.:Promises:.
Wow...someone actually thought I should write a second part! So...here it is. It's kinda short...but the next chapter will be along shortly.
"I hate them! I HATE THEM ALL! I hate them..."
Another computer part fell to the floor, smashing into a million pieces on impact. Above it stood a very angry, red faced six year old.
"I HATE EVERY ONE OF THEM!" he screeched, crunching the small pieces of glass and plastic into even smaller particles under his feet....just like his dad told him he could do.
Finally, out of breath and panting, the boy collapsed to the floor. His blond hair was matted and tangled with sweat, and his blue eyes were dull.
Young Jim Hawking let out a sigh, and felt hot tears begin to fall down his cheeks. "You promised Daddy...I made you promise you would come..." he whispered softly, blue eyes scanning the room. Bits of computer and keyboard were everywhere, creating an ocean of plastic and glass on the floor. Jim sat in the midst of it, sobbing quietly to himself. He didn't even know where Candice had gone, and he didn't care. "You promised and now...now..." The six year old stopped short, letting out a strangled cry. "YOU SAID YOU WOULD COME! AND YOU DIDN'T!"
With small, balled up fists, Jim beat the floor around him, sending plastic flying once again. His small body racked with sobs, and his eyes were shut tightly, not wanting to look at the mess he had made. His father's words echoed through his mind...
"Listen, if I don't show up...you can smash every computer in the house. Okay?"
And that was just what Jim had done.
Candice had left a few hours earlier, she said it was to go get a few pairs of clothes. Jim hadn't wanted to leave the house when she had first arrived with the news, so she had promised to stay with him there.
But he wasn't sure she would actually stay. In fact, he had no idea what was going to happen to him, and it scared him.
"Daddy..." Jim shuddered, hugging himself as he once again began to cry. Because of him, his dad was dead. Dead and never coming back again; he would never breathe, or laugh, or yell at Jim ever again.. He had made his daddy promise, and it had killed him. The blonde, bit his lip, trying to fight back more tears as they began to burn his eyes. "Daddy I love you...I didn't mean to kill you...I...I'm sorry..."
~~~~~~~~~
Candice stepped out of her car, careful not to rip her dress in the process. Slowly cursing as a piece of the soft fabric caught on the door, she reached down and tore the piece away. She would change as soon as she got inside the house. Candice wasn't in the mood to deal with fancy clothing.
"Jim? Where are you?" The secretary entered the house quietly, just in case the boy was sleeping, but when she stepped into the house, she was met with a mess of plastic... "Oh God...Jim? Jim are you here? Come on kid..." The whole house was a mess. Plastic parts and glass were scattered haphazardly around the floor, and larger parts of what looked like a computer were lying on the table.
"Candy? Is that you?"
"Jim! What the hell happened?!"
The small boy shuffled into the living room, glanced slowly about, and then looked back up at the bewildered woman. His eyes were dull and fogged over, and he rubbed them carefully.
"I...Daddy said I could..." he whispered, lowering his head a little bit.
"What do you mean?" Candice kneeled before the child, setting her bags on the floor. It had only been about twelve hours since she had gotten news of James Hawking's accident...and only a few hours since she had arrived at the man's house and informed Jim of what had happened. The boy had been terrified, doing nothing but screaming and sobbing for at least two hours. When she had been sure that he would be all right alone, the secretary had gone out to get some clothes and a few other things. She had a feeling that she would be taking up home with the boy for a while...
"My daddy told me...I could...I could smash his computers..."
"When did he say this honey? Just now?"
"NO!" the child yelled, squeezing his eyes shut. "HE SAID I COULD!"
"Okay okay..." Candice pulled the boy closer to her, whispering to him reassuringly. "It's okay..."
"He...he said I could if he never came. If he broke his...promise..."
The secretary frowned softly at the now silent boy in her arms, not quite sure what else to do. Or what to do with him in the future...
Candice, you can't take care of a little boy! What about your job? Your love life?
