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“That’s a good skill to have, especially in our world. But there has to be something he told you, maybe something he told you when you were young that didn’t always make sense but you remembered it.”
I’d blocked out so much of what happened when I was a kid, too many bad memories. My father had never truly been lucid for as long as I could remember.
“Close your eyes,” Percy said. “Take a deep breath in, hold it and then let it out.”
I did as he asked, and suddenly felt as if a load had been taken off me.
“Do it again.”
I did.
“Now, I want you to remember the last time you saw your father. Think about it, don’t tell me but just think.”
I nodded, picturing his heavy mustache and graying black hair. He was with Jack, and they were playing. Jack was losing a lot. But I’d never remembered that before. Usually, it was just me at the car door begging my father to come and get me.
“No, it can’t be,” I blurted out, opening my eyes. “My memory is wrong.”
“Memories don’t work that way,” he said. “But you can be coaxed into forgetting what really happened. You were traumatized.”
I did the exercise again, trying to figure out what my brain was surely trying to tell me.
“You handed me off to my dad after you rescued me,” I said. “I remember he was at the boat on the dock and he was relieved.”
Percy nodded. “Your dad loved you, Paisley. Your mother was the bad guy and she filled your traumatized head with lies. It was her who orchestrated your kidnapping, and it was because she was jealous of you and she wanted your dad out of the way.”
“I don’t understand,” I said, tears rolling down my cheeks.
“Saddle up, kid, this is going to be rough.”
I nodded as I pushed myself up on the bed more so that I could listen without falling off. The boat was rocking steadily, it must have been storming outside, because it was getting worse but I couldn’t focus on that right now. I needed to know what happened to me.
Six years ago
“Father,” I placed the drink down beside him on the table. He winked up at me and flashed me his cards. I nodded and smirked as I turned my back. I didn’t want his opponent to see my smile. No one could outmaster my dad at poker. No one.
Well, maybe I could, but that’s only because he let me win.
“You asshole,” I heard his opponent yell. I turned to see him smash a glass against the wall and stand up. “I won’t pay a cheater.”
“My daddy is not a cheat,” I yelled. “Now get out, you miserable creep.”
“Now, now, pumpkin,” my dad pulled me back. “Jack was just leaving, wasn’t that right?”“No, Brent, I’m not. I’m here for a little piece of what I came for.”
There was an intense silence between them before my father cleared his throat. “I think it’s time you left.”
“Zane always gets what he wants, you should know that by now.”
“Paisley, why don’t you run upstairs and lock your room door.”
I was about to do what I was told when I saw my mother coming down the stairs, a knife in her hand, pointing toward me. I stumbled back.
“Daniela, what are you doing?” I heard my father yell. “Don’t you point that at her.”
“Look here, Brent, you know we can’t stop this. Zane will come for her anyway, he always gets his girl.”
“You sadistic bitch,” my father ran at her, but when she moved the knife to my neck, he stopped in his tracks. I felt my body shake with fear as I looked into my dad’s eyes, the tears in them was making my vision blurry. “I will end you for this.”
“No you won’t.”
