Chapter Three: Leaving the misery behind.

As we got to Valerie home, Valerie said," Welcome to my home wait a minute this will be your home next weekend. Let me reword that. Welcome to our house Crystal."

I unbuckle myself from the car seat and hug her, smiling and looking out of the window I mouthed the words Welcome home. Then I said, "Let's hope there are good memories for both of us." Then we both went upstairs and went to bed.

The next day, my phone was going off like it always does in the morning. I reach out for my phone to check if I left the alarm on for Saturday when I don't work on the weekends. It read Call from step mother Haley and I wish I can just ignore it and I sighed, answered it. Said, "Yes Step mother what can I do for you?"

She said," Where the fuck are you and why is my food not ready for me to eat?"

I said,"I spent the night at my friend Valerie's place and Why can't you cook food yourself? Oh right you will burn the house down."

Haley was quite for while and she said,"You are going to regret saying that you brat and I will just tell your father that you have been sleeping around and are probably pregnant thats why you have moved out of the house and went to move in with Valerie."

I looked at my phone is surprise and I said with sarcasm," No please don't go to my father with that." I laughed though my phone and said," Do you really think that's going to happen by god you are a helpless bitch who thinks you can control what I can and can't do. So cringy but yeah what can you guys do to me anymore?"

Haley remains quite and she said," Do you think that your father will listen to you or little old me his wife?"

I smiled and said," I am his daughter and sorry but you think you can run me out of my fathers life good luck with that. You and your daughters have everything that my father gave you and yet you still aren't satisfied. Do you make it your life goal to make me miserable Haley or do you make it your life's goal to take what's not yours?"

That's when Valerie knocks on the door and walked inside the bedroom and she said in worried tone," Crystal I can hear you all the way down to the kitchen what is wrong?"

I pointed to the phone and mouth my step mother Haley to Valerie. I was not expecting Valerie to take my phone and hang up she then said," Sorry Sugar but I don't want her to ruin your day. Now let's get you something to eat and we can go get your stuff from your father's place."

I love how Valerie takes no shit from anyone, when I first met her in high school she was this badass rebel teen and I was this shy and do everything that I was told kind of teen. Until I met Valerie and since then we been friends.

I hug her and I said," what am I going to do with myself if I ever lost you?" Valerie smiles and flickes my forehead and said," Well for one thing don't ever think like that and second you'd be lost forever if that did happen but I am hoping you'll be with more people or even with someone you love. Now let's getting going to your father's place because I am not wanting to see your step mother ugly face."

I got dressed in a silver and black blouse with blue jeans and my long black boots. This time I kept my hair down. which to Valerie is a crime to keep my hair up and she always says,"Crystal why don't you keep your hair down? I actually have to say you look like an angel of death with your hair down."

I always laugh at that but in truth my hair color makes it look like my hair is a natural midnight black. I just add red to make highlights and it looks good to me and Valerie.

After I got done I went downstairs and Valerie had already made Breakfast for both of us. She looked at me and did a bird call whistle and it made me giggle and she said," See I was right you look like a cute Angel of death."

I started to eat and Valerie turned on the news. The news reporter said," Goodmorning everyone, Last night several missing persons cases have been reported, four girls ages ranging from sixteen to twentie five. the police and the F.B.I have said that these cases are getting more and more frequent as of late, they are doing all they can to find these missing persons. In other news there was another shooting involving a group calling them selves the anarchs twelve people injured and five dead, the group is still at large we talked to mayor Jackson and he gave a speech earlier in the morning and said, "Everyone should be in their house by 9:00pm from now on and He will talk to the government officials and F.B.I to try and stop this from happening in our city."

I looked at Valerie who just shook her head and gave me a smile like she always does. "Don't worry Crystal, it is just a bunch of idiots and probably people like you just up and leaving home because of abuse or something, it has not been made a law just yet to be back in by nine, stick with me and you will be fine after all I have always been lucky remember? " I was about to agree with her she always had a way with words and easing my worry, but I was cut off by her phone ringing and she said," Excuse me Crystal I shall be right back I need to answer this phone call."

