like that...he was gone. He had twisted his way back in and destroyed me once again, leaving me in a pile of my pwn fragments with only one direction to go. His. I stood there for a few moments and reprocessed the entire conversation before wilting onto the couch.

"Alligator."

I spun around and wiped the tears off of my face. "What did you just say?"

Evelyn was standing at the end of the hall with her now empty cup. "His aura reminds me of an alligator, big jaws with big teeth clamping on prey. Thrashing in circles doing death rolls to cause pain to its victim so that they could feel relief."

"He's an asshole!" I cried, "That's what he is."

"There there," Evelyn spoke, obviously becoming uncomfortable by my crying. I tried to spare her getting control over myself. "Don't worry about rent, it is not an important factor nor is food...you will not starve here."

She placed her cup down and took the college forms and walked into the kitchen. With a smile on her face it took them out one by one and began to rip them to shreds.

"What are you doing?"

"Clearing a path for your future. You just worry about securing you money in a new place, I'll take care of the house."

Ah-ha! An important factor of her dream has just been pointed out by the witch herself. I wonder what it could possibly mean for her and how she plans to overcome her father's abusive nature.