Chapter Eight
The next week went as slow as a turtle walking through quicksand. The minutes I spent locked in my tiny, bland room felt like hours and the short time I spent in the recreation room was spent listening to Michelle talk nonstop. After a half and hour with her I actually looked forward to the time in my room where it would be quiet.
I didn't sleep well at night. My room was so dark, I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. I felt so lonely sleeping in that small bed. I wanted to big bed again. I wanted Chris to be beside me again. I had always felt so safe with him.
I was remembering more and more about Chris every day. Sometimes instead of listening to Michelle babble I would think hard about Chris.
He looked so much like Cathy. We all looked alike. Blond hair and blue eyes. Everyone thought we were beautiful children. Everyone except the Grandmother. She thought we were evil. Nothing we did was good in her eyes.
Just sitting in the recreation room I could still feel the anger and hate that emanated from her. I couldn't imagine her ever being loving towards anyone. How could anyone marry her? I remember wondering what her husband was like to be able to put up with someone like her.
Cathy and Chris hated her just as much and I did. They liked to spite her. She always made us memorize passages from the bible and they would take pleasure in memorizing the whole thing and then she could never catch them unprepared. She would get so angry when they knew every passage she asked them to recite.
Carrie and I didn't like reading the bible. We wanted to play with the puzzles and toys that we had. But most of all we wanted to go outside. Sometimes Cathy would let us look out the window and every time we did it looked so wonderful. Even if it was overcast and raining it still looked wonderful.
I was remembering so much now. I would have to tell Dr. Chambers everything. I didn't want her to know what it used to be like. I didn't want to tell her about Carrie, Cathy and Chris. They were my little secret. It felt like if I told anyone my memories then they would be lost forever. They would exit through my mouth and never come back. I couldn't lose Cathy, Carrie and Chris. They were all I had.
The day came that a week had passed since I had been here. I was lying on my back on the bed just staring up at the ceiling. It was the time right after breakfast when I had nothing to do but wait for an appointment or recreation time.
Rufus came to the door looking just as frightening as he did every other day. He never smiled at me or anyone else as far as I had seen. He always looked angry with everyone. He almost seemed like the kind of person who should be locked up in a place like this, not working in one.
"Let's go," he said.
"Where?" I asked softly. Rufus still made me nervous whenever he came into my room. I couldn't get that picture of him with that other person the first night I was here. He reminded me of a vicious wolf.
"You get a different room," he said.
I got up and picked up my bag. I hadn't unpacked yet. Maybe I was hoping that I would get out of here soon.
I should have been excited about getting out of this locked room but it was hard for me to be excited about anything anymore. I had had so many disappointments in my life. I didn't know how to be excited anymore. I just didn't want to get hurt again.
I followed Rufus down the stairs into a hall that was much brighter then the previous one. There was sunlight streaming in the window at the end of the hall and doors were open revealing normal looking people doing normal things in their rooms.
I hadn't expected this hall to be so much different than the other one. It was like a whole different world. The people here seemed more like human beings rather than killer animals that have to be locked up.
Rufus stopped in front of a doorway and said, "here is your room, you will not be locked in anymore, there is a recreation room on this floor where you can go any time you want. There is a cafeteria at the end of the hall and bathrooms at the other end," he walked away.
I peered into the room and saw a boy about my age sitting on one of the beds. He looked relieved that Rufus was gone.
"Hi," he said. He smiled a little.
I smiled back and went into the room. I put my bag on the other bed and looked over at the boy. He was the opposite of what Carrie and I were. He had dark skin and dark brown hair. His eyes were also dark brown. When he smiled I saw that his teeth were very white.
"I'm Jordan," he said.
"I'm Cory," I told him.
"Did you just get here?" he asked.
I started to unpack my things and put them in the small dresser beside my bed. I was losing hope that I would get out of here any time soon. Penny and Craig hadn't even come to visit me yet.
"No, I was on the third floor for a week," I said.
He gasped, "The third floor?" he breathed. His eyes were open wide and his dark eyebrows were raised into two arches. His mouth made a tiny o.
"Yes," I said.
"Are the people crazy up there?" he asked.
"I didn't meet any of them really," I told him.
Jordan got up from the bed and ran from the room. I shrugged my shoulders and got back to unpacking my things. I didn't have much with me; only a few shirts, one sweater, a couple pairs of pants, socks and underwear. I didn't have anything personal like a teddy bear or a favourite book. I had stuffed animals and games and toys at the Ferguson's but I had never become attached to any of it.
