'Parents || B.D.H.

2

I arrive in Massachusetts a week later, and I'm on my way to meet Lana Winters at her home. I learned that she's currently under house arrest, but she didn't tell me what for, but that's none of my business. I arrive at her house, and ring the bell. Another woman answers the door with a kind smile, and lets me inside.

"I'm Marion, Lana's wife."

"Nice to meet you." I smile as we walk through the large house.

"You strangely look like Lana when we first met." She says.

"Really?"

"Yes, see." She picks up a picture frame and the woman is Marion and another woman, Lana who indeed did look like me as a brunette.

"Wow."

"Is she here?" I hear a raspy tone ask from the other room.

"Yes, come with me."

I follow Marion into the next room and see Lana sitting in a chair, I see the ankle monitor on her as she stands. I walk closer and shake her hand as I offer a smile.

"It's very nice to meet you, Miss Winters. Thank you for letting me come see you."

"You're welcome, honey. And, call me Lana."

"Yes, ma'am." I take a seat across from her, and she looks at Marion who then nods and walks off.

"You look a lot like me, it's funny." Lana says before sipping on her drink.

"Yes, Marion showed me a picture, it is quite amazing." I say and look around the room to see books and posters with Lana's name on them, and picture of her with celebrities.

Lana stands once again and goes over to a shelf. I watch as she picks up two books, and brings them to me. She sets them down, and opens one.

"That's your mother."

I look at the black and white picture. The woman is in a habit, and her hair is light, and her eyes are bright. I look up at Lana, "Did you know her well?"

"You can say that." She pulls a cigarette from a pack and lights it, she offers me one, and I take it.

"What do you mean?"

"Have you ever read anything of mine?"

"No, but I know of your books."

"Okay," She puffs out smoke. "I was in that asylum there in those photos. I met Mary there."

"You were there?" I was confused. Other than being on house arrest she seemed normal to me.

"Yes, you see Billie, back then being a lesbian was wrong, very wrong, and they locked me up."

"Oh, God." I gasp. "What happened?"

"I escaped, your mother helped me before..." Lana stops.

"Before?"

"Before she was killed."

"Sh-she was killed?" My voice cracks. "I-I thought she died of natural causes..."

"Yeah, that's what your father said."

"My father?"

"Timothy killed Mary."

My eyes widen in shock, I open my mouth to speak, but nothing. I'm speechless.

"I know this is probably hard to hear, but it was for the best. If what people said was true about her, anyways."

"What did they say about her?" I ask.

"Your mother was possessed."

"Possessed? That's physically impossible...I should know I'm a medium. A spirit can't do that."

"Dear, she wasn't possessed by a ghost; she was possessed by the devil. She said so herself."

"What?" I say softly as I fall back into the couch.

"Yup, maybe that's why you're special." I look at Lana in confusion. "You can talk to the dead, see things. You mother-while she was possessed she claimed to know things that only the devil could know."

"Are you saying I'm the child of the devil?"

"Not necessarily, you're obviously part of Mary too, but maybe just a part of that demon that was in her, is stuck in you." Lana puts out her cigarette, and gets another form the pack.

"H-how did her and my father...get together?"

"She seduced him."

"Great," I laugh sarcastically.

"If it helps any, your mother was a kind woman before she was possessed. She was kind hearted and treated people well. I'm sure if Timothy hadn't killed her, you would have a wonderful mother today." Lana tries to make me feel better.

"Yeah, if my father didn't kill my mom."

"He regretted it."

"Is that why he killed himself?"

"Part of it," Lana says. "He was an awful man."

"Did you write a book on him too?"

"No, because at the time he was rising the Catholic Church, and I didn't want to get into trouble with them. I went to church, but that man-that man was never the Holy Father the claimed to be."

I just sat there, trying to understand everything I had just learned.

"If you'd like I can get you a drink."

"No, thank you. I don't drink."

"Oh, well I can see you're needing to be alone, if you want I can give you some time."

"No, it-it's okay. Thank you for this, Lana." I say and set the picture album back down on the table before standing.

"Take the picture." She says.

"Really?"

"Yes, it's something that you can have of your mothers. I found that in a box of her things."

"Okay, thank you." I say and take it out of the slip. "Can I come back tomorrow?"

"Of course, Billie."

"See you then, Lana." With that I head back outside to my rental car.