Missing In Action: A Story Of A Concrete Angel, chapter 2
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The teacher wonders but she doesn't ask
It's hard to see the pain behind the mask
Bearing the burden of a secret storm
Sometimes she wishes she was never born
Mrs. Armstrong began teaching the next leson. She kept woundering what Lilliana was hiding. Lilliana wasn't worried anymore about being beaten up by Greg, she was now worrying about what Mrs. Armstrong might do now that she know's that there is something wrong. Would she dare to call her Dad? Would she try to get her to talk to her more? Would she be put in counciling?
Mrs. Armstrong noticed that Lilliana wasn't paying any attention to the lesson she was teaching the rest of the class. She could tell the she was deep in thought about something. Lilliana was staring absentmidedly out of the window.
Mrs. Armstrong brushed it off and went on teaching. She stopped when the bell rang, signalling that it was time for lunch/recess. All of the kids rushed over to their cubbies and got their luches. Mrs. Armstrong noticed one of the taller kids take Lilliana's lunch box and put it on the highest shelf so she couldn't reach it.
Lilliana glummly walked over and tried to reach it but she failed because she was way to short. Lilliana gave up was heading out of the door. Mrs. Armstrong noticed this and stopped her, telling her that she would get her lunch down. Next time she just had to ask.
Mrs. Armstrong pondered the thought of that is why she is so skinny, the taller kids put her lunch on the top shelf so she can't get it. I bet she doesn't get fed well at home either. I should do something.
Lilliana took her lunch, thankful that she got to eat today. She walked out of the class. She walked alone down the halls tword the lunchroom. She could hear all of the happy conversation comming from inside. She decided that she didn't want to eat on her own in the middle of the lunchroom, so she ate outside of the school.
She was just walking out of the doors when she bumped into a mans leg. She fell to the ground, her lunch spilling everywhere. Lilliana quickly picked up her lunch, which contained a cheese sandwich, and a bottle of Hawaiian Punch, and looked up at the man she ran into.
He was about ten times taller than her. She only reached his knees. She noticed that his face was blurry and so was everything else around her. That's when she relized that her glasses weren't on her face. She dropped to the floor and tried to find her glasses. She couldn't find them.
"Here, thease must be yours," the man said, holding out the glasses. "Nevermind, they're broken. Come on we can go to my wife's class and she can fix them." he said.
Lilliana shook her head and snatched the glasses from his hands. She then ran down the hall, looking for the classroom she new Mrs. Armstrong would be in for lunch. She was having troble finding it, mostly because she didn't have her glasses.
Just when she was about to panic, she heard the fimiliar laugh comming from the room on her right. She quickly ran in. Everything went quiet. She heard Mrs. Amrstrong ask why she was here.
She didn't answer, she just ran right into her open arms and held on tightly. Mrs. Armstrong was shocked because she had never seen Lilliana display any sort of affection or any sign that she was scared. Now that she thought of it she hadn't seen Lilliana display any sort of emotion ever. She always always looked emotionless. Her eyes told you that she was fine, while her actions told you differant.
She embraced Lilliana in a tight hug and tried her best to convert her. Then her husband walked in. She looked up at him, he looked puzzled and scared. He was holding Lilliana's lunch box.
Lilliana broke away from Mrs. Armstrong, senceing that there was another person in the room. She took one look at Mrs. Armstrong's Husband and tried to burry her-self in Mrs. Armstrong.
"Lilliana, why are you scared of my husband?" Mrs. Armstrong asked gentally.
*Lilliana'a POV*
Should I talk? Should I tell her? Or should I stay quiet for the good of everyone else?
"He-he-he" I stuttered. I was not doing to good with the talking thing. I should stop, but I couldn't. "He scaret me. He nocked me over." I said, hoping that she would not make me go near him. He looked alot like my dad. At first I thought it was him.
"Why would you be scared? He wasn't trying to hurt you." Mrs. Armstrong said.
"Tell me the whole story."