I felt around in the bottom of my bed and felt something smooth. I pulled it out. It was a photograph. I looked at it closely. It was a little crinkled but I knew what it was. It was a picture of me, Penny and Spunky. It was only a little while after I had come to live on the farm. I still didn't look totally healthy but I was smiling. I had my hand on the horse's back. Penny looked happy too.
I remembered that day. Penny knew that I liked Spunky. When I was still sick and had to stay in bed I would always ask to look out the window at the horses. I would beg to go out and see them but Penny said I had to wait until I was better. That day was the first day I had been outside since I got to the Ferguson's. Craig took the picture.
I was so happy then, before I started remembering the attic and the Grandmother. I didn't even know then that I didn't belong on the farm with Penny and Craig.
"That's him," a voice said.
I turned towards the door to find Jordan standing there with a few other kids, both older and younger than me. They whispered amongst themselves.
"He was on the third floor," Jordan said.
"What was it like?" another boy asked,
"Did you see old lady Suzanne?" a girl asked.
"Who?" I asked.
"Old Lady Suzanne, she's been up there for years and years," the girl said.
All the kids started talking again.
"I heard a woman screaming, until Rufus came," I said loudly. I suddenly felt like talking to these people. It had been so long since I had been with people my own age. The last child I had played with was Carrie.
"Oh no!" the boy said.
All the kids piled into the room and sat on the two beds. They all stared up at me expectantly. I felt nervous now. I had never had this many people looking at me before. I had gotten nervous when the Grandmother made me recite from the bible.
"I---It was only at night, I just heard a lady screaming and then Rufus came and it was quiet again," I told them quickly. I just wanted them to stop staring at me.
"Rufus gave her the drugs," a boy said.
"No, he probably hit her on the head," a small girl piped up.
"Poor Old Lady Suzanne," Jordan said.
Suddenly there was a loud voice overhead, "Lunch is being served in the cafeteria now," it said.
The kids all cheered and ran out of the room.
"C'mon, it's time for lunch," Jordan told me, "You can tell us more about the third floor,"
I followed him down the hall.
I was finally feeling happier then I had since I had gotten here. These kids were making me feel welcome here. Maybe I could stay here after all. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
***A/N*** Does anyone know how old Cathy was when they escaped Foxworth Hall? If anyone can tell me, I'd really appreciate it! Thanks!
The next week went as slow as a turtle walking through quicksand. The minutes I spent locked in my tiny, bland room felt like hours and the short time I spent in the recreation room was spent listening to Michelle talk nonstop. After a half and hour with her I actually looked forward to the time in my room where it would be quiet.
I didn't sleep well at night. My room was so dark, I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. I felt so lonely sleeping in that small bed. I wanted to big bed again. I wanted Chris to be beside me again. I had always felt so safe with him.
I was remembering more and more about Chris every day. Sometimes instead of listening to Michelle babble I would think hard about Chris.
He looked so much like Cathy. We all looked alike. Blond hair and blue eyes. Everyone thought we were beautiful children. Everyone except the Grandmother. She thought we were evil. Nothing we did was good in her eyes.
Just sitting in the recreation room I could still feel the anger and hate that emanated from her. I couldn't imagine her ever being loving towards anyone. How could anyone marry her? I remember wondering what her husband was like to be able to put up with someone like her.
Cathy and Chris hated her just as much and I did. They liked to spite her. She always made us memorize passages from the bible and they would take pleasure in memorizing the whole thing and then she could never catch them unprepared. She would get so angry when they knew every passage she asked them to recite.
Carrie and I didn't like reading the bible. We wanted to play with the puzzles and toys that we had. But most of all we wanted to go outside. Sometimes Cathy would let us look out the window and every time we did it looked so wonderful. Even if it was overcast and raining it still looked wonderful.
I was remembering so much now. I would have to tell Dr. Chambers everything. I didn't want her to know what it used to be like. I didn't want to tell her about Carrie, Cathy and Chris. They were my little secret. It felt like if I told anyone my memories then they would be lost forever. They would exit through my mouth and never come back. I couldn't lose Cathy, Carrie and Chris. They were all I had.
The day came that a week had passed since I had been here. I was lying on my back on the bed just staring up at the ceiling. It was the time right after breakfast when I had nothing to do but wait for an appointment or recreation time.
Rufus came to the door looking just as frightening as he did every other day. He never smiled at me or anyone else as far as I had seen. He always looked angry with everyone. He almost seemed like the kind of person who should be locked up in a place like this, not working in one.
"Let's go," he said.
