The Life: Sacrifice (The Life 3)

But at the time, I thought I should stick close to Felix; I didn’t want to go down on the sinking ship with her, now I’ve been cast out just like she’d been, right back where I’d started, with that deadbeat out there. I can’t believe I’d ever missed him as a kid, had found it hard to let go of the memory of him. It just goes to show how stupid kids are because right now, I’d prefer that he never existed.

It sounded like someone turned a speaker on in the bathroom, and soon the same sounds that had chased me in here followed. The screams started in my head and made their way past my lips, and before I knew it, the sound was reverberating around the small bathroom. Someone knocked on the door, then it was being forced open, and I kept on screaming. Screaming felt good, like if I screamed long enough, this nightmare would end, and life would go back to normal.

I felt arms lifting me up from the floor, and when I struggled, another pair appeared, and I was being carried, dragged, between two of them.

“What’s wrong with her? Why is she acting like that?” Jimmy asked the stewardess, who strapped me back into my seat with the help of the silent guy who’d been there when we boarded.

“Sir, your daughter seems to be having a mental breakdown. Not to worry, we’ve been instructed to have someone meet us at landing to take care of her.” I heard that little exchange, but it didn’t register right away.

Jimmy kept talking as if he didn’t realize that he was the problem. That him being here was part of the reason my life was falling apart. The stewardess seemed to have a smirk on her face to me; that’s why I refused the juice she offered and knocked it from her hand instead. “Get away from me bitch.” Her passive voice when she replied that it was okay when Jimmy tried to intervene only made me look crazy. But I couldn’t help what was happening right now; I felt so trapped.

It seemed like no time at all had passed before the pilot announced we were landing, and by then, my screams had turned to grunts and groans. I wanted off this plane yesterday. How horrible that my first luxury flight had been plagued with memories of those two, and why am I even thinking about that now? I should be focusing on getting out of this mess.

Gabe had pretty much screwed me out of a dad and home with his little stunt, bringing Jimmy to the house. But even if he hadn’t, the fact that Gia now knew the house was hers I’m almost certain meant my days there were already numbered. I have no idea where my mother is and no way of contacting her since her phone seems to be turned off.

If they’d let me stay, I’m sure I would’ve found someone to take me in for a little while, but now I’m hundreds of miles away with no way of getting back. I was dry heaving by the time the plane came to a stop on the tarmac. The stewardess’ strange words made sense when the door slid open, and two people got on to escort me.

“Where are they gonna take her.”

“Not to worry, sir, you can follow in the car we have waiting for you.” What? What’s going on?

“Who are you? Where are you taking me?” They were more like carrying me than helping, each of them holding an arm as they walked me off the plane and down the steps to what looked like an ambulance.

Jimmy started to follow, but someone else intercepted him and led him to a waiting car. I started to yell at the two who were trying to drag me into the back of the ambulance until I felt a prick in my arm. My limbs grew weak, and my head light as whatever drug they’d injected in my arm took rapid effect.

Gia, this is your fault. I’m going to kill you if it’s the last thing I do. I kept repeating that over and over in my head until the drug took over completely, and my thoughts flew away.

* * *

DRACO

* * *

“Do you know what he did? He’s worse than fucking you.” I sat behind my desk as my little brother, the doctor, lectured me on my parenting because his precious nephew had done some inhumane shit to that Becky person.

“No, tell me, what did he do?”

“Okay, when he first asked me about letting him in to see her because she’s Gia’s stepmother, I didn’t think much of it, though I did have a look at her records.”

“Okay, and?”

“And? When I looked at those same records a day later, there was an added notation that hadn’t been there before. Do you wanna know what it said? It said she’s an addict. Do you know what that means?”