The Midnight Series: Darkness Comes to Light

6. Not Surprised

Summer vacation seemed to go by quickly. I was glad to some extent, because Jared and I were running out of ideas to entertain Lucy with, but with all of us going back to school we would get to at least escape our nosy neighbors looking at us with pity, as they thought of us as a broken family on the block. The whispers, pointing, and constant talking would seem like we were famous celebrities or something. I was just hoping for some privacy, but I think we would only accomplish that if we moved out of the neighborhood.

We were known as the family, where a divorced mother was left as a single mother to raise all three children alone. Everyone seems to pity Katherine, seeing her as a strong, hardworking, and tired mother. I was the only one who saw right through Katherine’s fake act. She had moved to another new job. I honestly lost count as to what job she was on or what she was working as of this time.

I only wished people knew the truth of what was really happening on the inside of the house. Katherine only showed them what she wanted them to see and made them believe that everything was holding together as best it could. If only I could tell my dad sooner without Katherine finding out.

It has been three months since Dan moved to Fort Bragg, California. All I remembered after he had left was celebrating our birthday together. My sixteenth birthday passed and five days later my dad left. The only thing I have left to remember that day was my locket I received from Dan. I still never take off the locket. I will always cherish it, since that was the last time I saw my father and the last time we all were actually in the same house as a family. I still feel saddened just thinking of not getting to celebrate our birthday together ever again. I miss my dad, but resent him for leaving us behind.

As another new school year was approaching, Jared was getting ready to start his first couple of college classes. While Lucy and I were starting in three weeks into the second week of the beginning of August. I was getting pumped up about starting my junior year of high school. I am going to actually get out of the same four walls of my mom’s house and backyard. I had silently prayed for this year to be a little better than these past couple of months. I am still struggling with the fact our dad left us after the divorce. The day he left was the day I made a tough decision myself. I decided I was not going to celebrate my birthday without him here. Celebrating without him just is not the same.

I began to think things were getting a little better with our mother’s demeanor, things took a drastic change. I did think that our mothers sudden behavior change was weird. She had random good days and bad days, but this week was oddly different. She had actually been sober for almost a week, which is a rare occurrence. She had even gradually stopped giving me her ‘lessons’. I knew that she was hiding something for us. What she was planning, none of us knew, but I could tell she wanted to be sober when she told us. What we did not expect was the last-minute decision announcement. I mean Katherine was quite spontaneous when it came to planning to spill life-altering news, which Jared and I found to be a major pain in the behind.

We were all in our own rooms entertaining ourselves. It was only four in the afternoon, but the weather was hot as h*ll.

I was sitting on the floor, on a pillow, playing solitaire with a deck of cards I found in the game closet earlier this morning.

“Jared! Emma!” our mom yelled for us from the kitchen.

As soon I heard my name, I groaned in annoyance. I got up off the floor and walked to the door, pulling it open.

Jared opened his door and stepped out into the hall just as I closed my door. Jared looked over at me with a questionable look that said, ‘what does mom call us?’. I shrugged my shoulders just as confused as he was. I followed behind Jared as we made our way towards the kitchen. As we stopped in the doorway of the kitchen, Jared stayed in the entryway leaning up against the door frame, while I leaned my back against the refrigerator. We both stood there in silence, just looking at our mother, who was sitting at the dining table. She looked up from her cell phone to meet our gaze. We both stayed silent, waiting for her to start the conversation. I looked over to Jared then turned my gaze to the ground. Jared seemed a bit annoyed with the drawn out, awkward silence. Jared kept his eyes directly on mom’s face. Brave is the only thing I could think of as he kept his eyes on Katherine. I continued to look at the ground, not purposely ignoring her, but just being called in here with Jared made me have a bad feeling in my gut. The only good thing was she would not touch me with Jared in view.

Katherine cleared throat, drawing my attention to look up at her. I held back the urge to roll my eyes and let a groan escape my lips. I say I was annoyed is an understatement. I was so ready for her to spit out the news that would probably change our whole lives. If only she would hurry up and say it already. I looked at her, making sure my face held no emotion.