I nodded to her and kept on eating my breakfast and she left the kitchen and I heard bits and pieces of the conversation but not enough to go on maybe a yes or a no, my name but that was it.

Valerie comes back to the kitchen and she said,"Yeah Crystal would you like to come to work with me tonight, One of my co-workers didn't want to show up today they called in sick?"

I looked at her and said," What am I going to be doing actually?" She smiles and said,"We'll be at the club serving drinks to everyone. Luckily you are 22, years old and you have a T.A.B.C license so you can work with me and you don't have to worry about waiting tables as much. But before we go tonight we need to go to your old home."

We headed out of the house and Valerie drove us to my father's home, and we both noticed a bunch of cars in front of the house.

Valerie said," Is your father having a business meeting at his house today Crystal?"

I look at her and shook my head and said," Not that I know of." I had gotten a bad feeling because I don't even know any of the cars.

Valerie parks the car and said," Well we can do this later or now? Let's hope your step sisters and step mother Haley start shit if he is."

I want to do this now and get it done and not worry about it anymore. I sighed and said," Let's do this now and if she does it shows everyone who is actually the problem."

We went inside the house and were about to head up to my old room but we were stopped by my step mother Haley and she said," Crystal there you are! I want you to meet some people. Why don't you say hi to your father?"

I hated being forced into a spotlight from her. I put on a fake smile and said," I was going upstairs to get some stuff and take it to Valerie's car and then go say hi to everybody."

Haley smiled wickedly and without skipping a beat she said, "Oh nonsense you can say hi to everyone now and not worry about it later."

I sighed and walked around Valerie and said," You can head upstairs Valerie and I'll be right there in few minutes." Then I walked to the living room.

Father got up and walked over to me before he said,"Hello my precious Crystal. I thought you were hanging out with your friend Valerie and moving in with her?"

I walk over to my father closing tge space us and hugged and smiled at him. I said, "I am hanging out with Valerie and thank you for letting me move out. I was never going to leave without saying goodbye to you."

Haley walks into the living room and she said," Darling Eric you let her move out of this house? What about your belated wife shop and do you think she will take care of it?"

Father looked at her and he sighed and said," That's why I am letting her keep it and everything that is in the shop as well including the income." He walks over to the bookshelf and pulled out a book that had papers hanging out of it.

He then said," Congratulations Crystal you have your mother shop and her business to yourself."

I was very happy and ready to jump for joy. But Haley then said," But you forgot to tell her that she will need to date Max Gotham and be with him for the rest of her life."

If I remember correctly I hated Max Gotham because he reminds me of my childhood bully and he was a spoiled asshole who gave no shit about anyone else. I look at father and my step mother Haley, and said," Excuse me, I hate Max Gotham with all of my heart. He is nothing but a spoiled man who thinks he can have every thing in the whole world. He was one of the children who bullied me when we were small. So I have to say Fuck that shit and he can go fuck himself, wait no he might find a way to impregnate himself and we dont need more of him."

Father was about to say something but then Spazz walked into the living room and he said," Oi... um.... bad timing? " he had said before A'Kreath side stepped him walking further into the livingroom, that familiar predatory feeling washed over me as he stared at my step mother. He seemed like he wanted to rip her apart that is when he said. " you said she was to be with Max Gotham?" His voice seemed dark and cold, my father seemed to swallow hard and look at A'Kreath and my step mother seeing something was up.

my step mother then snapped at him. " Yes Crystal is supposed to marry Max, what of it. ass hat?" my father looked at her before saying. "Hunny please show him more respect he is an old friend of mine." Haley looked to my father and straightened her self up. " Sorry mister?" She said in a questioning tone.

Akreath took a deep breath in and said." My name is A'Kreath and as for Max and what of it, he and his family have had a terrible accident recently, they are all dead." he stated calmly watching my step mother more.

