No Happily Ever After

Chapter 24

Joshua"celebrated" his sixteenth birthday with a severe beatingfrom his father.

Presumably, he'd"forgotten" to do his chores, which earned him ten lasheswith the belt after being dragged from his bed before the sun rose. Except, the chores he'd failed to do were actually his sister's. When his father finished with him and angrily stormed away, Joshcrawled into a corner, each movement of his wounded body causing himintense pain. He leaned his head against the wall and wept bitterly. The sound of his sorrow drew his mother into the room.

She crouched on thefloor, and gingerly reached for him, pulling him into her arms. Shewas the only one who didn't treat him like some sort of disgustingmonster. He leaned into her and cried, comforted by her warmth.

"Mama,"Josh whispered. "Please don't let them hurt me anymore." It was the same plea he'd made to her a million times over the years. She always responded by hugging him and quietly insisting that hejust be good and get along. He didn't know what else he was supposedto do to get along in life. He did everything anybody told him to doand never complained. In fact, he never said a word. He knew hedidn't look like other people, but somewhere in his heart, even afteryears of being told that he was, he didn't think he was ugly. Justdifferent. But to the world as he knew it, different meant ugly.

That time, to hissurprise and relief, her answer was different. "You're right,Joshy," she said softly, stroking his messy hair. "I won'tlet them hurt you anymore."

He looked up,peering happily and hopefully into her eyes. "You won't?"

She smiled kindlyand patted his arm. "Get ready for school. I'll take care ofit for you today."

Josh did just asshe said, prepared for school, and went to catch the bus. He was sorelieved and overjoyed that he didn't even here the cruel taunts fromhis school mates on the bus or in class. He wondered obsessivelywhat exactly his mother would do to rescue him.

At the close of theschool day, he found out. A police officer escorted by his principalcame to the classroom and asked for him. Out in the hallway, theprincipal smugly looked on as the cop informed him that he would betaking Josh to the home of Thelma Dark, a local foster mom. Hismother had turned him over to be a ward of the state.

After that day, hesaw his siblings here and there in school, but he never saw hisparents again.

***

Josh spent theremaining months of his junior year in high school in Thelma Dark's"care." He never quite recovered from the shock that hismother's way of helping him had been to abandon him entirely. Hegrew angry and volatile. When people were mean to him then, heresponded with vulgarity and fists. He thought of Benjamin Bar'ssecret a lot in those days.

A lot of peoplewould've thought Thelma Dark ran a horrible home. But, to Josh, itwasn't that bad. Not as bad as where he'd come from, anyhow. Plus,living with Ella Cinder was a bonus. Although, despite the fact thathe found her highly entertaining to look at, he found her to be justlike everyone else. She seemed like a nice person, but she rebukedany effort on his part to befriend her. Just like everyone elsewho'd ever passed through his life. Even one of the kindest peoplein Faraway couldn't be convinced to be kind to him. This made himeven more bitter and hateful.

When summer rolledaround, Josh managed to find some rare entertainment when theCarnaval de le Nuit came to Faraway. The traveling carnivalfascinated Josh. He had no money to get in, but he managed to sneakin a rear entrance to see the sights. He spent a sultry eveningwalking amongst the rides and tents, staring entranced at all theperformers and their fantastic acts. There was a fantastical lookingman in black with long white hair who swallowed swords. A darkhaired beauty in an elaborate burlesque costume ate fire. Men andwomen alike strolled about decked in glitter, sequins and gold. Hesaw a flying trapeze act that took his breath away. He observedbeautiful fortune tellers, raking in money from their marks. Andperhaps the thing that attracted him most of all was the freak show.