Note: The backstory of Chasity is more detail in Chapter Seven of my fanfic 'United By Fate' and Lamia's backstory is more detailed in Chapter Forty-Five
Also this chapter contains references to Domestic Violence and Bullying which may upset some readers.
Chapter Thirty-One
More Stories of our Past
"So who wants to speak next?" Diablo asked as he looked at the other Disciples.
Chastity raised her hand whilst Lamia threw a bit of wood onto the fire to fuel it.
"You sure you want to talk about your life Chasity?" Samson asked a look of worry in his eyes.
"It still haunts me what happened." Chastity said, "But I don't want to not tell it to our newest recruit, we all told our stories when we met how our lives were ruined by sinners."
"Who was your sinner?" Aurora asked looking at the dove.
Chastity sighed.
"My uncle, well step uncle actually." She said, "My late father's stepbrother." She took another breath as she braced herself to tell her story.
"Years ago, I had dreams to becoming a doctor, I left school with all the right qualifications and was ready to go onto college, but it wasn't to be." She said.
"Why?" Aurora asked.
"My father, a hardworking man, had to become a carer to my mother after she was diagnosed with Huntington's disease, he had to leave his job and stay home for a while, and when I wasn't studying I also helped, but then came the next tragedy, my father was killed in a car accident one night when he was travelling home from collecting medicines for mum."
Aurora gasped.
"Oh how awful." She said to which Chastity nodded.
"I still remember it like yesterday," she said, "After his death, I pretty much took over to look after mother who as well as being very ill was devastated by my dad's death."
"What exactly happened?" Aurora asked chewing her lip.
"It turned out my father's car was wrecked by some teenager who had been joyriding in a stolen car, high on drugs too."
Lilith frowned hard as she thought about how some stupid drunk teenagers had caused her death and Seth noticed her look and placed his hand on hers in support.
"All of them were killed in the crash too." Chastity said, "They didn't just take my father's life, but their own too."
"All for the pointless reason of getting a fix." Diablo growled "Stupid kids!"
The other Disciples murmured in agreement.
"My mother's health deteriorated after my dad's death," Chastity continued "I had to put my college plans on hold and took a couple of part time jobs, including working at a strip club as a barmaid."
"The Same place I was working as a bouncer." Samson chimed in to which the dove nodded.
"Even though dad had an insurance policy, it wasn't enough to cover the rent and medical bills that kept piling up, so I had to find work." Chastity continued "But then I also had to call in some help, and I was forced to get in touch with my father's stepbrother as we had no other family to help."
"No grandparents?" Aurora asked, "Or other aunts or uncles?"
Chastity shook her head.
"No dear." She said, "My mother was an only child, and her parents were long gone before I was born, and my father's parents died two years before he did." She confirmed.
"I needed help, and I wasn't able to afford home-carers, nor did I want to put mum in a home, so I was forced to ask Dale to come in and help, despite the fact we never got on, I never liked him."
"Why?" Aurora asked, "What did he do to you?"
"He was always a very dodgy character." Chastity said, "He was always making rude comments and acting inappropriately when we were together at family gatherings at Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc, my parents and I only tolerated him for the sake of the grandparents, his mother and my father's father."
"But I suppose after they died?" Aurora asked.
"My father and Uncle Dale never saw each other again, after the funeral and the will reading, Dale pretty much took off and my father never had anything much to do with him."
"Until that fateful day?" Aurora questioned.
Chastity nodded.
"He only got in contact after my father died wondering if there was anything in it for him, if he got any assets, but no, my father left everything to me and mother which I believe he was angry about." Chastity said, "But anyway, I was forced to call him in and I hoped that we could try and move forward, but it all backfired."
"What happened?" Aurora asked dreading the answer.
Chastity took a deep breath as she began to tell her story.
Flashback
Sophie watched as Dale came in with some suitcases and dumped them on the hall floor, she looked at the man who stood there, overweight and with a messy five o clock shadow.
He stank of booze and cigarettes and Sophie kept asking herself why she had asked this person to come and help her with her ill mother.
But she knew very well why, because he was family, her late father's stepbrother and given how the money from the insurance policy as well as the money from her mother's benefits couldn't cover any nurses or carers, she had no other choice.
"Thank you for coming Dale." She said casually "I am grateful you agreed to come and help."
Dale snorted.
