Finding Her Joy

4 a.m.

"I knew I was going to die. Almost in the same way she knew before she passed. I wonder if she was scared like I am in this moment. 4 a.m. Saturday morning. My whole life flashed before my eyes, and all I saw was my time with you."

(MIA POV)
3:16 a.m.

Roger pulled me over to a metal chair in the center of the room. I had a clear view of the three people in front of me.

"Wake up!" He yelled, kicking my father as hard as he could.

3:18 a.m.

Peter went over and sat my father up, throwing water on him to scare him awake. Roger laughed as he choked. He watched as he struggled to catch his breath.

He came back over to me, standing behind me and placing one hand on my shoulder.

Roger leaned down close to my ear, "This isn't the first time you've had someone's life in your hands, isn't it? Don't you remember that night we spent together just after your seventeenth birthday?"

There it was. He was getting ready to tell the siblings and my father the only secret I'd kept from everyone.

"You called me frantic. You were looking for mummy dearest. The poor old bag had gotten out again." I could feel the venom in his words. His grip tightened on me.

"Don't talk about her like that. Don't talk about her ever," I said through gritted teeth. "They don't need to know this. It's not relevant anymore."

3:23 a.m.

He slapped me. "I'll decide what's relevant here!"

Autumn was trying her best to break free of the hold she was in. Kicking her feet to try and stand. Reecey had successfully opened one eye and was trying to focus the other.

"Mummy," he said, putting all the emphasis he could on the word. "She'd stolen the car keys and gone for a drive. Your first mistake was not committing her sooner. The second was not hiding the keys better."

He laughed and started to walk around slowly. He made sure to keep the gun pointed on me.

"I said don't talk about her!" My blood was boiling.

He hit me again. "One more word out of you, and I'll shoot them all."

Autumn looked horrified at her father's actions. Reece tried to get up but couldn't because of how badly he was hurt. I knew they were telling me to leave. They knew someone was going to die, and they also knew it wouldn't be either of them.

3:26 a.m.

Roger crouched in front of me, "Do you remember calling me? You were crying and telling me to come get you. You wanted my help. You said you owed me everything." He was laughing. "I came to get you. We went driving around to find her. By the time we did, it was too late."

Reece and Autumn looked at each other and then back at me. I couldn't bear it. I had to look away as the memory came into my mind.

Across his face was a sinister grin. He turned around to his children, saying, "Your precious Amelia, had been too late to notice her mother was missing, too late to call me, and," he turned back to me, "too late to save the life of a young lad I'm sure you're all familiar with. I found out a few days later who it was. Kyle. Killerman."

3:30 a.m.

Their eyes went wide, both shaking their heads in disbelief.

"Isn't that the boy you had a crush on, Mutton Chops?" He walked back behind me. "Well, Amelia here knew who did it the whole time. It was all her fault. She should've paid more attention to her own house instead of shoving her nose in mine."