The Darkest Legacies

Chapter 20

Josie's POV: I watched Hope pace back and forth, muttering to herself in frustration as I held a cloth under my nose. "Hope, I'm sorry", I apologized, looking down shamefully. "I know what I did was wrong-"

"Wrong", she scoffed. "She's could've killed you, Josie", she said, running her hand through her hair as she finally sat down next to me. I shivered at the reminder, remembering how my insides felt as if they were being crushed. 

"But she didn't", I reminded.

"Because I stopped her", she pointed out. "I've lost too much", she said tearfully. "I don't want to lose you too", she admitted, pulling me into a hug.

"You won't lose me", I whispered, feeling her tears soak through my shirt.

"Josie...there's something that you need to know", she told me, pulling away slightly.

"Okay...", I frowned.

"Ten years ago, I was ripped from my parents arms and taken to Triad, and was locked up in some holding cell downstairs for days", she explained. "One day, the guards brought in a young girl, and there was so much blood that I...", she cried as I rubbed her shoulder gently. "She just kept calling someone, and Burr-"

"Who's Burr", I questioned.

"He's a monster", she spat. "He killed them. He killed my parents", she admitted, causing me to gasp and immediately start to apologize. "It's okay", she assured. "I couldn't really tell what was happening, but it was clear that he was hurting her", she continued, causing me to frown.

"I waited until he left, before breaking through the wall. I tried to calm her down but I was caught, and he...", she choked out. "He threw the little girl's bed against the wall, and walked out", she cried.

"It was all my fault", she sobbed, causing me to try hugging her, but she pushed me away, "No, I need to say this. I've kept this from you long enough", she admitted, causing me to frown in confusion. 

Kept this from me? 

"I stayed with her for hours, promising that I would somehow get both of us out, but I knew that she was dying", she explained. "She was just in so much pain, and I...I pressed a pillow over her face until she stopped moving", she admitted with tears streaming down her face. I wanted to tell her that it was okay. That there was nothing that she could do, but her next words caused my heart to drop. "It wasn't until I saw your locket that I-"

I struggled against multiple soldiers uselessly until they shoved me into a bus seat. "Hey, are you alright", a little girl asked, turning around in her seat.

"N-no! T-they killed her! She's gone", I sobbed, playing with my locket.

"Where did you get that", she asked me shakily.

"My daddy gave it to us on our birthday...", I explained, holding the necklace close to my heart.

"Our", she asked.

"My sister...", I stated, before tears streamed down my face nonstop. 

She's gone. She's really gone.

"What are you saying, Hope", I asked her as I slowly got out of my seat.

"I'm sorry, Josie...", she apologized. "I d-didn't know she was your sister. I made the connection after seeing your necklace", she admitted, as my eyes filled with tears. "Josie...", she said, reaching for my hand before I shoved her away.

"Lizzie? Are you okay", I asked, rubbing my eyes tiredly.

She looked down tearfully before I got up, pulling her into a warm hug. "It's okay, Liz. I'm here", I whispered. 

"I had a nightmare", she said in a small voice. "I was all alone", she cried. 

"You're not alone, Lizzie", I said. "I'll never leave you", I promised, before we heard the window shatter. 

"Don't move", a man yelled, before we were dragged from our house and into a bus full of kids. 

"Don't let go", Lizzie whispered fearfully, holding onto my hand tightly.

"Never", I promised.

"How could you keep something like this from me", I asked her tearfully. "You listened to me cry myself to sleep for years, beating myself up for not fighting hard enough to save her", I told her, shaking with anger and grief.

"Is he at it again", someone else asked, causing me to jerk as I slammed the door to my father's office shut. Wincing at the sound, I spun around in alarm only to relax as I spotted Hope Mikaelson leaning against the wall behind me.

"Oh my God, don't do that", I breathed, wiping my clammy hands on my shirt.

"Sorry", she apologized. "I was listening in", she admitted, shrugging her shoulders.

Nodding silently, I looked back at the door as my heart clenched. "Should we tell him what really happened that day", I asked her quietly, causing the other girl to shift on her feet uncomfortably.

"No, it'll only hurt him", she denied, shaking her head.

"But I hate lying to him", I admitting, wrapping my arms around myself.

"We have to, Josie", Hope pointed out. "If he knew the truth...", she trailed off, as her eyes glazed over.

"He's not the only one who lost something", I reminded, my hand automatically going to my necklace as Hope subconsciously clutched her own.

"I know, but he lost his daughter, Josie", Hope told me sadly.

"We all lost something that day", I reminded her tearfully.

"You don't know if she's really gone, Jo. She-"

"Don't call me that", I exclaimed, causing Hope's eyes to clear up as her hand twitched. "Never called me that. You weren't there that day", I accused. "You don't know what those bastards did to her", I spat as my eyes burned. "So just stop acting like you give a damn, because you didn't know her", I shouted, clenching my fists at my sides as Hope's winced.

Noticing the tears in Hope's eyes, I felt my muscles relax as I covered my mouth in regret. "Oh God...", I whispered. "Hope, I-I'm so sorry", I apologized before the office door burst open, causing us to jump back as dad rushed outside.

"You knew...you knew this whole time", I seethed as my voice rose. "You lied to me...to my dad...", I accused. "How could you do this to us", I asked her as angry tears streamed down my face. "To me", I demanded.

"Josie, please...", she begged.

"I can't even look at you right now", I shook my head, rushing away with tears running down my face.