She lifted Jim up and strode over to the sofa, setting him down and covering him with a blanket. He looked up at her with inquisitive eyes, a small hand reaching up out of the blanket and rubbing his button nose. He really is adorable... she thought, her mouth turning down again. But...I can't take care of a six year old! I'm not ready...
"You don't think I'm gonna nap do ya?" the boy whispered, still looking up at her.
"No, but I think you should rest. I have to go...do some work."
Jim nodded slowly, his blond hair falling into his eyes. He closed them for a moment. "When are you coming back?"
"I don't know sweety."
Jim nodded twice, before pulling the blanket closer around his head. His voice shaking, he said, "Promise you'll come back?"
Letting a sigh escape from between her pursed, red lips, Candice leaned over and brushed the boy's unruly blond hair out of his eyes.
"I promise."
~~~~~~~~
Candice's neatly manicured finger nails flew over the keypad of the payphone, typing in a phone number sequence. When she was finished, she lifted the phone up to her ear, careful to avoid the pearl earring that hung from it.
"Hello, social services, may I ask who's speaking?"
"Um...my name is Candice Martolli...and I would like to ask if you provide homes for orphaned children..."
"Of course we do ma'am...may I ask the child's name, and where you can be reached?"
"James Hawking...my number is 445-843-9967."
"Thank you ma'am...you will be scheduled and notified of your appointment shortly."
~~~~~~~~
"Candy where were you? I...I was..."
"Worried? Well you shouldn't be. I was just down a block or two."
Jim furrowed his brow a bit, and concentrated on the woman in front of him. She still looked the same as she had a few days ago...her curly blonde hair, big...chest...
"Candy what were you doing?" he inquired, eyes brightening a bit. The two were in the living room, and Candice had just walked through the door...only to be met by a tired, flustered looking Jim.
"Well...I had to talk to some nice people about your...daddy."
Jim's eyes darkened, the blue almost disappearing. His eyes lowered and searched the now clean floor around his feet.
"What about?" he said softly, eyes still down.
"About...um...things..."
The blond, knowing that the secretary above him was avoiding the subject, glanced up at her one more time before heading back towards his room. He didn't feel like talking anymore. If Candy didn't want to talk, he wouldn't force her. That was what had gotten his daddy killed. All the man had wanted to do was be by himself, and Jim had forced him into spending time with him.
I killed you Daddy...
~~~~~~~~
This wasn't happening...it couldn't be happening.
"Ca...Candy? CANDY?!" Jim struggled against the men that were trying to drag him out the door. What were they doing? Why wasn't the secretary stopping them?
"Jim sweety...it's for your own good..." Candice said soothingly, setting Jim's suitcase full of clothes on the floor. The struggling child whimpered against the hold of the social services men around him. "You need someone who can take care of you..."
Jim looked up at her, kicking the man who had a rough grip on his arm in the shin and running towards the woman. She sighed, and caught him in a tight hug.
"Honey...I can't take care of you. These men are here to take you to a new home..." she whispered, eyes bright with reassurance. Jim only began to cry.
"I thought you said you'd STAY!" he screeched, clasping her shirt collar tightly. "You SAID YOU WOULD!"
"Jim..."
"NO! YOU PROMISED!" he began to sob hysterically, hiccupping and coughing. "JUST LIKE DADDY! I MADE HIM PROMISE AND NOW HE'S DEAD! HE COULDN'T KEEP HIS PROMISE!"
"JIM STOPPIT!"
"JUST LIKE YOU! HE LIED! HE LIED AND I MADE.....I made him die..."
The boy collapsed to the floor, releasing his hold on the woman's shirt and sobbing pitifully. He had known it would happen...ever since she had promised he had known.
"Just go with them...please? I'm sorry I didn't tell you....but please go."
Jim, still crying, looked up at her sadly before letting himself be carried to the waiting car.
To be continued...
*OH NO! What's gonna happen to poor poor poor lil Jimmy...well all of you can probably guess, but oh well. ^_^ Did you find any spelling errors? Is ff.net not working for you? Just e-mail me!
