-6-

The Aunt's house

"Prudence! How is Stanley?" Lisa saw me waiting on a seat in the Emergency room. "The doctor's told me he was severely dehydrated and that is the worse case of child abuse they have ever seen." Lisa stroked my hair as I wept into her shoulder. The Nurse who I spoke to earlier came and spoke again about pressing charges against my evil aunt. "She might try to harm him and she will more than likely try to imprison him somewhere even more foul than the attic. This woman is desperate to cover up her crimes against this child, miss peterson, you must deliver this woman into the hands of justice." Lisa nodded when I looked to her for guidance. "Alright, just before I plunge head first, let me call my parents, they won't be pleased to hear this." I went to a a private room and called the hotel hoping my mum would pick up the phone call.

"Mum" I cried when she picked up the phone

"Pru, what's wrong, honey?"

"Your sister has been keeping a young boy in the attic, your nephew and my cousin has been starved, beaten. He has been in that place for five years. Mum, I have to ask you, did you know anything about this?" My mother was shocked into silence.

"What did she do to you, prudence?" I thought carefully about what to say to her

"Mum, she slapped me, that is nothing compared to the injuries Stanley suffered" Mum spoke then

"Pru, Your dad and I will be there in two days" She put down the phone then

"Pru! Pru!" I heard Stanley crying out for me. I rushed into the cubicle and held Stanley tight until he calmed

"What is it!" Stanley wiped his tears away "She is coming to get me!" I hugged him again and reassured him he was safe from harm. "Guess what, I called mum, she will be here in two days, she can apply for an interim care order. That means you will be safe forever."

I calmed him enough so he would fall back to sleep. The damage inflicted would leave not just physical scars but emotional ones. Gods, I had to do something. I spoke to the nurse and said I wanted to press charges against Agatha.

Lisa said that I should come to her house and stay for a few nights, the police would come to me.

I said goodnight to Stanley first and went back with Lisa to that accursed house to pack a few things. Her son Clifford came with us. But the weirdest thing was when I saw Cliff, I had the oddest sense of de'ja'vu, it was like we connected at that moment. Love has a funny way of showing itself even in the most stressful moment.

"Hi" he mouthed. I blushed heavily and when Lisa looked back at both of us, she smiled knowingly.