Will's Journey
Chapter One
Leaving
Disclaimer: Nothing you might recognise belongs to me
Willie struggled down the street, carrying his cheap, dirty plastic bag with his few possessions in it. His mother, Mrs. Beech, was in front.
"Hurry up, Willie!" she snapped, "You're making us late!"
Willie stumbled as he sped up and succeeded in walking through a large dirty puddle. He gave a low cry and sweat broke out across his forehead and under his arms. Mrs. Beech turned around.
"You stupid boy!" she shouted, slapping him. Willie rubbed his arm, where she'd slapped him and pulled up one of his socks that had slid down.
'I'm evil' he thought, as he trailed after his mother.
"I want him to stay with God- fearing people," said Mrs Beech.
"I'm sorry Ma'am but I cannot be sure he'd stay with God- fearing people," said the billeting officer, nervously.
"I demand it. I will not let him be evacuated if he isn't!" said Mrs Beech, angrily.
"That's against the law," said the billeting officer.
"Come, Willie!" called Mrs Beech, in a high voice. Willie reluctantly began to trudge after her.
"Ma'am!" cried the billeting officer, "Ma'am, we'll make sure he does as you ask!"
Mrs Beech smiled graciously. "Thank you. Now, Willie! Pay attention!" Willie jumped and stared up at his mother with large fearful eyes. "Don't forget to read your Bible every night and do everything your host or hostess tells you too," she snapped.
"Yes mum," he replied, dully.
"Don't look in your bag or it'll be trouble for you. Do you understand?" she barked, shaking him, furiously.
"Yes Mum, Yes!" he cried. Mrs Beech let go of him, turned on her heel and marched out of the school. Willie watched her go, not feeling in the least saddened.
The warden stamped out his cigarette and put down his cup of tea in his warden's hut. He rubbed his hands briskly together. 'These September winds are too chilly!' he thought, shivering slightly. Sid stood up and looked outside through his grimy, dust coloured window. The school was dead opposite and a large group of children were coming out, holding hands, and looking bewildered and frightened. They all carried bags of some description and had nametags around their necks. Now the warden understood. They were evacuees.
"Not a pretty sight," remarked a voice from the huts door. Sid turned and looked at the speaker.
"'Ello Glad. What you doing here this time of morning?"
"I just finished my night shift. I took over from Mrs. Beech, as she wuth theening Willie orf," lisped Glad.
"Oh right. I ain't seen her this morning,"
"Well Willie's there. She must harf. Look!" Sid and Glad watched the party go by. Willie was at the back and two boys, just behind, were pushing him. Suddenly, they pushed him hard and he fell over.
"Now look at that!" said the warden, startled, "That's just bullying!"
"Yeth. Teacher's don't care though," replied Glad, watching the scene. She was right. The teacher at the back carried on walking, regardless of the heap of the ground. The two boys were laughing spitefully.
One of the teachers turned around. "Get up, boy!" Mr. Barrett roared, "I've got my cane with me!" Willie gave a frightened cry and stood up quickly. He staggered after the party; not noticing that he had mud all over his mackintosh or that one of his socks had rolled down. The two spectators in the warden's hut noticed though.
"Oh my! His leg's covered in bruises!" said Glad, shocked.
"Maybe he fell over while he was playing?" suggested Sid.
"Willie Beech don't play," said Glad, "His murver makes sure of that!"
"Then what caused all them bruises?" asked Sid.
They both knew the answer to that.