Series Wednesday: Family Game night Page 26

I sit here just listening and trying to remember anything from that day. Enrique knew I’m a killer all these years. I can’t believe I would do that. I was a completely different person before the coma. “Why didn’t you ever say anything until now?” I ask him. “Grace said you had no memory of that day or most days from back then. She cornered me when I started freshmen year and told me to never bring up that day. So I didn’t, I owned you my life.” I stand up and now wonder what he knows about Grace. “You said you help Grace stalk the families. Why?” Enrique sits on my window seal. “Well she pays me for one and also I think she knows she can trust me not to tell that she has been killing whole families. I am not sure why and it’s not really my business.” He knows Grace is killing these people. He knows too much. Why would Grace put herself in this position? “Grace wouldn’t hurt a fly.” I tell him trying to throw him off. “Yeah like your parent right?” I stand back. “Grace told me about family game night.” I stop breathing. He knows everything. My parents are going to kill her and him. “Don’t worry I would never do anything to hurt you guys.” Enrique tries to reassure me. “Family Game night?? I am sorry I am not sure what Grace told you. But I am sure she was just messing with you.” Enrique looks at me. “Maybe she was but she was on one when she told me. People tend to tell the truth when they are high.” Do I know anything about Grace?? Enrique seems to know way more about her then I ever could. “I am sorry Cahira I think we are getting off on the wrong foot. I came here to see if I could help you. Not to freak you out in any kind of way with what I know or don’t know.” I wonder if Grace trusts him because they are some kind of thing. “Are you like Grace’s boyfriend?” I ask him. He laughs at my question. “Definitely not! I only have eyes for one girl.” Enrique starts to look at me funny.
                Enrique says he is here to help. I wonder if he could. “How did you get here?” I ask him. “I used my motorcycle. Why?” I know if I am going to use his help I can’t talk about it in the house. “I have been cooped up in here for days. I really need to get some air. Know of any good places to just get away?” Enrique smiles. “I could think of a few places.” He opens my window and shows me how he climbed up so I can climb down. I hop on the back of his bike. “Make sure to hold on tight I wouldn’t want you to fall off.” He says to me. “Yeah I am sure that’s why you want me to hold on tight.” I respond. He starts the bike and we take off. I didn’t tell anyone where I was going so if the kidnapper is listening not even he will know.  I hold on to Enrique the typical bad boy. It’s strange the little boy I remember in the front yard bleeding wasn’t much of a bad boy. I remember he was sweet to me. Maybe that’s why I helped him. Who knows at this point? Enrique stops at the lake. It’s actually really pretty here. “How is this for fresh air?” He says to me as I look around. “I couldn’t talk in the house it is bugged by whoever took Percy.” I tell him. Enrique looks at the lake. “How can I help?” He says as he looks at me. “I need something that can jam the signal of the bug. So I can figure out if they are just listening to us or can see us as well.” I hope that he can help me with this so I have a better idea of things. “You need a jammer. That’s not easy to come by but I know a guy I could possible steal one from.” He says as he pulls out his phone. “I also need a bug detector to see where the bugs are in our house. So I know where we can talk freely.” I know I am asking him for a lot but for some reason I have a feeling like he will come through for me. “Yeah I can get one of those to, anything else you might need?” I am not sure what else I would need besides that. “I don’t think so but if you can think of anything else that I might need.”  Enrique smiles, “Maybe a break from all this?” He suggested. “I need to figure out who has Percy and I need to get back to the house.” Enrique looks slightly disappointed. “Okay, I’ll drop you off back at home and I’ll go get the stuff. It will take me a few hours.” I nod. “So just leave your window open and once I get the stuff I’ll just let myself in.”  I look Enrique up and down. “Okay I’ll leave my window open.” I tell him as I get on the back of the bike. He smiles as he gets on in front of me. We start the ride back to my house. All I can think about is Hope. I wonder if she is somehow helping get Percy. Maybe she already has Percy, which could be why a new box hasn’t appeared yet. I wish I had answers and not just questions.

Poem: Can't delete

I cannot delete this part of my self.

   No photo could capture it.

      No eye could see.

         It is the part I tuck deep.

           Not in fear that it hides.

              Just trained to be that way.

                Heartless they call me and heartless I’ll stay.

                   They cannot see my tear stained cheek.

Poems: A May not to long ago

Soulmates, I laughed at this meaningless word all my life.

Then I fell in to the deep dark fantasy that this might be real.

That was the day I kissed you.

Stopping me in my party tracks.

