Freaks: Year One

The House Next Door

It was also strangely private from all the cameras that sometimes came around his parents house seeking information on his mother. The house was hidden away, the only way you could have seen it, is if you lived next door.

The house next door.

The house next door was strange to say the least. It always seemed quiet. No one came out, no one came in it seemed. The house seemed abandoned.

But that simply wasn't true. Thanks to his treehouse he had found out people did in fact live in that house, he had seen the man, and women go out sometime, they were wizards, they wore black robes which were wizards clothing. 

He remembered one day asking his mother if there was a kid his age to play with there, and all she said was "Yes, but I don't think he would like you, that family are a bunch of blood purists, stay away from them."

It wasn't hard seeing as only the parents went out every so often.

In fact he thought his mother had been lying when she said they had a son, because he never saw him.

It changed that night.

Harry was just in his treehouse, drawing when he heard a rustle from below. He at first ignored it, thinking it was a bunny, or maybe a fox, but he heard it again, so, curiosity taking over him, he looked out the window of his treehouse.

There was a figure hiding in the bushes.

Now the smart thing that Harry should've done was either hide in the treehouse, or run back to his house, but he decided to grab a flashlight, and direct the light to the bushes, and the person.

The boy in the bushes yelped, and covered his eyes. He was about Harry's age by the looks of it, maybe younger. He was small for his age. "What are you doing in the bushes?" Harry asked him.

"Ennai maneego." (Forgive me.) The boy replied frantically. "Nan summa thaan antha maramle irinthekonde veetu pakka vanthan." (I was just interested by the house in the tree, and wanted to get a closer look.)

Harry blinked, not understanding what this kid was saying, he wasn't even sure what language it was. "Er...yeah?"

The boy cocked his head to the side. "Ugh, nan enna sollaren ne ounnaku puritha?" (Do you know what I'm saying?)

"Um..." Harry started.

The boy chuckled. "Oh you must be an English boy?"

Harry nodded slowly. "Uh - yeah sorry - I mean I don't know what you're saying, sorry - um...sorry."

"No, it's my fault, I should have assumed." He looked up at Harry covering his eyes a bit from the flashlight. Harry directed it elsewhere so it wasn't shining in the boy's eyes. "In my house we speak mostly Tamil, so I forget that others...don't, does that make sense?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah I think so." He looked down at the boy who was now standing awkwardly below. "Do you want to come in?"

The boy bit his lip. "I don't know if I am allowed, I just wanted to see it. I didn't even think anyone would be in there. I'm sorry."

Harry shrugged. "Well where are your parents?"

"Out."

"And who is looking after you?"

"My aunt." The boy replied. "But she thinks I am asleep...I may have snuck out."

Harry shrugged again. "Well you can come up here quickly, I don't think she would notice." The boy hesitated, thinking for a moment, but it seemed his curiosity overtook him, and he climbed up.