The attic - Chapter 16

giantbear (74)in #fiction • 6 years ago (edited)

Billy pulled her down on to the bed. The whole house was silent. He showed her to keep quiet and they listened to the silence together. "It must have been your imagination" he whispered.

"Oh don't be silly Billy. I know this house inside and out and there is definitely something in the attic. If you are too scared, I will go and check myself."

"Don't be crazy Moira. You could put yourself in danger."

She grabbed a baseball bat next to the bed and armed with the bat under her arm she pulled down the ladder to climb up to the attic. Billy pulled himself into the wheelchair and wheeled himself in the hallway.

"You better watch out!" Billy whispered loud enough for the intruder to easily get away.

"Shhh your making a noise!" Moira said and Billy laughed.

Moira pushed the door open and peeked inside. There was dust all over the place and she climbed in on all fours. She dusted herself off and with the bat in the hand inspected the room. She saw absolutely nothing, so she turned around to leave but then heard something move behind her and quickly turned around.

It was Vincent. He looked at her and then pushed away the box to walk closer.

"What are you doing here Vincent? It is nearly quarter past three in the morning. How did you get here?"

Vincent started crying. "Sorry sweety, I did not mean to scare you. You just gave me a fright that's all."

Moira's eyes filled with tears when she saw how scared he looked. Billy heard the sobbing and shouted upstairs...

"What is going on Moira, dammit, come downstairs at once!"

She looked at Vincent and told him to go first. She followed and nearly slipped down the stairs again but Billy grabbed her arm.

Vincent stood in the hallway and looked at them with wide open eyes. It was as if he was waiting to be punished.

Billy and Moira both realized that they would not be able to get back to sleep now. She made some hot chocolate and brought it to the living room. Vincent has not said one word since he came back and neither of them wanted to push him. Billy called the sheriff and told him that Vincent was safe, but that he was spending the night at Moira's place.

The three of them sat in the living room before trying to go back to sleep. Just before they turned in, Vincent finally spoke.

"I don't want to go back there. Please can I stay with you Moira?"

Moira's eyes filled up with tears, and while she hugged Vincent she said the words that she might regret for the rest of her life.

"You're not going anywhere....you can stay here with me as long as you want."

Moira took Vincent and tucked him in. She sat with him for a while, until he fell asleep and then went back to find Billy. He was in the kitchen making coffee and when he saw her he blurted out:

"How can you make such a promise to Vincent. You know that it is not possible for him to stay here!"

Moira and Billy had a little bit of an argument, but Billy saw soon enough that it was no use....he had lost the fight.

Moira was totally adamant to keep Vincent here. They sat in silence drinking their coffee and while Moira were making plans in her head, Billy sat thinking about the time while they were still in school and Moira refused to do do a project for science because it went against her beliefs.

The teacher lost that one, so because of Moira's attitude, Billy was certain that she would be able to get them to agree that Vincent stay with her.

Moira found a packet of cigarettes in the drawer that she hid there for emergencies. She asked Billy to come sit outside with her while she smoked a cigarette. They both watched the sunrise and it was just after six o clock when Moira went to check on Vincent. He was still sound asleep. She dreaded to think what could have happened to him while trying to get back here.

She heard Billy calling her and quickly went to see what was going on. Sheriff Jones had phoned the social worker and she was there to take Vincent back.

"Good morning. I'm so sorry about what happened last night. We often have this type of problems with these kids. I can assure you that it won't happen again. Could you please call Vincent so that I can take him back."

Moira couldn't believe her ears. Here was this woman, a supposedly trustworthy person, a carer of children, and she talks about these kids as if they were problem children!

She gasped for air, and then couldn't stop herself.

"How dare you come into my yard and talk about this poor child as if he is worthless. How dare you come in here, and even compare him to any other child? Do you know what he has been through? Do you know that his own mother had him kidnapped and he had to live through abuse for six years?

Turn around and go back where you came from. There is absolutely NO way that you will set foot in my house to take this child away from me. He has been through enough and if you had any decency in you you would let him stay here where he feels safe."

The woman looked at her as if she attacked her. "I'm only doing my job mam. I will be back later after you've calmed down."

"I'm definitely not going to calm down anytime soon. Don't bother coming back."

Moira was beside herself and grabbed her cigarettes in the kitchen and walked back inside. She watched the social worker drive away and Moira gave a sigh of relief, but when she saw Billy's face she knew that she overplayed her hand.

"You were very rude Moira. That lady didn't deserve to be treated like that. She is just doing her job."

"I know Billy..." Moira said apologetically...."but I couldn't help myself. I was so scared that she was going to take him back there, and I would not have survived that."

Moira lit a cigarette and dialed the sheriff's number.

"Sheriff Jones, it's Moira." She explained the situation to him and apologized profusely and then asked the golden question.

"Is there any way that Vincent could stay here while we wait for the court to make it's decision?"

"It's not so easy Moira, but let me see what I can do. There might be a way, but you will have to ensure that he attends all his sessions with the psychologist. Then she might do the recommendation in your favor. I will get back to you on this."

Moira stared at the phone and couldn't believe what she had just heard. There was a chance that Vincent could stay...even if it was a small chance but there was a definite chance. Moira shrieked happily and jumped forward to give Billy a kiss on the mouth.

-To be continued-

Chapter 1 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-attic-chapter-1

Chapter 2 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-attic-chapter-2

Chapter 3 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-attic-chapter-3

Chapter 4 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-attic-chapter-4

Chapter 5- https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-attic-chapter-5

Chapter 6- https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-attic-chapter-6

Chapter 7- https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-attic-chapter-7

Chapter 8 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-attic-chapter-8

Chapter 9 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-attic-chapter-9

Chapter 10 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-attic-chapter-10

Chapter 11 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-attic-chapter-11