Better Off Dead (Kellin's Daughter)

Epilogue

A few years have passed. I have gotten significantly less constantly scared. I still need to bring Daisy with me because if there is any noise that resembles a gunshot, or any reminders mixed in with me already being anxious I get pretty bad.

I'm at the beach by myself. I still am pretty anxious, but I don't think that is going to go away. Someone walks up next to me. "Hey, you're Kellin Quinn's kid, right?" I look towards the familiar voice of Johnnie Guilbert.

"Yeah. I like your music." "Thanks, I like your's as well." I have been releasing music with my band. We aren't ready to sign yet and we haven't done a ton of shows, but it is so thrilling to be up on stage.

"Thanks." I feel him look at me. "How old are you?" "18." He smiles. "I want to take you on a date. What do you say?" "Somewhere public. Just because I am accepting this doesn't mean I'm gonna be your girlfriend though. I barely know you outside your public persona." He smiles. "Deal."

I stand up. "Rachel, wear something comfortable and warm. I'll be there at 4:30." I nod and leave. On the way home, I get pulled over. I put my hands on the wheel. "License and registration?" "My license is in my back pocket and registration is in the glove department. I'm going to grab them." I hand him my license and reach for the registration.

I hear a loud pop and immediate burning pain. There is a few more. Daisy growls and there is another pop before she falls limp. My heart completely breaks. I get pulled out of the car. "Can I at least know what I am being arrested for?"

"Driving while intoxicated." He throws me into the car. It's hard to breathe. I think two of the bullets went into my lungs while the third is in my arm. I get brought into the station. "You get one call." I call Dad. "Dad, it happened again. I'm at the police station. Please pick me up." "What did you do?" I cough some, my body trying to pick up more oxygen and get the bullets out.

I also flinch away from his tone. "Th-They s-said I was in-intoxicated." The officer hangs it up. He grabs me and violently throws me into a cell, this time with another guy. The guy smirks. He rapes me and then goes about his own business.

Tony comes in. "Your dad is pissed." I'm barely conscious. They let me out. I pretty much collapse into him. "Fuck, I'm bringing you to the hospital." He picks me up and carries me to the hospital which is conveniently next door.

I'm slipping. I hear Tony talk before the world completely goes black. I wake up in a hospital bed once again. It hurts to breathe, but I'm on a ventilator so I don't get an option. I hear Tony. "Hey honey, this'll be gone soon. You had pretty severe damage to your lung so they wanted to put you on the ventilator for a little to make you take deep breaths even though it is probably painful."

He hands me my phone. Where is Dad? I hear him sigh. "He was upset, thinking you were drinking. He said he wasn't coming." I feel horrible. A few days pass and Dad still hasn't shown. I see Katelynne come in with tears in her eyes.

"Rachel, he is gone. H-He drank himself to d-death." My heart shatters. I run, my immediate reaction. I end up at an empty portion of the beach. Tears are streaming down my face.

I'm sorry Tony. I can't go on knowing Dad died because of me. You're all I have left and it's only a matter of time before you leave in some way as well. I get a quick reply. Rachel, please don't. You'll hurt me so much if you do.

Tears keep coming. I go to enter the water but someone holds onto me. "Hey kid, I'm going to bring you back to Tony, okay?" I don't have any energy left. He picks me up and grabs my phone. I don't even have the energy to try and recognize who it is.

I hear Tony's voice. "Oh god, is she okay?" "She was about to go into the ocean when I found her. She just collapsed." I get passed over. "Kid, please be safe and don't hurt yourself, it's not worth it."

"C'mon, I should bring you back to the hospital, but you need some time to emotionally recover first."

I'm sitting in my room a few days later, a bottle of Vodka in one hand and a full bottle of pills in the other. The Vodka is already about half gone. I begin drinking it and taking the pills.

Everything begins to get fuzzy and I get more lightheaded until I fall into the permanent black abyss of my death.