𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃
chapter 15

"Mum tried to get me to go to London." Micheal said as Florence walked past his office. "What?" she asked, stepping inside. "She gave me money, told me to get on the next train."

Florence licked her lips. "So why are you still here?"

"Because you are, do you think i'd leave you with them lot alone?" he laughed, pouring a whiskey. "I couldn't do that." She smiled slightly. "Have you spoken to Tommy?" she asked.

"No, why?"

"None of us have heard from him since before the races," she said, sitting down. "You went to the races?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. She widened her eyes. "No, i spoke to him before they left." she lied.

He squinted, nodding and continued writing.

"Isiah was asking about you." he told her. "He was?" she asked, smiling. "Yep, asked how you were, since, well you know:"

"Yeah..i know" she trailed off. "You like him down you?" Micheal said.

"Micheal, i've known him for two months." she shook her head. "Florence, you're my sister, don't try lying." he teased. She sighed, nodding. "I knew it:" he laughed.

-

Tommy walked into Michael's office where he lay asleep in his chair. He kicked the table, waking him up. "Polly and i had a bet," he began. Micheal groaned, yawning. "One of us bet you'd take the money and go, and one of us bet you'd still be here."

"She wants me to stay."

Tommy hummed. "You know something Micheal? What Polly wants, will always be a mystery to me." Micheal leaned forward. "I've decided i want to make real money, with you."

Tommy stared at him, raising his glass.

-

Florence ran down the stairs excited. Micheal looked up as she burst through the door.  "Happy birthday!" he said, hugging her. "Thank you." Polly stood, opening her arms. "Happy birthday, love." she whispered, hugging the girl. Florence froze slightly, not used to the affection off the woman.

"I've left you something in the other room, a present." she winked. Florence nodded and ran to the other room, stopping with wide eyes when she saw the blue silk dress with diamonds scattered across it hanging up.

"Oh my god.." she whispered, touching the fabric.

-

Florence smiled as they walked into the Garrison. "Here she is." Arthur shouted, raising his glass. "Happy birthday to you," he said, squeezing her shoulder.

"Thanks Arthur." She smiled widely/

"Ay, you." John called her over, "don't be getting yourself pissed tonight, yeah?" he joked. "Yeah." she laughed.

She looked over at the bar where Isiah stood with Micheal, nodding toward her. John poured her a small glass of whiskey, hiding it from Polly and covering the girl as she drank it.

For the whole night, Florence was ecstatic, the happiest she'd been in a long time. She was dancing around with Ada, who was definitely drunk.

"Alright, i need to sit." Ada laughed, holding onto the chair.

Florence laughed and excused herself to the lavatory to take a breath. What she didn't know was that a boy had followed her. But it wasn't Isiah, it wasn't one of the family members. It was a boy she'd never seen before.

She leaned toward the mirror, fixing her hair. She turned when the door opened and gasped when the boy had placed a hand on her mouth, pulling her backwards. Her back on his chest.

He shushed her as she panicked. "If you just co operate, it won't hurt." he whispered. She grabbed his wrist in attempt to pull it away. "See, everyone's too drunk to even realise i've followed you." he laughed, pushing her up against the wall.

He removed his hands, pressing her shoulders onto the wall. "No, please." she begged.

He laughed, "A shelby, begging?" he asked. He looked away laughing, his hand resting on her leg.

She grew angry, knowing whatever she did next was out of her control. She grabbed him, pushing him backwards and banging his head into the sink. He screamed in pain as she did it again. The mirror above had smashed and she punched his stomach, sending him to the floor. She breathed heavily, staring at the shattered glass. Florence swallowed hard, picking up a shard of the glass and kneeling down.

"No!" he shouted. "I'm sorry!" he pleaded, attempting to avoid her from cutting him.

She couldn't help it, as much as she didn't want to do what she was about to do, she'd lost control. Florence pressed the glass into his face, blood poured everywhere.

"Flo," Isiah asked, rushing into the room. "Oh my god.:" he shouted. Tommy rushed after. Florence pushed the glass into his neck, not even noticing her family. "Florence—" Tommy said, walking in slowly. "Florence stop."

