when you were my father

his house

"Here we are." DJ announced, as he opened the front door to his house. Following him, Micah helped me walk inside. Isla, Brian and Jayden followed, all six of us crowded into his small entry way.

"DJ? Is that you?" A girl's voice called from up the stairs.

"Yeah, it's me." He replied, with almost no emotion. Turning back to face all of us standing in the small hallway heading towards his living room he tells us, "Okay, so my sister's kind of, well... paranoid, but like where she kind of doubts everything and questions reality. So I recommend not saying anything about what ever, this is." He waves his hands around us, accentuating that it's weird.

"Okay," I replied, as I heard feet pounding the flight of stairs in front of us. At a corner of the staircase, a brightly dressed young woman emerged, walking calmly down the staircase.

"Who are these people?" She asked, staring at all of us.

"These are my... friends, and they're not going to be here that long. So, just mind your own business and stay in your room like you always do."

"Fine, but ummm, do you realize that you have blood like all over you?" She asked, looking from me to Isla.

"Yeah, of course I do." I told her, since to me it seemed pretty obvious. "Wouldn't you notice if you had blood?"

"I suppose that's a good point, anyways are any of you going to introduce yourselves? I'm in charge here, and should probably know who's coming in and out of my parent's house." She crossed her arms and leaned over to her right hip.

DJ looked at me, gesturing for me to say who I was or whatever, so I did. "I'm Mai, I'm in a lot of the same classes as DJ."

"Mkay, who are you?" She looked at Micah, with somewhat humorous eyes.

"You know who I am."

"Do I?"

Micah rolled his eyes, "Yes, you do. But we're not going anywhere this way, so I'm Micah and I've literally been in the same grade as you since kindergarten, and the same class all the way to middle school where we still shared like half of our classes."

"Oh, right, Micah."

"I don't know why, but I get the feeling they don't like each other." I slightly whispered to DJ.

"Yeah, same." He replied, catching onto my sarcasm and we giggled quietly.

"Little ballerina girl, covered in dry blood, who are you?"

"I'm Isla, their younger sister. Also, I know I'm covered in blood. It's uncomfortable and it smells, so you don't have to keep reminding me."

"Alright then, so you?" She looked at Jayden, and I realized how boringly annoying this was.

"I'm Valentina, their older sister."

"You look around my or my brother,'s not DJ, age. Do you go to the high school here?"

"Ummm..." She looked to me and I shrugged, we didn't think of a story for her. "No, I don't. I just came here for a little while, while my dad figures out some things where the two of us live. Half siblings."

"Right..." I could tell DJ's sister didn't buy this, but luckily she moved on. "And last, this adult man. Who the heck are you?"

"I'm..." He pondered saying James or Brian, but chose his real name since we all knew him as that anyway. "Brian, their... uncle."

"Cool, you seem familiar, I've seen you somewhere..."

"Strange, I don't know where you would have seen me. Anyways, what's your name?"

"Oh, I'm Lea, have fun doing whatever you weirdos are doing." She walked away, back up the stairs and we could hear her slam a door.

"She seems fun," I said, while DJ rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, well I have my own bathroom in the basement, where my room is, if anyone wants to shower or something." He said, looking at Isla and I.

"Thanks, I could go to my house quickly and get clean clothes for us." Micah said, looking to Isla and I, who nodded, but as he turned towards the door Valentina grabbed his shoulder.

"Don't, I can tell it's dangerous."

"You said that last time, but I still went." I pointed out. She turned to look at me, her face deeply serious.

"Last time was a warning, this time it's really dangerous. We should stay away from any place that one of those things happened at."

"What makes you so qualified?" Micah asked her, putting a hand on his hip. I laughed under my breath, he was being so Micah.

"I just know, it's complicated."

"I can't trust someone who keeps secrets, important secrets." He replied, and her eyes widened.

"I really do want to tell you, it's just a lot and I don't even know a lot yet."

He stared her down, frowning. "Fine," He let it go, but I could tell he'd never stop asking her about it.

"You can wear my sister's old stuff, or my old stuff I guess." DJ offered, and I nodded.

"Yeah, that works, we just need to get out of this." I told him, pinching the fabric of my originally white shirt.

*********

SHHHH

Red water ran down my body and face. When blood gets wet there seems to be a lot more of it. I'd taken the brace on my leg off so it didn't get wet and was leaning against the shower wall with my shoulder.

I ran my fingers through my hair, which felt like plastic with blood and salt water coating each strand.

Moments from the past few days all flashed through my brain.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

"HELLO, I'VE GOT A GUN."

"SOY ROBERTO,"

"...I'VE HEARD SO MUCH ABOUT YOU..."

"KIIIILLLL!"

"CHOP!"

"JAMES!"

"SHE'S YOUR DAUGHTER!"

"YOU ARE A BEAST OF A MAN!"

I wanted it all to stop, but it wouldn't. Running over and over again, they all pounded through my head.