"Yeah whatever." He said, "So where am I sleeping?"
Sophie pointed to a door down the hall.
"Spare room." She said, "Make yourself at home, can I get you a drink?"
"Gimme a Beer!" Dale snapped as he picked up his suitcases and stomped to the spare room.
"We don't have beer." Sophie said "I got tea, coffee? Or Juice?"
Dale stared at Sophie.
"You don't have beer? What kind of house am I walking into if I don't get to have a beer?"
Sophie winced, she could see from Dale's behaviour and the way he was walking, he was drunk already, and he wasn't even finished with his drinking for the day, and it was only four in the afternoon.
"Dale?" Sophie asked to which Dale spun around to face her.
"What?" he asked as he dumped his suitcases on the floor and looked around the spare room.
"After Dad's death, and you staying with us to help me with mum, I was wondering if...maybe?" she paused.
"Maybe what?" Dale asked in a bored voice as he opened one of his bags and emptied his clothes on the bed.
"That we can start over? Now dad's gone and mum needs us, we need to move forward, I'm willing to give you a chance."
"A chance hmm?" Dale asked looking at Sophie, his eyes leering at her and Sophie felt a little scared.
"A chance to move forward you know?" Sophie said, "Forget the past and the bitterness and just turn a new chapter, it's what dad would want?"
Dale narrowed his eyes.
"You saying we should just move on? And forget everything? And forget that your father pretty much treated me like a pissing fool?"
Sophie winced.
She knew Dale was angry that he hadn't gotten any access to any money that had been paid out after his stepbrother's death as it all went to her and her mother, and he was still bitter about it.
"Look, I know you and dad didn't get on, but I don't want any more ugliness, I want things to change, and I'm willing to give you a chance."
Dale was quiet for a moment as he looked at Sophie and she started to wonder if anything she had said was sinking in.
After what seemed like a long time, Dale held out his hand to Sophie.
"Alright then." He said, "We'll shake on it."
Sophie cocked her head and stepped forward holding out her hand as she analysed him wondering if what he was saying was genuine.
But that analysing of the truth didn't come quick as no sooner did Dale touch Sophie's hand than he grabbed her and pulled her towards him!
Sophie opened her mouth to scream yet Dale pinned her to the bed and pushed her face against the covers.
"Dale!" Sophie gasped "What are you doing? Let go!" she then cried out as she felt him push her arm up behind her back.
"You think I'm here because I actually wanted to help you and your sick cow of a mother?" Dale demanded "Well think again Baby Cakes! I'm only here for my own gain! And you better believe it!"
"Dale! Stop!" Sophie begged as she felt him push her arm up higher behind her back and she was scared he'd break it.
"Shut up!" Dale snapped "Now I'm here, things are going to go this way, from now on, if you want me to help look after your mummy, you'll need to do what I say!"
"What?" Sophie cried then she sobbed as she felt Dale's hand on her crotch "Dale! No!"
"Shut up slut!" Dale snapped "From now one, you'll do what I say, because if you don't..." he leaned close to her ear "I won't just hurt you, but I'll hurt your mother! And you don't want that do you?"
Sophie sniffed and shook with anger and humiliation, but she shook her head.
"No, please don't hurt mum!" she pleaded "Do what you want to me, but not mum!"
"I won't." Dale hissed "But I will keep my word if you don't obey me? Is that in anyway unclear?"
Sophie again shook her head and Dale let go of her arm and got off her making her collapse against the side of the bed and cradle her sore arm.
Dale smirked as he saw tears running from the girl's eyes.
"Now," he said "Put my clothes away, then meet me in the kitchen! Where we'll talk more about the rules here."
He then turned away from Sophie and went into the hallway and towards the kitchen.
After he left the room, Sophie started to sob both in pain and humiliation and hurt.
She never expected this, she had never seen this side of Dale, not even when she was a young girl.
"Why did I do this?" she asked herself "Why? Why did I invite him here?"
She lowered her head and sobbed more as she realised that now with Dale in the house, and the threats he had made, she had no choice now, and given her mother's illness she couldn't do anything to stop Dale unless he carried out his threat.
"Oh mother, I'm so sorry..." she wept as the realisation of the Hell that was to come sunk in.
End Flashback
Aurora's eyes widened.
"No..." she said "He was hurting you, but why didn't you say anything sooner? Like to Samson when you were working at the same club?"
