Maybe You'll Live For Me Sometimes- Adopted by the Killjoys

Part Eight

My voice did save my life. Now things are okay. Still not perfect, not great, but okay. Normal, really. It was normal except for the fact that Dad and I were planning the downfall of Blake and Donna, for my real justice. We took a little bit of time every day for a couple weeks to discuss it and make plans for it, and after those couple weeks, we came up with this:
          Step one? Spy with stealth on their apartment.
          Step two? Report the activity to sheriff Dr. D, who will then investigate their apartment and call in people as witnesses.
          Step three? The witnesses, including me and Dad, will say what we saw and listen to one another.
          Step four? Invade their apartment and arrest them immediately, giving them life in prison.
          Step five, if they escape prison? Death penalty.

"It sounds bad, I know. But it's simply a taste of their own medicine," Dad pointed out.
          "Not just that," I said, "add a little spice." Even with how sure I was that Blake and Donna deserve this downfall and are too dangerous to be kept alive, I still had my doubts about whether or not I should go through with it. By talking about it the way I have been, I was sad deep down how I had to turn to this "evil" plan. Wanting them dead and to suffer.
          "But you in no way are like them, still," Dad assured me. "They hurt you with pure hate and malice in their hearts. You're just showing them a bit what it's like to be treated the way you were."
          "Yeah. And even then what we're doing to them is nowhere near as bad as what they put me through. If my age is just a number and my body's just a thing, then jail is just a place."
          "That's true," Dad nodded. "There is no way they are getting out free or alive."

Soon enough, we got Uncle Gee, Ray, Frankie, Grace, Vada, and Kristin all in on the plan. Vada and I had been spending free time, when we were away from the plan, writing and playing music together, trying and succeeding the best we could to live normally. During that time, Dad and Kristin had been spending time together. I could just see it between them. They have it going on and I'm happy for them. I could actually have a mom soon? Okay, don't overthink it yet.
          During spy time, our group recorded on paper everything we saw. While we saw no one else in the house besides Blake and Donna, we did see each of them spending time alone, away from one another. When they were together, they were... arguing? As if they hated each other? That was odd. "So this is what it was like behind the scenes, huh?" asked Kristin.
          "I guess," I reluctantly agreed. "They were never like this when I was around." Although none of us could hear what they were arguing about, we could tell by the looks on their faces at one another that it was really bad. I almost wanted to go back home to make some popcorn to watch it go down. That's how it was every day we went to spy.

No other victims to them as far as we know, but I'm still skeptical. But I thought for a minute: what if everyone in the city heard me expose them? In some way? I've written so many songs about the experiences, so why not?
          I pitched the idea to Dad and Kristin one day at the dinner table when Dad had invited her over. "Like a big concert? Just you?" asked Dad.
          "Not just me, but everyone who can sing or dance or play music. Make it like a showcase."
          "I like where you're going with this, Addy!" exclaimed Dad. "Plus you have so many good songs that I'm sure many people would love to hear."
          "Including me," said Kristin. "If you're always talking about music and how you write songs, which I love hearing about, why not share them?"
          I smiled at her. People need to hear my voice.

A Few Weeks Later

The plan was in the process of being carried out, the city concert showcase organized and planned to happen next week. I had listened to some of the witnesses in Dr. D's office, which were from some of Blake and Donna's former friends, romantic partners, and everyone else who had ever had an experience with them.
          But there were two witnesses throughout the time who really caught my eye.

One of them was supposedly Blake's ex-girlfriend, Genessa, from way back before I was born. "I could run, but I couldn't hide from him," she said. "I am so glad I realized how terrible he was before it was too late. Because I knew that if I were to marry him, he would trap me in it and do terrible things to me if I were to file for divorce later."
          "Wow," I shook my head in disbelief, even though I wasn't surprised at all. "That sounds exactly like something he would do, but it really makes me think that that's why he and Donna had been fighting a lot lately. Maybe she was manipulated by him too and during my time living with them that she enabled and participated in hurting me in the process."
          "Then maybe she realized too late what she was into and what she really did to you," Genessa added.
          "Yeah. I still don't like Donna though, nor do I forgive her. She already did the damage."
          "Fair enough," she replied with a shrug and nod.
          "So what was it like when you finally got out of the relationship?" asked Dad.
          "Very freeing. I felt like I could finally live my life and express myself again," answered Genessa with a smile. "Although I still felt uneasy knowing that he was still walking free out there somewhere and had had a kid. Apparently that kid they had before you died by suicide some time before you were born."

Wait...

What!? 

The kid they had before I was born!?

"Hold on a minute," said Gee, just as shocked and confused. "Addy had an older sister this whole time, who she never even met because she killed herself before Addy was born?"
          "Yep," Genessa sadly nodded. "As soon as this sister killed herself was when I heard that Blake and Donna were pregnant with you, Addy."
          "So did they just have me as an attempt to fill their void of having no control over someone else because their other kid killed herself because of them?" I asked, getting more and more furious.
          "Sounds about right," agreed Kristin. "How old was she when she killed herself?"
          "She was your age, Addy. Only fourteen," Genessa mumbled to me.
          My heart shattered. Dad and Kristin each put an arm around me for comfort.
          "Genessa," addressed Sheriff Dr. D, "do you happen to know anyone else who knew this sister?"

Another witness who was listening to Genessa's story stood up and raised her hand. She looked to be about twenty-six or so. "I knew this sister!" she exclaimed.