The Burning Of Pages (Now Complete! Yay🗣️)

picture perfect family with akomori

my blood runs cold as I stare worried as a man holds a gun to Kate's head, and then ignoring his demand Kate turns around, and his eyes widen. I can't see Kate's face but she speaks. "Dad?" His gaze gardens Into a glare "Kate? How have you lived this long!?" The woman standing behind him gasps and runs forward and hugs Kate. Kate doesn't hug her back. The woman has void black hair, and a brown completion. Her eyes are a striking red color that stands out from her dark features, and she has the ruins of makeup on.

    Meanwhile the man has a greyish-black hair with dark brown eyes. He has a tanned skin tone and the start of a beard on a sharp jaw line. His build is lean like most of us now and the woman looks frail. "Martha let go of her, we need food and I'm sure Kate has some we can take.'' His lips open into a devilish smile. Martha gasps and she quickly turns and glares at Kate's father. "Dan! This is our daughter!" Dan shrugs and he crosses his arms with a now unreadable expression. “I don't care, we never gave a shit about her before. Why start now?" Martha takes a step towards him "Dan! She is our daughter! We have to take care of her. This, whatever it is has given us another chance to be parents! I know we were bad ones. But we were young. We didn't want a kid but-”

     she is cut off by ' Dan scoffing and laughs "we never wanted her. before stop acting like you were a golden mother" his gaze darkens. And his eyes seem to appear demon-like. "you let that man do what he did.'' Dan's voice is filled with anger "I didn't take the money!" Martha shrieked, Dan laughed and crossed his arms  “oh but you didn't stop me did you? We needed that money. And we both know that it was but a small price." I walk over to Kate and I whisper in her ear "are they talking about-" Kate cuts me off and says "yeah" Martha turns and tries to hug Kate again but Kate jumps away Martha looks shocked "fuck you mom! Don't pretend to care." I whince away from her as Kate raised her voice "Kate '' Martha reaches out and Kate crosses her arms and backs away. “you did that. you sold me to that man!"

     My eyes widen and I look at Kate. "Kate.'' I say and anxiety pulls on my heart. “ Kate. What does that mean?” She looks over her shoulder at me and I see her eyes gliesning My voice trails off and Kate nods her eyes filled with tears “Kate we had to we needed that money and." Martha pauses and collects herself "I'm so sorry" she says her voice cracking and Dan places a hand on Martha's shoulder "don't apologize. Kate has been nothing but trouble that we didn't even want" Martha throws his hand off her and gets in his face. "you took the money!" Dan glares at her "back up Martha, and watch your tone.'' Martha does not watch her tone but she gets louder "you wanted a kid!" He grips his gun and Martha goes on

    "I mean I can't believe you! I never should have let you do that! it's your fault! Fuck you dan!" Tears finally spill over her eyes and down her cheeks, but Dan's anger boils over and me and Kim are there to bear witness to it. he raises his gun and with the butt of it he slams it down onto her right temple she falls to the side and hits her head on the ground. It was a hard hit. and Dan gasps and drops his gun. "Martha god I'm so sorry. fuck" kate gasps and Kim looks away Kate runs forward "what the fuck dad!" Dan is holding Martha close "god I'm so sorry Martha. please. you'll be fine. fuck. you'll be fine." Dan repeats his voice filled with sorrow and remorse "you'll be fine" he whispers and Martha body twitches "i-i can't see.." Martha whispers and she moves her eyes. They are dull and look like dirty water "i-i can't see Dan? Are you there?" Dan pulls her closer and I say the words no one wanted to

     "she's not gonna make it from that '' Kate looks back at me and nods in grim agreement. Dan then yells his voice booming, "shut up! You don't know anything!" He holds her close, then Martha starts to gasp for air, "i-i can't breathe!" Martha croaks out and she continues to struggle for air her chest heaves and trembles. "Dan?" Dan holds her up to his ear, "what is it honey?" Martha gasps and then speaks in a breathless whisper, "I still love you." then Martha's twitchings stop and her gasps die out and she lays limp in Dan's hands. they start to shake and he puts her down. "I still love you to" then he balls his hands into shaking fists, and he stands tears flowing down his face. "why did I do that?" Kate glares at him, sighs and turns to me "you figure out what to do with that." She pauses and shakes her head "ugh fine something to do with him" I turn and stare at him

     "I say we leave here to the crazies'' he stares at Kim.  she crosses her arms and glares at him. "look girls, I know what I just did. you think I'm a bad man, but I'm not! I swear." Kate laughs and he shoots her a glare "that would be cruel!" I exclaim and shoot Kim a look over my shoulder. leave him? Or take him with us? I shake my head. He just took the life of his wife! But then again he would last out here by himself. I can't bear to leave him "come with us" I extend my hand, and Kate is shocked, but she nods. I have a feeling she'll remember that. we sneak through the street back to the police station. And I can't help but feel like. Maybe. I made the wrong decision. we open the door and walk in the rest of the kids look suspiciously at Dan.

"this is Kate's dad he's gonna be staying with us" they nod trusting me because I'm they're class president. It makes me a bit uneasy that they follow me so blindly "you seem to have a lot of control here little girl" Dan says as he eyes me up "yes, yes I do." I nod and walk away, I feel hostility from him and his eyes burning into my backside I shiver and hurry away I go over and check on Marlen I bend over and I look at him with a smile "hey Marlen" he gives me a hug "you came back" he whispers into my shoulder and I hold him close "yep I came back and guess who I have with me" I looks up and tilts his Head "who?" I look over my shoulder and Kate is standing awkwardly to the side and I wave her over. she appears next to me and Marlen gives her a hug, so I leave them to talk.

     I decide to check on everyone. Talk, be social like a teen is supposed to be. I walk over to Harry and he's testing his leg out. it's about back to normal and I smile. "hows the leg holding up?" He looks up at me and puts pressure on it "better I can walk but running would hurt a lot" I wave good bye and I look around Kara is getting over jades death, and Riley has never left her side. They could probably use someone to talk to, so I go to talk to the pair. Riley looks up at me and Kara gives me a smile I sit down with them. "hey." "hi" Riley gives me a curt answer and Kara shakes her head “take care.” Is all I say and so I get up, and leave. Guess they didn't want someone to talk to.

     Ethan is standing in a corner eyeing Dan or Kate's father. I don't know which one I should call him. I walk over to him "hey" he looks at me startled by my sudden appearance. "hi" he looks back at Dan. "I don't like that dude he doesn't seem safe."  I nod " I know but I couldn't just leave him out there and plus. We are all on edge so let's just give him time for us to get used to him." he nods "I understand but still. watch him." I look around and Kim is searching for a mirror to brush her hair and I shake my head and run my fingers through my hair they get caught a lot I could use a hair brush too. I stretch and I feel eyes burning into me I look over and it's Kate's father, Dan. I shake off the feeling and I call out to the group. "we have food and water now come get your fill"

     I hand out the rations we got and we sit in a circle and Dan comes over and looks at me. I go to hand him food and Kate looks at me. I could refuse him food. He did try to rob us. but my heart squeezes at the thought of him going hungry. So I handed him some. He takes it without even a thanks. The sky fades to a gray and the street lights come on, "time for bed" I find a corner and people lay around me. I watch Kate's father. He sits on the opposite side of the police station, and I close my eyes and let my breathing even, and my body relax. I slump against someone's shoulder and let sleep take me.