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Chapter Fifteen
Separated
It was exactly one week later and the half term holiday was coming up in the next few days but neither sister knew where they were going to go as they had not being told. Miss Cackle told them to come to her office the morning they should be leaving, she hadn't told them before as she knew it would be to difficult for them to cope with.
Each sister took a seat on the comfy chairs in the office and Ethel placed a hand gently on her stomach which she had been doing a lot since she had fallen in love with her baby at the scan. A ginger haired woman with longer hair sat opposite them. She was there social worker and she knew this was going to be difficult.
"Right we have found you somewhere to go" the social worker told the girls and there sisters smiled at each other all with the thought it was a relief they were not homeless.
"The only thing is it is three separate homes, I have tried to find you one together but it was just not possible" the woman told them as all three girl's faces dropped at her words.
"No you can't...there must be somewhere" Esmerelda replied trying not to show how much that broke her inside.
"You try finding a home for two teenagers, one of which is pregnant and a pre-teen and see how far you get" the social worker replied. "I am sorry there is nothing" she told the girls and Esmerelda looked at her little sisters as Sybil grabbed hold of her arm.
"No I can't go on my own!" Sybil said terrified as she was after all a very sensitive child and needed her sisters around her.
"Please don't separate us….I am scared of being pregnant by myself" Ethel admitted terrified of being taken away in the condition she was in. She loved her baby but it was hard to deal with the pregnancy all alone.
"You will be well looked after I promise" the social worker told the girls who all looked at her not convinced.
"You can't do this, Ethel needs me now more than ever and Sybil is delicate" Esmerelda told the woman who just looked at her and sighed as another woman walked in.
"Right we have to get you three of to your homes, Sybil this lady will be escorting you" the woman told the sisters. Sybil grabbed a hold of Esmie tighter with a look of terror on her face.
Everyone at Cackles was looking at the car parked in the courtyard curiously. Why was a car here? They didn't need cars. Most students looked for a while and then got bored and started to make their way home but some hanged back.
The Hallow sisters walked with the two woman outside, the younger two clinging to Esmerelda not wanting them to be separated. Esmerelda could not stand this, she didn't know who was going to be looking after her sisters and if they were going to harm them. She knew she was their sister but she had mothered them for so long her heart ached as if she was losing her children. These people did not know her sisters, they couldn't love them like she did.
"Sybil why don't we get you off first?" their social worker said once they were outside, knowing getting the youngest, the most timid child off first would be easier.
"No I don't want to go!" Sybil shouted before bursting into tears.
Sybil was normally quiet and timid which is why there remaining pupils who had not set of home yet turned to look at the poor child concerned.
"It is only until next week Sybil" the worker told her "Say goodbye to your sisters, come on" the woman told her more than used to situations like this. Sybil cried and hugged Esmerelda tightly, not wanting to have to leave but Esmerelda knew now it was pointless. She couldn't make too big a deal out of this or it would make it worse, she gently pulled out of the hug and spoke to Sybil.
"You will be alright, just for a week" Esmerelda told her sister her heart breaking by the look on her sister's face as she cried.
"But what if they aren't nice?" Sybil asked her sister worried.
"Then tell someone and they will move you, you will be alright Sybil don't be scared" Esmerelda told her as she hugged her again and then Sybil moved to hug Ethel, being extra gentle with her as she was so scared of hurting the growing baby and was treating her like porcelain. The woman escorting her took her arm gently leading her towards the car.
Sybil cried as she was led away as some onlookers looked. Including Mildred Hubble and her friends. They felt so bad Sybil was being separated from her sisters, the look on all three blondes face was heartbreaking. Sybil was led into a car still sobbing.
"Ethel you next Hun" the social worker told her but it was with them words Ethel became scared and started to panic.
"No….please….I can't go on my own….I can't go through this by myself" Ethel said as she started to cry, terrified about having to move away alone when she was a pregnant teenager.
"Everything will be alright, your foster carer is a nice woman who will help you with everything" the social worker told her.
"She can't br that nice if she separated us!" Ethel rudely replied as she started to cry more, making Esmerelda panic.
"Ethel...I know it is horrible but one week that is all, you will be fine" Esmerelda told her trying to hold in her own tears.
"The baby…...I need help with the baby…..I don't know how to do it all by myself" Ethel admitted knowing even if she was becoming a mother she still needed support and help. She couldn't do it alone.
"It is okay, you will be back way before the baby is due, just try not to stress yourself out to much, you need to be brave Ethel, just one week" Esmerelda told her sister as she hugged her gently and then rubbed Ethel's stomach gently a few times.
"Look after the baby yes? If you are concerned about anything you need to tell someone, you promise you will?" Esmerelda asked Ethel and the younger nodded trying to stop herself crying.
"Good girl" Esmerelda said to her as Ethel was led away too across the now quiet courtyard.
As Ethel was getting in the second car, Sybil's started to pull off and Esmerelda ran then coming to her senses and allowing herself to become upset. She couldn't just let them take her precious sisters.
"No wait please!" she said as she saw the car drive off with her baby sister in it and let the tears flow down her face without trying to hide them. The car rounded the corner and then the second car started to move and Esmerelda caught sight of the look on Ethel's face. A look of rejection, this wasn't fair she had being rejected enough, Esmerelda forced a smile at Ethel as the car drove away and the girl touched her head which was sore from the stress.
"Right Esmie it is your turn" the social worker told her touching her shoulder.
"Don't touch me! And don't call me Esmie, only people I like can call me that" Esmerelda told her rudely.
"I know you are upset" the social worker told her "But please calm down"
"Calm down!?" How can I calm down when my sisters have just being dragged away to god knows where?" Esmerelda went on not caring if she had an audience.
"Your sisters will be fine" the woman told her trying to reassure the girl her sisters would not come to any harm.
"You better hope so, I swear on Merlin's name if anything happens to Ethel or Sybil or the baby because of this stress you have caused, I will personally hunt you down and make sure you never forget it" Esmerelda threatened glaring at the woman with a deadly look.
"That is enough!" the social worker told her not liking her threatening her. "I have tried my best for you and I don't appreciate your attitude" she told Esmerelda who just glared at her before she turned towards the car.
"I meant what I said, you better look after my sisters, you better make sure they are treated right" Esmerelda told the social worker wiping away her tears as she got in the car. She had never felt a feeling quite like this before, her heart felt like someone had stepped on it until it had broken.
Mildred and her friends had watched the whole thing without realising most people had gone now. They had been so sad they had just stood there watching.
"Come on let's go" Enid said with a sigh sad after what she had just witnessed.
Maud mounted her broomstick too as Mildred kept watching sadly as the last car drove away. She felt so bad for all three of them, even Ethel. She knew they broke apart when they were not together and Ethel being pregnant made things much worse. It just wasn't fair. Sisters should not be torn apart like that, it just wasn't right.
"We can't do anything for them, come on Mildred" Maud told her friend seeing her still watching. Mildred mounted her broomstick and flew off with her friends, the three of them in silence, trying to get the images of their classmates being dragged away from one another out of their minds.