This is a load of story telling, so buckle up, darlings! (:
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Faith closed the door to her apartment after Marina left. Faith and Anna had left their stuff at the party, and Marina had been kind enough to return the stuff to Faith, who would return Anna's stuff to her tomorrow.
"Okay, Marina's gone", Faith said, walking into the living room and speaking to her father.
"Alright", her father replied, patting the space on the couch beside him. "I owe you an explanation."
Faith sat down, facing her father.
"I would appreciate it if you didn't ask questions until the very end", her dad said, looking sad. Faith nodded.
Taking a deep breath, Robert turned his body slightly to face Faith more. And then he began.
"Years ago, when you were 6 and your sister was 9, your mother and I had some trouble with the bank. The bank we had invested in went bankrupt, and they used money from their customers to keep them alive. It worked for little while.
"Then it happened again. And again. And over and over, they would take money from us and other poor people who used that bank.
"Eventually, the bank ran out of money and fell apart. However, over the years the bank had, without us knowing, stolen about 16,500$ from us. All the money that we had been keeping for 15 years. Gone."
Faiths eyes are were wide with shock? What kind of a bank would do that? It didn't explain the whole gang thing though.
"Anyway, you're mom and I were broke, we had about 100$ in the bank left, so we collected it and asked some of our friends for help. Well, one of your mothers friends let us stay with her for a bit, but none of them could get us more money.
"Then, one of my old, old friends contacts me. A friend from high school. He said "I know a way you can make money. And fast." Obviously, since I was broke, I was listening."
Faith was interested. Why didn't she remember any of this?
"The guy told us he was part of a group. Or, that's what he called it, at least. They sold alcohol, drugs, and got hired to do some dirty stuff, and that's how they made a living. But doing that, you gotta charge a lot. And so they were far from broke."
Faiths eyebrows rose. Was her dad... part of a drug dealing gang?
Robert continued. "Of course, I didn't want to do that. So I told him no. And your mother and I kept trying to find ways to make money. We were both working multiple side jobs as well as our main ones. And we were scraping along, doing okay.
"Until your sister was kidnapped."
"Wait, what?" Faith exclaimed. Katy... kidnapped?
"Just listen", her father soothes her. "It's fine. Katy was kidnapped by some young adults, maybe about twenty four or so. I don't think they would have hurt her, they just needed money as well, so they held a random for her. 5,000$. Your mother and paid it right away of course, but there went the money we had spent months making. We were desperate.
"So I called up the guy that had told us about the group. Although it was more like a gang."
Faith shook her head solemnly. Why didn't she remember her own sister being kidnapped? And her father joining a gang?
"And the guy, he told me, if you joined the gang and you did a certain amount of jobs and made a certain amount of money, they would have a ritual releasing you from the gang if you wanted. So I thought, as long as I do that, the drug dealing and stuff, and as long as I do it for a good reason, it can't be that bad... can it?"
Robert put his head in his hands.
"Yes. Yes it could."
He looked up again, at Faiths curious face.
"What happened... next?"
Robert sighed. "You're mother didn't like the idea. Neither did I, but I had to. We needed money, and as soon as we had enough to be financially stable, I'd get out of there.
"But it was so much easier said than done. This wasn't really a gang, it was more of a cult. They worshipped a "Great Power" and thought "sinning" was right and it pleased this Power. That's why they sold the drugs and alcohol. They thought it was right.
"And that's what I got wrapped in. Those are the "friends" who come and get drunk here. I have to go along with it, because in order to get out of the gang, you have to be completely one hundred percent "trustworthy", or something. Anyway, my release ritual is coming up, and I can't screw up now."
Robert started to cry softly.
"I almost screwed up once. A long time ago. If I would've screwed up, they would've killed our entire family."
Faith rubbed her fathers shoulders. She was having a hard time swallowing all of this information. She didn't remember any of this. The only thing she remembered was seeing her dad hit her mom, and then the next day... her mom and Katy were gone.
"If I may ask...", Faith asked slowly. "What did you almost screw up doing?"
Robert shook his head.
"I... the rest of the "gang" was over here; we were drinking. You and your mother walked in... just as one of the other guys threw a beer bottle that had the top broken off. He hit you on your arm, and that's how you got that scar."
Faith looked at the thin white scar on her arm just below her shoulder, tracing it with her finger.
"I thought you said a cat scratched me?"
"Well," Robert said. "We couldn't tell you the truth, you were six."
Faith nodded. That still didn't explain why she didn't remember any of this.
"After your mother had gotten you to stop bleeding, she came into the dining room and chewed me out. She didn't know she was making things worse at the time, though.
