ANOTHER CHAPTER! YAY!
In the last chapter we saw Spitelout getting stabbed in the forest, Hiccup having a nightmare about a wolf attacking him, and Astrid finishing off the project with Hiccup (and ogling at her iMac at the same time). The most important part, however, is where Hiccup gets arrested.
A big shout out to EquinoxKnight01, Roamerfromaofw, Francesva and blazelight790, who reviewed my last chapter. Thanks guys! (A special shout out to Francesva who has offered to make the cover-art for the story – thank you!)
Note: This story is written in British English and is also set in the United Kingdom, which has a very different education system to the United States.
Disclaimer: 'How To Train Your Dragon' is owned by Dreamworks Animation and Cressida Cowell. Kent is a real county, Berkford is not a real town.
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The Escaped Wolf: Chapter 5
Friday 10th September 1999
Hiccup sat on a hard wooden chair, his arms resting on a light-blue table. It had been 19 hours since his arrest, but they had yet to charge him. The cell they had placed him in was hard, cold and lifeless. He had been fed, but the food was horrible; it was like eating cat food. Not that Hiccup had ever eaten cat food.
He had to surrender everything he had, mainly a pencil sharpener, a pen, an eraser, a can of Coca-Cola and everything he took home from Astrid's. He was, however, allowed to keep his carton of apple juice, a single pencil, an English book (for writing notes). Oh, and his copy of On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin. He had yet to be questioned.
Hiccup had been sitting in this room, small with a tiny window and only a single light, for over half an hour. He glanced at the mirror that took up half of the wall to his left, he knew it was a one-way mirror, which meant he didn't know if anyone was watching him or not. The door opened slowly, and revealed the huge figure of Stoick, his father.
Hiccup stood up and smiled, relieved. But as Stoick's eyes met Hiccup's, the smile dropped him his face and he sat down quickly. 'Hi dad…' he muttered.
Stoick sat down opposite him, not entirely sure what to say. It felt like hours, Hiccup wished it had been hours, before Stoick's fist slammed the table. Stoick made this animal-like growl, that came from deep within his throat. 'Why Hiccup? Why did you try to kill my brother!' he yelled, making Hiccup jump in surprise.
'Dad, I promise you...I didn't do anything to Uncle Spitelout! I was sleeping!' Hiccup protested his innocence, but it fell on deaf ears.
'Hiccup,' Stoick's voice was low, and very, very dangerous, 'There is CCTV evidence of you walking home covered in blood.'
'It wasn't Spitelout's blood…' Hiccup grumbled.
'Yes it was,' Stoick growled. 'He was stabbed, and you stabbed him.'
'Dad, I promise you: It wasn't me. The CCTV...it wasn't timed!' Hiccup began thinking about how he could convince his father. 'It could have been earlier!'
His father raised an inquisitive eyebrow. 'Really, Hiccup? Then who did the blood belong to? Because there were no cuts on your body, at all.'
Hiccup sighed, he genuinely didn't know who, or what, the blood belonged to. All he remembers from that day is leaving school, and then having the nightmare about meeting a wolf. The wolf.
'See, I knew it,' Stoick sighed sadly. 'You went downhill after your mother died…'
Hiccup's eyes widened, and he looked up at his father. 'You...you've got to listen to me dad…please...I didn't do it.' Hiccup almost whimpered, watching as Stoick's glare returned. 'Dad, for once in your life, would you please listen to me!'
Stoick stood abruptly, and stared down at the 15 year-old in front of him. 'You've thrown yourself in prison. You're not a Haddock. You're not my son.' And with that, Stoick turned and left. Leaving a teary-eyed Hiccup to collapse back into his chair.
Hiccup couldn't believe it. His father had disowned him, like he was nothing. He was still coming to terms with what his father had said, before two people walked into the room. The first, a blond-haired woman, looked like she could kill. The second, a man who looked like a lawyer, carried his bloodstained clothes in a plastic bag.
The bag was placed on the table, and the man stood back. The woman, on other hand, sat down and stared at Hiccup for a moments. Her hand extended out, revealing a tape recorder. He remembered her from before, she had sat down with him about 12 hours ago, and had asked him if he wanted legal advice; to which he stubbornly said no.
The superintendent pressed the record button, and set it on the table. It was a double-taped recorder, one would be given to him, one would be retained by the police. 'Recording start of suspect Henry Haddock at twelve thirty on the thirteenth day of the ninth month of the year nineteen hundred and ninety-nine. Master Haddock, I'm superintendent Mitchell. Can you confirm that you have rejected legal advice?'
Hiccup looked up, a half-defiant, half-dejected look in his eyes. 'Yes.'
'Do you wish to seek legal advice now?'
Hiccup's eyes fell to the table again. 'No, ma'am.'
'Master Haddock, where were you at 2:15pm yesterday?' she asked, her voice sounding a lot softer than just a second ago.
'I was at home, sleeping,' Hiccup replied. He remembered that he had awoken at around 2:20, after that nightmare.
'Really? Then how come you arrived at school at 2:30 for your final lesson?'
