Kayla Evergreens: A Narrative Fiction

KAYLA STARED AT SETH AS SHE SAT IN the reclining chair adjacent to the couch he had fallen asleep on. Her eyes remained bright and wide as if startled by Seth’s sudden outburst. “Did you have a bad dream?” she asked. Seth blinked the cobwebs from his vision, looked over to see Kayla sitting in the chair bemused by him, and then screamed again. Kayla nervously jumped like an abruptly frightened fawn and moved to muffle her ears with her hands. She looked as if ready to scream herself. Seth scurried back on the couch, hit the edge and fell over onto the floor. He then sprang up looking dumbstruck and immediately retreated further until his heels banged into the small step that lead up into the kitchen area where he then fell down again. His
“You sneaking into the back of my car and then disappearing like you did got the police involved, you know?” Seth told her somewhat curtly. “And, that was something I really didn’t need.” He staggered in recalling his thoughts. “All those people down at the Walgreens looking at me as if I were crazy and making shit up for the hell of it. Or, that I was seeing things—apparitions.” Kayla remained quiet before pivoting in the big chair away from Seth as a form of contesting his being upset with her. She then turned somber like a guilt-riddled puppy, a frown as if she were getting ready to cry grew on her face. Seeing the metamorphosis in the girl’s appearance, Seth remembered how she took off on him the last time she seemed to get upset, so he at once shut up and stopped berating her. He then had to remind himself that she was only a child and not one of his men. That, he would only make things worse if he pushed and scolded her. “Alright,” he said, trying to show a softer side. “Your name is Kayla, right? You told me yesterday that your name is Kayla.” She looked his way, but didn’t say anything. Her eyes, however, suggested yes to the