"I was too scared to." Chastity said, "Dale was so convincing in his threats and promises, I couldn't say a word, I had to keep doing his bidding to protect my mother, until the day I snapped."
She then proceeded to tell Aurora about how Dale murdered her mother by suffocating her with a pillow then said that if she told anyone he would pin the blame on her, and Aurora almost burst into tears.
"It was then I snapped." Chastity said, "I beat him with a kettle then fled thinking I'd killed him, but I hadn't, and he was still trying to pin the blame on me, until I was able to return as a mutant dove and give him his just desserts."
"And that bastard had it coming!" Diablo snarled, a smirk forming on his face "After what he did to you and your mother Angel."
Chastity nodded.
"I'm thankful that you helped me get justice, and he's now serving time for his crimes."
Samson and Rex nodded in agreement.
Aurora looked sadly at the dove.
"I'm sorry for the tragedies you went through, losing both your parents to such evil people."
"Thanks kid." Chastity said, "Well Dale was evil, but those kids who killed my dad, they were just stupid, and they paid the price when they killed themselves."
Lamia sighed as she listened to Chastity's story.
"I know what it's like to be betrayed in the worst way, especially by family."
Aurora looked over at the eel.
"What happened to you?" she asked.
Lamia took a sip of juice.
"I suppose you can tell from my clothes and my mannerisms that I'm a Muslim?" she asked to which the Hybrid nodded.
"I saw you praying before we started eating." She said to which Lamia nodded.
"Anyway," the eel started "My life wasn't all bad at the start, I had two loving parents, and I had dreams of becoming a barrister, but when I was sixteen, my mother died from complications giving birth to my baby brother."
"Oh no!" Aurora cried and Regan looked saddened as she listened.
"And if that wasn't tragic enough." Lamia continued "My baby brother also died a few days later."
Aurora winced as she heard that.
"After my mother and baby brother's deaths, my father changed, I'm still not sure to this day that it was the grief affecting him or something else, but he wasn't the same man after that, during those two years in-between studying, I took over the housework and cooking as my father was so heartbroken, he tried to cope by working, but when he came home, he barely ate or drank and often belittled me for the smallest things, if the food wasn't cooked right, Leaving one cup out or not dusting properly was the tip of the iceberg, then he started saying I shouldn't take my studying in Law seriously because no-one would hire a Muslim woman in Law."
"Yikes!" Aurora cried "That must have hurt a lot."
Lamia nodded.
"He kept saying such things, but I kept ignoring it and kept studying, even doing my homework late at night or getting up extra early, or in the study hall during breaks and even dropping out of Lacrosse practice so I could get my work done so I didn't have to listen to him saying such things to me when I was studying at home."
"What parent would even say such things to their child?" Lilith asked, "I thought every parent would want the best for their child by encouraging them to study, I know mine did."
"Mine too." Seth agreed and the others agreed.
"I know mine would have." Regan chimed in "If she was still alive and I wasn't mutated." The Vampire bat sighed.
"I wish I had known what it was like to go to school, as I was so young when I was mutated, I barely even remember kindergarten."
"I don't even know if I even went to school." Aurora said.
"Keep telling your story Lamia." Diablo encouraged to which everyone quietened down.
Lamia nodded.
"Anyway, I was eighteen when I got the worst news a Muslim girl would hear." Lamia said, "My father had arranged for us to go and have dinner with some cousins of mine one Saturday evening..."
Flashback
Asiyah walked with her father to the front door of a house just a few doors away from their house.
Both were in their best clothes and Asiyah had her white veil on.
"Father?" she asked, "Why are we having dinner with my cousins?"
Her father looked at her.
"We have some important things to discuss." He said as he rang the doorbell "And I need you to be on your best behaviour."
Asiyah was a little shocked, as well as worried as she saw her father had that serious look on his face, almost like he wasn't in the mood to discuss or argue.
She wondered if it was a dinner to explain to her cousins about her acceptance letter into Harvard Law School.
She had gotten her letter in the post yesterday and she was so happy, as well as hoping that after all the grief her father had given her about her studying to get into Law School was fruitless, she had hoped that would finally prove him wrong.
Before she could say anything else, Asiyah found herself being led into the house and greeting her cousins, three older men in their thirties and all talking in Arabic.