'I think… I think I woke up at around 2:20. I was having a nightmare, ma'am.'
She raised an unimpressed eyebrow. 'You were having a nightmare, were you? Was it about stabbing your uncle?'
Hiccup shook his head. 'No ma'am, it was about the wolf killing me...actually.'
She frowned, then glanced down. 'And how do you explain these bloodstained clothes?'
Hiccup looked down at them, thinking deeply. How did I get blood over my uniform? He thought, his face forming a scowl. 'I can't, ma'am.'
She nodded, leaving a few seconds silence. 'At what time did you leave the school premises?'
Hiccup thought for a moment, before saying, 'At about 1:45...after I had finished my lunch.'
The superintendent nodded thoughtfully. 'We have a report from the school kitchen that a student blunt-knife has gone missing. Can you say whether you took a knife from the kitchen?'
Hiccup paused for a moment, before nodding. 'Yes ma'am, I did take one of the school's knives. But, it was blunt.'
She nodded. 'And where did you go after that?' she asked.
Hiccup thought for a long time, before finally responding. 'I went to the forrest, the school one, to see if I could find the wolf. Then all I remember after that is having a nightmare about meeting the wolf...and him killing me. That's when I woke up.'
The superintendent smiled, almost giving him an evil grin. 'Well, Master Haddock. We believe that you, when you left school, went into and then out of the forest. You then crossed Common Lane to make your way to Heath Leane. At 2:15pm, you stabbed Mr Haddock and returned home, as it was nearby. You dumped your clothes in the bin, washed yourself down and got dressed in another unform, and returned to school at 2:30. Didn't you, Master Haddock?'
Hiccup glared at her, slamming his fist and breaking down. 'No! I didn't stab him!'
'You tried to murder your uncle, didn't you?'
'No!' Hiccup let out a yell that could almost be described as a scream.
The superintendent looked unfazed. 'Master Henry Charles Haddock, we are charging you with the attempted murder of Jeremy Jorgenson on Thursday, 9th September 1999.'
Hiccup's eyes widened, and he shook his head in disbelief. 'No...you can't...I didn't do it!'
The superintendent stood up, and the police officer picked up the evidence. 'We have sufficient evidence for your attempted murder charge. Do you have any questions?'
Hiccup stared at her for a brief, few seconds. He wanted to ask if he could return home, but thought about how his father would react to him returning. He wouldn't even want me. 'No…'
She nodded. 'As we believe you are a threat to others, we will not be granting you bail. This means that you must wait until Monday to seek bail from the Berkford Magistrates Court. Until then, you will remain here. As it seems your father has left, is there anyone you would like us to contact?
Hiccup thought for a moment, before nodding. 'Yes.'
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Monday 13th September 1999
The hall was silent. Nobody knew what to say, or what to do. Everyone knew Hiccup. The scrawny little 15 year-old that everyone seemed to pick on. He was such an easy target, and he did nothing about it. To think that this...kid...had tried to kill someone, let alone his own uncle, was just too much to comprehend.
Inside the hall was everyone from year 9 up to year 11, with Hiccup being in year 10. The school, nor the police, wanted rumours being distributed through the school, and out to the press. In fact, the rumours began just before they left school on Friday. Apparently, Hiccup's murder trial was going to take place today, because everyone knows murder trials take place in a magistrates court.
'As some–' the principal paused, 'All of you know, Hiccup Haddock has been accused of murdering his uncle...and some people have been saying that is murder trial is today.' She looked at the faces of the students in front of her. Never in her career had she seen these students more interested in what she was saying. 'It's not,' he confirmed.
Fishlegs raised his hand slowly, and spoke quietly. 'Why is he in court today?'
The principal smiled, clasping her hands together. 'You see, everyone...the police believe Hiccup is a threat to the general public. Sniggers filtered through the room from the back. 'Exactly. That means the police won't give him bail, so Hiccup is currently at the magistrates court, hoping to get bail.'
Fishlegs nodded, his gaze lowering to the chair in front of him. Snotlout was looking upset, but unlike Fishlegs he just spoke right out. 'Do you think he did it?' he asked.
The teacher stared at him for a few minutes, before replying with, 'Personally...no. I don't think Hiccup would...do that.'
A murmur of agreement spread across the hall, it was inconceivable that what he was being accused of was true.
It was a smaller girl near the front who spoke out this time. 'If he gets bail, will he come back?' she asked softly.
The principal thought for a long time, before shrugging. 'I don't know. You see, when you're on bail you have certain...conditions. Hiccup can only come back if they allow him to. But if he does, I want everyone to be as supportive as possible. Especially those in year 10.'
Once again, the room murmured in agreement. Even Snotlout looked like he was agreeing to act friendly towards Hiccup. Astrid smirked inwardly, I wonder how long that'll last.
The assembly drew to a close, and the students were let out to go to their first lesson. There was an unusual silence around the school, most students considering the possibility that they had bullied someone who was being charged with trying to kill somebody. The staff seemed to be thinking along similar lines. Mr Roberts, Hiccup's history teacher, didn't believe a word of it.
