I was sitting in some quiet office in the police station. I was numb not taking in reality that I'll never see my mother again. I sat frozen, starring off in space and in denial.
I got out of my trance when heard banging and I looked up and saw Josh at the office window. He opened the door and walked in, "Surprise seeing you here, what did you do? You didn't sock Mr. Dorman did you? Me, I did the same old, almost got out with five dollars worth of firecrackers."
I didn't listen to the rest of what he said. I didn't care. One of the cops went him and yelled at him for disturbing him.
"Disturbing him? Why is he in here?" Josh didn't know and the cop whispered in his ear that my mother died in a car crash, "Shit, your mom? I'm sorry as hell. I guess I won't be seeing you in school tomorrow." The cop led him out and he continued to stare at me in pity, his grin gone, thankful he wasn't me. He waved as I silently watched him be moved to the back of the station to call his parents.
It truly hit me then, I had no one. I was alone. There would be no one to care for me. I was all I had. I couldn't cry at this, I couldn't cry anymore, but it didn't mean I felt no pain or sorrow. I did, oh did I, inside where no one could see. I though of suicide, but then I thought of my mother and what she would think. My mother was stubborn and would never give up; she would never do or support something as selfish as suicide. She wanted me to go to school and get the best college education, but how could I had done that when I had no money? What should I have done? I didn't want to live on with no one and all alone, but I had too. There were probably planning on putting me in an orphanage. I didn't want to be dumped in some orphanage. I had seen them before, they were awful; I used to walk by one back when we lived in the city. They were crowded, even more poor than my life in the small apartment, and kids were even more alone in fending for themselves, and were pitied more. They were forced into labor, having no personal possessions and any they had, had to be shared—I didn't want that. It was just after the depression and my options were close to none.
One of the police officers approached me, the same one who told me the news of my mother, "It's getting late, how about you stay with me and my family for the night instead of staying here. Sound good?"
I nodded, not saying anything. I didn't want to speak. I wouldn't speak. I decided to be mute. I left the station with him and got in his car. I was silent on the way to his home. Even when he talked and asked me questions, I still said nothing.
His house was the picture of the American Dream I saw on billboards and magazines. A trimmed green yard, white picket fence, a tree with a swing, two story white house like the others around it--This was suburbia. And the inside was just as beautiful and dreamlike as the outside, even in the near dark I could see it.
"Everyone's asleep, you can sleep in Billy's room. He has an extra bunk he doesn't sleep in. It's only used when he has friends' sleepover. He led me to his son's room and opened the door, "The bed's already made, just put his toys on the floor, I'll make him put them away in the morning. The bathroom is down the hall to the left. If you need anything, our bedroom is downstairs by the garage." He walked out and closed the door, not all the way, but just a crack.
I was alone in some boy's room, the boy sound asleep on the top bunk. I went to the bathroom and took off my shoes and put the toys on the floor and crawled under the covers. I stayed awake starring up at the drawings on the board holding the top mattress. I learned that Billy was a talented drawer who loved horses and the old west, all from the graffiti. I suddenly heard muffled arguing down the hall.
"It'll only be for awhile, the boy has no one here. This won't be permanent; he'll only be here for as soon as we get him to tell us where his other family is, or find a suitable foster home. It's only for a few days. Don't worry. "
It's nice to know I'm wanted here, I sarcastically pointed out in my mind. I eventually fell asleep arguing whether or not to speak tomorrow to show courteously or not to continue to avoid talking about it.
"Finn" I heard a whisper.
I saw my mother, "Mom," I said, "You're alive? I knew you were. You'd never leave me." She didn't say anything, "Mom say something. Please?" she turned and had ran off, "Mom!" I got up and ran after her, I looked everywhere, she was gone, "Mom! Don't leave me! Come back, please. I need you." I fell to the ground crying, "Don't leave me. Come back, please, come back for me. I don't want to be alone." But I was. I was alone in the bitter darkness that was my life.
Suddenly I felt someone gently brush their hand on the side of my face, calming me with soft whispers. "Shh, it's okay, don't cry. You're not alone, I'm here."
I woke up and surprisingly saw Amy at my bedside inches from my face now rubbing my upper back. It was only a dream, I realized.
She noticed me awake and took her hand off and backed away blushing in embarrassment, "I heard you across the hall. You were having a nightmare and were talking in your sleep. So I came in to try to get you through it, like my mom used to do when I was little." She smiled kindly.
I didn't know her father was a cop. In a normal situation, I'd be in bliss having my crush there and so near. But after last night, I didn't seem to care anymore.
"I can't believe what happened to you. You must have been through so much. I'm so sorry it happened to you," she whispered.
God, she looked so beautiful there with the moonlight making her hair shine like copper, the lights and shadows forming a sort of halo at the top of her head. We looked at each other in the eyes for a moment in the awkward silence between us.
"You must be exhausted, I'll go back to my room so you can go back to sleep. I'll see you in the morning." She blushed shyly as she left the room and returned to hers shutting the door behind her.
