Page 109 of Orion Ruined

‘I’m sorry. Mom.’

Orion doesn’t flinch, his walls as impenetrable as ever, but he’s still clutching the birth certificate. I gently take it from his hand and read it.

“Oh my God, Orion, you do have a middle name!” I exclaim.

“It’s probably Devil or something,” Logan snickers.

“It’s Keres.” I look up at him. “Fuck, I know this one. It means death. Boys, you lucked out with your middle names. Keres–death, Typhon–destruction, and Moros–impending doom.”

Kai smirks. “That’s basically our lives. Fitting for all of us.”

“Orion, here.” I pass the paper back to him. “You can finally see who your real mother–”

He cuts me off. “Maisy, there’s more important things we wanted to discuss with you today. Not that. It can wait.” He flips the birth certificate back onto the coffee table.

“Oh?” I ask.

He takes out a small box full of DVDs from behind his chair and sets it on the table. “We found this in Milan’s safe.”

“What is it?”

“Videos. Of girls.”

I look at Logan, Kai, and back at Orion. They’re all regarding me somberly. “Doing what? What do you mean?”

“There’s one of you in here.”

“Of me? What about my sister?”

“I didn’t check. I just saw your face and took them all.”

I drop down to my knees next to the table and rummage through the DVDs like a mad woman. The DVD featuring my face is on the top, the picture of me from back when I was twelve years old. Reaching the last one, I see Rosey’s. It’s from that first week with the Slavs, when they took us.

“Do you know what’s on it?” Orion asks.

They’re waiting for me to speak. But they know before I tell them.

I push myself to my feet and sit down on the sofa, between Kai and Logan–right where I’m safe, where I can remind myself I’m a world away from that day. I pull my legs under me and close my eyes. In darkness, I can say the words. “That was the week we were taken to Milan’s place. Maybe ten of us. And he… he raped us. One by one. Maybe that’s what’s on it.”

“He’s a dead man walking,” Kai spits out.

“Are you okay if we see what’s on it?” Orion asks.

I pretend I don’t hear him. What should I say? Yes? I’m not okay. But they’ll watch it anyway.

“Maisy?”

I look up at him. My past has finally caught up with me.

I try to look indifferent. “Do what you want. I’ll go and grab myself a drink.”

LOGAN

I wait for the door to close so Maisy doesn’t hear me. “Do you have a DVD player?” We aren’t going to watch someone being raped, but we must see what’s on it.

“Yes. My father kept one in the attic. It’s behind the TV now,” Orion replies, and passes me the DVD. “Put it on.”

I slot the disc into the old machine and as we wait for it to start playing, I read the back cover out loud. “‘Maisy, twelve, child prodigy.’”

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