InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Moms gonna miss the guacamole!"

Emma Kemp (and_in_between) wrote in nevermore_logs,
@ 2017-04-25 13:22:00

Current mood:	worried
Entry tags:	charlotte kemp, emma kemp, madeline kemp, peter kemp

WHO: Emma Kemp, More Kemps, Peter Kemp
WHAT: Getting back in touch
WHEN: Monday afternoon
WHERE: Peter's assisted living house
WARNINGS: TBA

When Emma arrived at what she had assumed to be a hospital for the mentally ill, she was rather surprised to find a head office surrounded by what looked like twenty self-contained units branching off from it, all surrounded by a fence sure, but it was only chainlink. After speaking to several social workers and doctors on the phone for the past week and a half, Emma had known Peter had transferred facilities several years ago, but she hadn't known he was in a place like this. Emma had had herself believing Peter had spent the past twenty years in a straight jacket locked in a padded cell.

All the Kemps signed in and were led past a huge room, obviously a common room filled with books and games and the like, and to the third unit. The support worker stepped onto the porch and knocked on the door before smiling wanly at the Kemp women. "Look, he's not dangerous or nothin', but we have to tell you to wear those alarm badges we gave you and press 'em if you need 'em," he said, pointing at the badges they had all been given at reception. "He's expectin' you, I'll be back in a while," and he wandered off, seemingly more interested in playing pool in the common room than anything else.

Peter pulled the door open and smiled widely at the Kemps crowded on his tiny stoop. "Hello," he said, friendly and polite as ever. "It's so nice to see you all, please come in."

Emma searched his face, surprised that he still looked so young. He had lines around his eyes, but they seemed like smile lines more than anything. His hair was a wild mess of curls, and he was far too thin, but then what male member of her family wasn't? Peter led them into what served as a living room of his little unit and Emma was pleasantly surprised to find a full tray of tea and coffee things on a table in front of a well-worn sofa. There was a loaf of banana bread beside it. "Please, have a seat," he said, lowering himself into a chair.

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aspectabund
2017-04-25 01:57 am UTC (link)

Maddy followed her mother inside, doing her best to not let her surprise show all over her face. This looked more like a retirement village than a psychiatric facility, but it was nice to see he wasn't locked away in a tiny room with just a bed and a toilet.

She sat next to Emma on the couch and folded her hands in her lap. She didn't remember Peter at all, so she thought it might be best for her mother to start the conversation, and then follow her lead.

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seetheskyagain_
2017-04-25 02:06 am UTC (link)

Charlotte sat beside Maddy, her hand in her sister's. She actually did remember Peter, though she hadn't seen him since they were children. She had known he was in hospital but she hadn't expected this.

"I'm sorry we didn't come sooner-" Emma started, but Peter flapped his hands around.

"No, no, it's alright," he chuckled. "Who wants to waste time visiting the crazy cousin, right? Do you want tea or coffee?"

Ignoring his hospitality entirely, Charlotte leaned forward and shook her head, "Peter, that's not- We don't think you're crazy."

"Hah!" Peter grinned and poured himself some tea since no one else was partaking. "Well that'd be a first. How's William," he asked Emma, who immediately looked crestfallen.

"He's very sick, but that's not why we came here. We- We came to see how you were."

Peter shrugged and leaned back with his tea. "Getting on."

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	aspectabund 2017-04-25 02:11 am UTC (link)
	Maddy held up her left hand, which bore an ugly scar that, while it had healed well, it definitely wasn't pretty. "I have this and some matching ones on my ribs that say I definitely don't think you're crazy," she said quietly. "Mom told me about what happened, how you ended up in here." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

seetheskyagain_
2017-04-25 02:16 am UTC (link)

Peter blinked at Maddy and instantly put his tea back down on the table. "Wait...wait, what?" he whispered, suddenly looking quite terrified.

"It's okay," Emma soothed, holding her hands out. Charlotte lifted the corner of her mouth as Emma immediately switched to Mom-tone. "Peter I have to admit that knowing you were safe here, William and I focused on our own children and-"

"It's okay," Peter said, waving his hands around yet again. "I'm no one's responsibility. Wh- what about the scars now?"

Charlotte sighed and ran her hands through her hair, "we've uhm...become aware of certain things in the last few years and we- We believe you. We believe what happened. The...demons."

"Shhhh!" Peter hissed, glancing around at his open kitchen window before relaxing again. "You can't just say that out loud in a mental health facility without making sure you're not overheard," he cautioned.

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aspectabund
2017-04-25 02:28 am UTC (link)

"Fair enough," Maddy agreed. "But yes, we believe you. I was taken and held for almost three days, tortured and set free for a reason I still don't know. My nephew was taken by the same thing and one of her terrible friends. I have looked into the face of evil, I watched as it changed shape and used my sibling's faces to torture me. They're out there, we know that now."