She then found herself sitting at the table with a plate of food in front of her along with some orange juice which she ate in silence whilst her father and cousins talked yet they didn't include her in their conversation and if she did try to say something, they just talked over her in a mix of Arabic and English.
After what seemed like hours, Asiyah's father looked at her.
"Now Asiyah, I've been speaking with your cousins and we've come to a decision that will benefit you better than what you planning to do at present."
Asiyah felt her heart beat fast and her stomach dipped in fear.
"What's that father?" she asked.
"There is a man your cousins have been in contact with in Israel and he is keen to meet you." He said.
"What?" Asiyah asked "Who? Why?"
"Because you're marrying him." Her father said dropping the bombshell.
Asiyah almost spat up her food as the truth hit her like a ton of bricks.
"What?!" she shrieked.
"Do not shout at the table Asiyah!" her father barked "I have decided that this is the best option for you, it is pointless for you to go to Law School, it'll be for nothing, and no-one will take a lady Barrister seriously!"
"You're wrong father!" Asiyah cried, the words leaving her mouth before she could stop herself "I've gotten my letter! I've worked hard to get this far! It's all I've ever wanted! Please! Don't make me go through with this marriage!"
"ENOUGH!" Her father shouted standing up at the table and pointing at his daughter "You will not refuse to go through with this! You will marry him! If not, you will bring shame on this family!"
Asiyah was terrified, her father had never spoken to her in this way, and she knew very well that if her mother was still alive, she wouldn't have allowed this.
"Please father!" Asiyah started to cry then looked at her cousins "Please! Cousins! Don't make me!"
"Listen to your father Asiyah!" her cousins snapped at her "You will do as you are told! You will not bring shame on the family!"
Asiyah shook her head as the tears fell from her eyes.
"Father..." she thought as she looked at the man who had once cuddled her, swung her about, and read her stories at night, and took her to the park as a child, the one she had called her beloved Babba, he wasn't there anymore, the look in his eyes, his furious expression, she felt she was looking at a stranger, and the father she had loved had died along with her sweet mother.
She prayed to Allah that this was a bad dream and she was going to wake up, but deep down, she knew it wasn't...
End Flashback
"...After that, I knew I couldn't let him do it, I refused, and I knew I risked a lot, but I had to run away." Lamia continued "I got in touch with a couple of friends who lived in Massachusetts who offered to let me stay with them until college started, so I packed my bags and gathered what money I had and snuck out of the house whilst my father was in the shower, I left a goodbye note saying I still loved him despite what he was trying to do to me, and in hindsight maybe I shouldn't have, then maybe he wouldn't have sent my cousins after me, and..." she paused "You know the rest."
The Disciples nodded.
"Awful, just awful." Seth sighed "And all in the name of 'honour'." He bent his fingers at the last word.
"I've never understood it." Lilith sighed "Families are supposed to support you."
Lamia lifted a gloved hand to her face to wipe away a tear that had escaped her eye, and Aurora suddenly felt the urge to go over and hug her.
She got up and walked around the fire and before anyone could stop her, the hybrid wrapped her arms around the Eel.
"I'm so sorry Lamia." She said in a comforting voice.
Lamia was surprised but she smiled and hugged the Hybrid back as well as felt grateful because she was covered that her electrical touch wouldn't hurt her.
"Thanks sweetie." She said patting Aurora's back then the hybrid let go and stood up.
"At least now you're here with friends." Aurora said, "But if only you could have achieved your dream."
Lamia nodded.
"There are days I feel bitter or sad, but I have to tell myself it won't change anything." She said, "But as a mutant I do more for other victims out there, and punish those who have wronged the innocent, it was too late for me, and for us who had our lives ruined, but we won't let it happen to anyone else if we can help it." She gave a small smile and wink.
"Indeed." Diablo said, "And We will continue to do so,"
Aurora grinned and sat back down again before looking to the other Disciples.
"Seth? Lilith" she asked, "What about you?"
The Oryx and Falcon were a little shocked.
"You want to know about us?" Lilith asked.
Aurora nodded.
"Please." She said...
More details of the past have been told, and needless to say, it was a shock for Aurora/Pandora.
Again, if you or someone you know, are familer with or affected by any of the issues raised in this chapter, please reach out for help, whether it's calling a helpline, the police or someone you can trust, don't suffer in silence and don't live in fear.