On that warm spring night, you changed my life.

For a time you became my hope in something more.

In the life of a girl who knows nothing last.

Our time of youthful adventures stays with me still

and i see it stay with you to.

I know you’re out there checking on me.

Well here I am as healthy as a drunk can be.

So don't worry you killed that doe eyed princess in me.

What you left is a business savvy day dreamer with a lust for more.

Hope your happy where ever you are. 

Series Wednesday: Family Game Night Page 25

                It has been 4 days since Hope left. We haven’t heard anything from her or the kidnapper. It’s like they both just disappeared. My dad has been talking to the cops and they have no leads no one has any leads. I haven’t been attending school since they took Percy. It is like our lives are all on hold until we get him back. We keep trying to piece together everything we know and yet keep falling short. I wish I would have asked Hope where she was going before she left. I am scared I will never see her again. The worst part about all of this is my mother. She is acting like a heart broken puppy. She and my dad are not in the best place right now. If it wasn’t for Grace I don’t know what I would do but Grace is getting the urge again I can tell. Grace has her ticks that give her away but with so much police attention on us right now my dad has put a band on killing. I don’t know how long before Grace cracks and just starts killing on her own. Today is like most days I just lay in my bed and wonder if Percy is okay. I hear a tap at my window. I open it and its Enrique. “What are you doing here?” I ask him. “Well I just got out last night and I wanted to see how you were doing?” This is strange considering the fact that I have never really spoken to him. “Why do you care?” I ask him. I don’t mean to sound rude but I can even hear how it sounds. “Your little brother was taken and I know how cold your sister can be so I thought a lot about you when I was in there. I worried about you.” I look at him confused at how my life became his business. “You don’t even know me!” I point at the window for him to leave. “You really don’t remember anything before your coma do you?” I look at Enrique. “How did you know about my coma??? I didn’t meet you until high school.” Enrique closes my window.  “That’s not true. I was just put into a different foster home that moved me out of the district, when I was in high school the foster home I got into put me right back in your district. I use to go to school with you in second grade. You saved my life. You really don’t remember do you?” I shake my head at Enrique. “Is that how you met Grace?” I ask him. “Yes it is. It’s also why I started helping her stalk those families” he says. “Why don’t you jog my memory?” I tell him. He points for me to sit down on my bed like this is his room. This should be interesting.

                “Do you remember your walk home as a kid?” He asks me. “No I am sorry I don’t”, I tell him. “Well I was on your walk home I always use to walk in front of you and Grace because I had to be home right after school or my mom’s loser druggie boyfriend would beat the crap out of me.” He pause and takes a breath, this is clearly not a good memory for him. “I am so sorry that was your life.” I tell him. “Now back to the story. So one day I was late getting home because I got caught stealing someone’s lunch so the teacher made me stay after class for about 30 minutes. I ran home as fast as I could but it was too late. He was beating me so bad I thought I was going to die. So I ran out into the front yard. You were just standing there. You saw the blood coming out of me everywhere. You asked me if I was okay. He started to come out into the front yard when I pulled you into the bushes. I had seen how he was with his own daughter I didn’t want anything to happen to my first crush. You looked at me and said something I will never forget, would your life be better if he was dead? I looked right at you and said yes. You got up and walked into the front yard. You told him you were lost and needed to use the phone to call you parents. He let you into the house. I had never heard a man scream like that. I still have nightmares. I ran inside to see if you were okay. You had ripped his eyes out with a pencil. I grab you and you told me not to worry as you dragged this full grown man to the bathroom and you drowned him, I am not sure how you over powered him but it was like he never stood a chance.” I can’t believe what I am hearing. I killed his mother boyfriend. It sound like on a whim but who knows what I was thinking. “It was when you pulled him back from the toilet that you just drowned him in that I realized his guts were hanging out. You reached into his chest and pulled his heart out. You had some kind of pocket knife and sliced it out. You told me he had no heart so now he has no heart. You laughed at that before handing me the heart and calling home. Grace showed up which felt like minutes later with a change of clothes because yours were bloody. I swore I would never tell anyone what you did that day. You kissed me which by the way was my first kiss. You cleaned up everything you touched with some kind of kitchen cleaner mix you made. You told me to run back to school and make sure the cameras see me there. So when the body is found they won’t think it was me. They will think he beat me and I ran. You also took all of his money to make it look like a drug deal gone bad. You were scary but smart. You knew exactly how to handle it.” I couldn’t take my eyes off Enrique because I don’t remember any of this. I do remember him bleeding in the front yard a little bit. How many people did I really kill before the coma?