"Where?" I asked softly. Rufus still made me nervous whenever he came into my room. I couldn't get that picture of him with that other person the first night I was here. He reminded me of a vicious wolf.
"You get a different room," he said.
I got up and picked up my bag. I hadn't unpacked yet. Maybe I was hoping that I would get out of here soon.
I should have been excited about getting out of this locked room but it was hard for me to be excited about anything anymore. I had had so many disappointments in my life. I didn't know how to be excited anymore. I just didn't want to get hurt again.
I followed Rufus down the stairs into a hall that was much brighter then the previous one. There was sunlight streaming in the window at the end of the hall and doors were open revealing normal looking people doing normal things in their rooms.
I hadn't expected this hall to be so much different than the other one. It was like a whole different world. The people here seemed more like human beings rather than killer animals that have to be locked up.
Rufus stopped in front of a doorway and said, "here is your room, you will not be locked in anymore, there is a recreation room on this floor where you can go any time you want. There is a cafeteria at the end of the hall and bathrooms at the other end," he walked away.
I peered into the room and saw a boy about my age sitting on one of the beds. He looked relieved that Rufus was gone.
"Hi," he said. He smiled a little.
I smiled back and went into the room. I put my bag on the other bed and looked over at the boy. He was the opposite of what Carrie and I were. He had dark skin and dark brown hair. His eyes were also dark brown. When he smiled I saw that his teeth were very white.
"I'm Jordan," he said.
"I'm Cory," I told him.
"Did you just get here?" he asked.
I started to unpack my things and put them in the small dresser beside my bed. I was losing hope that I would get out of here any time soon. Penny and Craig hadn't even come to visit me yet.
"No, I was on the third floor for a week," I said.
He gasped, "The third floor?" he breathed. His eyes were open wide and his dark eyebrows were raised into two arches. His mouth made a tiny o.
"Yes," I said.
"Are the people crazy up there?" he asked.
"I didn't meet any of them really," I told him.
Jordan got up from the bed and ran from the room. I shrugged my shoulders and got back to unpacking my things. I didn't have much with me; only a few shirts, one sweater, a couple pairs of pants, socks and underwear. I didn't have anything personal like a teddy bear or a favourite book. I had stuffed animals and games and toys at the Ferguson's but I had never become attached to any of it.
I felt around in the bottom of my bed and felt something smooth. I pulled it out. It was a photograph. I looked at it closely. It was a little crinkled but I knew what it was. It was a picture of me, Penny and Spunky. It was only a little while after I had come to live on the farm. I still didn't look totally healthy but I was smiling. I had my hand on the horse's back. Penny looked happy too.
I remembered that day. Penny knew that I liked Spunky. When I was still sick and had to stay in bed I would always ask to look out the window at the horses. I would beg to go out and see them but Penny said I had to wait until I was better. That day was the first day I had been outside since I got to the Ferguson's. Craig took the picture.
I was so happy then, before I started remembering the attic and the Grandmother. I didn't even know then that I didn't belong on the farm with Penny and Craig.
"That's him," a voice said.
I turned towards the door to find Jordan standing there with a few other kids, both older and younger than me. They whispered amongst themselves.
"He was on the third floor," Jordan said.
"What was it like?" another boy asked,
"Did you see old lady Suzanne?" a girl asked.
"Who?" I asked.
"Old Lady Suzanne, she's been up there for years and years," the girl said.
All the kids started talking again.
"I heard a woman screaming, until Rufus came," I said loudly. I suddenly felt like talking to these people. It had been so long since I had been with people my own age. The last child I had played with was Carrie.
"Oh no!" the boy said.
All the kids piled into the room and sat on the two beds. They all stared up at me expectantly. I felt nervous now. I had never had this many people looking at me before. I had gotten nervous when the Grandmother made me recite from the bible.
"I---It was only at night, I just heard a lady screaming and then Rufus came and it was quiet again," I told them quickly. I just wanted them to stop staring at me.
"Rufus gave her the drugs," a boy said.
"No, he probably hit her on the head," a small girl piped up.
"Poor Old Lady Suzanne," Jordan said.
Suddenly there was a loud voice overhead, "Lunch is being served in the cafeteria now," it said.
The kids all cheered and ran out of the room.
"C'mon, it's time for lunch," Jordan told me, "You can tell us more about the third floor,"
I followed him down the hall.
I was finally feeling happier then I had since I had gotten here. These kids were making me feel welcome here. Maybe I could stay here after all. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
***A/N*** Does anyone know how old Cathy was when they escaped Foxworth Hall? If anyone can tell me, I'd really appreciate it! Thanks!
