When I waked into my English class, I was greeted by Rhyan with the biggest hug I had ever received. My heart ached as she smiled so brilliantly, and her eyes burrowed into mine. I averted my gaze and sat down next to her talking idly until Jelly joined us. Shortly after, class started and we began reading "The Great Gatsby," one of my favorite books. Then, I heard an all too familiar sound reverberate through the halls. Screams echoed, and I found myself on the floor, huddled behind some desks with Rhyan and Jelly. Although detox had cleared my mind of a drug-induced haze, my head immediately became foggy all over again. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I knew I was not afraid. Even when three guys barged into the room pointing guns at us, and one set his sights on Rhyan, Jelly and myself, I remained calm. I could feel Rhyan trembling, so I squeezed her hand to comfort her. I had been here before and as far as I was concerned, these were just cowardly boys with guns.
This is one hell of a way to end my senior year. I thought. I wasn't afraid of death, but I was unsure of whether or not I would live to graduate and when they shot a boy close to us, I began to believe that I wouldn't.
Hunter. All I wanted was Hunter. I closed my eyes and envisioned him in my mind. I tried to remember everything from start to finish. I wanted him to be the last thing on my mind if I were to die. That's when a S.W.A.T. team burst through the door, taking out our captors, and surveying the carnage.
Not too long after, we were allowed to leave the building, and a group of family, friends and concerned onlookers were gathered outside. I spotted Two-Bits face in the crowd, and ran to him. Blair must have seen him at the same time as I did, because we both collided into him in perfect harmony. He held us tightly within his arms for a moment before taking us home.
Even after the days' events, it felt so strange being in my house. My limbs became strangely heavy and I dragged myself up the stairs to my room. When I opened the door, I found that my room had been ransacked and my small, wooden box lay in pieces on the floor. I flung myself down the stairs in search of Tibbs, and found him sitting next to my father in the kitchen.
"Which one of you did it?!" I growled. Tibbs jumped from his chair and pointed a finger at my father. I turned to him. He was unaffected by my gaze and pretended not to notice just how furious I was because he kept his eyes glued to his book, his face expressionless.
"You had no right!" I screamed while slamming my fists down onto the kitchen table to get his attention. He raised his eyebrows, and slowly placed his book on the table. He rose to his feet. I forgot just how intimidating he could be when he was angry. With his chest puffed up, he glared down his nose at me, standing only inches away. "I had every right. I am your father, Audrey, and it's very clear that something needed to be done." He spoke slowly, and emphasized every word.
My blood began to boil, and my mind raced. Suddenly, before I could think about what I was doing, words shot from my mouth like bullets from a gun. "No! You gave up that right the day you walked out on us! As far as I'm concerned, I don't have a father!"
He exhaled sharply like I had just knocked the wind out of him, and his eyes filled with heartache. I knew I had hurt him. At that moment I was really sure if I meant what I said, but I know that it felt so good to say it. I pressed further.
"I don't want you here anymore. Neither do Keith and Blair. We have had about enough of you. You've overstayed your welcome. Now I'll ask you kindly to leave." I began to turn away and leave the kitchen, but he grabbed my arm in an ironclad grip. Keith stepped in-between us, and grabbed my father's shirt.
"You heard her. Get out." He snarled through his teeth. My father let go of my arm, and stepped away from Tibbs. He walked out of the front door and didn't look back. Two-Bit's shoulders slumped, and he turned to me. "Where did that come from?" He questioned. His eyes showing his confusion.
"I don't know, but it's just us again. I like it better this way." He responded by wrapping his arms around me in a gentle hug. Despite the fact that I had hoped for years that my father would come back, I was relieved to watch him leave and this time I didn't want him to return. Two-Bit finally released me and left for the Curtis'.
As I trudged upstairs, my mind wandered and I began to hear a slight whimper. I thought I was hearing things until I was able to see into my room. Blair laid there on the floor where her bed used to be, crying. "Blair?" I asked just loud enough for her to hear me, but she didn't respond. I rushed to her side, scooping her into my arms. "Blair, honey what's going on? Please, you're scaring me..." She squeezed her eyes, and scrunched up her face, as if there were something behind her eyelids that she wished to get away from. Her body shook violently, and broken sobs continued to escape her. I held her tightly, and rocked her back and forth. When her eyes opened, and she blinked several times like she was trying to focus, I stopped. Seeing her like this, so broken, it cut me deeply. I choked back tears of my own, and she said, "I remember...I remember what he use to do to me when he'd put me to bed." I knew she could see the look of confusion on my face as I tried so desperately to make sense of it all.
"Where were you when I needed you? When everything was falling apart?" Her words were barely audible due to her voice cracking and shaking. "Blair...I-I'm...Wha.
