by Tamara White
The DA approaches my mother and gives her a look of sympathy. He eyes her ample cleavage and I have to look away to avoid rolling my eyes. "Mrs. Jones, you are here today as a witness against your daughter. Do you understand that your testimony may result in the imprisonment of your child?"
My mother nods solemnly. "I understand."
"Would you mind starting from the beginning and relaying your account of events?"
My mother smiles sadly. "Well, last night my daughter, Valerie," she pauses to point to me, "had a birthday party with her friends. My ex-husband and I also attended. Valerie started doing shots of tequila with her friends, except for her friend, Natalie, who had volunteered to be the designated driver. When Valerie got too out of hand, Natalie insisted that she take her home. I didn’t argue, knowing that I could trust Natalie. She had brought Valerie home many times when she had gotten out of control, so I didn’t see any harm in it.”
Wait! What the fuck? I almost get to my feet to call her out on her bullshit, but I feel my dad grab my hand in a vice-like grip, keeping me in my seat. I glance at him in time to see him give a subtle shake of his head. His face is hard with anger, and I relax, knowing he at least doesn’t believe her outrageous lies.
My mother looks directly at me, and her next words leave me completely dumbfounded. “She didn’t come home until the early hours of the morning. Then when she did, she was in one of her blackout-induced hazes, all covered in blood. I called the police and waited for them to arrive. She must have come out of her daze, because she was screaming as they took her away.”
The judge nods his head as if intrigued. “You mentioned blackouts. Could you please explain what blackouts you were referring to?”
She smiles as if that’s the best thing he could have asked her. “It all started after her father and I got divorced. She would lose gaps of time, or I’d find her standing outside in the garden with no clue as to how she got there. No matter how many therapists we saw, they couldn’t help her get over the issues. I had to quit work to support her.”
I hold back a scoff. My mother hasn't worked a day in her life. It’s one of the few reasons I didn't blame my father for leaving her. She expected him to completely provide for her with no give on her part. Safe to say, he got tired of it.
"It wasn't until I saw that other students at her high school were afraid of her that I realized my own daughter had a darker side.” My anger rises with each word, and I can feel the tension radiating from my father. We both know my mother is spitting out lies.
My mother continues, telling the prosecutor about an incident in high school where I bloodied a guy for practically no reason. The reality of the situation was that he had been bullying Sally. It started with small things like tugging on her hair, but it quickly escalated to him trying to grab her. One day, he slapped her ass as she was walking into the cafeteria and so I punched him in his arrogant face.
My father gets to his feet, pushing back the chair with a loud scrape. “Your Honor, that holds no relevance to this case. My daughter was a teenager then. She should not be held accountable for actions that were done to protect her friend, especially when many other teenagers do much worse. I would also like to add that the witness the DA is questioning is not exactly a reliable source. She suffers from her own mental illness, one that led to her trying to murder our daughter. Doesn’t that make her credibility here suspect?”
My mother turns to glare at him for interrupting her, and I see the judge nod from the bench. “Valerie’s violent history does pertain to this trial, so I will allow the previous statements. However, the witness’ credibility may not be admissible if what you say is true.” My father turns back with a smug grin aimed at my mother before sitting back down beside me.
“Mrs. Jones, is it true that you suffer from your own mental illness?” the judge asks, directing his gaze to my mother.
She pales, but nods slightly. “And have you tried to kill your daughter because of this illness?”
Holy fuck! She really tried to kill me? I heard my father say it, but I assumed he just meant the car accident. But the way way my mother nods makes me think that’s not what they’re talking about. Surely it can’t be true.
I look to Dad for an explanation but he refuses to meet my eyes, instead watching the interaction between my mother and the judge.
So, he left me alone with my mother, knowing she had at one point tried to kill me? Why didn’t he fight harder to get custody of me in the divorce? How could he have known she wouldn’t just try again?
I turn my attention back to my mother as she sputters out an explanation. “Well, yes, but that was before I was medicated. I no longer hold ill feelings towards my daughter.”
The judge nods thoughtfully. “And your previous dislike of her had nothing to do with the fact that she is not your biological child?”
I close my eyes, hurt by his words. Dad had already told me, but it didn’t soften the blow of hearing it again, especially in front of strangers.
“Yes, she’s not my daughter biologically, but that has nothing to do with why I’m testifying. My daughter has a darkness in her. The devil. She has never once felt remorse for any of her wrongdoings and even revels in the pain she causes. I’m terrified to leave my own home because she demands I stay and remain weak to the world around me.”
Fuck no! I can’t stand any more of this. “You’re a fucking liar! I’ve taken care of you for the past five years after your stroke. How can you just sit there and blame me? Why did you spend all my college money if you wanted me gone so fucking badly?”
“SILENCE!” The judge pounds his gavel hard, and my dad pulls me back down into my seat. He lets me lean on him for support as silent tears stream down my face.
What has made my mother so cold? She has always been distant towards me, but this is a whole new level of malice she is showing.
The judge glances down at the papers on his desk before meeting my eyes. “Ms. Jones, while this is only a preliminary hearing, I need you to understand the full weight of the charges being brought against you.”
