Promise

“Thank God I'm small," Annabel thought." Or I wouldn't be able to fit into air vents like these...

   She was crawling her way through the ventilation system of the National Detective Agency of Egnimas, trying to look for a perp that had recently killed two Senior Detectives, and family members of Annabel. She was looking for her father as well; to make sure he was alive. Everybody else was evacuated from the building when some gun shots were fired, injuring a few personnel. She sneaked in while everybody seemed distracted.

    Soon she heard running footsteps from underneath the vent. She kicked a panel down, jumped and tackled the person creating the resonating footsteps. It was a masked man. Annabel tore off the mask and met the dark grey eyes of a cold hearted killer.

   "All right you low life. What's going on? Why are you killing off people that work to protect. And considering they were my uncles, I considering it personal. Now... who the f**k are you?!"

    He simply laughed and said, “I think the question you want to ask is, 'What the f**k did you do to my dad'."

    Her eyes widened in horror and he punched her, forcing her off and got away. She temporarily forgot her detective ways and ran as fast as she could to the west wing. Her father's office seemed so far off but it was only a few yards away.

   She called out "Dad!" repeatedly, trying to hold on to the thought that he was still alive. But her calls just echoed through the empty building.

 When she finally reached her father's office, it was locked. She tried picking the lock but her hands were shaking too much. Anna screamed and pounded on the door, "Dad! Dad! Please! Answer me! Open the door. I need to know you're okay! Please! Gah!"

   She took her gun and blasted the door knob out and kicked it open; she opened the door to her nightmares for the rest of the next few years.

   There was blood everywhere. It was splattered against the walls, on the windows and on the desk and tables and chairs. Even on a childhood photo of Annabel and her father. Anna saw the body of her father in the far of corner of the room.

He bared several bullets and slashes.

   "Anna...”

   His voice was a whisper, "Annabel... Please... Do whatever makes you happy. Find your-"

  "Dad... Dad, please."

  "Promise me that. You know that I always wanted you to have a family of your own. I'm sorry I wasn't the perfect father. I wasn't even a father to you. I failed. That's why I want you to have a family. I've lived my life and the greatest thing... was having you. You’re my greatest accomplishment."

   "Dad..." Annabel was in tears. "I will one day. I'll keep my promise."

    "Make the best out of... your life..."

    His eyes closed.

Anna still held down her tears. 

She could not grasp what just happened.

It felt like a nightmare.

She punched the photo.

Author's Note

I know it's short but I felt like there was nothing more that i could add...