Memory Logs

The Red Strings

But if he lied, if he kept the truth hidden from her, he knew the results would be disastrous.

"Largest... in Seattle," he murmured, shoulders sagging with the decision to explain. "My father... he... was strong. Ruled his workers... with an iron fist. Crushed them. Put them... in their place."

Meg made a face. "He sounds like a horrible man."

Evan flinched. His instinct was to tell her she was wrong, that his father was strong and capable and smart, but he bit his tongue. Because although for a long time, Evan refused to see it, couldn't see it, he knew now that... Meg had a point. "Raised me... the same. I made friends... with the workers. Father found out... punished me. He instructed me... to do things. Bad things."

Meg blanched. Though she didn't retreat or step back, her little hands did clench into anxious fists. "And you did them," she whispered.

His voice was tired. Shamed. "Yes."

"Why...?"

"He told me... it made me strong. He told me... I showed my worth... by punishing the weak. Break their will... break their spirit."

Meg was incredulous. Tears brimmed the corners of her eyes. "And you believed him?"

"He... raised me to."

She bit down on her lip to keep it from trembling. Seeing the horror on her face was withering. "What exactly did you do, Evan..."

A growl left him. He went quiet again, the words stuck in his throat and unwilling to come out. Finally, he rumbled, "I... led over a hundred men... into the mine." He tried to control the wavering in his low, rough voice. "Detonated the explosives. Killed them all."

Meg's jaw dropped. She stared at him for a long while, tears streaming down her cheeks; Evan felt a strange surge of anger fill his chest. He knew it was the grip of his father when he had the sudden fleeting desire to beat the look of shock off of her face. Of course a worm would look at him like he'd done something wrong - like he was a murderer. He was showing those maggots their place, he was putting them all out of their rotten misery, doing just as father would have done -

Evan shook himself out of it, shocked at how indignant he'd become. Seeing Meg's reaction now filled him with shame and he had to look away from her; though his father continued to whisper, he forced the thoughts down with a clench of his fists.

Meg's wavering voice shook him from his trance. "You... you are a monster," she whimpered.

He closed his eyes. Felt his skin crawl. "Yes."

"You deserve to be here." Meg's voice was almost a sob. With that, she turned and ran away.

"Yes," Evan murmured, watching her go.

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Meg hastily wiped the tears from her eyes, grateful for the wind blowing in her ears and the cold air on her face as she ran as hard as she could. Crossing the map, she met up with Jake - immediately skidding to a halt when she saw who else was there. Immediately the red-head went on the defensive, prepared to bolt and drag Jake with her if needed.

Sitting on top of one of the piles of junk was Susie, swinging her feet innocently and playing with her knife almost sheepishly. Jake's posture was rigid, but he hadn't made a move to run away which was surprising in and of itself. Seeing another killer in the trial was unnerving, but it wasn't the first time it had happened during all this insanity. "Oh," Susie hummed, her knife lowering when she saw Meg. "It's... you."