“One day, mom’s friend was supposed to watch me because mom was taking Matty to this amusement park for kids. Being ten, I wanted nothing to do with it. I thought it was too young for me. It was geared towards toddlers, so I wasn’t wrong. However, as she was leaving, I changed my mind. God, we had so much fun. Mom let me go on the rides with Matty, and I can still hear his chortles of enjoyment. We played games, ate a bunch of unhealthy crap, and had the most fun I’ve ever had in my life. Mom won passes to the park that came with enough money for everything we did. Looking back, it’s obvious what happened. But mom was so excited she didn’t think twice.” My voice shook, and it took me a moment to not bawl. This part never gets easier to talk about.
“Everything was wonderful until we got into the parking lot. Mom parked away from everyone else, like always. She was worried she would hit someone’s car, you know? Once we got in, before she could even start it, a car came barreling out of nowhere to stop behind her and two more pulled beside ours. I was shaking when the fourth car stopped in front of ours. I didn’t even look. I took my seatbelt off and left my seat to get between Matty and the windshield. Tires squealed, and I knew it was coming. Mom did too. She told me she loved me a mere second before the other car crashed into us. The windshield shattered, and the glass sliced into my back. However, it was our car hitting the one behind us that caused my back to slam into mom’s seat and fractured my spine. The glass damaged my nerves, and they healed wrong, so my back is very sensitive. But the damage done to my spine was permanent. If I take too hard a blow, it could break completely, and I’ll spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair if I’m lucky. I had to relearn to walk as it was. I kept Matty in the hospital with me, dad’s friend wanted to sell him when he found out he was alive. He still doesn’t know where Matty is, and if he ever finds him, I do not doubt he will live a life that makes mine look like paradise. About every three months, he finds me, and I’m always in the hospital for weeks after his visit. Then I run, find somewhere to hide, and hope I found somewhere he can’t locate me. Him and his two buddies. It’s always the three of them. Our dialogue is always the same too. If I give up Matty, he’ll give me a home. Tch. What he means is a cage. But I wouldn’t give up Matty even if it meant I could live in my dream house. Once I graduate, I hope to get a good enough job to save up so I can get us out of the country. I only see Matty a couple times a year, and he never stays the night. If his companion messages me and I don’t respond, they leave. So far, this method has kept him safe. The boys boarding school he attends understands our plight and works with me to keep him safe. So long as I pay his tuition fee for the year before it’s over, they’re flexible about payment. He stays through breaks with a teacher, and she’s the one he travels with too. I miss him so much, but he’s happy and having fun, which is what matters,” I finished while swallowing a sob.
“Oh, Angel,” Claire cried, pulling me into a hug and crying into my shoulder. I stared at my feet, startled. I don’t think anyone has ever cried over my story. However, when I looked up, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. “You poor dear. It wasn’t your fault. You know that, right? None of it was your fault.” I disagreed. That man killed my parents because of me. My father because he intended to get rid of me. My mother, well, because she kept me from him. She had a claim, ownership, I suppose, and he didn’t like that. Matty he wanted to sell because he’s pretty and looks identical to dad. Thus, he makes quite the profit while dad rolls in his grave.
I feared my sixteenth birthday, but it came and passed without a visit from the bastard. He admitted to me once that sixteen was close enough in his eyes, and I hadn’t needed to ask for an explanation. Thankfully, his last visit didn’t lead to any sexual advances. Hell, had I not known any better, I’d think he was waiting for me to hit eighteen. I don’t understand this new game, and I don’t like it. I despise any rules I do not know. In my world, what you don’t know can get you killed or worse. I didn’t tell them everything about that man, which was for the best. It’s not as if they would meet him.
It was nice sharing my past with teenagers for once, instead of only the adults who must know. Marcus was the first person I willingly told. What was with the
