Ten Days Ago:
Mazzello Household:
Reckley was in her room, doing her homework, listening to Disturbed when her parents got home, after partying at a nearby bar. She hears them come in and turns her music off, puts her homework away & opens her door. Her parents are walking into their room, but turn towards her. If she had kept her door closed, none of it would ever have happened. But it did & she had to pay somehow, right?
Wrong. Reckley should've never been born into the Mazzello family. If she hadn't been born, her parents wouldn't have to deal with her. She knows this and immediately regrets opening her door. But she needed to know if they were okay tonight. She needed to know if they were still drunk, like usual. They were.
Her father pushed open her door, pushing her backwards into the room. He took his belt off and her mother came in smiling. He hit her with the belt and she fell to the floor. They continued to beat on her and by the time they were done, they were no longer drunk. They left her room, shutting the door behind them and retreated to their bedroom. They left her lying in a pool of her own blood.
Reckley remembered waking up long enough to call Mark, her best friend. But doesn't remember when they got there. She doesn't remember them calling the police. She doesn't remember the police arresting her parents or the ambulance ride to the hospital, where Lou takes care of her. She's slipped into a coma.
Ritten House Hospital, ICU, Ten Days Later:
Mark sat by Reckley's side, holding her hand. The Social Worker had already been in to see her. Mark had been told that when Reckley woke up, she'd be transferred to a Foster Home in Canada, where a very nice family lived. But it had been ten days since she'd slipped into her coma. The chance of her waking up was growing slimmer by the hour. And Mark didn't want to lose his best friend today. He started talking to her.
"Come on Reckley, we're all praying for you. Mom & the rest of us have packed up all your stuff from your home & have it stored in a moving van. The Social Worker says you'll be going to a nice home in Canada. You're parents were given the Death Penalty. Apparently, nearly beating your child to death is punishable by death. The judge only had to see the pictures from the ER to know what they had done to you. She didn't even care that y wouldn't be testifying. She sentenced them to death & they've been put on Death Row. Come back to me Reckley. I can't lose you now."
He didn't think it would work so quickly. She started moving her hand, head, moaning, trying to sit up. Nark grabbed her hand & pressed the Call button, asking for his mom to get in there now. Lou ran through the door & saw Reckley sitting up, eyes open. Lana, Peter, Kayla & Dylan came in shortly after, thanking God that I was okay.
"I heard you Mark. But why am I going to Canada?"
"The Social Worker has placed you in Canada so that if your parents get out, they won't be able to find you so quickly. The family has been waiting just like we have for you to wake up." Lana explained.
"I have to leave Philly? But I like living in Philly."
"It wasn't our choice, but Mark will be going to College in Canada, so he can look in on you every now and then. Are you okay?" Dylan asked.
"Only if you guys come up every now and then to visit me, I guess I'm okay with it.'
"We'll get the Social Worker on the phone so she can call the family." Peter said.
"And yes, we'll visit you as much as possible." Lana stated.
The Social Worker was called a couple hours after I woke up. She made the call to Canada & made arraignments for the plane that would take me, my stuff & Mark to the Toronto Airport.