C33. Murderer

Continuation of Jossie's POV:

"You slept with him, didn't you?

You slept with that fucking bastard!"

It was my father who was screaming this time. His voice was distant and hard to hear.. But, I recognized what he was saying when I put two and two together. "I didn't sleep with him!" This was familiar. I think I heard my mother screaming just now. This was the dream... again? I was having it once more. Finally... I can remember what happened. Mother's voice brought me to my senses just like before. This reoccurring nightmare will end tonight. I must stay asleep and finish it.

     "You liar! I found your spare phone! The messages are all over the damn thing. I could read one to you right now. Where is it? Where's the spare fuck-ing phone!?" Mother had been cheating on father. I remember now. The night... it happened they had gotten into a huge fight. 

     "You're bloody crazy! I don't have a spare phone!" Mother often lied. It wouldn't surprise me if she was trying to lie to save her ass. 

     "That's it! I'm leaving! I'm taking my fucking daughter with me!" We should have left together. What happened that ended so badly?

     "You can't take my children from me!" I wanted to leave her just as much as he did.

     "You don't even want her!" She doesn't. So why did it matter so much to her now?

     "She has duties to this pack, William! You have duties to this pack! You can't just leave the fuck-ing pack!" The duties. Of course it was the duties.

     "I'm leaving you. I'm not leaving this pack!"

     "THIS IS MY PACK!"

     "Jossie!" My father's voice called for me. "Wake up!" His voice sent a shiver down my spine as I heard him yell for me in the kitchen. His voice was angry. It was clear as day. He was mad. He was violent sounding. He was growling as my mother seemed to have set him off. I felt tears welding up on my face. The fear of going downstairs prevented me from moving. I didn't want to go anywhere with him like this. I never heard him so mad before. It was all coming back to me now. Something made me stay in my bed as I heard them fighting. "We're leaving-"

     "No you're not! You can't leave me! News flash, werewolves don't un-mate after they've been mated! There isn't a thing called divorce! This is my pack and my family! This is everything you wanted to have when you came to me and forced the bond." Mother never knew when to stop. She was hard headed and pushed people over the edge. This time it was the wrong person.

     "All you do is lie, April. You lie to everyone! You even lie to yourself. You never wanted this from the start. You only wanted to make your fucking mother happy. This mate-ship was never serious to you from the start. This isn't a game, April. This is a family you're ripping apart. I want a divorce," I heard my father say back.

     Mother never knew when to stop. She never knew when to tell when she's lost. To her this was all a dangerous game. She could push and shove my father... But- I don't think anyone including her knew how far my father would dive this time. She had been the one in the wrong. Now she was setting off a gun. She was playing russian roulette downstairs.

"Over my dead body!"

     I was curled up in my purple velvet bed sheets. The same bedspread I've had since middle school. Tucked under my arm was a rainbow llama plushie. It was given to me by my father for my birthday several years ago. I stuck the plushie under the blanket for security before throwing my blankets back. I crept out of bed as my head throbbed from a morning headache.

     'Jossie,' his voice echoed once again. I walked downstairs and paused when I hit the last step of the staircase. His voice lured me towards the kitchen. This was abnormal. I figured before he was calling me to get me to leave with him. This time it was different from my dreaming. I knew I had came down here to watch them fight. Not to leave with him. Their fights never ended in him leaving her. They were a mated pair. I could never take them seriously when they threatened to leave one another. As much as I wanted it growing up. 'Jossie- Are you awake?' I heard my father's voice calling out weakly to me. 'Run away. Get out of here!' It was only then I realized he had actually wanted me to go.

     "Dad?" I asked as I felt my heart racing. What was going on? My eyes landed on the kitchen's dim lighting pouring out into the hallway. I knew... Whatever was happening would be in there. I had to fight my way to find out what I've forgotten.

     'Jossie,'  There would be no... leaving the house or going back to bed for me. I have to know.

     "What is it dad?" I wondered as I walked towards the kitchen. Why would I need to run away? Where would I go? I won't go without him. Whatever was happening.... I wanted to save him. Was my mother the murderer?