I found my phone and called Rhyan. She answered right away, and I didn't give her the opportunity to distract me. "Hey Rhye, I need a ride to the hardware store. You busy?" I asked.
"No, but I mean... You just got out of the hospital don't you want to rest? Today was kinda rough. And what in the world do you need from the hardware store?" She questioned.
"Oh nothing, I'm just gonna start remodeling my room, and I just need to get a few simple things."
She seemed reluctant, but she agreed. Within minutes she was outside honking her horn. I bolted out of the front door, and to her car. When we arrived at the hardware store I set out on a mission. I picked up two large paint tarps, a few cans of paint, and some large plastic tubs. Rhyan followed me around, trying to help, but I didn't really need it. After loading up her car, I told her we needed to make one more stop. She agreed, mostly because I think she missed me, but I wouldn't all myself to think about that. I had something more pressing. We pulled up to the back of the High School.
"W-Why are we here?" She sounded frightened. I turned around and looked at her before clamoring out of the car.
"Don't worry. I'll be right back." I whispered, and then ran off into the dark shadows that shrouded the back entrance. As I searched for the back door, I saw the soft glow of a cigarette just to my left. The owner of that cigarette stepped out of a corner and revealed their face.
"Way to be a creep Kev." I scolded. He was always kinda weird. He had long greasy black hair, and not greasy from styling it that way, but from the lack of hygiene. His face covered in acne, and he had lost a few teeth over the years, but he was a good friend. He had always been nice, and helped me out when I needed him to. This time was no exception, but this was different, i had asked him to lie for me.
He laughed as he threw down his cig and snuffed it out with his boot.
"Sorry girl. Considerin' the circumstances, didn't wanna get caught. Ya ready ta go in?" His thick Southern drawl was more distinct than I remembered. I nodded my head, and we entered the school. Making a few quick turns, and immediately entering the science storage closet. He flipped on the light.
"Whatcha need this fer anyways?" He asked, handing me two huge jugs of Hydrofloric Acid. I simply shrugged my shoulder. "Oh just a senior prank." I laughed. He nodded again, I thanked him and we were on our way back to the entrance. As we exited, he lit up again. I reached into my pocket, pulled out a 50, and shoved it into his hand. He took a step back, and shot me a funny look. "It's just a thank you for helping me out, and keeping it secret. Especially considering you had to change the inventory list for this." I said nodding toward the two jugs I pressed against my chest. He nodded and smiled, and I ran back to Rhyan's car. When I jumped in she screamed.
"Jesus! You scared me! What took you so long?"
"I dunno. I didn't realize that I was gone that long. Sorry." I said flatly, not letting any of what was going on inside my head show.
"Okay, let's go home." She said, putting the car in drive and peeling out of the parking lot.
"No," I said, "Take me to Tom's house. I'll show you the way." She stared at me, and mumbled something under her breath. I knew she didn't like how I was acting, but a part of me didn't care. We sat in silence the rest of the way, except for my occasional dictation of direction. When we turned onto his street, I told her to park a few houses down. She threw the car in park, and started trying to yell at me, but I threw my arms around her, gave her my best fake smile, and got out. After I unloaded all of my things, I ran as fast as I could down the street and up the drive to his door. I tapped lightly on the window right next to it. He cracked it open, allowing me to see only one eye. He slipped his hand through the crack, and handed me a pair of keys. "Black truck, Virginia plates, in the back. Where you leavin it?" He rasped.
I took the keys from him, and stated, "I'm bringing it back here. Thanks Tom." I ran off the porch and around back before he could ask me any other questions. I had called him when Rhyan wasn't paying attention, and asked to borrow one of his many "re-purposed" vehicles. He did it as a favor.
I hopped in, and drove back to my house. I parked the car in the alleyway, and ran through the backdoor. I found Blair on my bed. I shook her repeatedly until her eyes fluttered open.
"What the fuck is your problem, bitch?" She squealed.
It took me a minute to realize why she was acting that way.
"Well hello Kayleigh. Get your skanky ass dressed." I said throwing a black jacket, skinnies, and a pair of rubber gloves at her. She stared at me, bewildered.
"It's time for some retribution." I stated, and went to the bathroom to dress. When I returned, we both stood there, black clad and thinking the same thing as a flicker of evil flashed in her eyes. She followed me out to the truck I had borrowed, looking in the bed to see the contents I had gathered. On the way to our destination, I laid down the law. "Look, Kayleigh. I don't really like you, but I have an obligation to my sister, Blair. Do you understand that?" She nodded. "This is something that is necessary. So prepare yourself. And when the cops come banging on our door, you don't say a word. Just act like a sad grieving daughter and keep your mouth shut. Deal?" She nodded her head again. "Deal." She said as we pulled into the alleyway behind the rent house. I instructed Kayleigh to gather everything but the paint, and follow my lead. I opened the back gate, and walked through the yard to the back door. It was answered swiftly and I was invited inside. My father stood in front of me, and Kayleigh entered in behind me.
