Ruby's Diary

November 14th 1971

November 14th, 1971

Dear diary,

Mommy was right! I am not staying in this scary place forever. The grown-ups told me I was going home. They said, 'the news just got out and I am not sick, I never was.'

Daddy had to pick me up, because he is the only person I have. He looked very mad and confused. He didn't even know what to say to me. He talked to the people there, and they explained how there is nothing wrong with me, and there's no reason I should stay there.

He tried to argue with them a bit, I wasn't listening to them talk as I trailed off into a daydream. He seemed very upset, I remember him saying things like, "She's dangerous." "I'm begging you, please listen to me."

He was quiet in the car on the way home. At least he wasn't yelling at me again.

When we got home, he dragged me by my arm out of the car and in the house. It hurt so bad, he hurt my arm.

"I don't know why they are letting you out, but you belong there! I'm not even safe with you!" He yelled at me and I started to cry. I was very confused. Not safe? With me? I hate when he yells at me. Mommy never yelled at me.

"I've always had a feeling about your mother.. and I suspected you, too. But I know you shouldn't be here." He said through gritted teeth. "You're gonna hurt someone."

He grabbed me by the neck and held me against the wall. I was running out of breath.

I started to cry more. But something weird happened; I fell to the floor and Dad flew back, hitting the bookshelf.

He said some bad words and looked at me with a funny look on his face. His face was twisted together in shock and confusion, and I was trying to catch my breath.

"Don't tell me..you're just like your mother." He said and was scared. "I knew it."

What does he mean by that?

"I knew it. I was right. You're a witch, or a demon, you're not human! You almost killed me! Just like your mother." He said and got up. It looked as if he was praying to himself, fear in his eyes.

I started to cry more. Then, all of a sudden, Dad flew up in the air up to the ceiling and hit the ground really hard. I stepped back, all the way against the wall, in complete shock at what's happening.

He said more bad words, cursing to himself. Bruises and blood decorated his face, and he scurried off to the other side of the room, remaining as far away from me as possible.

Someone was knocking on the door, then the knocking turned into banging. A few seconds had passed, then the door was kicked open. A few men came in, they were cops.

They looked down at him, then over at me. They put handcuffs on him, another cop helped me up.

They explained that he was going to prison for life for murdering my mom. I swallowed a huge lump in my throat. It all felt so unreal. They said he was a very dangerous man, and that it's clear he has been hurting me too. He was the problem, not me.

"You're under arrest for the murder of Janice Greene," the cop said. I knew that name. Janice was my mommy's name.