Edith sat on the edge of Willies bed, twiddling her thumbs. She spent most of her time in Willie's room with him now rather than being on her own.
With Willie she felt safe, protected. People at Kings Dominion feared him, much like they feared her.
But with Chico's death there were plenty of rumours floating around. Ones that Maria kill him, that Edith killed him and that they both killed him.
Edith just shrugged every time a pupil asked her what happened to Chico.
"I wanna tell you a story." Edith whispered. Her voice was soft, calming almost.
Willie spun around on his chair to face her,
"Go on." He leaned forward.
He had only just got used to her only talking to him now. At first he was in complete and utter shock. She made him promise not to tell the others that she had spoken to him.
And one thing was for sure, Willie always kept his promises.
"Chico was right about the sixty seven souls that I 'murdered'" Edith mumbled as she made inverted commas with her fingers. "But I never killed anyone. Not until last week anyway." Her voice cracked slightly.
She took a long deep breath.
"Take your time. There's no pressure." Willie said placing a reassuring hand on her knee. Edith nodded.
"P-Papa, my dad. He was a horrible man. He, um." All Edith could think about was Amber. "He was crazy for power. He was a power junkie basically."
She tucked her hair behind her ear before continuing.
"He hated it when ever anyone disobeyed, and whenever they did. They would be punished."
She pulled down her top to expose her shoulder. Willie gasped once he saw the scars they were pretty big, some cross crossing in lines, others round and deep.
"He u-used to cut people, or burn them. He'd see how long we could last with the iron rod on us, w-without wincing or pulling away."
She glanced down to her legs where most of her burn marks were, they were definitely the worst sometimes she couldn't bare to even look down in the shower.
"Papa never liked it much when I didn't do as I was told." She ran her hands over her jeans, trying to stop them from sweating. "But I never believed in the same things he did. S-so naturally, I disobeyed."
She bit her lip as Willie watched her carefully. Her eyes were watery, but she refused to let any tears fall.
"When I was little. Eight. I had a friend." Edith blinked back the tears. "He-Her name was Amber, she was younger than m-me by two years." She licked her dry lips. "Papa never liked her, he claimed she was weak and that she was making me weak."
Edith's heart rate increased just by her name, She fiddled with her fingers to distract herself but it barely worked.
"I told him I wasn't weak. That I was strong. Tha-that I could do anything he could." Edith chuckled. "Boy was I wrong." She shook her head letting some tears fall.
Willie grabbed the box of tissues on his desk and handed them to her.
"Thanks." She mumbled wiping her eyes. "He challenged me. He gave a list of tasks. Drug runs, disposing of bloody clothes, hiding weapons, being a distraction."
Edith let out a shaky breath, Willie wanted to reach out and hug her but at the same time he was so focused on listening to her soft angelic voice, that still cracked in places.
"And I did them all. He was proud, but angry. He didn't-he never thought I could do any of them. So he gave me one last task."
Edith finally looked up to Willie. She wondered what he was thinking right now but she couldn't tell because he hadn't said a word. He just sat and listened.
"He wanted me to kill someone." Edith gulped. "I-I couldn't do that. But I didn't want him to win.
I waited weeks. Months. Trying to find any way to stall. So I didn't have to kill someone.
But every day he taunted me. Teased me. I found out that three of my friends had over dosed on acid. July 7th 1978 was the day I finally gave in. Tha-"
She cleared her throat, and ran a hand over her face.
"-That was the day I ordered one of my guards to murder all of Papa's workers. Fifty workers and one child." Tears rolled freely down Edith's face as she thought about the little girl.
Willie stood up and sat beside her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her into his chest. His hands ran up and down her arms soothingly.
"Amber and I- we were playing hide and seek. It was her turn to hide. So she ran into the canteen where all the workers were."
Edith sniffled and wiped her eyes, she remembered it so clearly. The way she bounced when she was excited and her smile that never faded even after the grazed knees.
"My guard had told Papa what I asked him to do. Papa found me playing hide and seek with Amber and pulled me away. He told my guard to kill them all, like I ordered. But as a cons-consequence of me disobeying him. I got some nasty burns on my legs and she died.
Amber died."
She tried not to cry any more. She tried to put on a brave face. She took a deep breath before turning to Willie.
"When I was ten Papa sent me to kings dominion. Whenever I needed someone killing. I'd just show my guard who and he'd take care of it. I hate him." She clenched her jaw as she remembered all the terrible things he did to her. "I hate him."
"Is that why you wouldn't take the acid? Because your friends overdosed?" Willie questioned.
Edith nodded.
"It's also why I didn't want to leave you or the others alone. When ever someone does acid around me. I get anxious. I panic. I think of the worst scenarios." She shrugged.
"You know Edith. You are strong. No matter what your dad said. If something happens to you, you'll get back up. If someone hurts you, you don't let them get away with it. You stand up and you fight for yourself.
You may not be a killer Edith Fell, but you are strong. And there's nothing you or anyone can say to make me change my mind about that." Willie said as he watched a few tears roll down her cheeks.