You
Josette was freezing. She couldn't bring herself to completely open her eyes and focus on the dark room around her. She just wanted to find Hope. She wanted to hug her friend and tell her they would be okay and that their parent would find them soon.
Josette's arms were numb. She had been hanging from them for three days. She wasn't sure where she was, or how many hours it has been but she knew it had to be more than a few days. Her stomach had growled asking for food but the five-year-old knew the food wouldn't come.
"Are you ready to listen Josie?" The voice came from above her.
"I'm not Josie." She sobbed. "My name is Josette."
"No, your name is Josie."
Josette didn't answer. She kept her head down. She let out a gasp when she felt the cold water hit her body again. Her ripped clothes clinging onto her skin as the air hit. They were going to hurt her again and she knew it. She had already been through this multiple times every time the man would try to get her to say her name was Josie but the girl refused. Josette kept on saying her parents would come for her, that they would save her and take her home.
It was the third time this day they had thrown cold water on her. Josette knew what was coming next. She would feel the burning sensation in her back and her body will begin to slightly shake. She was never sure how long she would shake but she was sure that the numbness on her back and the burning sensation in her body were all an effect of what they were doing to her.
This time the burning sensation never happened. She heard a soft buzz but she did not look up. Instead, she heard a soft buzzing. When she felt the buzzing get closer she flinched. Josette cried harder when she saw her hair begin to hit the floor under her. He had cut off all her hair.
"I want my mommy." Josette cried.
"Then just say you're Josie." He said. "Tell me your name is Josie and that you are an orphan and I will get you your parents. All you gotta do is say what I want you to say."
"I want my mommy and daddy." The child yelled. "I want Hope."
"Fine, you leave me no choice." Josette finally lifted her head to see the man walk away to another room. A room where she had learned they had Hope in.
"Josette!" Hope sobbed out. "Josette, Josette please."
"Hope!" Josette yelled out. She needed her friend to know she was there. That she was just in the other room. Her scream was useless, however, Hope would never hear her.
"Make it stop, it hurts so much." Hope cried. Josette pulled herself as hard as she could, but it was useless she could not get free. She could not get the rope tied around her wrist to loosen. A loud bang came from the other room, causing Josette to jump.
When he stopped in front of her Josie sobbed again. His shirt was stained red. "Hope?" Josette mumbled. Josette's body hit the floor he hand let her lose from where she was hanging.
"Tell me, darling, what is your name."
"Josie." The broken child said.
"Where are your parents?"
"I don't know. I'm an orphan."
Josie listened to Camille carefully. They were having their family session and Josie was ready to walk out of Camille's, she knew she couldn't. Not when Caroline had just opened up about her feeling revolving around Josie being abducted. Josie doesn't think she had ever seen the woman so destroyed besides when Lizzie was almost dying.
Caroline's pain was different, it wasn't like the news in the hospital. It was more of locked away pain, pain that had been buried deep inside her heart. Caroline cried louder every time she tried to address Josie.
Josie knew Caroline, Alaric, and Lizzie suffered. She was aware that they had missed her but she never understood the severity of it until now, that Caroline is clinging onto the pillow and sobbing as she looked at her. She could see how much Caroline had suffered and Josie could not help but feel guilty and a hint of pain. She can't grasp the pain they have felt for the past years. As much as she wants to understand she can't. She can't bring herself to.
"I think," Lizzie said taking a moment to put her thoughts in order. She did not want to hurt Josie's feelings.
"Remember Lizzie this is a judgment-free zone. Anything you say or feel is valid." Camille told the blonde teenager.
"I just don't want to hurt Josie." Josie reached out for her sister and held her hand giving Lizzie a reassuring squeeze. "I know Josie better than anyone in this room. The only people that might know her better might be Jade or Hope." Lizzie stopped. She needs to breathe. She did not want to cry she just wanted to get all the words outs. "What I'm trying to say is that Josie I love you but I think since you found out you're Josette you've shut down. You are keeping us at arms lengths because you're scared."
"Lizzie, we just deal with things differently." Josie defended herself.
"No Josie. You are pushing us away. You don't even let us call you Josette, which is your name. You feel nothing Josette. You an emotionless shell."
Josie pulled away from Lizzie she stood up from the couch next to Lizzie taking a few steps away. "I am not emotionless Lizzie. Not all of us had the luxury of having parents that want to hear about our emotions or consider us as humans."
"But that's the thing, they are your parents. You have the luxury!"
"Lizzie, Josie." Camille tried to get in between the twins arguing. "How about we take a second to breathe. How about we focus on a bright note and celebrate that three days ago Josie went into her childhood room."
Josie didn't respond she didn't want to. She wasn't even sure she could give a response that would get them to see things her way. Josie looked at her parents who were crying, then at her twin sister who was on the verge of tears.
"I'm sorry." With those words said Josie ran off.
Hope had received a text message from Josie. All the message asked was if she could get the kids from Landon. Hope had agreed but it made no sense to Hope. Josie should be home considering it was a school day.