“I understand, Your Honor, and I am sorry for my outburst.” I drop my head in shame. I know better than to let her bait me, but still I let her goad a reaction out of me.
He nods at me and a small smile crosses his lips. “That’s quite alright. I’d imagine the last forty-eight hours has been quite a jumble of emotions for you. Honestly, if you had remained calm throughout the entire proceeding, I would have believed you guilty.” He takes a breath and his eyes go hard. “However, a girl was murdered. Someone must pay for that. Your father and the DA agreed to a deal before you entered the room, but I have no notes here on whether you are on board with the terms.”
He shuffles through the papers on his desk and holds one up, reading from it. “The DA has agreed to allow you out on bail. You would be released into your father’s custody until your trial.”
I listen intently, my hope rising at the fact that the judge seems to be willing to let me move to my father’s home rather than be imprisoned.
I lean over to confirm with my father. “You’re okay with me coming to live with you? That’s what it means, right?”
“Yeah, baby girl, that’s what it means. I’d love it if you came home with me.”
I nod and look up at the judge with tears in my eyes. “I will happily live with my father until the trial.”
“Very well. Ms. Jones is remanded to her father’s custody and will be on probation until her trial. Every month, you will meet with your parole officer. But any act of violence and your probation will be revoked and we will be right back here. That being said, I hope I don’t see you until your trial, Ms. Jones.”
With that, the judge gets up from his seat and goes through the door behind the bench. After he’s gone, the DA packs up his papers and goes over to shake my dad’s hand before he too leaves.
My mother approaches my father and me, but he pushes me behind him protectively before she can
get close. “Hold it right there, Melissa. You are not to come near my daughter.”
She rolls her eyes. “She’s not your daughter, Troy. We both know exactly what she is. I just wanted what was mine, and she took it from me.”
My father glances back at me before studying my mother with look of contempt. After a minute, his eyes widen. “You don’t have any left, do you?” He starts to chuckle before looking back at me. “That’s my girl.”
I have no idea what’s going on or what they’re talking about, just that it feels like they’re talking about me.
My mother — well, I guess Melissa isn’t really my mother after all— gets right up in his face, her eyes filled with venom. “I will have what’s mine, Troy. Don’t you think for one second this is over. She will die, one way or another.” Then she looks my way, her rage suffocating the room. “And as for you, have fun in that little community. You won’t survive a day.” She gives a haughty smirk before turning on her heel and walking away, leaving me with a million questions.
I look up at my father, about to ask for an explanation, when his hands come down on either side of my face. “I’m so sorry, baby girl, but I have to do this.”
His hands emit a strange, burning heat and I feel my eyes roll back in my head before… nothing.
Six
“Darkness is light and light is dark. One cannot live if they do not have both. Don’t be afraid, my child, your guardians will show you.” The woman with amber eyes fades into the background as she finishes speaking. Then the same man that has been haunting my dreams steps from the darkness, striding straight to me. I back away, landing against the wall as he approaches. He comes to stand directly in front of me, and his lips claim mine. There’s an eagerness to his kiss that has me moaning in response. After a moment, though, he pulls away with a smirk. “I’ll be seeing you soon, love.”
I jolt awake from a sudden movement and groggily look around me to see I’m in a car. Holy hell, what happened? How did I get here?
I notice that my dad is in the driver’s seat and the back seat is filled with luggage. “Dad? What happened?”
“You fainted, honey. Your mother said some things that upset you, I think.”
I look down at myself and notice I’m in different clothes. “Ah, Dad? Did you change me?”
“Ha! No, Sally and Jessica did. They also packed up your stuff for you. They said if they missed anything important that they’d send it over after we get settled in.”
Thank God for that. It would be awkward as hell if Dad had been the one to change me.
“Oh, and before I forget, the purple backpack on top has something in it for you. The girls found it and thought you’d want to have it.”
I reach back and grab the bag, pulling it towards me. Opening up the zipper, I’m surprised to see a sparkly, wrapped package sitting on top. Frowning, I pull it out and open it up. Then I gasp. Inside is a beautiful gold locket. An inscription on the outside reads, ‘When life gives you lemons, throw them at every motherfucker in your way.’
I laugh and open the locket, and a sob breaks free at what I see inside. The picture is of Natalie and I when we celebrated her eighteenth birthday. She had a superhero themed party, wanting all of our friends to dress up as our favorite superheroes. We both ended up dressing up as Wonder Woman. We had laughed about it, because we had neglected to talk to each other about our costumes first. Neither one of us wanted to change, and so we spent the entire night dressed as the same superhero. It was one of our best nights together.
“Valerie, are you listening to me?”
I turn to meet my dad’s green eyes. “Sorry, Dad, I was just lost in a memory.”
“Well, I was just asking how much you remember about the place we’re going. I know your mom told you a bit about my home, but I don’t know what all you remember.”
“Oh, well, the only thing I really remember is that you live in some secluded community or something. Mom said your whole town was locked away or something?”
