Page 43 of Traces of Kara

Mimi leaned away from him, tears dragging black soot down her cheeks. “No. What did you—” She looked from Roland to the bottle, then back again. “Oh, God. Roland. She’ll die!”

“Born together, die together.”

Her eyes trailed over him with disgust. Her lower lip quivered. “You’re…you’re not sick.”

Roland held up the bottle of alcohol and dangled it in front of her, a glint in his eye.

Mimi looked at the bottle, her face contorted with misunderstanding. She shook her head. “Wha—”

“We’ll die together.” He nodded. “I need to keep them away until it’s time.” He took another swig of the alcohol.

Mimi watched him.

“I’m so thirsty,” Kara said.

Mimi put her hand on Kara’s shoulder. “I know, honey.” She looked at the rising color in Roland’s cheeks as he took another drink. Mimi looked back at Kara, again. Her eyebrows pushed together. “Give me that!” Mimi reached for the bottle.

Roland yanked it away.

“You won’t die together, you bastard!”

Roland shook his head, looking at the bottle of alcohol.

“You’re killing her, you selfish bastard!”

Roland looked from Mimi to Marissa, then at the bottle in his hand. “No,” he said quietly. “This is all wrong.”

“Damn right it’s wrong. You’re killing your sister!”

“You’ve ruined everything. This is your fault. I have to stay strong until the end.” He grabbed Mimi by the hair and pulled her to her feet. Marissa rolled off her lap to the floor.

“You did this!”

Mimi cried out, “No, Roland. You did this. You poisoned her, not me.”

“You made me do it.” He reached up and fingered his mangled cheek. “You kept me from her. You bitch!” He pushed her against the far wall.

Mimi caught herself with her palms, hitting the wall with a groan. She dropped to her knees, crawling back toward Marissa, clawing at the concrete for purchase. “Kara!” she sobbed.

“Marissa.” Roland kicked his foot at Mimi. “Get away from her.”

Mimi swatted at his foot, crawling, straining her arms to reach her daughter.

“You sent him after me!” Roland yelled. “You made him follow me.”

Mimi looked up, blood streaming from a cut on her cheek. “Who?”

“You made him go live at Lowrey’s.”

“No! He went on his own. He had to. You couldn’t be trusted.”

Roland shook his head. His jaw slackened, then closed. He gritted his teeth and turned his back to Mimi. He suddenly spun around, vengeance in his eyes. “You did this to me,” he said, as he touched his scarred cheek.

Mimi scrambled to Marissa and wrapped her hands around her, sobbing. “No.”

Roland’s face reddened and he fisted his hands. “You did this to me. No one will look at me, and you did this.” His nostrils flared. His chest heaved with every breath.

“No, Roland. Your mother did that to you. You don’t remember.”