Chapter 1 Night of Dread
"YOU'RE A FUCKING MURDERER! How the hell could you do this you murdered you Fucking wife for fucks sake what is wrong with you. I knew you were a bastard but I never thought it would come this" I said trying to fighting the cops holding me back as I cried and yelled and became hysteric as I remembered that night. That fucking night by life both ended, and began.
I was the one who found her. He'd come home, but not as drunk as he normally was, and quit for once. That was what scared me. I was out in the backyard, watching the stars. I heard her blood-curling screams, and then a crushing silence. I heard him start his truck and drive away. Back to that shit-hole of a bar, I guess. I was free to enter the house now. So I did. Fucking idiot. Somehow, some part of me knew what I would find, and that part screamed at me to go, to run and never look back. I didn't listen. How ironic, that I found her in the bedroom, the room where they had previously expressed their so-called love, whispering words of desire all through the night. The pure white sheets now forever stained with her blood, spilt by his hateful hand. 17 stab wounds to the chest, and slit her throat as I sprinted into the room.
I came back to the present I was standing with the cops outside Chicago Penitentiary Prison, my father's new home.
"Ma'am we are sorry for your loss and we were wondering if you had someone you could stay with because you are only seventeen do you have any god parents"
"i..i..i don't know" I said hesitantly.
"Ok, that's alright. We can check your records. Full name, please"
"Angela Joyce Knights" I said
"Alright, until we can contact your next of kin, you will have to stay at a friend's house, or we can place you in a foster home." He said, in what I suppose was meant to be a kind voice, but just came off as babying and slightly patronizing.
"Friend. 2234 Broadway, Apartment 27A."
"Ok. Do you want to be dropped off or will they pick you up?" The cop asked, obviously wishing he was somewhere other than here.
"I can get picked up I just need to call and make sure it is ok." I said right after he finished talking.
"Wonderful. Do you need to borrow a phone?" The cop obviously didn't care what I said.
"I have one" I said taking out my phone and pressing it to my ear
"Yo, state your business" a familiar voice said
"Hey Jess I have a big favour can a stay at your house for a while. I wouldn't ask, but I need a place to crash….I can't go back there… please" I begged
"Of course, it's no problem at all. But you have talk to me. It will help I promise. I know you're a very personal person, but please, just let me in. I will do whatever I can to help."
As she said these words tires began to form in my eyes. She was right, I never revealed anything to anyone. I had known Jess since I started school, and I hadn't even invited her back to my place once. Of course, I had a reason for that, but I hadn't even told her when Mom was murdered. She had to hear it from the local news anchor on the 6 o'clock news.
"I promise, Jess. Thank you, for everything."
"You know I'm always here for you, Angel. I'll pick you up at the Corner Store in half an hour"
The "nice" cop took me to my house. I avoided THAT room, and quickly packed up all my clothes, and my books, and a few of my favourite things.
I wish I wasn't such an idiot. My life with my Mom was fine, until I had to be a curious dumbass, and try to find my Dad. I wish I never found him, never invited him over, never let him marry my Mom. Don't get me wrong, for the first 6 months after the wedding, it was great. He didn't talk much to me, but I equated to just not knowing what to say. She was happy, and he was happy, but then something changed. I guess he finally got comfortable with us, and let his inner monster out. He yelled and swore, kicked and fought. My arms would have bruises, black and blue hands wrapped around my upper arms. And Mom… Mom was lucky to see out of both eyes once a month. He came home, every night at 8 o'clock. At 7:45, Mom would usher me into the backyard, telling me not to come back into the house until midnight. I would lie on my back, in the rain, sun and snow, staring up at the stars. I'd wonder and hope that there was something up there looking back down at me, something that could protect my Mom, from the abuse she took by protecting me. That night, the night I lay there listening to my mother's murder, I knew that there wasn't. There can't be anything up there. If there was, they would help. And they did nothing.
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Jess decided that we should go shopping. Retail therapy, if you will. I wanted a different life, so we spent hours at the mall, where we shopped until we dropped.
We were just about to leave when we passed the salon and Claire's, right beside each other. I remembered the time that I had dyed my hair green for a football game, and the beating that followed when my Father convinced himself it was permanent.
"Jess, would you mind a couple more hours? You can roam around until I'm done, or just go home, I'll walk back."
"Actually, call me when you are done. I'm going to go to the movie theatre across the street. Take all the time you need. Just do me one favor. IF you are doing what I think you are doing, keep the long hair. It's so beautiful." And with that she walked away.
She was right. I was going into the salon to get a makeover. Taking a deep breath, I strode in.
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"Well, Jess, what do you think?" I asked nervously.
I thought the salon people had done a great job. My waist length auburn hair now had black highlights in it, along with some awesome layers, and long bangs that fell into my eyes. I had also gone to the Claire's, and got 2 holes in each ear and my nose pierced. I now had small silver hoops and diamond studs in my ears, and a very tiny blood red stud in my nose.
"You looks fantastic Angel. My Mom called though, someone's at the apartment for you"
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We got back to the apartment to find a very tall man and a shorter women standing side by side, talking to Jess's Mom. Well any one was short compared to this man, he was HUGE, I mean like 6'11 huge.
"Hi, you must be Angela. My name's Kim, I'm your fathers sister. I'm sorry we've never met, but my brother and I have such an age difference…. And we never really got along well." The woman said, looking just about as nervous as I felt.
"Hi. It's nice to meet you, Kim. I never knew my father had a sister, certainly one who's just as beautiful as he was ugly"
She laughed at that. "That makes two of us. I never knew my brother had a family. I'm so sorry to hear what happened." Kim said her voice full of sincerity, her eyes tearing up. But why?
"Thank you, but why are you here?" I asked quizzically
"Child services contacted us as your only relatives, to let us know what happened, and we agreed to take care of you. We would have been here sooner, but we had to go through criminal record check and a whole wack of paperwork. Oh gosh, I never thought to ask you! Shit, I'm sorry. I just wanted to help, I mean, I know what my brother was like, and I know parts of what you've gone through, and I just waned to give you a home, and now you probably think I'm crazy, you don't even know me and I'm expecting you to pack up and just move to La Push with me and…."
"Breath, baby, breath." Said the freakishly tall, and now that I looked, stunningly good-looking man said, enveloping the hysterical woman in his arms with obvious love/
"Sorry about that. She goes through emotions very quickly, and never gives anyone enough time to process anything." He laughed "I'm Jared. Kim's my fiancée, which sje shockingly forgot to mention. I really should be offended." He teased the now calmed woman with her head buried in his chest.
"Oh, shut up you dog. " she replied, whacking his arm.
Turning to me, she asked. "Would you be interested in that? Living with me and Jared? We live on a reservation in the Washington Peninsula, and Jared's part of a …big brother program, so we know Jared knows almost all of the male students at La Push High, and Jared and I promise to do everything we can to make you happy. I mean, I understand if you would rather go with Child's services, obviously Jared and I aren't the ideal, we are both only a couple years older than you,but we'll… we'll try. La Push is all one big family, and if Jared or I can't help you, there are lots of others that will." She said hesitantly, biting her bottom lip.
I couldn't believe my luck. Here was this obviously kind and caring woman, offering me a fresh start, and even a possibility at a family.
"Yes. Thank you so much! Just, thanks." I whispered, pulling her into a hug. It was so nice, she was warm and comforting, and she smelled like cookies and rain, but most importantly, she smelt like something new.