((This is my answer to Becky's challenge (she'll know what I'm on about)
The letter bit is a song from Billy Elliott.))
He ran, as fast as he could, trying to keep up with the carriage that contained his mother. He screamed for her, tears running down his cheeks. He knew she could hear him… so why wouldn't she stop?
Twice he fell over, but scrambled to his feet again, ignoring the blood dripping from his knees to his scruffy, second hand shoes. He screamed and screamed, but the carriage would not stop. It was getting hard to breathe now, whilst trying to scream, cry and run all at the same time. Why was she leaving? Was it him? Why had she not even stopped to say goodbye?
A hand appeared from the window of the carriage and his heart leapt.
Her hand.
But instead of stopping, the carriage drove on.
Her hand… contained a piece of paper. She dropped it, as if by accident, but Will knew it was no mistake.
He fell to his knees again and did not even try to get up, just cried.
No warm arms to enfold himself in… no smooth, comforting voice to tell him everything would be alright.
She had gone.
His sole sense of purpose, his best friend and the person to wipe away his tears, gone.
He let his eyes fall to the letter, a little to his left.
He picked it up, unfolded it and began to read.
Dear Will,
I must seem a horrible woman for leaving without stopping to say goodbye, but it is probably a good thing that I did- I saved us the tears.
And I may be a long, long time and by the time I return I will have missed you growing, and I'll have missed you crying, and I'll have missed you laugh, missed your stamping and your shouting, I'll have missed telling you off… but please, Will, know that I was always there… I was with you through everything.
And please, Will, know that I will always be proud to have known you. Proud that you were mine. Proud in everything.
And you must promise me this, Will- In everything you do, always be yourself, Will.
And you always will be true.
Love you forever.
Love you forever.
Mum