Rebecca's Bad Day

On the other side of the mirror.

-Acosta was always trash, but after hearing these tapes I was shocked you father left him breathing.-

Daphne's face is red, her eyes are irritated from the restrained crying. I don't even know where to start...

He, he hit me.

-What's the needle test?- I ask breathing heavily, trying not to faint.

-Small doses of opioids are injected while you are stimulated with different methods. Pass your finger through the back of your ear, can you feel something...like bumps?-

-Yes.- My index finds a couple of bumps, right where my earlobe folds with the face. -What's that?-

-The side effect of getting droplets of acid there. I have the same thing.-

Daphne takes my right hand to her ear. It's true, right where her lobe folds with the face, she has similar bumps.

-I can't tell you all he did, and I only have a few tapes but the "Protocol" is similar for adults.-

-Do they also erase memories?-

-They don't erase them, they change them until what you remember resembles what they need you to remember. It's harder with adults, and you were six... And the concussion...-

-Oh, it was real. I have a scar on my scalp, here feel it.- I take her right hand and place it on the left upper side of my head.

-He let me sit in the front, we got struck from the back and some debris hit me. It was a miracle really.-

Daphne moves her fingers through my scalp, she is distressed.

-No baby... Your dad hit you with a baseball bat in the grove when I ran. He knocked you out.-

I press her hand against my head.

Things don't make sense and I am queasy.

-Was Acosta involved?- Please no.

-With what?- Daphne places her hand on my cheek and I cradle it.

-Your abduction?- Please no. Not Uncle Zeke.

-Pretty eyes...-

Not my Godfather, please not Dr. Acosta.

-I think he was. I think he took care of Victoria while I was in the Lodge, but some of the dates don't match up.-

Fuck my life.

-Uncle Kenny... Oh, fuck Uncle Jay?!-

Daphne shakes her head energetically.

-Not one of Kim's friends was involved. It took a different kind of sick. Acosta, Allison, Meredith, the Lerchner siblings... Mostly Elliot and Kurt but Otto were kind enough to tune me up after your birth. Dr. Hoffman wanted me out of the picture since I made Gideon quit at the Cove. A lot of other random psychos you father later killed. But not your Aunts or Kimberly's friends.-

Daphne lights a menthol.

-My mom?-

-Tsk- Daphne blows smoke through her nostrils. -Never found anything, but your father came to the lodge twice a week and sometimes spent entire weekends. I doubt she never followed him up to Oregon.-

There's a lot of disdain in her voice.

-Why would she do that? She is not jealous, and I've seen women openly flirt with dad in front of her.-

-Ha! That's both rich and new.- I don't like the way she is talking about my mom. -She ate a woman named Carmen out of jealousy Becca. Maybe she's truly changed but she was fucked up. Just as fucked up as your dad.-