My step mother Haley looked at him and said,"How would you know that they had accident recently A'Kreath and I talked to them just few minutes ago."

A'Kreath smiled in the most terrifying manner, it was chilling how the gleam of cruelty in his eyes and how thin the smile was as he said. " Are you sure it was them you actually talked too? Because they have been dead for at least five hours, we had come here to talk to you miss Haley since you are the only family friend in their list of contacts, do you know anyone who would want them dead in such a manner?" he had asked holding out a picture with the entire family dead with their head missing and another picture of their heads.

Haley went white in the face and my Father said, "What's going on A'Kreath?"

A'Kreath looked to my father and he seemed a little softer as he looked to my father as he said. "Eric. have you noticed anything out of the ordinary or things that don't add up, such as your wife saying she is doing something or somewhere that she is not?" he said calmly and as his eyes looked back to Haley his cruel and cold demeanor came back.

Father thinks for a moment and said," Yes she has. she said she was going to have a girls night out with her friends, I had called one of her friends to check up on her and they said that she never arrived for the girls night. There was also the time she said she would be checking up on Crystal when she was sick and she never came home to check on Crystal. " he said and looked at A'Kreath and to my step mother. " You don't think she is responsible for their deaths do you?" he asked concerned.

A'Kreath shook his head and smirked a cruel smirk. " Eric do you realize that your wife and your step daughters are not what they say they are?" to that Haley snapped at A'Kreath again. " what are you getting at you son of a bitch?! you don't know me or my daughters, so shut your bloody mouth! you are the one who killed the Gotham family!" A'Kreath only chuckled and smiled more there were fangs as he looked to Haley he leaned against the chair he was next to and watched her. " I never denied that I killed them since they worked for pentex and were Famore." My father paled and looked to Haley then back to A'Kreath taking the photo's to take a better look at the picture and, he looked up at Haley. " Is it true... You wanted our daughter to marry a famore?"

I was just standing and listening to everything to what was being said between them three. I spoke up and said," What are famore father?"

Father looked at me and I could have swore there was pain in his eyes like he lost someone from the famore. He then said," They are workers that are employed by Pentex. Before you ask me what is a Pentex is? You might know them as the company who swears the protection and cleansing of the planet of the pollution but have been one of the biggest contributors of the pollution."

Haley shakes her head to disagree and said," I had no idea that Gothams where apart of the famore and how dare you A'Kreath trying to get my husband to think I am not who I say me and my daughters are! I can sue."

A'Kreath tilted his head and there was an odd calm to him it was cold, cruel, and heartless as if he knew something that no one else did, even spazz seemed off he almost seemed to sneer at my step mother before A'Kreath spoke again. " you could try it would be entertaining to watch you try that Haley. but let us truly be honest, I have pulled all of your records miss Haley. and there is no records of your birth meaning you are an illegal citizen not to mention there is no record of you trying to get a green card or for that matter citizenship. and your daughters don't have records either, of their birth. So want to lie to me again Haley? " he said with a tone that dared her to argue him, it seemed as if he was egging her on to something.

i had had enough of my step mothers screaming and i had started to walk out saying to my father. " I need to get back to Valerie. " I stopped at the doorway and looked at A'Kreath and to Haley and said,"Wait a minute are you saying that they aren't even citizens of this country? Do you have proof of this claim A'Kreath?"

A'Kreath reached into his jacket and pulled out a file and handed it to me and said. " it is all right there in black and white." he said calmly and smiled at Haley.

I was about to open the file but it was taken way from me in seconds by Meredith and she said," What is this Crystal that you have?" as she smirked at me. She then winced in pain and I heard a grinding sound from her wrist noticing A'Kreath had grabbed her wrist and glared at her taking the file out of her hand and handing it back to me. "Touch anything I hand someone again you umbral whore I will make sure you can't breed." Those words made me shudder as they were words of promise not a threat.