So, I did. I told her the story in a quiet voice. My voice was already hurting from talking just for a second. I hated talking. It bugged me. I like quiet.
"Oh, hunny there is nothing to be afraid of. I know for a fact that he would not harm you, or anyone for that fact. If he did do ya think I would be married to him?"
I shrugged,"Well, I don't know. I don't know anyone but Dad, Nim, Zim, and Gir." I replied shugging.
"Who's Nim, Zim, and Gir?" she asked.
"Well, Nim is short for Nimwod.(I can't pernounce Nimrod because I am only five and I am very behind on my speaking skills) He is my bess Fwiend." I said.
"Do you mean Nimrod?" The man said.
I looked at him and gave him a small nod. He sat down next to me. I scooted closer to Mrs. Armstrong.
"Ahhh, I have a album called that."
"What an abum?" I said trying to get the word right.
"Album, it's a Cd that has music on it." He said.
*Mrs. Armstrong's POV*
Lilliana looked puzzled at what my husband just said. I laughed.
"Hunny, she's just five. And this is one of those rare occasions that she speaks. So, be a little more understanding." I said.
"Tank you, Mws. Awmstwong," Lilliana said looking up at me.
"Your welcome. Now where is your lunch? Lunch time is almost over and you want to play right?"
To my surprise, Lilliana shook her head no. "I don't want to pway wit the kids. They mean to me." Lilliana said looking up at me with cute eyes.
"Kay, so do you want to stay inside? We could go back to the room and play a game? How's that sound?"
She nodded and we went off the play a game in the room.
We had decided on Go Fish. My husband was winning.
"Mr. Awmstwong, do ya have a two?" Lilliana asked.
"No, Go Fish. And please call me Billie."
"Okay, Biwwie," she replied.
"Good enough. Does Zim have any nines?" Billie asked lilliana's imaginary friend.
"Zim says no, Go Fish."
Billie drew a card and threw the cards in his hands down. He jumped up and said, "I win!"
Just as he did the bell rang. Billie left because he had to get back home to the kids. He had left them with my mom.
*3:35 pm After School
Nobody's POV*
Lilliana ust exited the school, for the first time in two years she had a smile on her face. She finally felt loved in this dark cruel world.
Her smile faded quickly when she was a block from her house. She didn't want Dad to know that someone had made her happy. She walked into the small, rundown building that was home.
She looked around the sad place. It was dirty and looked like no one lived there. She walked down the hall to her bedroom. She entered her room. It was the cleanest and livelyest place in the house. Lilliana put her backpack down on the bed and left to find her dad. She looked everywhere, she couldn't find him. She didn't dare look in his room. She was forbiden to go in there.
Lilliana cleaned up the house. She had some help though; Zim, Gir, and Nim. They helped the best they could, which wasn't much.
Her dad didn't come home that night. Lilliana was thankful that she was spared from that. She didn't worry, he was probally at some bar.
***
Over the next few days, Lilliana, Billie, and Mrs. Armstrong had become close. Lilliana was no longer afraid of Billie. In fact they would have competions every day. Most of them were games that a five year old could play and had to do with the leson's they were learning in class.
Mrs. Armstrong had noticed that Lilliana had shown a considerable amount of improvment since they had been getting together every lunch time. Billie had some times brought their two kids in, Joey who was four, and Jacob who was one, because they couldn't always leave them with someone else for a few hours. They all seemed to get along fine. Joey and Lilliana seemed to get along the most. I was happy that she had got a friend that wasn't imaginary.
It was getting closer to the end of the year and even closer to Lilliana's sixth birth day. Lilliana seemed to be depressed lately, and Billie had noticed.
"Lilliana, what's wrong?" Billie asked one day durring their normal time to hang out. Joey and Jake were there too. They were playing with the blocks with Mrs. Armstrong.
"Noting," she replied, casting her gaze downward.
"Come on, I know you to well." he said, sitting her on his lap.
"It's noting, I just got towd wast night that I might have t-" she was cut off by the door slaming open.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up at the man that was standing in the door way, breathing deeply. His eyes had anger and rage burned into them. Lilliana cowered in fear.
