Z
I had no idea how much time had passed when I started to come around, the only thing I was aware of was the fact that I seemed to be on the move. I slowly prised my swollen eyes open to find that I was laying on the backseat of my car, while Jackie was in the front passenger seat and some random guy was driving my car.
“Look who’s finally awake, I wondered if you were ever going to grace us with your presence.”
“What did you expect Jackie, I told you not to lay a finger on her but you just couldn’t help yourself. How the hell are you going to explain this when the police find her?” Asked the strange guy, who kept staring at me in the rear view mirror.
“What is there to explain, she jumped off the same cliff as her boyfriend, obviously she hit some rocks on the way down.”
I tried to open my door, but Jackie had been smart enough to put the child locks on. I had no idea how I was going to get out of this predicament, the only thing I was thankful for, was the fact that I was unable to fear the situation that I had found myself in.
“We’re just lucky that the tide will be in, at least they won’t discover her body for a little while.”
“But you said that we would be able to take her money and get far away from here, how can we do that if nobody knows that she’s dead?” Jackie’s voice had taken on a whiney tone and I noticed that he visibly flinched at the sound. It was obvious that this guy didn’t care for Jackie, all he was interested in was the big fat pay out that he was going to help himself to.
“I have already explained all of this to you. Later on, tonight you will call the police and file a missing person’s report, you will inform them that she hadn’t been herself since Darren’s death and that you are worried about her state of mind. You will also explain the circumstances behind your sister’s death and say that you are worried that she may try something stupid.
You will then ring around all the people she knows and play the part of the doting and worried Aunt. Once her body is discovered it will just be an open and shut case of yet another pointless death of a teenager who lost their life far too young. You get the death certificate and presto, the money is legally yours.”
They spoke of my death like it had already happened, this was definitely something that had been in the works for some time. How could my own flesh and blood do something like this, if I thought the beatings had been bad, then this was truly atrocious.
We finally came to a halt and Jackie pulled him in for a kiss before exiting the car, He turned his face to me and looked at me sympathetically, which was funny given the circumstances.
“It’s really not personal, not from where I am standing anyway, I just like the finer things in life and Jackie is an easy meal ticket.”
He climbed out from the car and walked around to my side, where he unlocked my door and helped me to my feet, keeping my wrists in an ironclad grip.
He started to steer me towards the edge and after roughly twenty steps I would have been hurtling towards my death.
“Please stop,” I shouted, hoping my voice would carry over the wind that had begun to stir on our arrival. I hadn’t really expected him to listen, so I was quite surprised when he suddenly stopped mid step, with a look of utter confusion clear on his face.
“Martin, what the hell are you doing,” demanded Jackie as she stormed over to us. Martin just stood there with a blank look upon his face.
“Oh, for Christ’s sake,” she muttered as she grabbed hold of my arm and pulled me from his grasp, and then we were marching forward again.
I managed to raise my shoulder up and slam it into her chin, it caused her to lose her grip on my arm and I stumbled away from he
r.
I made it back to Martin where I pummelled my fist upon his chest, I stared up into his eyes and told him not to let her touch me again.
He didn’t appear to hear me and I could hear Jackie running back over towards me, I continued to pummel him until Jackie seized hold of my wrist and spun me around until I was stumbling closer towards the edge and falling to my knees. I heard a loud pop as my arm was pulled from its socket, but luckily the pain did not register.
I stared down at the ground but looked up when I heard Jackie scream, I was shocked to see her feet leaving the ground as Martin tightened his grip around her throat.
“Martin put her down,” I hollered at him, and he did it almost instantly, I had no idea why he had suddenly decided to help me, but I wondered if I could use it to my advantage even more.
“Hold her in place, so she can’t get away,” I demanded, staring straight into his eyes, not understanding why they seemed glazed and why that seemed so familiar.
He instantly pulled her flush against him, so that her back was slamming into his torso. He had one arm wrapped across her chest, just inches below her throat and his other arm was across her waist, also sealing her arms in at the same time. I slowly hobbled closer to her until my face was only inches away from hers.
“Why would you do this to me? Your own flesh and blood, I am the only family that you have left,” I exclaimed.
“Because it should have been me, you were handed everything in life, born with a fucking purpose that is wasted on the likes of you. And what did I get, a mother too consumed with hate to even acknowledge me and a sister who was almost as deranged as she was.”
I started to laugh a deep, side splitting laugh before I shook it off and regained my composure.
“Are you really that deluded? I have spent my entire life being somebody’s punching bag, having my entire life dictated to me. How the hell can you stand there and have the nerve to say I was handed everything. I have had nothing but harsh words, punches and kicks thrown at me. I have been kicked when I am down and I don’t just mean figuratively. I found my own Mother dead in my home and then sent off to live with the likes of you.”