Insanity Stains Red

nineteen

The weeks passed quickly in that place, much quicker than I’d expected, but I found myself actually having fun. It was a new experience, fooling around and socialising with the other kids, and for a while, I even forgot about my darkness.

It was three days before the trial that Carrie, one of the other girls in the house, found me lounging on the grass by the pool with Glen and some of the others. “Hey Evelyn, there’s a phone call for you – it’s that cop again.” She held the receiver out to me and I reached for it, pulling myself to my feet. Carrie took my place on the grass and the conversation started up again as I walked away.

“Hey.” I said, into the phone.

“Hey yourself,” Detective Samson replied. “How is everything going?” It was the same question he asked me every time he called, though that had been less frequently since I had come to the half-way house. In my time here, he’d called me about once a week, just to check up on me and see how I was handling things. I assumed this was another one of those calls.

“I’m doing well, thank you. Everyone is being so accommodating. It’s strange, but really great.” I smiled as I said it, and knew he could hear it in my voice.

“That’s great, I’m glad you’re settling in so well…” His voice trailed off and I realised that he hadn’t just called to check up on me, something was obviously bothering him.

“Your silence is deafening, detective. What’s up?”

“Well now, and don’t feel like you have to do this, because it’s entirely optional, if you say no, then we can leave it at that. But, I had to pass the message onto you, even though I’d rather not…” He was rambling, and I made a sound of impatience to hurry him along. He sighed. “Your father has requested an audience with you.” I was silent for several long seconds, and he hurried on. “Like I said, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. Under law, he has no rights to see you at all without your permission, father or not. I-”

“I’ll see him.” I said quietly, interrupting the detective. I wanted to see him, despite everything that had happened and everything he had done to me.  He was still my father, and my darkness called out for the lost kinship.

“I can pick you up in half an hour.”

“Alright, see you then.” I said good bye and disconnected the call, walking inside and placing the receiver on its rest in the kitchen. Then I trotted upstairs to get changed into something a bit less comfortable. It wouldn’t do to visit my father in sweat pants, even if they were clean. The fact that I now had a wardrobe to sort through was thanks to Gale. The clothes were mostly second hand, but they were still in great condition, and I was happy for them. I chose a nice pair of jeans and a simple t-shirt, and went back downstairs to wait for my ride.

The prison was exactly what you’d expect; high fences, plain brick, military style, maximum security. If you’ve seen one prison, you’ve seen them all. On one of our rare outings together when I was little, my father had driven us to this very place and stopped the car outside. He’d wanted me to take a good long look at it so I would know the consequences if I ever betrayed him. Well, I certainly knew them now.

Detective Samson led the way through the visitor’s entrance, and my feet began to drag. I was beginning to have second thoughts, especially now I could see the environment I’d condemned my father to. But at the same time, I knew I had to look, had to see this, because there was still a chance this would be my future, too.

“Can I see the others, where they’re being kept?” If I was here, I wanted to see it all; I wanted to see the conditions in which they were now living. I wanted to see more than just a locked room where my father waited in shackles. Detective Samson looked a question at our escort, who then shrugged.