0o0o0o0o0
The sunlight through the window blinded my awakening eyes. I guess they opened the curtains on purpose so I wouldn't sleep in. I sat up and saw some clothes folded on the edge of the bed. It had to be a new and clean change of clothes for me, I assumed seeing just an outfit and not an assortment. I was the last one up it appeared as Billy wasn't on the bunk above and Amy wasn't in her room across. I got up and walked to the bathroom and changed my clothes and tried my best to straighten up. The clothes were a bit too big on me, but not so much that they fell off and they were more casual than my usual everyday school uniform of khaki pants, blue button down shirt with color, tie, pull-over sweater, and loafers.
I went downstairs and to the kitchen where the family was already eating breakfast. Their kitchen that morning, smelled just like the diner my mother worked at, the smell of eggs and bacon. I held back my tears from being reminded and slowly walked in.
"Looks who's up," The father pointed, "Sit here, I'm finished." He got up and put his dishes in the sink and kissed his wife goodbye, "I gotta be going, I'll be back for you at one and we'll talk about some matters then, just rest up for now and take it easy," He said to me before he walked out of the kitchen.
I sat down and right when I did his wife put a plate down next to me of eggs, bacon, and toast, and then a glass of orange juice. I didn't even ask, she just put it there. I began eating graciously, despite the fact that I don't eat breakfast. Billy was across from me, starring as if I was a new and interesting pet. This was first time actually seeing him. He looked to be my age almost and had light, almost white, blond hair, and light blue eyes. He was slightly over weight, which caused him to look like a pig, his small button nose and pink skin being of help as well. Yet he didn't act the way he looked and picked at his food slowly, barely eating it.
"So how long are you staying with us?" he asked me.
"Billy!" his mother hissed.
"Sorry, mom. Are you still going to school?"
"William Arnold, will you stop being so nosy and eat your food," She ordered sternly with her hands on her hips.
"I was just curious, he's staying in my room. I have some right to know something about him."
"Stop talking and finish your food."
"I'm finished eating." He got up with his plate full of food and dumped it in the trash. He may not be a pig, but I was disgusted at his wastefulness. What he just threw away was worth the same as an hour of my mother's wages.
During this, Amy was quiet as me, finishing up her homework. I wanted to say something to her, to let her know that I wasn't mad at her or thought of her as being weird for comforting me in my nightmare. I didn't though, and before I regretted so, she and Billy were out the door to catch their bus.
There I was left alone with their mother who didn't want me there. She didn't pay attention to me being there and went on with her every day routine of cleaning house. I went back into Billy's room and fell back asleep wanting it to bring me a moment of escape and not a cruel reminder.
Just as he said, Amy's father came back at one to bring me back into the station for questioning. I still refused to talk. Stupid, I know, but I wanted to avoid answering all those painful questions: How I feel? What do I feel? Where's my father? Do I have a father? Can he take care of me? Do I have other family? Will they take me in? Do I know someone who will? Will I be up for foster care?—It goes on. But there I was, in that very office I was in last night, being asked just that.
"I know this is hard for you, but we need to know." They even went as far for my answers as to supply me with a pen and notepad to jot them down. "Where's your father?"
"He's dead," I wrote.
"Do you have anyone else?"
I shook my head.
"Are you sure?"
I nodded. I didn't think I did. It was always just my mom and I. We didn't see any other family member besides the two of us.
Then he said what I dreaded, "If there's no place for you to go, than we have to turn you in to the state."
0o0o0o0o0
My mother's funeral was held on my fifteenth birthday. The weather was perfect, for a nice day, but not a funeral of the most beautiful person. It was suppose to rain, but there were a lot of other things that were suppose to happen that didn't to get worked up on this one.
Nearly the whole town of Ampleton was there. Even Mr. Dorman, who had the nerve to show up. We were all crowded around her coffin cover with flowers. Her co-workers made the arrangements and, as I later found out, Mr. Dorman paid the expenses. He was up to something by being so charitable. Of course, for me, that's what that sick creep wanted. He looked at me the whole time trying hard to conceal of smile of satisfaction in knowing that he could easily have me now that I had nobody and was vulnerable.
I couldn't pay attention to the eulogy, as I stood there in fear of what he was going to do. That was why he showed up and paid for the funeral, he wanted to adopt me, or buy me, either way he wanted to have me. And being the richest and powerful man of all Ampleton, and me having no family, he easily could.
I didn't look at the coffin; looking at it would make it a reality. I just wanted to forever believe that she was just away somewhere, happy and safe. I closed my eyes and dropped that red rose on her now lowered coffin and the service ended at that.
I looked up to see a man who wasn't there before. I couldn't describe it, but I felt chills down my spine. A different kind of chills, much different from the ones I got from Mr. Dorman. It was there I first saw the man who would bring me the greatest misery.
Evil loves destroying lives and does not feel any guilt; an ice cold, egotistic, and inhuman monster starving for power, evil has blood on his hands. Evil was my father, Henry Cromwell…
A/N: Thanks MistressMassacre, I will read your fic asap. Sorry about the run ons, it's my greatest weakness lol and I admit the ending of the last chap(1) was rushed
Jules