Burned

Chapter Four

The next morning I woke up feeling refreshed. I spent all last night reading Gran's journal. This time, I was looking for something to help my current situation about Mir's sister: Scarlett. We couldn't have her walking around Salem altering reality. It was too big of power for anyone, especially when that person didn't know they were a Witch.

Thankfully, I had found a solution.

I got up, quickly dressed and ran downstairs. I had been tempted to go back into Gran's room and grab another journal. I hadn't finished her journal but was about halfway through. I didn't want to be greedy, so I continued down the stairs. Dara sat sprawled on the couch, a book in her hand. I tilted my head to see the title: Lolitta.

"Why are you reading that?" I asked, knowing exactly what that book was about.

"Huh? It's a book." She sat upright, flipping her legs around towards the ground.

"It's a foul book. Why would you want to read about that?" It confused me, especially considering that Dara had almost been assaulted by Vayne. I knew he abused her in more ways than one, so why would she want to read a book about that?

"I like to read things I hate. It's therapeutic." She smirked as she said this. I shook my head and moved towards the door.

"Sounds like you like to be miserable, which explains a lot." I teased her right back. Although I was partially joking, it was also part truth. It did explain why Vayne had been so alluring to Dara and why the series of events that followed after her moving to Salem happened.

She had always been pessimistic and negative about pretty much everything. Why would someone be like that if on some level they enjoyed it? It didn't make sense to me, but that wasn't my style.

"I wouldn't say that," she shut the book and followed after me. "Have you ever tried doing something you hate? It can be reading an awful book or watching a movie from a genre you hate or--

"But why? What's the point?" I could see how branching out and trying something different could be interesting, but I didn't see how reading a book about child pedophilia was helpful? There was a reason it was a banned book.

"The point is seen from a different perspective and learning something. I hate what this book is about. I hate that people are capable of such malicious events. I hate a lot of things. This book doesn't make you sympathize with an abuser it makes you see the story from a different perspective." She lost me and she could tell.

We were in the car now.

"It's like watching the same movie, but from a different character's point of view. You know what's going to happen and you know who the bad guy is." She wet her lips. "So, you know that children can't really fully explain what's happening to them?" I nodded. "That's the point. When you read it through the abuser's point of you, you're getting the full story, but you have to cut out the excuses, flowery language, and poetic similies to see the truth. It's like--

"Figuring out what to believe and what not to believe?" She nodded.

"Exactly, it's unlike so many other books where you're rooting for the narrator. In, Lolitta, you hate the narrator and you're rooting for all of these side characters and for someone to open their eyes. Then, you realize how much power you have as someone in the audience." I blinked. Dara was pretty amazing.

She wasn't being pessimistic or a glutton for punishment. She was brilliant. I would never have gotten all of that from any book. Little lone, a book about such horrors. I stared at her, wondering how much I had missed by dismissing her. She was so young, but in those dark eyes were wisdom. It was the same wisdom I had seen behind Gran's eyes.