Series Wednesday: Family Game Night page 24

                “I would like all of you to sit down for this.” My dad says as he leads us all to the living room. “Maybe if I tell my secret faster Percy will come home sooner” my dad says. “What is your secret? Because I am looking at these objects and I am not sure what it could be.” My mother says as she looks at the plane and bassinet. “Rose, I love you more than I have ever loved anyone or thing in this world. I felt completely alone before I met you. I want you to know that.” My dad sounds panicked. Hope holds my hand tightly. “What did you do?” My mother says to my dad. “I sent Hope away all those years ago.” My dad says. This is why she left, my dad made her. “WHY?” I ask. “Yes, why would you do that?” My mother says after me. “I did it for us and the kids.” My dad explains. Hope’s grip on my hand still remains tight. “The kids were fine with all of us so why did you send her away from us? Why would you break up our family?” My mother’s eyes fill with tears. “I was afraid if I didn’t you were going to kill Cahira.” My dad says and then looks back at me. Did he just say he was afraid my mother was going to kill me? No wonder I always wanted to kill her as a child. “Hope changed after having Cahira, all her attention went to her and I saw your jealously. I saw the way you looked at Cahira and treated her. I didn’t want our girls to grow up divided.”  I now get why Hope has been so protective over me from the second she walked in here. I look at Hope. “You left me with her knowing she wanted to hurt me?” I pull away from Hope. “She wouldn’t hurt you if I left. She would cherish you because you were the only part of me she had.” Hope says as she reaches out for my hand. “You sent her away for her!” My mother says as if I am a monster.

                My mother has been screaming at my dad for what feels like forever now. “This was not your choice to make!” She says. “I was just doing what I thought was best.” My dad says. Hope sits as close as she can to me. “You were not thinking of me at all just your precious daughter!” My mother says like I am not sitting right here. “You know what you don’t have to worry I am not your daughter!” I stand up and yell at Rose. “No you’re not and he is right I thought of killing you all the time!” She screams at me. “Good I use to dream of killing you to!” I scream back. “Enough!” Hope says as she pulls me behind her. “This is my daughter you are speaking to. I cannot believe that I left her here with you. I love you Rose but this is not okay. Little warrior go get your stuff we are leaving.” Hope says to me. I stop in my tracks and so does my mother Rose. “What did you just say?” Rose asks. “I am taking my little warrior. I thought it was best for her to be here but now I see it was not. How could you want to kill her when she resembles me so much?” Hope start to sound angry. “I never hurt her. I did cherish her. She was perfect Hope, you have no idea. Before the coma she was the daughter I always dreamed of but no matter how much I loved her she always despised me. Even more so after the coma.” I hate to say it but Rose isn’t lying I have always despised her. “Your thoughts of killing her for even a second that is where you lost me Rose.” Hope tells her. “You can’t take her she is still my daughter I was just mad but someone has already taken my baby boy. I can’t lose Cahira to. This is her home and what kind of life would she have with you Hope?” Hope listens to her and just stands there. I can tell Hope didn’t think this threw. She just wants to protect me. “You can’t take my sister!” Grace says. “We all need to calm down. A lot has been said here today. We are losing focus of what is important. Getting Percy back needs to be our goal."  I always knew my dad loved me but in this moment,  I am realizing how much. He sent Hope away to protect me. I don’t know what to think about anyone in this room right now. I look at Grace who has fear written all over her face. I know she thinks I would leave with Hope and never look back, but I don’t know what I would do. I know before I can make any choices I need Percy back. “Dad is right all of this is what he wants. For us to fight and turn on each other and forget he has Percy.” I say. “Cahira I am….” My mother or Rose still debating what to call her tries to say. I think she is trying to say sorry, but the words are just not coming out. “No, you’re not. You would have killed me to keep Hope to yourself. But I don’t how mad I am because I think I would of killed you to for the same reasons.” I smile at her. “It’s been a long day let’s all get some rest.” My dad says. We all head up to our room. I lie down and instantly fall asleep. “Cahira I need you to listen to me.” Hope says. I open my eyes and it is the middle of the night. “This locket is mine and I left it at one of my many apartments. I think I know how to find Percy but I have to go alone. Maybe if I bring back Percy you will want to come with me.” Hope whispers in my ear. She kisses my forehead and takes off with her bags in hand.    