The man was about six foot. He was clad in a ripped, dirty, old pair of light blue jeans, a dirty, ripped white t-shirt, a long, old, mangled, dirty, brown coat, and a pair of heavy duty work boots that have seen better days. His hair was a bark brown; it looked like he hadn't washed it in two years. His face was very hard and stern. You could tell he hadn't shaven in about a week. He had large bags under his eyes and when he sneered you could see his yellow, rotten, teeth. In his hand was a half empty vadka bottle.
The man took a swig of the acohall and stumbled forward. Lilliana cowered and tried to bury her-self into Billie. Billie held on to her tight.
Mar. Armstrong picked up her children and put them under her desk that way they wouldn't get hurt. Billie stood up, still holding Lilliana, and backed up against the wall as the man came closer.
Mrs. Armstrong hit a button on the phone. It was a button that told the office that their was danger in the school, danger in her room.
"Gimme m-m-m-my dau-daughter now!" he seethed.
"No," Billie said simply. He could feel Lilliana shaking of fear.
"Gimme 'er an no one getssss 'urt!" he slured in a drunken rage.
He was gaining on Billie, trying to get Lilliana. Billie wasn't about to give up. He knew that something was wrong he just couldn't ever put his finger on it. Now he knew why, Lilliana was terified of her father!
"No!" Billie protested.
Lilliana burst into tears. She knew she was going to pay for this latter. So, to reduce her punishment, she wiggled out of Billie's grasp. She hit the floor with a soft thump and walked slowly over to the cubby holes and got her backpack. She walked bakc over to her dad. She looked back over to the Armstrongs who looked awstruck.
"I have to, I don't gots a choice. Bye-bye," she wispered to them as a tear sliped down her face. She walked out of the door, leaving the Armstrongs in tears.
"Why she leave?" Joey asked inocently.
Billie scooped him up into his arms and hugged him tightly. "Because we can't stop her father. I'm sorry." he said as Joey cried on his shoulder.
It's hard to see the pain behind the mask
Bearing the burden of a secret storm
Sometimes she wishes she was never born
Mrs. Armstrong began teaching the next leson. She kept woundering what Lilliana was hiding. Lilliana wasn't worried anymore about being beaten up by Greg, she was now worrying about what Mrs. Armstrong might do now that she know's that there is something wrong. Would she dare to call her Dad? Would she try to get her to talk to her more? Would she be put in counciling?
Mrs. Armstrong noticed that Lilliana wasn't paying any attention to the lesson she was teaching the rest of the class. She could tell the she was deep in thought about something. Lilliana was staring absentmidedly out of the window.
Mrs. Armstrong brushed it off and went on teaching. She stopped when the bell rang, signalling that it was time for lunch/recess. All of the kids rushed over to their cubbies and got their luches. Mrs. Armstrong noticed one of the taller kids take Lilliana's lunch box and put it on the highest shelf so she couldn't reach it.
Lilliana glummly walked over and tried to reach it but she failed because she was way to short. Lilliana gave up was heading out of the door. Mrs. Armstrong noticed this and stopped her, telling her that she would get her lunch down. Next time she just had to ask.
Mrs. Armstrong pondered the thought of that is why she is so skinny, the taller kids put her lunch on the top shelf so she can't get it. I bet she doesn't get fed well at home either. I should do something.
Lilliana took her lunch, thankful that she got to eat today. She walked out of the class. She walked alone down the halls tword the lunchroom. She could hear all of the happy conversation comming from inside. She decided that she didn't want to eat on her own in the middle of the lunchroom, so she ate outside of the school.
She was just walking out of the doors when she bumped into a mans leg. She fell to the ground, her lunch spilling everywhere. Lilliana quickly picked up her lunch, which contained a cheese sandwich, and a bottle of Hawaiian Punch, and looked up at the man she ran into.