Hope got home from practice and left her backpack and rushed over to the Saltzman. Landon should be getting there soon. Hope waited on outside the Saltzman. She decided to give Josie a call and talk with her. They both had been really busy and hangout out had been really difficult between Josie's therapy session and all the court dates.
Josie didn't answer. Hope did not get a chance to try and call again. Landon had pulled in. Hope was a bit worried but she decided she would worry when after talking with the Saltzman.
"Hey, Hope." Landon greeted as he walked out of the car and opened the door of his car. "Elliot fell asleep. Emerson isn't that far from knocking out. I think the pool tired them out."
"Awesome," Hope answered. "We will see you Friday night." Hope carefully unbuckled the sleeping child. Lifting her up gently.
"Where's Josie?"
"I have no idea," Hope answered. "She had a thing with the Saltzman today. I'm sure she probably inside exhausted or something? Why do you need something?"
"No, I just wanted to talk to her about a trip I have coming up with my brother and father," Landon explained. "I guess, I should tell you too since... well you know we all co-parent. I will be gone for three weeks after graduation but I wanted to see if Josie would be okay if I had someone fly the kids out to me."
"Having them fly as unaccompanied minors." Hope shook her head no. "We will take them to you. We will figure something out. I rather have someone from either my family or Josie's fly with them."
"Thank you I appreciate you for not just shooting my idea down. I also understand if that is not a possibility then I will video chat them every night."
Hope gave him a nod. She fixed Elliot correctly keeping her up with one hand. With her free hand, she took Emerson's hand. She let Landon kiss the kids goodbye and then she walked away. She walked towards the door.
After settling the kid in the room. Hope walked back out to the living room to deal with the panicked family. Josie had been gone for hours. Hope learned that her girlfriend had left during their family therapy session. Hope could feel her worry and panic begin to bubble. Josie had promised her she would run away again but the girl had been gone for eight hours now. Where could Josie be hiding? Hope knew the brunette would never leave her kids.
Hope rushed over to open the door when there was a knock. A wave of relief filled the auburn-haired girl when she saw a familiar blonde and brunette. Hope moved and let Josie and Jade walk in.
"Josie." Came from all three Saltzman.
"A friend gave me a call," Jade explained. "He remembered me and Josie dated briefly and thought I would care enough to go get her. I'm glad he called when I got there she was already trying to walk home."
A stumbling Josie broke free from Jade's grasp. Everyone took a step closer to the drunk teenager. "I'm okay. I can stand." Josie said. She looked around and met Lizzie's gaze. Josie chuckled.
"Let me take you to bed?" Caroline told her drunk daughter.
Josie shook her head no. She got closer to Lizzie. Josie slowly lifted her hand up to Lizzie's cheek, she gently rubbed her thumb on Lizzie's cheek. The brunette had tears building up that any minute would be set free.
"I know you think I'm heartless." Josie whispered. "I promise you I feel more than I ever let you all see."
"Jo we know." Lizzie assure. "We know you're not emotionless or heartless. I'm sorry I just, it was what I felt-" Josie covered Lizzie's mouth. She looked over at her parents and chuckled. There was nothing funny about what was happening the chuckle that escaped Josie was used to cover the pain she was currently feeling.
Josie pulled away from her sister. Everyone was now standing in front of her staring at her concerned. Josie could see Caroline and Alaric were concerned for her. "I'm sorry." A small cry escaped the drunk girl.
"Sweetie it's okay." Alaric told her.
"No, because I am not heartless or emotionless." Josie wiped her tears. "I remember. I know you guys are upset I can't remember who I am but I do. I am Josette Olivia Saltzman, when I was learning how to ride a bike I had a really nasty fall and broke my arm. When Lizzie broke mom's favorite perfume bottle I took the blame. And Hope would always say she was going to marry me because Lizzie refused to share me." Josie had shared events that made everyone in the room believe she was saying the truth. "I just don't want to hurt you, I don't want you all to blame yourself because it isn't."
"Jo what are you talking about?" Lizzie asked.
"I cried for all of you. Every time he tried to break me I would keep saying 'I want my mommy and daddy', and 'my daddy will find me'. I was so sure you guys would find me. I held on for days even weeks. No matter what he did I would refuse to break and give in, repeatedly saying you guys would come for me I didn't break but you wanna know what broke me."
Everyone stayed quiet. Josie tried to get closer but stumbled over herself. Hope caught her keeping her balanced. The drunk girl looked into her girlfriend's eyes.
"You," Josie mumbled taking Hope's face into her hands. "He killed you. I heard you cry for me. I heard you saying how it hurt. No matter how loud I yelled to let you know I was there you never heard me. I heard every cry. And then he killed you. I handle the torture, I handled the beating and electrical volts that ran through my body. He couldn't break me, not until he made me believe... he killed you. It was then that I broke and never wanted to be Josette again because if I was Josette and they found me I would have to tell them you died and I lived and Josie, Josie she was an orphan and she had no one."
"No one hurt me Josie." Hope cried out. "No one ever hurt me."
"Being Josie meant no more pain." Josie leaned her forehead on Hope's. "Being Josie meant, you never died."