'Don't come in here.' 

'Don't come in here.' 

'Don't come in here.' 

'Don't come into the kitchen.'

     I should have listened to the warning. I passed down the hall leading to the kitchen. I wanted to see what was there. Where my father was and where my mother went. I wanted to know what was happening between the two. The kitchen seemed to grow further away. I kept walking towards it but never reached it. My feet began to ache and I had to pause as I came across the hall's decorative mirror. There in the reflection...

     'Jossie,' my sister's voice echoed in my head.

     "Jossie you have to remember," I mumbled. I can't keep walking this hall forever. I have to unlock these memories. I will push past this lock on my mind. No more. No more!

     "If you know something... You have to remember. Because I wasn't ever there." Yes, Jules wasn't even there the night it happened. Of course I remember she had snuck out.

     I knew it. I knew it all along this would happen. I would be forced to remember the events of my father's death. Something must be keeping me from them. That's why this hall gets so long and I never make it to the kitchen. 

     Juliette wasn't there the night father died. I've been wishing she had filled my shoes the whole time. I had hid my memories from myself. I've known all along what happened. I just don't know why I refuse to remember it. 

     "You have to remember." I remember. I was there when it happened. I know what happened. Only I do. Nobody else was there the night it happened. I have to believe this time I can reach the kitchen and solve this.

     I had to rub my eyes as I focused on my pale skin in the mirror. It was me. This was the truth. I was in my night clothes. The set I fell asleep in the night of my father's murder. No longer will I let my mind prevent me from the truth. These are my memories I've been suppressing all this time. It's just like the last dream. I can reach the kitchen this time. I know I can. There in the mirror was my eyes I inherited from my mother. Those cold opal eyes. They remind me of a killer. The blank stare of tiredness reflected back at me. I was a loser. I was gross to look at. I hated mirrors. I would only look for a few seconds. The thought of being dragged in prevented me from looking longer. I can't be confused anymore... This is what really happened.

     'Dearest Jossie...' My mind echoed. I would look back in the mirror to see my lips parting as I thought to myself. 'You have to let me in this time.' My eyes wondered towards the kitchen entrance. 'This is serious. You have to let me remember.' I walked off towards the kitchen. Braving my steps. I found myself stepping into the kitchen. 

     What happened the night my father died? What were the events that followed me waking up that night? I know now... What I remember is different from what happened. I have to know now. No more running away. I want the truth. The whole truth. Nothing but the truth.

     It was like a flash. The moment I stepped into the kitchen I knew I was unlocking a blocked path of memories. As the flash came it went. I was standing in the entrance of the kitchen. My father had my mother pinned against the fridge. Their backs to me but I could tell he was choking her. I could hear her crackled cough as she was breathing her last.

     'Jossie- Jossie help me,' my mother pleaded. As if she knew I was watching. I don't hate her. I really don't. At least I never thought I could. She's done some fucked up things. Somethings aren't forgivable. But... I would never wish her dead. Even though she hated me. It's funny. I never thought she would ask me for help. 

     My feet must have reacted on instinct. I ran up and shoved him away from her. The impact made him slip as he hit his head on the counter when he fell over. I grabbed my mother's arms as I felt tears pouring from my eyes. I was crying. I was scared. I felt like I betrayed my father. The moment my mother could breath her eyes landed on my own. I was shoved suddenly. My back hitting the counter as I tripped on my father. 

     "You ungrateful rats!" My mother howled. It pierced my ear as she eyed me down. She was angry. She was vengeful. Her eyes looked towards my father. He suddenly grabbed me by my wrist. 

     "Josephine! I told you to run away! What are you doing here?" He growled in his own anger. "Go up to your room and wait for me."

     "You t-tried to kill her," I whispered. 

     "No-No-No baby girl. I was gonna let her go," he promised me. I could hear my mother coughing as she struggled to breath. Her throat must be bruising over by now.