"Bumblebee?" He asked, surprised to see her with me. "What's going on?" He looked from her back to me.
"Well you see, dad. I'm not here to apologize, nor am I here to make a social visit. I believe that you are the one who needs to apologize." I glanced at Kayleigh and motioned to the tarp. She began spreading it out on the floor. He noticed our gloves, and became frantic.
"What's going on here?" He was starting to panic.
All I could was smirk in response. I looked to Kayleigh, "You're up."
She lunged forward with an unimaginable amount of force for someone of her size, and he was down in an instant. I knelt down by him as they wrestled with the other, and placed a cloth drenched in chloroform over his mouth and nose. "Sweet dreams, Pop." I sneered. A vicious, animal-like instinct had taken over, and I knew I couldn't stop until it was done.
I gagged him, and we rolled him over on the tarp. I instructed her to turn on the TV. "You're seriously gonna watch tv right now? What the hell?" She snapped.
"It's to cover up the noise, Kayleigh. Now stop questioning me and DO WHAT I TELL YOU!!" I yelled at her with just as much attitude as she had already provided. A light bulb went off in her head and she flipped on the TV, making sure to turn up the volume.
When I was finished tying him up, I sat back and took it all in. "You really planned this all out didn't you? I mean you've got gloves, booties, hair caps, A tarp... You're twisted."
"Yeah, well... Deep down, we all are." I sighed and then I was ready. "Fill up those plastic tubs with that acid. Be careful, if you get it on you, you'll regret it."
"Precision." She mumbled as she turned and grabbed the jugs. I went to find my weapon of choice. When I pulled it from the tub behind Blair, and sat by my father on the tarp she started to squeal.
"A saw?! What?! This isn't a scary movie! Why are you using that?!"
"Do you honestly think we can fit his whole body into one of those tubs? I can barely fit in it. He has to be in smaller portions for this to work."
She sucked in sharp, frantic breaths. "Kayleigh, you need to calm down. I know you're a brutal, vicious little bitch, so start acting like it."
She nodded, and bent down to hold him in place as I began to saw through one of his arms. I was careful not to let blood spray, and before I got through the whole thing, he woke up. He was screaming against his gag and started to fight. Luckily you couldn't hear him over the TV, but he was starting to overpower me. So I motioned to Kayleigh, and we picked up off of his stomach, and pushed him to his knees. "Get a knife. Quickly. Not one that you would notice if it were gone." She ran into the kitchen, and emerged with a huge butcher's knife.
"Slit his throat."
She gawked at me like I had just spoken in a foreign language. Then her expression hardened and she shook her head.
"What do you mean 'No?' Do it."
She shook her head again, and just as I was about to explode in anger she spoke up. "He doesn't deserve to die that quickly."
She was right, he didn't. Before I could stop her she stabbed him in the gut and then proceeded pull down his pants.
"What're you doing?" I asked.
"What every child molester deserves."
She took him in her hands and with one swift movement of the knife he was castrated. She continued until all was removed. He passed out from the shock so I put the parts in the bucket and closed the lid. This was becoming more gruesome than I had planned, but I was relishing the pain that was being inflicted on him. She began making small lacerations with the knife all over him just because. Finally, after she had her fun, she stabbed him repeatedly in the chest, letting him die. She took the saw from me, and started to finish off his arm, but I stopped her. I saw my little sister covered in the blood of her tormentor, and I was resolved to finish it. I took it back and relentlessly cut off every extremity that he had, and finished with his head. I then had male genitalia, a tongue, two arms, two thighs, two calves, two feet, a torso, and a head all floating around in two buckets full of Hydrofluoric acid. I knew he was already beginning to deteriorate, so to dispose of the blood we picked up the edges of the tarp and poured the blood into the bucket also. We then took off our gloves and threw them in with everything else. I had brought along some towels to wipe down with. The blood was now beginning to dry on our clothes so it didn't really matter, but we wiped our faces. I told her to get the bleach and clean off the tarp, while I took care of the rest. I wrapped one of the towels tightly around my fist, and went outside. I walked up to his bedroom window and punched a hole through the glass and knocked out the remaining shards. I then climbed through the window and began knocking things down and opening drawers all with my covered hand so I wouldn't leave prints. I had to make it look like a break in, so no one would suspect anything. When I got back to living room, I saw that she was finished and then my phone started ringing.
The name on the screen caused my heart to lurch. Hunter.
I answered immediately. My voice giving way to how I was feeling.
"Audrey, I'm sorry I just left. I was just so hurt... I needed time, but what I really need is you. I love you, Bird. That hasn't changed. We can get through this together. I can help you. Okay? Say you'll have me.."
