The Ghost

8. ON HER BIRTHDAY

3 years later (Galaxy is 16)

The kitchen is a mess as Domino stands sobbing while a cake bakes in the oven. A little boy walks in, "Mommy why are you crying?"

"Oh it's nothing Jace, just something in my eye." She replies trying to stop the tears while pretending to get it out of her eye.

The little boy simply replies, "Ok mommy," and gives her a quick hug before running off. Before he's out the door she smiles knowing he will never know the pain his sisters do.

As he climbs the stairs he runs into Mark, "hey Marky, why's mommy crying?"

He freezes at the question, but eventually sighs out, "because today is a special day to someone, but we can't celebrate with them right now and it just makes her sad."

"Oh... why can't we?"

"They're just far away and we can't see them."

"Oh... how can we make mommy happy?"

"I'm not sure bud, let's just give her some alone time, ok? Why don't we go watch a movie upstairs?" The little boy nods his head following his older brother to his room upstairs.

When they get to Mark's room he picks out Finding Nemo as a tribute to Galaxy because it was her favorite when she was still at home. He turns the movie up as loud as possible, so he can't hear his parents' fighting like they do every year on either of the sisters' birthdays.

Back in the kitchen Domino is pulling the cake out trying to keep the tears back, when her husband walks in. "Crying again I see. You're the one who told me to send her to that fucking school, so don't act like you're not to blame for both of them being away."

"Shut the hell up Jackson!" Domino screams. Luckily Mark had the movie too loud for them to hear the screams from down below or Jace would've been scared and asking questions again. "You know how much that school fucked me up! I told you all of this when we fucking met and then when you were too much of a pussy to train her or hell to even let me train her you sent her to the hellhole that ruined my life! Yes I brought up the school, but I never thought you would actually go along with it! YOU sent them away, YOU forced us to have to lie to our son about where she is! YOU are the reason we can't even see Galaxy ON HER BIRTHDAY. This may have happened because I went there, but you cannot blame all of this on me!" She pants as she finishes her rant, but looking around her husband disappeared at some point during her yelling at him. "Fucking pussy," she mutters going back to the cake she's baking for Galaxy's birthday, starting on the frosting between layers.

That night when they have all finished dinner, Domino sings happy birthday to her daughter before she starts cutting the cake for dessert. She serves everyone except her husband a piece, but before either can say anything Mark jumps up and tells Jace, "come on let's go watch another movie." He knows what's coming and wants to spare Jace from as much of it as possible at his age. A six year old should never be exposed to his parents fighting.

After Mark pulls Jace out of the room and they are up the stairs, Jackson starts his verbal assault on his wife, "YOU FUCKING BITCH! I don't care what you went through at that school, if my daughters are alive then I would send them a thousand times over to the school. "

"WOW, so you're ok with them being tortured, starved and raped?" Domino asks her sarcasm showing through.

All the color drains from his face as he stares at his wife, "What do you mean tortured, starved, and raped?"

"I've told you this before, you just can't get it through your thick skull! Yes they will torture the girls, so that they can withstand even the most excruciating torture. They will starve them so going without food does not faze them. And they will rape them, so that being raped or having sex is no big deal. That is the life you chose for my daughters." Domino sobs out, but her voice remains strong.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me this earlier!?!"

"I did you just couldn't take your head out of your ass long enough to listen to me!"

Jackson sits down shaking, "How do we get them out?" He asks, his voice weak and breathy.

Domino replies in a harsh but quiet voice, "we can't anymore, that contract you signed gives them absolute authority to do whatever the hell they want until they graduate. The only way to leave early is to get expelled, but even then those girls are killed quite quickly afterwards. So we can't, you have doomed our daughters till the day they each turn 18."

"Have you been able to see them? How are they looking?"

"I was able to see Galaxy 4 years ago when she finally got to have a name again, but I will be able to return next year to see Rosie receive her name as well. Galaxy should be just returning from her studies abroad when Rosie is named, but I won't be able to interact with them in any way."

"Is... is... is there any way that I could come with you?" He stutters out.

Domino harshly replies, "NO! Only graduates, students, and teachers are ever allowed on campus. I had Sam bring them to an old friend who took them to the school when he left with the girls."

He lays his head down on the table before him, as she shakes her head at him. She walks out before he can do or ask anything else of her. When she reaches the gym she wraps her hands and starts punching the punching bag. They both stay where they are for a few hours before tiredly returning to their room for a fitful night of sleep.

Later that night

Mark had heard both his parents head to bed a while ago, but couldn't get Jace to move to his own bed at that point. Now Jace has finally gone to his bed, Mark pulls a phone out pressing the call button.

"Hello," a breathy male voice answers the other side of the call.

"Hey, how is she?"

"She seemed especially angry today because and I quote 'some dumbass thought he could short me and get the fuck away with it' although her mood lasted longer than it normally does."

"Yeah well it's her birthday I'm surprised she wasn't killing people left and right."

"Wait you mean we missed her birthday!"

"You dumbass she hasn't celebrated since she was 5. To be honest I'm surprised she knows when it is, but you can't celebrate her birthday unless you ask her when it is and she gives you a reply. It's not in her dossier when she changes gangs, so knowing is a major red flag to her."

"Fine, you take the fun out of everything," the man on the other side of the phone grumbles.

"Whatever, if something major happens call me, however even if it doesn't continue the weekly updates."

"Yes sir." The guy says as if he is actually saluting. Mark just rolls his eyes hanging up the phone before he can say anything else.

Climbing into bed Mark sighs and looks out his window to the stars. Hoping that his little sisters can come home soon, but knowing that he still has years before all of them are in the same house again.