"When I wouldn't yell back at her, the guys got suspicious. Saying stuff like "maybe he's a softie", and "maybe he needs to add an extra year or two to his job" and stuff. Your mother heard what they were saying, and whispered so that only I could hear "hit me". Obviously, I didn't want to.
"But the guys were watching me. I had no choice. I had to make sure I was "trustworthy", or what they called trustworthy at least.
"So I hit her. And then I heard crying."
Robert wiped his eyes.
"You has seen it Faith. You had seen me hit your mother. And you never looked at me the same way again. Of course, it was my fault, because I had gotten involved in this whole thing in the first place. So I deserved to be hated."
Faith was shocked. All her life since she was six she thought her father had been a cold hearted shell of a man who beat her mother and didn't care about her or her sister. Now she was learning so much more.
"Why did..." she hesitated. Should she ask? She had to. "Why did mom and Katy leave?"
Robert put his head back in his hands.
"In hitting your mother, I made things worse. The gang thought I did it regularly now, and they expected to see it more. If I didn't, they would think I was weak. So I told her "if you want us to live, you might have to live somewhere else". She was confused, but once I explained the situation to her, she understood.
"So she took some money, took Katy... and left. Just like that."
"Why didn't she take me?"
Robert looked at her sadly.
"The woman she was going to stay with would only take one child. That, and she didn't have enough money. So-"
"So she left me here to suffer for nine years?"
Faith raised her voice slightly. She was angry, confused, and sad. Her mother had just... left her.
"I've been stuck in this hell", she talked to her hands, her voice getting louder. "For nine years, and she just left. Not a word from her, no message, no phone call..."
Now she was pacing the living room, while Robert watched helplessly.
"And I know that you had to do it because you wanted us to have a better future or something, but it was hell. And mom just..."
Faiths eyes filled with tears that threatened to spill over. She turned towards her father.
"And you!" She said, almost crying. "Why couldn't you have just said you didn't want to hit her and just let Mom and Katy live here in peace?"
Robert shook his head.
"Faith, I... I couldn't. They would have taken away my chance at freedom and-"
"You're selfish!" Faith yelled, the tears streaming down her face. "You sacrificed their happiness... for your freedom. Freedom from a mess you got yourself into!"
Robert just stared at her as she fumed, his eyes pleading.
"Faith, they would have-"
"Stop making excuses!" Faith was sobbing now. "You sent them away, and I've been here, dealing with your "friends" and crying way too much. Hell, Anna was better family then you. When I was practically raising myself, her family was there for me. Not my own."
"Faith-"
"When I sprained my ankle, it was Skyla, Anna's mom, who brought me to the doctor. When I failed my math test, it was Matthew, her dad, who tutored me. And when everything was going to shit, it was Anna who was beside me ever since we were nine. Where were you? Enjoying the thoughts of freedom while you got drunk with your buddies."
"Faith, can I-"
"And then you-"
"Faith!"
Robert had had enough. He breathed deeply, blinking away tears. "Let me speak please."
Faiths eyes hardened at his pitiful expression. She didn't want to feel bad about what she said, she wanted to believe that he was cold hearted and didn't care, but... the heartbroken look on his face said otherwise.
"Faith, if you're mother hadn't gone, I might've messed up, and then, if the gang thought I was more devoted to my family then them- for them it was the Great Power before anything or anyone else- then they would've banished me."
Faith was confused. "Isn't that a good thing, though? If they kicked you out? Because then you wouldn't have to go back..."
Robert shook his head slowly. "If they banish you..." He swallowed, fearful. "They kill you. And... they kill your close family, too."
Faith covered her mouth.
Robert continued. "One slip up, and they investigate you. They investigate you good, too. Then, if they think your not "worthy"... they kill you. And close family too, so that no one can go to the police. They hide really well, too, so even if someone did go to the police, they wouldn't find them."
Robert looked Faith in the eyes.
"That, Faith, is why your mother and Katy left. And I'm eternally sorry for what you had to endure, and I know there's no excuse for what I did."
Faith rolled her eyes sarcastically. "Well, except for the fact that we all would've died if you hadn't."
Robert laughed nervously. "Aha... yes."
Faith felt bad now. Real bad. She bowed her head in shame.
"I'm... sorry. For what I said. All of it."
Robert smiled sadly. "I appreciate the apology, but in all honesty, I think I deserved the shouting."
"I still feel bad."
"I know. And right now, I think I'll take that compassion as a good sign. That maybe I haven't ruined my entire life."
He smiled. "After all... I still have you, don't I?"
Faith nodded.
After a moment of silence, she spoke.
"Hey... do you think I could bring Anna over sometime to... y'know. Re-meet you?"
Robert smiled warmly. "I'd like that."
There was another moment of silence.
"Hey..." Robert started. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For being the way you are."