Meredith was scared and she said,"First off jackass let the fuck go of me and second you can't show anyone records that is crime against the First amendment and we were born here in America not that you even really care to ask someone else then what you got fuck head. We can sue you for everything you just did it is our right."

she then spoke a different laugh that I didn't understand. "jij bent gewoon een stomme vampierhybride met demonische bloedlijn."

A'Kreath looked to her and chuckled softly at the things she said. he then let out a low breath bringing her closer to him not letting go but tightening his grip there was a hint of a growl from him as he said clear as day. " one, the first amendment is freedom of speech, two if the records were private yes it would be illegal, but as it stands all the records I stated and have here are public records anyone could look at them and ask for them. and just because you are born in America does not mean you are citizens because there are no birth records at all. oh and raad het nog eens hoer." he said looking at her for a moment. " but you are simi right about one thing I have been called a fiend multiple other times." he added to which my step mothers eyes widend.

Haley started to shake in fear and she said,"Enough both of you!! You need to leave now A'Kreath before you regret any else you might say or bring to light. Meredith go upstairs and I come to talk with you in few minutes."

A'Kreath looked to Haley not letting Meredith go as he tilted his head and smirked to Haley and my father could tell now that A'Kreath was not backing away from this and now that he heard A'Kreath's words carefully said he knew what Haley and her daughters were. A'Kreath then said." you think I would regret anything I would say to you? oh wait you think I am afraid of revealing something?" spazz looked at A'Kreath before slowly stepping closer to Haley almost as if getting ready, A'Kreath then looked to me. "Open the file if you want to see the proof, and I would recommend you go upstairs, and Spazz go with her and help the two girls... After all there are two more here. By the way Haley, do you know what happened to your son? you know Nathaniel. " he said with a smirk.

I so wanted to open the file here and now just to piss off my step mother Haley and step sister Meredith even more. But I rethinked and said, "If it's ok with you, I would like to take this upstairs with me? I can read it up there away from my step mother Haley and stepsister Meredith so they won't try to take it way from me again."

I started to turn around when Folanik came running up to me with full speed and as I thought I was about to be hit all I heard was a loud thud and bones breaking as well as floor boards before seeing Meredith and Floranik on the floor not moving and A'Kreath letting go of Meredith's arm and growling faintly. " I will not say sorry for killing these two since one was aiming to hurt Crystal but as well the other one was just a whore." he said coldly I did not know what to think at this point as he stood up straight and spazz spoke. "Shit A'Kreath do ya need to be so bloody?" he had said before A'Kreath turned to look at my step mother. "Looks like you only have two kids now." he said smirking again my father looked at me and nodded for me to go and Spazz walked over to me to walk me upstairs.

We both went upstairs and I open the door to my bedroom but when I opened the door it was not Valerie who greeted us. But it was three men and Valerie was pinned against the wall by one of them.

Upon looking into the room Spazz smiled. " About bloody time I got some fun, stay here lassie." He said as he walked in and grabbed one of the men throwing him into the other man before grabbing the man who had Valerie and smiled to him as he turned him around. " Oi mate you seem to have come to the wrong room ya see I'm here and I don't rightly like your kind." He said before passing his head into the man's forehead hard enough it sounded as if one of the two men broke their skull.

The two men that was close to the window looked at each other and they both said," Well the fuck we are in a howlers and Scotts men home. She can take care of herself." They then jumped out of the house and ran miles and miles away.

I walk up to Valerie and check on her and I can tell she was dazed on what happened and the color in her face was pale white.

Valerie said,"C-crystal we need t-to get out of here." as she was stuttering and Spazz looks up and down at Valerie.

I could tell he wanted to pick her up but is like something was telling him not too.

I said,"Valerie did they do something to you while I was down stairs if they did. They will have to deal with me and I will kill them."

Valerie said,"Y-yes and n-no I just need t-to take a shower and g-get you out of here safe and sound. Is all care about right now."