He was about ten times taller than her. She only reached his knees. She noticed that his face was blurry and so was everything else around her. That's when she relized that her glasses weren't on her face. She dropped to the floor and tried to find her glasses. She couldn't find them.
"Here, thease must be yours," the man said, holding out the glasses. "Nevermind, they're broken. Come on we can go to my wife's class and she can fix them." he said.
Lilliana shook her head and snatched the glasses from his hands. She then ran down the hall, looking for the classroom she new Mrs. Armstrong would be in for lunch. She was having troble finding it, mostly because she didn't have her glasses.
Just when she was about to panic, she heard the fimiliar laugh comming from the room on her right. She quickly ran in. Everything went quiet. She heard Mrs. Amrstrong ask why she was here.
She didn't answer, she just ran right into her open arms and held on tightly. Mrs. Armstrong was shocked because she had never seen Lilliana display any sort of affection or any sign that she was scared. Now that she thought of it she hadn't seen Lilliana display any sort of emotion ever. She always always looked emotionless. Her eyes told you that she was fine, while her actions told you differant.
She embraced Lilliana in a tight hug and tried her best to convert her. Then her husband walked in. She looked up at him, he looked puzzled and scared. He was holding Lilliana's lunch box.
Lilliana broke away from Mrs. Armstrong, senceing that there was another person in the room. She took one look at Mrs. Armstrong's Husband and tried to burry her-self in Mrs. Armstrong.
"Lilliana, why are you scared of my husband?" Mrs. Armstrong asked gentally.
*Lilliana'a POV*
Should I talk? Should I tell her? Or should I stay quiet for the good of everyone else?
"He-he-he" I stuttered. I was not doing to good with the talking thing. I should stop, but I couldn't. "He scaret me. He nocked me over." I said, hoping that she would not make me go near him. He looked alot like my dad. At first I thought it was him.
"Why would you be scared? He wasn't trying to hurt you." Mrs. Armstrong said.
"Tell me the whole story."
So, I did. I told her the story in a quiet voice. My voice was already hurting from talking just for a second. I hated talking. It bugged me. I like quiet.
"Oh, hunny there is nothing to be afraid of. I know for a fact that he would not harm you, or anyone for that fact. If he did do ya think I would be married to him?"
I shrugged,"Well, I don't know. I don't know anyone but Dad, Nim, Zim, and Gir." I replied shugging.
"Who's Nim, Zim, and Gir?" she asked.
"Well, Nim is short for Nimwod.(I can't pernounce Nimrod because I am only five and I am very behind on my speaking skills) He is my bess Fwiend." I said.
"Do you mean Nimrod?" The man said.
I looked at him and gave him a small nod. He sat down next to me. I scooted closer to Mrs. Armstrong.
"Ahhh, I have a album called that."
"What an abum?" I said trying to get the word right.
"Album, it's a Cd that has music on it." He said.
*Mrs. Armstrong's POV*
Lilliana looked puzzled at what my husband just said. I laughed.
"Hunny, she's just five. And this is one of those rare occasions that she speaks. So, be a little more understanding." I said.
"Tank you, Mws. Awmstwong," Lilliana said looking up at me.
"Your welcome. Now where is your lunch? Lunch time is almost over and you want to play right?"
To my surprise, Lilliana shook her head no. "I don't want to pway wit the kids. They mean to me." Lilliana said looking up at me with cute eyes.
"Kay, so do you want to stay inside? We could go back to the room and play a game? How's that sound?"
She nodded and we went off the play a game in the room.
We had decided on Go Fish. My husband was winning.
"Mr. Awmstwong, do ya have a two?" Lilliana asked.
"No, Go Fish. And please call me Billie."
"Okay, Biwwie," she replied.
"Good enough. Does Zim have any nines?" Billie asked lilliana's imaginary friend.
"Zim says no, Go Fish."
Billie drew a card and threw the cards in his hands down. He jumped up and said, "I win!"
Just as he did the bell rang. Billie left because he had to get back home to the kids. He had left them with my mom.