"You've got impeccable timing, Hunter Cade. I love you too, but you're not gonna be happy about what comes next." There was silence on the other end. "I need you to meet me at my dad's rent house now. I need your help."
He agreed and I gave him the address. Within minutes Hunter and Leo were parked out back next to the truck I borrowed from Tom, and began making their way through the yard. I took the towel around my hand and opened the door.
"Don't touch anything unless I tell you." I barked at them.
They looked around, and then at Blair and I. Hunter shot me a look.
"Where's your dad?" He asked tentatively. I averted my gaze and pointed at the two plastic tubs sitting on the floor. Hunter walked over and opened one up, immediately closing it after seeing what was inside.
"Jesus, Audrey! What the fuck were you thinking?! You're on a roll, aren't you? First... that! Now, this! " He had his hands on his head pulling at his hair.
"Didn't think you had it in you kid. Remind me to never get on your bad list." Leo quipped. He found something amusing in the situation, but instead of replying I simply glowered at him from across the room.
I moved toward Hunter and got in his face, knowing that I deserved that last remark, it still cut me like a knife. I choked back tears and defended myself.
"Look Hunter, I did it for Blair. He... He did things. Obscene, unspeakable things that a father should never do to his child. He is the reason Blair is the way she is. I knew how it had to end. I don't know if it will fix things, but at least now I know he will never bother her again." I was pleading with him to understand. I placed my hands on his arms gently, and he looked down at me. I guess he saw the desperation, or he looked into my soul like he usually does, but he wrapped his arms around me. For the first time in days I found myself in my favorite place, encompassed by him. He held me for what felt like years until Leo interrupted.
"Hey what's wrong with your sister?" He was obviously concerned. Hunter and I turned to look at her and she was just sitting there with her knees to her chest, and a blank look on her face. She wasn't even blinking. I approached her.
"Blair.. I mean Kayleigh. Are you okay?"
She shook her head, snapped out of her trance, and met my gaze.
"I want to go." She said flatly. I looked from Leo to Hunter and then back to Leo.
"Would you?" I asked. He nodded and proceeded to help her off of the floor and out to his truck. Hunter and I took the tarp, and each grabbed a tub. I walked so slow that I thought I would never make it to the truck. When I finally made it out of the gate, Leo grabbed the tub I had in my hand and helped load it into the truck bed.
"Thanks. Make sure she takes a shower and burns those clothes. Don't leave her until I get back, Leo." I muttered, but he heard me anyway and nodded once in reply. Then they were off.
"Where's the weapon?" Hunter asked.
"In the bucket, along with everything that needs to be disposed of except for my clothes."
"What's in there?"
"Acid. Ready?" I asked, purposefully avoiding giving him details. Then I quickly climbed into the front passengers seat.
He got in on the drivers side, and asked, "Where are we going?"
"Owasso Lake Dam."
We were on way. Neither of us really knew what to say to the other, but I reached over and held his hand. He responded by squeezing gently and we sat with one another until we reached the lake.
By that time, the contents of the tubs had been sitting long enough that they had dissolved everything within. So Hunter and I both grabbed one and went to the waters edge. I opened the lid to the first one and dumped the contents into the water. Watching it mix together and slowly return to normal. Hunter did the same and then I rinsed the two buckets out. When I was finished I placed them back into the truck bed, and sat on the tailgate. Hunter joined me.
"I really did that..." I murmured. I wasn't even willing to admit what I had just done. For a split second I felt nauseous, then it subsided and I jerked my head toward Hunter. Tears instantly filled my eyes and clouded my vision. "Oh God! You must think I'm the worst person alive! Especially after..." My voice trailed off, and he put his arm around me to comfort me.
"Shh... Bird, I don't think you're a horrible person. Crazy... Maybe? But I always knew that." He grinned.
But even his smile couldn't suppress the overwhelming grief and sadness that I felt. "Hunter, I'm so sorry. I love you. Please forgive me."
"You're already forgiven." He kissed my forehead. "Now lets go get you cleaned up."
We drove to Tom's, dropped off the truck and walked back to Hunter's house. Leo said he would stay with Blair, so i knew she would be safe. I finally went to shower, and slipped into one of his shirts when I was finished. We both crawled in bed at the same time, and an onslaught of kisses commenced. I felt a thrill and butterflies in my stomach from him simply kidding my forehead, and after days of not seeing him a mere kiss sent me over the edge. And we stayed like that all night, exchanging kisses, hugs and 'I love you's.' both of us perfectly content to be in each others company, in each others arms, and forgetting about the plastic tubs and paint cans in the corner. Forgetting the fact that I had killed my father. Neither of us wanted to think about it, or the repercussions that might lie ahead.
Tonight, it's just about me and Hunter. I thought as I snuggled closer to him and drifted off to sleep.
Wow... I don't even know what to say to this...
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