     "H-How could you?" I asked softly. He just lied to me. How could he lie to me as well? I felt his grip on my wrist tighten. 

     "Go to your room," he ordered. I whined as I shook my head. I couldn't leave. I can't- I can't leave. 

     "You-You tried to kill mom," I whispered. How could he try to kill his mate? What's wrong with him? I searched his eyes. They weren't my father's eyes. They were red like a rogue's crimson. This wasn't the father I knew. "What's wrong with you?"

     "This is who your father is," my mother gasped out as she took deep breaths. "What you are! YOU'RE MONSTERS!" My father suddenly stood up as he let my hand go.

     "Go up to your room Josephine," he ordered again. I trembled as I watched him go back to my mother. She backed away from him as she shook her head no. Tears were running down her cheek.

     "I didn't mean it," she said in a begging tone. "You know I didn't mean any of it." I covered my mouth in fear I would scream just watching. My father picked up a bottle of rum off the counter and tossed it at her. She was lucky enough to move out of the way as it clashed with a picture behind her. "William," she begged. I watched as she was cornered against the wall. "William-William. Listen! I will end things with him. I promise! We'll go back to being a family."

     "We can't go back," William growled as he placed both hands on the sides of her shoulders to pin her in place. His hands slowly moved towards her neck. "I hate you so god damn much," he growled. "You're a hex! I should have rejected you a long time ago!" I watched as he forced his hands around her neck. Her fingers clawed at his hand.

     "Jossie! Jossie! Jossie help me!" My mother screamed as she sounded like she was loosing consciousness. I slowly raised to my feet as I took the knife off the back wall that was hanging on the magnet. I trembled as I pointed it at my father.

     "Let her go!" I yelled. I can't watch this anymore! My father didn't even look at me.

     "Help Jossie!" My mother pleaded. 

     "Dad! Let her go!" I was begging as I slowly walked towards them. Please don't- don't make me do this! I looked towards his back as I wasn't sure where to stab him at. I don't want to kill him. I just want him to let her go. The closer I got the less possibility I had at saving my mother. I charged him as I felt time running out. I picked a spot and I stabbed him in a rush. I tried to avoid stabbing where I thought his heart or any important organs would be. I got him as the knife slipped through his shirt. He let her go and I heard her slide down the wall and choke for air. He turned around slowly. I had let the knife go. I heard it drop and hit the ground. He raised his hand and suddenly smacked me. The impact sent me straight to my knees as he kicked at my chest one good time. I curled up in misery as I peaked up to look at him. 

     "You- You little bitch," my father cursed as he looked pissed. He had been betrayed by me. I could see hatred fueling in his eyes. I never wanted to see him look at me that way before. I thought he was good. I thought he loved me. I worshiped him for so long. All this time... Who knew he would turn into such a monster? "This is your own fault," he snared at me. "You should have never been born! Look at what you've done to this family? Your mother is out sleeping with other men because she's too ashamed to come home to this fucking family." 

     I braced myself as he kicked me again. I couldn't- I looked away and found my mother behind him. Slowly she picked up the knife when he wasn't looking. He must have saw it in my eyes because he turned on her. He was able to stop her from slicing into his legs. He squeezed her hand until it was forced to let go of the knife. I could hear it clutter as his attention stuck to my mother.

     I looked towards the knife. I couldn't think of anything else as I grabbed it and slipped between them as I aimed for his chest. He let her go as he stumbled backwards with the knife. He suddenly coughed and blood spat out at us. He stumbled until he fell over and crawled towards the cabinets. His hands shook as the knife was too close to his heart. I felt my mother cover my mouth as she patted the back of my head.

     "Good girl," she whispered. "Go upstairs and stay there. Don't come back down until dawn touches the sky." I couldn't move. My eyes landed on my father looking out at us. His eyes were filled with hatred. I never saw that look before. "Go," my mother said. Her hands gave me the push I needed. I was shoved towards the door. I got to my feet and ran for the stairs. I could hear my heart racing in my chest. I killed him. I killed him! I killed him! I killed my father! 

I did it to save her.