Strings of Fate


    218- Mistreatment and monsters


    My first instinct is to argue, to insist that there isn’t anything and that she’s being silly. But somehow I


    don’t think that will help. I mean, if she told me she was murdering puppies in her free time and that she


    had a detailed and realistic n for world domination? Okay, that might give me pause. I probably


    would send her away to get help or something. I mean, I wouldn’t abandon her, but saying never… that


    isn’t going to help.


    “Okay, well why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you and we can figure it out. I promise to listen and


    do my best not to judge. Maybe a different perspective will help.” I suggest. Kiara struggles with my


    words for a minute. I can tell she’s thinking about it and I wait patiently for her to sort through her


    thoughts. Eventually I see a sad sort of eptance cross her face and I know she’s made a decision.


    She takes a deep breath and ites out shaky.


    “The people who died. All the ones the scarydies killed… it’s my fault.” she whispers the words, like if


    she says them quietly enough they won’t count. I’m a bit confused.


    “We already know they forced you to use your extra magic to identify people who weren’t meant to die.


    That’s not your fault.” I assure her. Kiara rolls so her back is to me and buries


    her face in the nket.


    “That’s not why it’s my fault!” She squeaks out the words. I tug the nket away to uncover her head


    and stroke her hair gently. I still can’t see her face.


    “Tell me what happened then. Tell me everything that happened. Then I can tell you honestly if I think


    you did anything wrong.” I instruct her. I say it firmly. I know we’ve been being careful and gentle with


    her, and I don’t want to change that. But if she is ming herself for multiple murders… that’s


    something that we need to sort out. I can’t leave her to deal with that kind of guilt. I already feel awful


    just for my part in all of this. Kiara is quiet for a minute, then she rolls over towards me andys her


    head on myp with her arms tight around my waist. She clings to me as she begins to speak in a


    small voice.


    “The first time they took me I didn’t know why they wanted me to pick someone. I thought maybe they


    wanted to study them or they were just testing my magic. My parents always said it was extra special,


    that no one else can do what I can do and that people might want to take advantage of that. But they


    already knew, sort of. They thought I could see who people are meant to fall in love with. I told them


    they were wrong. I didn’t mean to tell them everything.


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    218- Mistreatment and monsters


    but I was confused and I didn’t know what else to do.” Kiara pauses.


    “That’s okay sweetie. When people are threatening you it’s usually best to give them what they want.


    You’re alive so you did well.” I tell her but she shakes her head against my knees.


    “It’s not though. Because then when we went to the firstdy’s house they made me knock on


    the door while they hid. They made me do that every


    I always hoped that they wouldn’t answer, that they wouldn’t let me in. But they all did. They were all


    nice and worried. But as soon as the door was open the scarydies would go inside and they would


    do magic and stuff and trap the nice ones.” She admits. I continue to stroke my fingers through her hair.


    So she feels bad because they used her to get their victims to answer the door? I mean t


    that’s


    awful, but hardly her fault. Surely that can’t be it. Sure enough, Kiara continues her story.


    “I don’t know how they knew. But they knew I’m a Reaper. That daddy is- was one too. They… they told


    me to use my magic. To… to kill thedy while they kept her trapped with magic. I said no. I said I


    wouldn’t do it. That they couldn’t make me. The… The Shifterdy was going


    to hit me, but the Witchdy stopped her. Said that touching me directly is dangerous. Then


    the Witchdy told me that if I didn’t kill the woman that she would and that she would


    make it hurt. She said the woman was going to die no matter what, but I could make it quick.


    I tried to say no. I didn’t want to. But the Witchdy did a spell and the nice woman started crying and


    screaming. When she stopped they told me again that I needed to kill her. I


    wanted to say no, but the nicedy told me to do it. She said it was okay and that I needed to keep


    myself safe. She said she would rather die quickly if she had to die. I tried to argue but they were going


    to keep hurting her and they made me. So I… I did it. And I did it again and


    again every time. I tried not to, I tried to argue but they reminded me what they did the first time and I


    did what I was told. I tried to think of ways to escape but the magic wouldn’t let me. I wished I could


    make them sleep, or just make my magic stop working. But it did work. Every


    time. It’s my fault. I killed them all. It’s my fault! I killed the Witchdy too. No one made me do that. I


    just knew she was going to hurt all of us, she wanted you to die and I couldn’t let her. So I grabbed her


    ankle and I killed her. I know it was wrong, it was all wrong. I’m a monster and I’m bad and you


    shouldn’t be so nice to me. You should send me away where you’ll all be safe from me. You’re nice and


    I don’t want to hurt you.”


    Kiara is bawling into myp and I take the chance topose myself. I am FURIOUS. They made


    KIARAmit the murders? Obviously it’s not her fault. They gave her an impossible choice and of


    course, being the sweetheart she is, she tried to pick the option that would cause the least pain. I know


    we already suspected that she killed Jenna Warrens. Dr Dae suggested as much. But it hadn’t


    urred to me that they forced her to take part in the


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    218- Mistreatment and monsters


    actual murders! I’m going to have to talk this out with Bemy because I certainly can’t show Kiara how


    upset I am right now. I pull her upright so that she can look me in the eye.


    your


    “Kiara, I need you to listen to me. None of that was your fault. None of it. You are not a monster and


    you are not a murderer. The meandies, they meant what they said. They already killed your parents


    and they were going to kill those women no matter what you did. You made the right choice to keep


    yourself safe and to spare them any more pain. The only people responsible for what happened to


    them are gone now and you will never have to see them again. You said the first woman that died told


    you it was okay, and she was right. It isn’t fair to you and it isn’t right. You were used, threatened and


    mistreated and you still did


    best to be kind. I know you would never hurt someone unless you had no other choice. The magic you


    have. People are scared of it, because it’s a pretty powerful and scary ability. But they don’t need to be


    scared because you are a good person and you would never abuse it. You are the strongest and


    kindest girl I have ever met. You deserve a family and you do deserve to be loved, even if you don’t


    feel like it right now. You might not believe me, but I mean it, and I’ll say it as many times as you need


    to hear it and I’ll show you every day.” I


    promise as a fresh wave of tears runs down Kiara’s face.


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    “We all will.” Bemyments from the doorway, making me jump. Suddenly I’m crying too


    and Bemy has his arms wrapped around us both as we cry together.


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