Micheal appeared, gasping. "Florence what are you doing?!" he shouted.

Florence stopped when the boys hands fell from her wrists and she dropped the glass, falling beside the wall. "Oh my god.." she whispered, looking at her hands. She looked over to Tommy.

"What did i do?" she whispered, staring at the boy. Her head went light as she held the sink to pull herself up. They all stared at the boy on the floor.

Her breath was shaky. She locked eyes with Micheal. "What did i do?" she repeated.

Tommy kneeled beside the boy, checking if he was breathing, but he wasn't.

She rushed over to the sink, washing her hands and scrubbing them as a desperate attempt to get the blood off. "I can't breathe." she whispered.

Tommy pushed past Isiah and Micheal, rushing to find Arthur.

Micheal had frozen, unsure on what to do. Florence fell onto the wall, holding her chest. "Okay." Isiah whispered, grabbing her before she could collapse. "Okay.." he repeated. He rubbed her back. Florence pushed her head into his chest, squeezing her eyes closed.

"I'm sorry." she whispered, turning hysterical. "I didn't mean to do it, it just happened, i didn't know i was doing it."

Micheal took the girl from Isiah, wrapping an arm around her. "Come on," he whispered, taking her away from the scene. "I'm sorry, i didn't mean it, i was scared." she cried into his shoulder. "It's okay, Florence." he assured her.

She breathed heavily.

"What the fuck happened?" Tommy asked, pulling her away from Micheal. She shook her head crying. "He followed me and tried to do stuff and i just lost control i'm sorry, it was an accident!" she rambled. Tommy took a deep breath.

"It's okay, no one is angry." Micheal spoke. "Micheal, you go talk to Polly, get Isiah to take her home." Tommy said.

He nodded toward Isiah and he walked with Florence out of the Garrison.

"It was supposed to be a nice day—" she whispered, crossing her arms due to the cold. "And i ruined it."

"No." he stopped her, placing his suit jacket over her shoulders. "That was not your fault, he went after you. It was self defence."
She licked her lips. "I killed him." Florence's voice cracked.

-

Florence sat beside the fire with Isiah when John, Arthur and Tommy walked in. "We've dealt with it," Tommy nodded. "Nobody's angry at you and the police won't arrest you." he knelt down beside her.

Polly joined them, returning from the kitchen with a cup of tea.

"Polly, as company treasurer, i need your permission to start a fund for the boys family."

"A fund?" she shouted. "God knows what that boy could have done to her if she didn't act out Tommy." She hissed. "Polly, it's the best we can do to protect her from getting in trouble. We will pay for the funeral costs, and look after his mother." He said.

"Look after his mother.." Polly scoffed, rubbing Florence's shoulder.

"Yes, Polly, just like we did when Arthur killed that boy in the ring." Florence looked up. "He did the same thing, he lost control, so we helped the family." Tommy reminded her.

Florence slipped away from them and into the den where Arthur sat with John. "How you feeling?" John asked. She shrugged. "I feel like everyone thinks i'm insane." she said, sitting with them. "But i feel a bit less insane because they said you did this too, Arthur?"

He winced at the memory. "Yeah..yeah i did."

"He's done it more than once." John nodded.

"I just spin out of control, Arthur, i get angry and then i can't control what i do. It's like i'm not there." She whispered, looking at him. "Florence, when i killed that boy, i didn't even react to people shouting my name. And even when he'd died, i continued punching him." he stared at the wall.

"All right, Arthur, enough yeah?"

-

Florence stood with Micheal and Polly and the rest of the family as the wagon drove down Watery Lane, holding the boys body. His mother walked along side it, setting eyes on the young girl.

"You—" she hissed, charging toward Florence. Tommy grabbed the woman, keeping her back. "That girl, that monster killed my boy!" she shouted, pointing at her. Polly placed her arm around Florence's shoulder as the girl watched with teary eyes.

"Your boy, tried to assault her!" John shouted. "John." Polly warned.

"She's not the monster!" He shouted as Tommy escorted the woman away. "I'm a monster.." Florence whispered. "No, love, you're not." Polly assured her.