“Yes, we live in a gated community. It’s isolated to encourage other people to stay out. We have our own shopping malls, our own school and even our own policing system. It’s one of the reasons the DA was willing to let you come stay with me. He knew the community was close enough to a prison that you wouldn’t be in a position to hurt anyone else.”
“Jeez, thanks, Dad.”
“No, I didn’t mean that you would be treated like a criminal. You’ll have a small amount of freedom, but there’s a guard posted at each exit of our town, so I will be notified if you try to leave. Not that you should be leaving, though, because that would violate your probation,” he reminds me sternly.
I sigh in defeat. “I know, Dad. I don’t plan on leaving. Where would I even go? It’s not like I want to go back to Mom. Especially not after finding out she tried to kill me,” I admit bitterly. I’m still angry that he left me there knowing what she had tried to do. “Besides, I doubt I want all the people in your ‘community’ whispering about me, so I’ll probably just keep myself locked inside all day.”
There’s probably nothing much to do there anyway. Maybe go to the mall? Or I could get a job? Then again, who’d hire someone suspected of killing their friend?
Dad reaches over and grabs my hand. “You won’t be at home, Val. Well, you will, but not during the day. I talked with the college in the community and convinced them to accept your late transcripts.”
What? Why would he do that? He gives me a pointed look and I avert my gaze. I know how much he wishes I were at college, but the reality of the situation is that I can’t go.
“Valerie, I don’t know what kind of crazy lies your mother filled your head with, but I would never want you to miss out on the chance to go to college.” He sighs, looking a bit tired. “As it is, you owe me an explanation about that. Why didn’t you tell me she used your college money? I would have gladly replaced it for you.”
My eyes well with tears at his heated declaration. I lean back against the headrest, keeping my eyes focused on the road as he drives. “I’m sorry, Dad. Mom said some pretty horrible things after you left. It didn’t help that you hardly ever called or visited. I started to feel like she was telling the truth, and that you loved your new family more than me.”
He gives me a moment to cry out my frustration before speaking. “I meant what I said in that courtroom, Valerie. You are my daughter, regardless of who your biological parents are. I will always be here for you. I didn’t mean to abandon you and I should have fought harder for you to come with me, but you seemed happy with your mother back then. If I had any clue that you weren’t, I would have taken you from her when you were in that accident.”
His admission eases some of the pain I’ve been feeling, but I still have a long way to go before I can trust him fully. There’s so much I don’t know, and until I have answers, there’s always going to be this rift between us. I only hope that living with him will repair some of the damage. I’d like to have family I could actually rely on.
Now that Nat is no longer in my life I need someone I can trust. Well, not completely, because he can’t know that I’m planning to look into Nat’s murder, or disappearance, whatever it was. I need to know what happened to her. I won’t just let her be pushed to the side and forgotten. She deserves better than that. Plus, I’m sure Sally and Jess will help me if I asked. They loved her just as much as I did and I know they won’t let it go easily.
“So, tell me about your new wife. What’s she like?” I ask, breaking the silence.
He smiles over at me. “Let’s see. Cassandra is one of a kind. She was it for me. Your mother and I had already been fighting a lot by then, and we had already separated. While I was going through the divorce proceedings, she was there when I needed someone to talk to.”
“Wait, so you didn’t cheat on Mom?” I ask, needing clarification.
“Oh, baby girl, no. I would never cheat. Your mother and I had been separated for well over a year before I e
ven met Cass. Your mother and I were only still living together for you at that point. I didn’t want to leave you, but life with your mother just got to be too much for me. I had to leave.”
He pauses, as if reliving the trauma of living with my mother. And I can completely sympathize. My mother is a demanding woman who thinks the world should be handed to her on a silver platter. I have to admit, being away from her right now is the happiest I’ve felt in the past few years. While I feel guilty for feeling that way, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t overjoyed by her absence.
Dad finally continues. “With Cassandra, it’s completely different. She loves her family with a passion and makes sure each of her children has what they need, despite the fact they’re all adults. She even tried to talk your mother into letting you stay with us during the holidays, but your mother would have none of it. But if either of us had known half the shit your mother did, we would have fought harder. We thought you were happy and just didn’t want to go to college.” Then he goes silent and I look away, staring out the window.
When they first told me about the divorce, I wasn’t really surprised. After all, I heard heard how often they fought. Then, when Dad came to visit me a year after he left, he invited me to come and live with him and his fiancé. I got angry because it felt like he had replaced me with a wife and new stepsons. Why did he need me anymore?
I watch as we approach a large forested area. Dad takes a right turn onto a road that cuts through the woods. It's gravel and I can hear the distinct dings as rocks fly up and hit the side of my dad’s SUV.
We drive for about an hour through the dark cover of the trees on either side of the road. Then finally, I spot a giant fence up ahead. I straighten in my seat, not quite believing my eyes. When he said it was gated, I was expecting a six-foot fence surrounding the town, but no. This fence has to be twenty feet at the very least. Why on earth did they decide to build a fence that high? And what material is it? It looks like wood but there’s something… different about it.