The unusual quietness of the school continued throughout the rest of the day, the usual energetic aroma subsided for something a lot more emotional. Astrid, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, Snotlout and Fishlegs all sat around a table, in complete silence. It took nearly 15 minutes before anyone had the courage to speak.
'So...do you think he really did it?' Tuffnut asked, his voice much softer than one would expect.
There was a few seconds pause, before Astrid whispered, 'I was with Hiccup on the day, after school. He wouldn't have done it. He couldn't...he's Hiccup.'
'We'll know when...Snotlout's dad wakes up,' Fishlegs informed them.
Snotlout sniffed, it looked as though he were about to cry. 'That's if he DOES wake up. He could be dead now and I wouldn't know!'
Snotlout's loud outburst drew the attention of most people around them, but they quickly looked away when Astrid, Ruffnut and Tuffnut sent them glares.
Their focus eventually returned to Snotlout, who had tears slowly rolling down his face. They took him to the office after that, who let him return to the hospital. The rest of the day was spent thinking about what they had learned, meaning that they got practically no schoolwork done. At the end of the day, everyone seemed to go to their respective homes; breaking with their usual after-school tradition. It was weird, too weird.
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Hiccup was in his cell, waiting to be taken to the magistrates court, reading his Charles Darwin book. The cell was reasonably cold, but he had enough clothes and blankets to stop him getting too cold. He was being checked up on every half an hour, it feels more like a hospital than a police station, he thought.
About half an hour before Hiccup was due to stand in front of the magistrates, his cell door opened, revealing the bulky figure of Hiccup's favourite mentor. 'Gobber!' he yelled happily, closing his book and running over to him. Much to the police officer's surprise, Hiccup hugged the man tightly.
Gerald Belcher, more commonly known as Gobber, owned his own computer workshop, Absolutely Broken Computers, they dealt with people's PC computers and tried to repair them. Unlike most computer repair stores, Gobber's was just a workshop, with bits of RAM and CPU laying in rather random places in the room.
Gobber had taken Hiccup on as a young apprentice, a position he still held today. Hiccup thought Gobber knew everything there was to know about computers, but that wasn't why Hiccup had called him in. Gobber was, in almost every sense, Hiccup's best friend. He mentored him, usually looked after him, and was much more of a fatherly figure than Stoick.
Gobber chuckled, prying Hiccup away from him. 'Enough of that, ya' silly buffoon. I've got someone I'd like 'ya to meet.' Gobber stepped aside and pointed to a youngish, blond man wearing a simple suit. 'This is Theodore Johnson, ma' family's solicitor.'
Hiccup smiled, reaching forward to shake his hand. He could always rely on Gobber to do something like this. 'Hello Mr Johnson, I'm Hiccup.'
Theodore smiled, shaking Hiccup's hand firmly. 'Good morning Hiccup, please call me Thuggory, it's so much more eloquent.' He smirked, moving over to sit on Hiccup's sole chair. 'I specialise in bail cases, mostly. I've heard a lot about your particular case. Small little boy from Berkford, killing his innoc–'
Gobber stepped in at this point. 'Enough, Thuggory. We don't need any rising tensions.'
Hiccup looked away, suddenly finding the floor very interesting. 'I didn't do it…' he muttered, sighing deeply. 'I was asleep.'
Gobber put a friendly hand on his shoulder. 'I believe 'ya, Hiccup.' He gave a reassuring smile which made Hiccup remember why he had invited Gobber. 'We're not here to focus on that today, Hiccup. We're here to get you bailed so you can return to school.'
Hiccup scoffed. 'Like I'd be welcomed back there, anyway…'
Thuggory whipped out a pen and paper. 'Okay, so...we're gonna need some ideas on why you're not a threat to society. We also need to work out what type of curfews you're willing to follow. Like be at your home at all times except school or when you're with Gobber, potentially a foster ho–'
'No!' Hiccup snapped, 'I'm not going to a foster home!' He absolutely refused to go one of those places, especially the ones in dirty Berkford. They were well known for their child abuse cases.
Thuggory sighed, rubbing his temples with his thumb. He glanced up at both Hiccup and Gobber, who was now looking sternly at him. He had told him Hiccup's reason for hating foster homes. 'I know, I'm sorry. Let's just work together now, okay?'
There was a slight pause, before Hiccup nodded. 'Okay.'
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So, Hiccup has been charged with murder, Stoick hates him, the school doesn't believe he did it – and now we have Gobber! (And Thuggory, but please don't expect him to be like himself in the book). I would also like to apologise if I keep leaving you guys on cliffhangers. It's very rude of me...
In the next chapter – we'll find out if Hiccup gets bail or not. If you have any ideas as to what could be said, or if you have a general suggestion; I'm willing to consider new ideas.
I hope you can find the time to review, even a small message is appreciated. It really helps to keep me motivated and to continue writing these chapters. Oh, and please do point out ant mistakes (that was deliberate).
-CGJ
