Nick awoke with a splitting headache, he tried to move but something was pushing him down, he looked around, it wasn't something pushing him down, it was ropes on his legs and arms that kept him attached to a solitude chair in a dark place, a place that looked and smelt like a surer. His head eased around, but he saw no one, then in a crisp moonlight he saw 2 figures approach.
"Sleep well?" the man snickered, a thick accent pouring over each word
"Daddy, this is one prize catch don't you think?" a female voice smiled, it was a young voice, like that of a child, but as the figure became clear Nick realized it was no child, it was Charisma.
"Carry?" he questioned, a splitting headache shooting behind his eye
"Actually, my names Jessica, Jessica Harper" she smiled, her hair in platted pigtails
Nick looked up at her in wonderment, it was like she'd reverted to a child, and the name, it seemed so familiar, but he couldn't think, his head hurt too much.
"You" he muttered turning to the man "You killed Melissa"
A loud laugh boomed out.
"Guess again honey, I didn't kill her, I-"
"Leave him alone" another female voice announced, it was coming from behind Nick and slightly to the side so he couldn't see the face
Footsteps walked around beside him, then in front of him and he saw a thin girl with mousy brown hair and a gun pointed at the other two.
"Go away Abigail" Jessica screeched
"No, no, you cant kill him too, I wont let you"
The man walked up to her, the gun pushed into his chest and he leaned onto it.
"You couldn't kill me, you stupid little girl, I own you" he hissed
"No you don't, you don't, so untie him, damnit" she spoke, her voice almost pleading like a scared child.
Two large hand pushed down on Abby's shoulders, pushing her to her knees, the gun was yanked from her hands.
"Look at me Abigail Harper, look at me" he boomed
"No, no, no, no, no, no" she repeated shaking her head, her eyes slammed shut
"LOOK AT ME CHILD" he screamed
"NO, no more, no more pictures no more" she screamed back as he squeezed her chin
Her eyes remained shut tightly.
"Look at me child" he said, his voice now turning soft
"No"
"I know what you did"
"I didn't do anything"
"You killed Melissa"
"No, I didn't, I didn't do that'
"Yes you did" he replied sympathetically
"No, I didn't, I didn't, you cant hurt me anymore"
"Daddy, let me do it" Jessica questioned he attention turned to her youngest sister
"No, you don't know enough" he replied, putting his hand up to signal her to back off
"I can, I can do it"
"No, only Melissa or I can handle this"
The mention of that name made her scream. She grabbed a sharp object from the ground and ran toward Nick.
"It's always Melissa, its always her" she screamed angrily
"What are you doing?" the man hissed picking her up and throwing her carelessly to the ground, "Stop it child"
"You always loved her more"
"Melissa is gone, sit down"
"I don't understand, what do you want from me?" Nick finally spoke up "You're one very fucking dysfunctional family, but what does that have to do with me?"
"Melissa was never the target you idiot, you were. Insurance scam, the Harper family was in for the big time" he snickered
Nicks eyes showed his confusion.
"We made it look like she was the target to take the focus from you, it was meant to be you in that car, for some reason it wasn't" he shook his head disappointed "See then, Melissa, you're wife, my daughter would collect all the money you had"
"No, Melissa wouldn't do that"
"Wake up, this family is a bunch of con-artists, always have been"
"No, I don't believe you"
He sighed.
"To carry on, basically I still need you dead to collect some money"
"How, you cant?"
"Cant I?" he smirked, then pulled Jessica toward Nick
He covered her mouth and pushed her face into Nick's
"Look Familiar?" he laughed
Nick blinked, then his mouth gaped. Those eyes were so familiar.
"Melissa?" he gaped
"Well, close enough, they were twins, I'm surprised you never saw it before"
"You kill me, then Melissa miraculously appears and you collect"
"Exactly" he smiled
"You killed your own daughter" Nick spat
"No, I told you, I didn't kill her, Abigail did"
A tiny voice on the floor whimpered.
"Jessica lit the match, I watched, I sorry Mel, I'm so sorry" she cried "we didn't know"
Jessica's eyes lit up with glee.
"I knew" she smiled "I hated her, she always got everything, I knew it was Melissa daddy, did you know that? I killed her, she was going to blow the deal, tell Nick everything, she was going to rat us out, so I did it, I saw her leave, I told Abby it was Nick, she ran the car towards her, I saw it all, haha, she swerved and spun down the bank and crashed, Abby drove on, but I stayed, I stayed and I heard her and saw her, she called out to me but I laughed and then threw my cigarette into the car, then there were flames, everywhere, I did it, I killed her and I would do it again" she laughed, evil in her voice
"Damn you Jessica" the father heaved loudly
"You really hated me that much?" a voice said softly from the shadows
Nick searched the shadows, he knew that voice, he loved that voice - Melissa.
"No, you're dead, I watched you burn" Jessica screamed as Melissa walked out into the light, her face covered with a scarf.
"What you failed to see was Abby, up on the hill, she saw the whole thing, she knew it was me, and she pulled me from the flames, it was another persons charred remains they found, a friend of mine, someone who was going to help me escape from all of you" he voice wavered "and you killed that, but I knew you'd be back"
"Lissa?" Nick cried
She walked up to him, her face still covered. She removed it slowly to reveal a scar covered face that did however resemble the face he loved.
"I'm sorry, I feel in love with you, I wanted to tell you" she spoke softly, tears forming in her eyes, "I wanted to save you"
"It's been so long"
"I was scared of seeing you, look at me?" she cried
"No, you're dead, we killed you, I killed you" Jessica spoke in stunted words
"I'm far from dead dear sister of mine" she smiled walking to Abby, who she plucked off the floor
"It's okay Abby" she whispered
"Come here Melissa" the father spoke up after what seemed an eternity of silence
"You don't control me anymore father, you mind games, your hypnotism doesn't work with me anymore and it wont work with Abby, you destroyed her mind, your own daughter, you watched her mind fall apart, but I'll put it back together I swear to you, you have no control over me"
"Your mind always was the strongest, but the stupidest, you wont and cant control Abby, she's under me"
"Wrong, she's under her own power"
"Abigail, come to me"
Abby stood and walked to him, drew back and spat in his face.
"You don't control me" she hissed
"I will kill you again damnit" Jessica shrieked as she plucked up the gun Abby had long dropped
She aim directly for Melissa and screamed. She squeezed back the trigger and the bullet flew into the air.
"No" the father cried as he jumped in front of Melissa
He slumped to the ground, frail and instantly old.
"Daddy" Jessica cried as she ran toward him
"I'm the beast, love your sister" was al he said as blood created a puddle around him