Troll Daddy's Arc

Chapter 4 of 4

Troll Daddy sat against the concrete wall with Troll Brother on one side and Troll Sister on the other. Troll Baby had finally stopped crying. The rain hammered on the metal roof. He closed his eyes and tried to think through their options for morning. He reached into his jacket pocket for his lighter, hoping to start a small fire in the old barrel near the door. His fingers found something else instead. The compass. Brass, heavy, engraved with letters he'd traced a thousand times as a kid. His father had left it on the kitchen table the night he walked out. No note. Just the compass, like directions mattered when you weren't coming back. Troll Daddy had carried it ever since, some stupid part of him waiting for the man to need it, to come asking. Now he held it in the dark and felt his chest go tight. This exact thing. His father had left him waiting in the night, scared and cold, while the adults figured things out. Except his father never came back to figure anything out. Troll Brother shifted closer, shivering hard. Troll Daddy opened his eyes. He could see their shapes in the dim light from the window. Troll Sister had pulled the sleeping bag around both kids and Troll Baby. Troll Mother watched him from across the room. He put the compass back in his pocket and stood up. They had one dry sleeping bag left in the pack. He pulled out the rest of their gear and found a metal canister and some newspaper that had stayed protected. Within minutes he had a small fire burning in the barrel. The flames lit up the room. The kids moved closer to the warmth. Troll Brother stopped shaking. "We're going to be okay," Troll Daddy said. He meant it. The compass stayed in his pocket where it belonged. He wasn't his father. He was here. When morning came, they'd walk out together, and he'd teach them every step of the way. But right now, keeping them warm was enough. The fire crackled. Troll Sister leaned against his shoulder. Outside, the rain kept falling, but inside, his family was safe.