ONE TO THE WORLD; THE WORLD TO ONE.

'Please stop, I didn't do it!' 

There were so many things happening all at once. 

A heeled boot to my temple.

A flat sole to the small of my back.

Spear? Knife? I couldn't tell what it was penetrating the flesh on my shoulders.

A blow to my stomach.

Heave to my entire body.

Then; lots of heat! 

On my hair, face clothes, torso, legs - everywhere. 

'Have mercy...' 

This was the last thing I managed to say before everything went dark. 

*******************************************

There was lots of beeping, lots of distant mumbling. Lots of antiseptic in the air. 

My whole body was in pain. A pain so numbing that I could not move without wincing.

'Mavourneen,' whispered a male voice. 

I turned my neck ever so slowly, knowing who it was without even seeing him. And all the walls came tumbling down. I wept because of the pain I had been caused and because of the pain I had caused. I wept for my father, standing beside me; seeing me at what was possibly my worst.

He still believed in me even when I was excruciatingly disappointing. 

'Papa,' I wailed. 'Papa, I failed you. I'm sorry I disappointed you.' 

He gathered me into his arms; bandages, blood and all.

Loving me, with all the years of pain and disappointment I served him rolling down his face; with all the love and remorse he felt for me, rolling off his cheeks and onto my shoulders. 

With my life, slipping away from me, he held on, begging me silently to stay; because I'd have him even when the world was against me; and it would be enough.

Because his love would build me, heal me and never leave me.