Series Wednesday: Family game night Page 23

“A hope chest?” Grace says. “It’s a style of wooden chest.” My dad says. “So is it for Hope?” Grace asks. “No I think this one is for me.” My dad says as he starts to open it. My dad pulls out a model airplane and a basinet. He reaches into the bottom and pulls out a locket and a note. “What does all this mean?” Grace asks as she looks over the toy plane. Hope’s eyes enlarge as soon as she sees the locket.  I don’t think anyone else notices Hope’s eyes but me. “What does the note say?” My mother asks. “It’s your turn dear old dad. Why don’t you look your family in the face and tell them the choices you made. Who was more important to you? Tell them your truth. It should be easier now that Hope is here. Good to see your home Hope. I hope you enjoy my gifts as well. Until we met again in the next life or is this your next life? So hard to tell with you. So dad the family matriarch will you be as honest as their mother was? Or are you going to run from your truth until the last second like Grace? Can’t wait to find out.”  My dad finishes reading the note. He looks up at my mother and then at Hope.  “He has to be watching the house right now for him to know that Hope is here.” My dad says. “Can I have the locket?” Hope says as she reaches her hand out. My dad hands it to her and she just looks at it. Grace pulls out a zip drive out of the basinet. “Look what was tucked into the side.” Grace says as she runs to the living room. “Where are you going?” I ask her. “My laptop is in the living room.” She plugs in the zip drive to her computer and there is a video on it. “Play it” I tell her. It is Percy sitting on a bed eating. “Hi guys I just want you to know I am safe because mom was so forth coming, he gave me a room. I also have my own bathroom and he has been feeding me. I LOVE YOU GUYS. He says he will give me back if you guys all tell the truth. Cahira I miss you most. I wish we were out by the oak tree just listening to the whims of men. I love you guys!” The video cuts out.

                My family just stands there looking at me. “I always knew Percy loved you most.” Grace says but that’s not what Percy is saying. It’s a message I know what it means. I look around at my family and have to act fast before who ever took Percy realizes what was just said. I start to fake cry. “PERCY! I just want to go out to the oak tree to be where we were happiest.” I say crying as I squeeze Hope’s hand. For some reason I think she will be the only one to understand me. “We should all go with you to be where Percy was happiest. Maybe it will help us all open up” Hope says. My dad nods his head. “Where is this oak tree at?”  He asks. “Just follow me. Ill drive my motor cycle.” I say as I head out side. Hope hops on the back of my motor cycle. I start to drive toward the hills to the oak tree where there is no service. We ride for 30 minutes to get there. We pull up to the top of the hill. Grace is the first one out of the car. “No service that’s why we are out here.” Grace says as she looks at her phone. “I thought mother bugged my phone for a bit so when Percy and I wanted to have conversations that we didn’t want mother to hear we came here. Percy was letting me know the house was bugged. He knows for sure that he is listening to us but not sure on if he is watching us. This means he must have heard us somehow.” My mother just looks at me for second before responding to my statement. “Why would you think I bugged your phone?” She asks me. “Because of that party that I went to in the desert and you showed up and dragged me home. How else would you have known” I explain to her. “Grace told me where you were.” That for some reason never crossed my mind.  “Oh well that makes a lot of sense. Oh and screw you Grace!” I say in response to my mother, I feel a little embarrassed at this point. “So this explains how he knows if we are telling the truth.” My dad says. “How long do you think we have until he figures out that we know about the bugs?” Grace asks. “We need the bugs to stay where they are. If we try to tamper with them then he might hurt Percy. If we need to talk about something that can’t be said in front of the bugs we can just come out here. I have to say Cahira good thinking on your feet and fake crying.” My mother says. “We should get back to the house and keep playing along.” My dad says. “Dad can I have a second with you” I ask. He smiles at me and everyone else walks back to the car. “What’s going on?” My dad asks me. “Does your secret have to do with me too?” I ask. “Why would you say that?” He asks. “I recognize the basinet from my baby pictures. That is my basinet.” I tell him. “It does kind of have to do with you but more to do with Hope and your mother.” I look at him in fear of what the secret might be. “I don’t want Hope to leave again.” I tell him. “Cahira she might have to.” My dad says as he starts to head back to the car. 

Updated: Timetopia book coming soon.

           I am beyond excited to announce that Timetopia will be coming out in book form!!! I have been working on this for some time. I will be working super hard on this to make it prefect for you guys. Thank you for all of you who tuned in every week for the time traveling adventure. I will be reintroducing Timetopia on Thursdays in the upcoming weeks.   For those of you who missed all the fun the first time around. More things to come. I love you guy and am so thankful for all of you who read my blog every week.