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seetheskyagain_
2017-04-25 02:32 am UTC (link)

Peter's jaw dropped open and he stared at Maddy, which he normally would have considered rude. He saw the way Emma immediately comforted Maddy and felt a slight twinge of jealousy, though he was mostly distracted from that at the moment.

"I- I've been here too long, I honestly can't tell if you're fucking with me, telling the truth, or weird hallucinations."

Without hesitating, Charlotte reached over and pinched Peter hard. He jerked away and stared ta her wide-eyed, "Ow!"

Charlotte shrugged, "hallucinations don't pinch. I mean, right?"

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	aspectabund 2017-04-25 02:39 am UTC (link)
	Maddy snorted. "Well that's one way to do it," she said, sounding slightly amused. "If Jamie was here, he could tell you some stories. So could Thomas," she continued. "But those aren't mine to tell. Suffice it to say, I couldn't just let you stay locked up in here, especially if you were telling the truth. Not knowing what I know now." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

seetheskyagain_
2017-04-25 02:57 am UTC (link)

Peter was still a little bit at a loss on what to say. "So this- This isn't just a social visit out of guilt? My support worker told me it probably was and not to put too much stock into it. That you'd come visit a few times and disappear again-"

"We are not disappearing," Emma said firmly. "We believe you."

At that, Peter chewed on his lips, looking conflicted.

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	aspectabund 2017-04-25 07:50 am UTC (link)
	"What she said," Maddy said, pointing one thumb at her mother. "Like I said to her, maybe it was a...pardon the phrasing, but maybe it was just a mundane murder. But maybe it wasn't, and we owed it to you to find out the truth, especially since you've been here 20 years and no one listens to you." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

seetheskyagain_
2017-04-25 07:58 am UTC (link)

"It- It wasn't mundane," Peter whispered, rubbing his eye tiredly. "It was- I saw it. It left the girl's body and- It was- I saw it's eyes." Peter shook his head and gave them all an apologetic look. "Sorry. I remember it like it was yesterday and no one I have ever spoken to about it believed me before."

"It's alright," Emma assured him. "You can tell us anything."

Peter offered up a small smile and he glanced towards the door. "Honestly I've been medicated so much I have trouble dissociating sometimes so you might have to remind me of all this again. If you're real."

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	aspectabund 2017-04-25 08:03 am UTC (link)
	"Like fire, right?" Maddy asked quietly. "Like looking at something that made your skin want to crawl off. Like looking at something so evil you can't comprehend the magnitude of it." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

seetheskyagain_
2017-04-25 08:07 am UTC (link)

Peter went quiet and he nodded at Maddy. "Yes," he finally whispered. "Exactly like that."

"We'll remind you as often as you like," Emma said. "Right, who do I speak to about letting you come live with us.

Peter had not been expecting that. "Wait, wh- You want me to- You don't have to do that, this place is perfectly serviceable."

Charlotte made at face at that and she shook her head. "Uhhh...is it though?"

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	aspectabund 2017-04-25 08:14 am UTC (link)
	"And we're good about encouraging people to talk about things, so yeah, don't worry about that," Maddy agreed. "But yeah, I'm with Char. This place looks...alright, but wouldn't you rather be out and about again?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	seetheskyagain_ 2017-04-25 08:19 am UTC (link)
	Peter heaved a heavy sigh and he blushed a little bit, "I...I honestly don't know? It's been a long time-" "You'll have us to help you," Emma assured him. "And protect you," Charlotte added. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	aspectabund 2017-04-25 08:35 am UTC (link)
	Maddy nodded. "The house was warded, by an angel, no less, so you'll be safe," she added. "I can't imagine something like what you saw is easy to forget. I know I went through a lot of shit after I was taken, sometimes I see it in my nightmares. But we could help. If you let us." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

seetheskyagain_
2017-04-25 08:45 am UTC (link)

Peter gave Maddy a worried look and slowly, he nodded. "I- The idea scares me, but I suppose- I suppose I could give it a go? To be honest, this is a transitional living facility and they were trying to get me ready to live on my own anyway. I always knew I could, though I thought I was the only person in the world who believed in my own sanity. But the idea of living on my own after spending so long in here was kind of-"

"Terrifying?" Emma supplied. "I can imagine."

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	aspectabund 2017-04-25 08:54 am UTC (link)
	"I did wonder, this place says more 'retirement village' than 'hospital'," Maddy added. "But yeah, I'd imagine living on your own seemed pretty daunting. But there are enough of us around that you wouldn't ever have to be alone, if you didn't want that." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	seetheskyagain_ 2017-04-25 09:02 am UTC (link)
	"I've had as much isolation as I can take," Peter mumbled, and the desperation in his voice was self-evident. It made Emma's chest hurt. "Company would be...very, very nice." (Reply to this) (Parent)