“One of you will be going to live with your worthless father,” she said bluntly, making sure to emphasize the word ‘worthless’. She sighed heavily as she looked back and forth between Jared and me. A fake smile creeped on her lips as she opened her mouth to continue. “I have chosen to send one of you, because taking care of three children is too much on my own. And your worthless father keeps bugging me to let one of you go stay with him. I have made my decision, and Emma, you will be leaving on Friday. Danny will be taking you. I have already called him.”

I looked at Katherine and gave her a tight nod in understanding. I was not completely shocked or even surprised with her decision. I mean Jared was starting college in a week and Lucy was the youngest child, so there was no way she would choose them. Never mind the fact Katherine had herself engraved deep into my mind and soul.

I knew as soon as she called us I could feel like she was about to change my whole year upside down. Even though I knew the change would be hard, all I felt was anger towards Katherine for telling Jared and I the way she did. She made complete mockery of me, even though Jared was oblivious that she was taunting me. I hid my emotions with a serious expression. The excuse of ‘taking care of us three was too much’ was a perfect touch to her pathetic story. Only a complete fool would be lured into Katherine’s ruse.

She went on to tell me I was leaving in two days. I nodded in understanding, though I was on the verge of crying. I glanced over at Jare, who was expressing his emotions clear as day on his face. To say he was a little angry was an understatement. I could tell by the way his body tensed, especially his shoulders and his clenched jaw. He looked like he was contemplating the idea of giving our mother a piece of his mind. He slowly shifted his weight onto his right shoulder by leaning against the wall of the entryway, he folded his arms across his chest, hiding both of his hands balled into clenched tight fists. His knuckles are clearly turning white with how tight his hands are clenched. His jaw was clenched tight too, the muscle in his jawline popping out. Jared finally caught my gaze. I glared at him, sending a clear message to not make a fuss over our mother's decision. He sighed heavily, making his whole body and his fists relax, which was a signal to me that he was going to keep his opinions to himself.

Jared and I left the room in awkward silence, and went back to our separate rooms. I don’t know what Jared was thinking, but I had way too many unanswered questions regarding what our mother had told us. Katherine was never an ask question and get answers type, so Jared and I knew better than to question anything.

Katherine made the decision and no amount of talking to our mother would change her mind. I was the child that is being sent to Fort Bragg to live with our father. The constant reminder that our father was worthless was a daily annoyance. She made sure we knew how much she despised him since the day he left, just by using the word “worthless”. She also would remind us time and time again that he was no good at anything, which is what made just “plain downright worthless” in her eyes.

If I had to calculate how long it took her to decide who she would send to live with our father, it probably took her more time to pour two shot glasses than it took for her to choose me. I wish it was not me that had to move, but if I fought to stay I would probably receive ten times the amount of beatings I already receive. She would have picked the child she deemed the outcast.

I closed my bedroom door and sat on the edge of my bed. I have to pack all of this stuff within two days. A part of me did not want to move to live with my dad, only because I would be leaving Jared and Lucy here with the wicked witch of a mother. On the other hand, I would be getting away from Katherine, which means the bruises would heal and I would be physically scar free.

I sighed heavily, reaching and grabbing my cell phone off my nightstand. I stared at the screen of my phone, debating whether I wanted to call or text Danny. I bit my lip, not feeling up to contacting him right now. I stared at my screen saver on my phone, a picture of Jared, Lucy, Danny, and myself. I will contact him later on today.

I slumped my shoulders, as the weight of my feelings overwhelmed my body of how much I really wanted to stay here with my siblings. I wanted nothing more than to stay in Stockton with Jared and Lucy, but I knew the decision was never going to change. Just the mere thought of thinking about leaving made my stomach hurt and twist in knots. Thinking of Lucy alone in the house with our mother made my heart ache with sadness and worry. My anxiety levels were rising through the roof. I basically raised her, so she and I have a very close bond, to me it felt both motherly and sisterly. Jared and Lucy will never understand what I self-sacrificed as long as my mother still has her hold on me. I kept this deepest, darkest secret to protect them from the same fate.