*3:35 pm After School
Nobody's POV*
Lilliana ust exited the school, for the first time in two years she had a smile on her face. She finally felt loved in this dark cruel world.
Her smile faded quickly when she was a block from her house. She didn't want Dad to know that someone had made her happy. She walked into the small, rundown building that was home.
She looked around the sad place. It was dirty and looked like no one lived there. She walked down the hall to her bedroom. She entered her room. It was the cleanest and livelyest place in the house. Lilliana put her backpack down on the bed and left to find her dad. She looked everywhere, she couldn't find him. She didn't dare look in his room. She was forbiden to go in there.
Lilliana cleaned up the house. She had some help though; Zim, Gir, and Nim. They helped the best they could, which wasn't much.
Her dad didn't come home that night. Lilliana was thankful that she was spared from that. She didn't worry, he was probally at some bar.
***
Over the next few days, Lilliana, Billie, and Mrs. Armstrong had become close. Lilliana was no longer afraid of Billie. In fact they would have competions every day. Most of them were games that a five year old could play and had to do with the leson's they were learning in class.
Mrs. Armstrong had noticed that Lilliana had shown a considerable amount of improvment since they had been getting together every lunch time. Billie had some times brought their two kids in, Joey who was four, and Jacob who was one, because they couldn't always leave them with someone else for a few hours. They all seemed to get along fine. Joey and Lilliana seemed to get along the most. I was happy that she had got a friend that wasn't imaginary.
It was getting closer to the end of the year and even closer to Lilliana's sixth birth day. Lilliana seemed to be depressed lately, and Billie had noticed.
"Lilliana, what's wrong?" Billie asked one day durring their normal time to hang out. Joey and Jake were there too. They were playing with the blocks with Mrs. Armstrong.
"Noting," she replied, casting her gaze downward.
"Come on, I know you to well." he said, sitting her on his lap.
"It's noting, I just got towd wast night that I might have t-" she was cut off by the door slaming open.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up at the man that was standing in the door way, breathing deeply. His eyes had anger and rage burned into them. Lilliana cowered in fear.
The man was about six foot. He was clad in a ripped, dirty, old pair of light blue jeans, a dirty, ripped white t-shirt, a long, old, mangled, dirty, brown coat, and a pair of heavy duty work boots that have seen better days. His hair was a bark brown; it looked like he hadn't washed it in two years. His face was very hard and stern. You could tell he hadn't shaven in about a week. He had large bags under his eyes and when he sneered you could see his yellow, rotten, teeth. In his hand was a half empty vadka bottle.
The man took a swig of the acohall and stumbled forward. Lilliana cowered and tried to bury her-self into Billie. Billie held on to her tight.
Mar. Armstrong picked up her children and put them under her desk that way they wouldn't get hurt. Billie stood up, still holding Lilliana, and backed up against the wall as the man came closer.
Mrs. Armstrong hit a button on the phone. It was a button that told the office that their was danger in the school, danger in her room.
"Gimme m-m-m-my dau-daughter now!" he seethed.
"No," Billie said simply. He could feel Lilliana shaking of fear.
"Gimme 'er an no one getssss 'urt!" he slured in a drunken rage.
He was gaining on Billie, trying to get Lilliana. Billie wasn't about to give up. He knew that something was wrong he just couldn't ever put his finger on it. Now he knew why, Lilliana was terified of her father!
"No!" Billie protested.
Lilliana burst into tears. She knew she was going to pay for this latter. So, to reduce her punishment, she wiggled out of Billie's grasp. She hit the floor with a soft thump and walked slowly over to the cubby holes and got her backpack. She walked bakc over to her dad. She looked back over to the Armstrongs who looked awstruck.
"I have to, I don't gots a choice. Bye-bye," she wispered to them as a tear sliped down her face. She walked out of the door, leaving the Armstrongs in tears.
"Why she leave?" Joey asked inocently.
Billie scooped him up into his arms and hugged him tightly. "Because we can't stop her father. I'm sorry." he said as Joey cried on his shoulder.
