DADDY! pt.4

Pernita - Friday Afternoon

It took nearly an hour and a half for Pernita to traverse the town by bus. Most of that time was consumed by waiting at various bus stops. To drive would have taken only about thirty minutes, but not only did she lack a car, she also didn't possess a driver's license. She could have enlisted the help of her numerous friends or family members to chauffeur her, but she preferred not to involve anyone, not out of fear of their judgment, but because she didn't want to burden them in case her mission was more than a mere dream.

At the intersection of Beatty and Cumberland, Pernita noticed a convenience store and decided to stop for coffee and a snack.

As she prepared her coffee to her liking, the door chimed, signaling someone's arrival or departure. She appreciated the security of store clerks keeping tabs on customers, so she briefly glanced at the door and noticed a man entering. Her attention returned to her coffee. After meticulously crafting the perfect cup, she perused the store in search of a snack. As she passed the man who had just walked in, a cold shiver coursed down her spine. Casually, she turned to get a better look at him. There were no visible warning signs in his appearance – he was of average height and build, devoid of any conspicuous scars, and neither attractive nor unattractive. Although she couldn't discern any reason for the eerie chill, it persisted. The man, nervously, stole a glance at her and quickly averted his gaze.

Feeling the need to distance herself from this man, Pernita chose a colossal banana nut muffin, paid for her items, and proceeded toward the exit. As she left, she cast another glance at the man, who had been observing her.

Pernita strolled around Central Park, hoping for sensations or more details, but none came to her. However, she found the sign she had seen in her dream, confirming the park's name. Close to the sign, she spotted a bench and settled down with her muffin and coffee, observing the park's denizens. She also remained vigilant for the unsettling man from the store.

Most of her afternoon was spent in the park, where she hoped to spot the boy on the bike or the man who might be his father, but neither of them materialized. At one point, she thought she glimpsed the man from the store crossing the street opposite the park, walking away from it. He appeared preoccupied with his path and showed no interest in the park's activities. Pernita also monitored the traffic passing by the park, noting that Cumberland was a one-way street heading northeast and Beatty was a one-way going south. In her dream, the white panel van had been on Beatty Street, but she saw no vehicle resembling the van.

Pernita decided to walk in the direction where she had spotted the father earlier. As she approached the bench, she had a fleeting memory or flash of the white panel van trailing behind the father on Cumberland. Could this imply that the vehicle had driven past the father before turning onto Beatty for the abduction? It wasn't enough to solve the puzzle, but Pernita was now convinced that this was more than a mere dream; it was becoming a man's living nightmare. If only she could find him.

On the bench, Pernita silently wept. She didn't know the man or the boy, but she sensed their lives were about to change for the worse. Her sadness enveloped her. As she sat with her head in her hands, the cold chill from earlier in the day returned. She straightened up, wiped her tears, and spotted him once more. He peeked out from behind a statue just to her right. This time, she got a good look at his face. When he realized he had been seen, he nonchalantly moved away from his hiding place. Pernita decided it was best not to follow him and headed home.

Back at home, Pernita updated her notes with the recent developments, including her encounter with the man. She tried to recall as much as possible about his appearance. He was plain and unremarkable, making it challenging to identify specific features. The best she could come up with was that he was possibly of European descent, with dark brownish hair. His face was neither thin nor chubby, just average, and he had a slender, non-muscular physique.

Pernita couldn't remember a time when she had struggled so much to describe someone. Until now, everyone she met had some distinctive quality. She regretted not bringing her camera along. She meticulously documented all the details about the park, where she had stood in the same place as the father. She recorded everything, whether she believed it had significance or not.

"You can never have too much detail," she murmured to herself. "Unless you're in a Stephen King novel," she added with a wry smile.