They Called Her the Devil

Chapter 49, Kate

The punching bag swung back and forth as I hit it again and again.

My fists connected with the bag at lightning speed as my mother shouted tips from the sidelines. I wasn't good enough yet, but I would be.

I would show my father I was just as capable as Derek.

"And that's a hundred. That's it until after dinner tonight. Good job Kate." My mother smiled. If only my father loved me half as much as she did.

"Thanks, mom, I should go to my piano lesson."

"Remember, it'll help with your hand-eye coordination and precision."

"So does paintball and knife throwing."

"You should go; you don't want to be late. Love you."

"Love you too mom."

I walked out the door and through the secret passage leading into my bathroom. It was one of the few places in the Legion without cameras.

I quickly changed out of my workout clothes and into a simple light green dress and flats. I did my hair in a loose braid and put on a touch of makeup. I decided I looked older than fourteen, I looked at least sixteen.

As I walked through the base the maids moved out of my way and the guards nodded. There was friendliness in their expressions but it was far from the respect I craved to earn.

Then Death himself appeared around the corner.

I wanted to turn back as my father came into view but I was too late and he saw me. A look of annoyance crossed his cold features. I knew I could get the gun from his belt but after he was dead the guards would shoot me on sight.

"You should be at your piano lesson. What have I told you about being late." His voice was terrifyingly calm.

"I'm really sorry sir, I was studying and lost track of time. It won't happen again." I refused to meet his eyes.

Death backhanded me across the face.

I blinked back tears and fought back the urge to fight back. I couldn't risk it yet. I couldn't

And he did it again and again.

And I had to keep standing. I wouldn't fall. I wouldn't be weak. I wouldn't let him know how much it hurt as the first drops of blood appeared.

And then I fell to the floor.

And then I woke up.

My knife was in my hand in an instant as I scanned the room for someone to stab.

It's over Kate. He will never hurt you again. I'm too strong to let him get to me.

As I'd done during previous nightmares I walked into my closet and put on a pair of leggings and a tank top. I put my hair into a neat ponytail and walked into my bathroom.

Like I'd done when my mother was alive I opened the wall and walked down the secret passageway to my mother's gym. I was going to stab something until it no longer hurt.

When I stepped into the gym I saw Derek shooting targets on one side of the enormous room. He was the only other human being on the face of the earth allowed in this gym.

My mother had died here. But she'd also saved me which is what I felt when I trained there.

I walked over to the weapons wall and grabbed a gun and a silencer. Unlike a suppressor, the silencer completely quieted the weapon.

Walking over to Derek I raised the gun and shot three perfect holes through the head of the target. I shot four more through the heart before lowering the gun.

Derek glanced over at me and raised an eyebrow.

He didn't need to say anything. The only reason I'd be training at three in the morning is if I had something on my mind. I had a strict 10 pm to 6 am sleep schedule that I only broke for emergencies.

I pushed the button to change the target and shot three more perfect holes through the head.

"It's about Grayson again." I finally said. "I had a dream, I was fourteen again and powerless. He hit me for being late to piano."

"He will never hurt you again Katie."

Derek took on the role of protective older brother and I shot the target again to remember my strength. He cared about me but I didn't need protection.

Of course, Derek knew that.

Derek was golden child when we were kids. He got the training and praise from our father while I got hit. And while he couldn't protect me he'd slipped candy and throwing knives under my door when I was sad.

"I know, trust me I've done everything I can to make sure. But he's still there."

"I know. Trust me when I say I'd stab him if I could."

"Well, you definitely can't do that. Still, he hasn't touched me in over three years but I can't help having nightmares about him. I just can't figure out why he hated me."

I shot four holes through the target's heart.

"I don't know. He was supposed to be our father."

"I haven't had a father since Grayson killed Andrea Silver in front of me when I was five."

"I haven't had one since he made me kill one of the prisoners when I was ten. I just kept begging for him to let me go but he made me pull the trigger as some sort of twisted lesson."

"I wish mom were here. She'd know exactly what to say."

I shot a single bullet through the target's eye.

"I think she'd tell us to keep fighting. We've made it this far and we'll keep going strong."

"That definitely sounds like something mom would say." I paused, "I'm sorry I couldn't save her."

"It's not your fault. Even if she hadn't taken the bullet she would have gotten herself killed getting revenge. At least this way you're still alive."

"I know. I'm going to go beat the shit out of a punching bag. All this emotion sharing won't make me any stronger."

"At some point, you're going to be strong enough."

"I doubt it."

I would never be strong enough to forget what he'd done to me. I just needed to be strong enough to keep it from ever happening again.

***

Hey guys! What do you think of Death's horrible treatment of his children? Why did he stop hurting Kate when her mother died? Will Kate ever move on? Please vote and comment, I want to know what you think!

-Jade