The School On The Hill, chapter 3
"What did you say?" Adrienne gasped. She stared down at the shaking little girl. Sabriel looked straight back at her, her eyes wide with fear. Adrienne kneeled down beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Please tell me you're making this up" she whispered, "Tell me it's some kind of joke". Sabriel shook her head carefully.
"He doesn't hate you" she said quietly "He's just...disappointed"
"Disappointed" Adrienne repeated. It was such a small, insignificant word. She had spent every night for the past year, sobbing into her pillow, praying she would wake up and everything would be different. That Billie Joe would be by her side. That their sons would bounce into the room, chattering and shrieking. That everything would go back to normal.
"How could I fight for him" Adrienne shouted, suddenly filled with a powerful rage, "I was locked up. And by the time they realized I hadn't murdered my husband, they'd taken him away"
Unsure how to react, Sabriel backed away slowly, as though being stalked by a rabid dog.
"I-I'm s-sor-ry" she stammered "I didn't mean..."
Adrienne knew she should go to Sabriel, tell her it wasn't her fault. Try to calm her down. But she couldn't find the energy, and sunk to the floor.
"Do something Billie" she screamed at the sky "If you loved me, if you loved Jakob, then DO SOMETHING !"
It was too late for Joey. He had died along with Billie Joe that night. But was it really possible, as she had suspected, that Jakob was still alive. She couldn't remember anything about the fire, she had been overcome by the smoke so quickly. And when she woke up in hospital, she was surrounded by police officers.
"Good morning Mrs Armstrong" one perticularly fat officer had said, "We'd like to ask you a few questions about your husbands death". Those words hit her like a ton of bricks.
"He's dead" she croaked in disbelief, "How can he be dead, he was alive last night"
The officer showed no sympathy, as far as he was concerned, Adrienne was just part of his job. Just another thing getting in the way of his T.V time.
"Where were you at 10 o clock last night Mrs Armstong" he asked.
Adrienne nearly choked.
"You think I did it" she said, "You think I murdered Billie Joe"
Another, younger officer rubbed the tip of his nose.
"We have reason to believe you were involved, yes" he said "Can you tell us when you were at that time"
"At home" she replied, "I was reading Jakob a bedtime story"
A third police officer nodded to his partners.
"We believe the fire was started in your son's room. We found a pile of his books, in the middle of the floor."
"The books were burnt Mrs Armstong" the fat officr said "Someone had used them for a bonfire"
Adrienne felt sick. Someone, the person who had killed her husband, had started a fire in her baby's room.
"Is Jakob alright?" she asked, not entirly sure if she wanted the answer.
The young police officer came closer, an sickening smile playing on his lips.
"He has been signed over to a family member who has agreed to be his guardian until he reaches the age of eighteen. We cannot give you any information about where he is living at present."
Adrienne felt a lump in her throat. All she wanted to do was cry, but she couldn't infront of the police officers. It didn't seem real, she could almost fell Billie Joe's arm around her. She could almost hear his whispering in her ear, telling her everything would be alright.
"What about Joey" she asked, shaking
The fat officer shook his head.
"No" he snapped "You killed him"
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"Have you cleaned the floors?" Aunt Edna shouted down the trap-door.
"Yes" called Jakob "Please may I have something to eat now" He was careful to say it very politely, one beating was more than enough for today.
"Very well" she said, "Come out of that filthy celler and I might find you something"
Jakob got to his feet, his shoulders stiff from sitting still for so long. He had sat, for almost three hours, just staring out of the window, lost.
"Yes Aunt Edna" he said quickly, scrambling up the ladder. He could feel his feet burning, as the rungs pressed into the fresh bruises across them. His arms ached from hauling heavy packages in and out of the house. He never asked what was in the boxes, after two days of living with Aunt Edna, Jakob had learned not to ask questions.
"Hurry up boy" came the terrifying voice, "Before I give your dinner to the dog"
"Yes Aunt Edna" Jakob said, dragging his body through the door.She was waiting at the top of the ladder, a hand held out to him. He ignored it, he had learned not to trust her.
"Don't you trust me" she said, he voice soft and gentle. Jakob knew that voice all to well, she only used it when she went really crazy. A year with this bitch had taught him to read the signs, and this was a sign that clearly said 'keep out of her way'
"May I take my dinner down to the celler Aunt Edna" Jakob asked "Then you can watch T.V in peace"
Her eyes seemed to burn through him, she knew exactly what he was up to.
"No you bloody can't" she snapped "You can eat at the table with me"
Sighing, Jakob made his way to the dining room. It was worth a try. He remembered to wait behind the chair until Aunt Edna entered the room, only taking a seat when she gave him permission. He did not complain when Aunt Edna placed a bowl of thin, cold , watery porridge in front of him, and a place piled high with spaghetti in front of herself.
"So" she said, "I think it's time we changed your name. Your my property now, and I don't like being reminded of your silly father every time I fill in a form"
She was trying to make him crack, he realised. She wanted an excuse to beat him. Well she wasn't going to get one.
"If you think it's a good idea Aunt Edna"
"Jakob Hesbridge sounds so much better than Jakob Armstrong" she continued "I know that your mum changed her name back to Nesser. Seems she wanted to forget all about him"
Jakob, shaking in anger, threw his spoon at her.
"I HATE YOU" he screamed "YOUR EVIL, I WANT TO GO HOME"
He regreted it.
"You'll pay for that" she said calmly, lifting him from the seat "It time to go back down the celler Jakob"
She carried him until she reached the trap door, opened it with her foot, and threw his squirming body down the hole.
