The Hidden Diary of Ophelia Ridley

18

9 July 1988

Dear Diary,

They've scheduled Susan's funeral but Edith and I have decided not to attend.

Dad, Thomas, keeps looking at me like I'm foreign. I think he knows that we know more than we've let on. He's not daft, he must realize that his daughter being locked in a freezer by a man who murdered his secret lover can't be a coincidence. Still, he doesn't say anything to me about it.

The rest of the band, Gregg, Kevin, and Sonya were pretty surprised by everything but mostly pissed off because they couldn't make easy money from Susan anymore. Edith and I quit the band, which I think made the others upset and confused but I don't really care.

The more I think about Susan as a person, the more she just makes me sad. When I first met her, I thought I wanted to be just like her. She had all this money, and all these friends and she'd been all over but she paid a terribly high price for all of it. Marvin's closed the ice cream shop. Even if he tries to re open it, I doubt anyone would want to go there now. Mostly, Marvin just cries alot and Edith says he spends all day in church.

I don't think I would like to be Susan Banks anymore. She lived lavishly but ruined the people around her. Maybe one day, if I ever mess things up quite as bad as she did, I can be like Susan.

For now, though, I'm focusing on finding another way out of this place, and I cant be dragged down by her. I will tear out all the pages in which I have mentioned Susan. I don't want the reminder, and if anyone finds it, I could be in serious trouble.

Goodbye, Susan Banks. Until we meet again.

-Ophelia