Chapter 2

Even now I don't really remember much of what happened after that, it was like I was in a daze for a few hours. With plenty of patronizing police officers trying to talk to me, though I refused to speak, I remember thinking to myself, 'the only person that could possibly get me out of this state is now dead, so why do they keep trying?' I probably would have stayed that way for the rest of my life, not speaking, showing no emotion, just floating through. If it hadn't been for my knight in shining armour of sorts...

*     *     *

I'm sat in one of the rooms in the police station, the one with all the toys that they use for kids. Only I'm not touching any of the toys. I haven't moved at all for a while, I'm not even sure if I've blinked or breathed. I've just sat here, staring at the faded, worn carpet.

The door opens. The noise barely registers in my mind, I don't turn my head to look at yet another police officer sent in to get me to talk. I don't know why they keep trying, my mom's the only person who could get me out of this state. 

Why am I not crying?

The thought adds another level of grief and confusion to the turmoil in my head. Though my face still remains blank.

I realize that there is someone now sitting on the chair opposite mine, a man, he's just staring at me. However, his stare is not like the other officers - who gave me gazes full of unwanted pity and sympathy - his stare held curiosity, nothing more, I searched within them, but there wasn't any hint that he was pitying me.

Suddenly he smiles at me, "Hey there, Kiddo. How're you holding up?" he says lightly. 

I almost reply, however I catch myself just in time and choose to turn my gaze around the room, busying myself by taking note of the layout and contents of the room for the first time, instead.

 The wallpaper is bright, colorful. It's got a pattern of puzzle pieces on it, as if the wall was built with giant puzzle pieces. It's fading slightly at the corners, a sign of how long it has been since the room was decorated. I'm in the middle of inspecting a spider crawl it's way up the corner furthest from me when the man talks again, the sound of his voice making me turn my head to him.

"Do you like the wallpaper?" he inquires.

I turn away again, this time inspecting the toys in the corner. They are all slightly worn looking, as if they haven't been used in a while and no one has bothered to replace them.

"I always thought it was a little too vivid myself, it could give you a headache if you stare at it too long." He adds with humor. He sighs, though - unlike the other officers - it's not filled with annoyance, but almost with content as he sits back in the chair. A loud growl fills the room. He suddenly sits forward again.

"When was the last time you ate?" Concern wrinkles his brow.

It's only after a moment of confusion that I realize that the growl actually came from my stomach. I glare down at it, silently condemning it for giving me away. Despite this, I glance at the clock, I'd left the apartment at 8:30 this morning and it was now almost 6 in the afternoon. But I'm not sure if I could stomach anything right now.

He stands from his chair and crouches in front of me before talking, "I'll send an officer out to get you some food, okay? You can have anything you want, just ask." 

I just stare at him wide eyed, bewildered that he would actually spend money to buy me food. It takes me a minute or so to realize he is still staring at me, expecting an answer. I look down at my lap for a few seconds, before taking a deep breath and saying the first thing I'd said since I saw my mother get killed - no, murdered.

"Could I please have McDonald's?"

I looked up to see his concerned face melt into an amused, friendly smile.

*     *     *

After that we had talked for hours. About random things really - I don't remember exactly what, just that I laughed a lot, which amazed me as I thought I'd probably be mute for the rest of my life.

When the police officer he sent to get me food came back, he was astounded to see the man, whose name I learned was Alan, and I having a proper conversation, rather than just me staring blankly at a wall while he tried to coax me into talking. 

When the night fell though, they didn't know what to do with me, social services weren't going to arrive in town till the next week and I had no where else to go. However, Alan had just simply stated that I could stay with him and had taken me to his house to stay until social services arrived.

We grew closer over that week and, when the day came for social services came to take me away, I remember feeling sad and scared. To me, it just meant more people knowing about what had happened - about what I had seen. More people looking at me like I was a 'damaged child', more people patronizing me, thinking they were being 'nice'. And I was scared to leave the one person who had actually comforted me and the one person who got through to me in my almost catatonic state. 

*     *     *

I let out a sigh as I get dressed into the clothes that a police officer had collected from my house for me a few days ago. I stare at myself, wide eyed in the mirror. I can feel myself retreating back again, I usually wake up smiling, at least, I had since moving in with Alan, but today I felt like crying. I was once again losing someone I had grown close to, even though I had only known him a few days, he had still become a sort of father-figure to me. 

I drag myself down the stairs to find Alan in the living room talking to an unknown woman. He looks up and smiles as he sees me. 

"Hendry! Come sit down!" He says, happily. I walk over and sit beside him, internally frowning at the fact that he is so eager to get rid of me.

The woman then addresses me, "Hello, Hendry, I'm Sandra. I will be taking care of your case, although I think this will be rather quick, as it's almost all arranged now, anyway. Mr. Verita and I just want to ask you something and it'll all be finalized."

I'd have laughed at her addressing Alan so formally, if I wasn't so confused. The woman, Sandra, must hve seen the confusion on my face.

"Did he not tell you?" She inquires. When I shake my head in reply, she explains, "Mr. Verita here has applied for guardianship to take care of you indefinitely. Which means that he'll be taking care of you from now on."

My head snaps to Alan, my eyes as wide as saucers with astonishment. He grins and winks in reply, before  Sandra continues.

"Now, it's all sorted except I just need to ask you a question. It's a very important question, and I need you to be sure about your answer, okay?"

I nod, numbly and sit up to attention, making sure to listen carefully.

She smiles before carrying on, 'Hendry, would you be okay with Mr. Alan Verita becoming your Legal Guardian and taking charge of your care from this point on?"

My head is nodding vigorously before she even finishes the question. She smiles, satisfied and slightly amused at my reaction.

"Well then, it's sorted. That's all I need to know, I just have some papers for you to sign Mr. Verita and it'll all be complete."

"Of course." Alan replies and they both go into his study to look over the papers Sandra has. I still sit on the couch, shocked.

I get to stay.

*     *     *

The memory manages to raise the ghost of a smile to my lips and I realize that Alan has always been there for me from that point on, looked after me, just like he said he would. 

Too bad you didn't listen to him when you should have.

-     -     -

 *Hides*

I'm so sorry!! It's taken me over a year to update argghhh!! I haven't given up on this book I promise, I have so many ideas going round in my head, but everything is so manic right now that just don't get a chance to write it down, and - when I do - I just don't like anything that I write!! I hope this is okay, it kinda shows you how awesome Alan is! I love him :D hahaa! 

 The absolutely beautiful new cover is by BatteryPoweredWings! Go check out her story 'The Death of Alaska Jones', it's so good! It's in the external link!

Alan to the side ----->

Once again so so sooo sorry! 

Thanks for reading!

P.S. Tell me if something I write is wrong in American terminology/grammar, I', trying to make it as authentic as possible, as the characters are American, so I don't think they'd suddenly say 'mum' instead of 'mom' (one of the things that annoys me in other books a read hahaa!). So please do tell me! Thank you!