"Good night Jakob" she said, laughing.
"Please tell me you're making this up" she whispered, "Tell me it's some kind of joke". Sabriel shook her head carefully.
"He doesn't hate you" she said quietly "He's just...disappointed"
"Disappointed" Adrienne repeated. It was such a small, insignificant word. She had spent every night for the past year, sobbing into her pillow, praying she would wake up and everything would be different. That Billie Joe would be by her side. That their sons would bounce into the room, chattering and shrieking. That everything would go back to normal.
"How could I fight for him" Adrienne shouted, suddenly filled with a powerful rage, "I was locked up. And by the time they realized I hadn't murdered my husband, they'd taken him away"
Unsure how to react, Sabriel backed away slowly, as though being stalked by a rabid dog.
"I-I'm s-sor-ry" she stammered "I didn't mean..."
Adrienne knew she should go to Sabriel, tell her it wasn't her fault. Try to calm her down. But she couldn't find the energy, and sunk to the floor.
"Do something Billie" she screamed at the sky "If you loved me, if you loved Jakob, then DO SOMETHING !"
It was too late for Joey. He had died along with Billie Joe that night. But was it really possible, as she had suspected, that Jakob was still alive. She couldn't remember anything about the fire, she had been overcome by the smoke so quickly. And when she woke up in hospital, she was surrounded by police officers.
"Good morning Mrs Armstrong" one perticularly fat officer had said, "We'd like to ask you a few questions about your husbands death". Those words hit her like a ton of bricks.
"He's dead" she croaked in disbelief, "How can he be dead, he was alive last night"
The officer showed no sympathy, as far as he was concerned, Adrienne was just part of his job. Just another thing getting in the way of his T.V time.
"Where were you at 10 o clock last night Mrs Armstong" he asked.
Adrienne nearly choked.
"You think I did it" she said, "You think I murdered Billie Joe"
Another, younger officer rubbed the tip of his nose.
"We have reason to believe you were involved, yes" he said "Can you tell us when you were at that time"
"At home" she replied, "I was reading Jakob a bedtime story"
A third police officer nodded to his partners.
"We believe the fire was started in your son's room. We found a pile of his books, in the middle of the floor."
"The books were burnt Mrs Armstong" the fat officr said "Someone had used them for a bonfire"
Adrienne felt sick. Someone, the person who had killed her husband, had started a fire in her baby's room.
"Is Jakob alright?" she asked, not entirly sure if she wanted the answer.
The young police officer came closer, an sickening smile playing on his lips.
"He has been signed over to a family member who has agreed to be his guardian until he reaches the age of eighteen. We cannot give you any information about where he is living at present."
Adrienne felt a lump in her throat. All she wanted to do was cry, but she couldn't infront of the police officers. It didn't seem real, she could almost fell Billie Joe's arm around her. She could almost hear his whispering in her ear, telling her everything would be alright.
"What about Joey" she asked, shaking
The fat officer shook his head.
"No" he snapped "You killed him"
----------------------------------------------------------
"Have you cleaned the floors?" Aunt Edna shouted down the trap-door.
"Yes" called Jakob "Please may I have something to eat now" He was careful to say it very politely, one beating was more than enough for today.
"Very well" she said, "Come out of that filthy celler and I might find you something"
Jakob got to his feet, his shoulders stiff from sitting still for so long. He had sat, for almost three hours, just staring out of the window, lost.
"Yes Aunt Edna" he said quickly, scrambling up the ladder. He could feel his feet burning, as the rungs pressed into the fresh bruises across them. His arms ached from hauling heavy packages in and out of the house. He never asked what was in the boxes, after two days of living with Aunt Edna, Jakob had learned not to ask questions.
"Hurry up boy" came the terrifying voice, "Before I give your dinner to the dog"
"Yes Aunt Edna" Jakob said, dragging his body through the door.She was waiting at the top of the ladder, a hand held out to him. He ignored it, he had learned not to trust her.
"Don't you trust me" she said, he voice soft and gentle. Jakob knew that voice all to well, she only used it when she went really crazy. A year with this bitch had taught him to read the signs, and this was a sign that clearly said 'keep out of her way'
"May I take my dinner down to the celler Aunt Edna" Jakob asked "Then you can watch T.V in peace"
Her eyes seemed to burn through him, she knew exactly what he was up to.
"No you bloody can't" she snapped "You can eat at the table with me"
Sighing, Jakob made his way to the dining room. It was worth a try. He remembered to wait behind the chair until Aunt Edna entered the room, only taking a seat when she gave him permission. He did not complain when Aunt Edna placed a bowl of thin, cold , watery porridge in front of him, and a place piled high with spaghetti in front of herself.
"So" she said, "I think it's time we changed your name. Your my property now, and I don't like being reminded of your silly father every time I fill in a form"
She was trying to make him crack, he realised. She wanted an excuse to beat him. Well she wasn't going to get one.
"If you think it's a good idea Aunt Edna"
"Jakob Hesbridge sounds so much better than Jakob Armstrong" she continued "I know that your mum changed her name back to Nesser. Seems she wanted to forget all about him"
Jakob, shaking in anger, threw his spoon at her.
"I HATE YOU" he screamed "YOUR EVIL, I WANT TO GO HOME"
He regreted it.
"You'll pay for that" she said calmly, lifting him from the seat "It time to go back down the celler Jakob"
She carried him until she reached the trap door, opened it with her foot, and threw his squirming body down the hole.
"Good night Jakob" she said, laughing.
