Chapter 15
Ray's eyes sweep over the room. They rest on the one girl named Lilly.
"Lilly... Were you close to your sister?" He asks. Lilly pauses.
"Yes... Vikki and I were like best friends." She bites her lip.
"What was she like?"
"She... She loved everyone... She was creative. She loved to draw. She doodled everywhere she went and she was just... Effortlessly perfect." Lilly pushes her hair out of her face.
"She's older?"
"Yes,"
"How much?"
"3 years," Lilly averts her eyes, looking down at the floor.
"You and her got along?"
"Almost always,"
"What did you two fight about?" Ray asks. Lilly shakes her head.
"Our dad... He... He died when I was 8. He had a heart attack in the kitchen... Our mom had to get into 'illegal business' in order to keep our family afloat until she remarried. The other guy just expected perfection. He just wanted us to be the perfect little daughters. With his perfect little wife. In our perfect little home." Lilly clenches her fists.
"So... Your sister. She's older, she's effortlessly perfect, you suffered the death of your father, and your new one is controlling and a perfectionist... Seems like you were under a lot of pressure." Ray shrugs.
"Yeah... When you say it like that..." Lilly nods, clasping her hands together. Ray turns to Gabriel.
"Gabriel. Your brother Zach. He wasn't straight?"
"No, he wasn't" Gabriel shakes her head.
"Did you two get along?"
"Not really... But we respected each other."
"Alright, when you saw him get shot. What did you think?"
Gabriel is silent for a moment.
"I thought that he was gone. I knew he was." Gabriel's eyes begin to fog up.
"What did you feel?"
"I was scared. I didn't want to lose him."
"I understand. Gabriel, can I ask something else?"
"Ok..."
"What happened after you got on the train?" Ray asks. Gabriel averts her eyes.
"I-I found a knife... At first I just kept it to defend myself but..." Gabriel tugs her sleeves over her wrists. Ray kneels down in front of her.
"You don't have to apologize, Gabe. Just promise me something. If you ever feel like that again. Come talk to me or one of your friends."
Gabriel nods. She sits back in her chair. I bite my lip. Something doesn't feel right. Ray pushes himself up, stepping over to Perci. Tears stream from the boy's eyes. He shakes his head, looking down at the floor. Ray nods, passing by Perci. He stops in front of Miguel, who grips his sister's hand.
"Miguel, your parents. Your sister said you two were abused by them. Why did they do it?" Ray asks. Miguel shakes his head.
"They said- they said we were too weak, and they wanted to make us stronger." He explains. Ray nods, rubbing his chin.
"So. Were you?"
"Were we what?" Miguel asks.
"Were you weak?"
YOU ARE READING
The Identity Crisis
Hành độngI have forgotten what it feels like to be free. To have a voice. I can't say anything, or else they might catch me. My parents would never forgive me. I'll be arrested. Maybe even killed. Probably killed. We didn't open our eyes in time to see the t...
