The Good And The Bad - Volume 1 (ABANDONED?)

Chapter 4: She's A Fire Starter

Luke:

A lot of things are running through your mind when you're sitting with your care worker in your foster home five hours after you should have left for school after you're only known relative tried to contact you, and none of them are really pleasant.

"It's okay if you don't, you have complete choice in the matter" my care worker said slowly. I signed back that I knew this.

"So do you want to meet him?" she siad slowly, asking the question she'd been beating around the bush for for the last half an hour. I didn't meet her eyes, looking down at my feet. Silence fell around the room as I kept my hands by my side, not moving them. I tried not to think about the question. The silence seemed to stretch out before me, but all I could think about was the glare the lights made on the glossy wooden floor. No it wasn't wood, I could see now, it was just plastic made to look like wood.

I stopped myself and looked up, she was waiting expectantly. I looked away again, focusing my gaze on the window to my left. The curtains were drawn but they were thin and white, and light streamed through. I could just see through to the road outside, a steady trickle of traffic rolled by the house, no one in a rush to go anywhere, no blaring horns, no angry drivers, though it was close by it was nothing like Paris.

Stop.

I was procrastinating. Just think about the question. I looked back towards my care worker, but didn't look her in the eye. I signed no.

"Why Luke?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer, a tiny glimmer of satisfaction rested on her face. This time there was no delay, no procastination in my thoughts. Anger seeped into my head and took over my body, he didn't know I was mute, he never tried to find me before, how can he expect me to want to see him if he's been the most ignorant parent ever. He was useless. When I was brought in I was practically dying, I was in intensive care for two months, and my own father wasn't bothered enough to even try to contact me until now?

No. He's not my father.

I didn't even need to sign it, the care worker knew what I was thinking, how could she not? I had been deserted by my only true birthright, a caring parent. She reached back and picked up her briefcase from the floor, at the same time slinging her coat over her arm. The anger raged around my mind, showing no sign of subsiding.

"I'll notify the authorities about your choice" she said smiling "Call me if you change your mind" I tried to smile back, but it was weak, happiness didn't have a place in my head then. My ears began to ring as someone knocked on the door, each knock reverberating around my brain.

"I'll get it" Callumn shouted to us as he ran past the door and fiddled with the locks untill they opened. The door swung open and a deep voice shook my skull.

"We're here for..." a man said, pausing. I heard a rustle of paper as the man brought something out of his pocket, then a slightly higher female voice broke in.

"Luke Dupont" she said, snatching the paper off the man, and judging by the sharp cry followed, stamped on the mans foot.

My heart stopped beating

"Are you hear because of his father?" Callumn asked, obviously confused "Luke said no, and therefore he has no custody over him"

They were here for me?

"I hardly think that's fair, the man just wants to see his son" the woman replied

"No, He lost the rights when Luke refused" Callumn replied

"Come on, we know that's not true" the women murmured, poison creeping into her voice.

"He has no custody, therefore he cannot see him" Callumn said, standing his ground. He hadn't noticed the danger laced in the womens words, but I couldn't miss them. Who were they?

"I'm sure we can come to some..." she paused, and even though it was through a solid wall, I could see her smiling "agreement"

"No, I've already told you he has no right" Callumn replied, trying to stay calm but obviously angry.

"It's a shame, you seemed like a kind of nice guy..." she said, and I saw her smile again

"What do you mean?" Callumn said, confusion replacing the anger in his voice.

I heard the man step forward, the floorboards groaning under his weight. I didn't know what he was going to do, but I  knew it wasn't nice. I stood up to warn Callumn as a sound like thunder boomed across the room and Callumn's body was flung backwards into the wall, slumping down to the floor. I ran to the doorway in time to see him clutch his head in his hands and try to stand up when  another clap of thunder rang out and it happened again, this time he fell down to the floor and didn't get up.

My care worker stood motionless behind me as I ran towards him, she looked petrified. I couldn't blame her. I was completely aware of the people behind me as I ran to him, kneeling down beside him. I tried to shake him awake, but he wouldn't stir. I tried to feel his wrist for a pulse but I couldn't find it, and after thirty seconds of grasping his wrist I knew there was no way I was going to find it. I had to hold back tears I tried over and over again. I pressed my ear to his chest to hear the beating faint, even to me. I knew he didn't have long.

I reached for my phone and began to dial for an ambulance, completely forgeting the man and the woman walking up behind me. I pressed the final nine and brought it up to my ear as something slammed into my hand and my phone crashed to the wall, the screen cracking and going black. I whirled around to see them striding towards me confidently.

"Hey kid" the woman said, a sneer breaking across her face "I wouldn't try that if I were you" she said passing me and Callumn and driving her heel into the screen of  my phone. Electricity crackled as it fell to pieces, only to be instantly absorbed into the floor boards. That was a years of pocket money, down the drain. She kicked the pieces away with high heeled boots, and as she turned around to face me I watched her aurburn hair fall around her face like flames. "So you'd be Luke?" she asked, still sneering. I didn't reply, or meet her eyes, I looked back at Callumn, lying on the floor, he'd been too dumn and slow to know what was going on, I couldn't shake the image of him standing there, holding his ground for me, and now this.

A sharp heel dug under my ridcage and pushed me to the floor. I slammed down hard, and instantly heat began to spread from my chest, searing my skin, and burning my clothes, I frantically tried to roll over, trying to extinguish the fire that had spread over my body, pain seared and it still wouldn't go out, until in an instant, it was gone. I lifted up the seared bottom of my shirt to see the raw red skin that law below, I touched it tentatively only to recoil instantly, the burn shooting pain throughout my veins. What the hell?

"It's impolite not to look at soemone when they're talking to you" the woman said, her sneering voice dragging my gaze up to her, only to be kicked in the chin and sent sprawling along the floor. Her shrill laugh rang around the room as I slowed to a halt in front of the man. I felt the burning spread again and I clutched my face trying to put it out as the woman laughed behind me.

"Put it out" the previously silent man said behind me "What's John going to do to you if you kill the kid"

This made her freeze, and cool relief spread over my face as the fire went out, it wasn't as bad and it hadn't lasted as long as the last one, but my head was going numb from the pain.

It was all I could do to lift my head and stare at Callumn with a glazed look as the man hooked his arms under mine and lifted me off the floor effortlessly. I was losing conciousness, and everything was going numb as I felt my feet drag along the floor. My vision was fading to grey as I watched the woman walk along behind me. Leaving Callumn behind. Callumn. We passed the room where my social worker stood motionless. My eyes connected with hers and I knew she got my message as the world grew dimmer. Get help.

As I was dragged through the doorframe, I watched the woman place a hand on the frame of the door, the wood instantly turning black, and as I slipped out of the world, I saw my home for as long as I could remember glowing orange in newly born flames.

Authors Note:

Sorry for the delay between this and the last chapter, I've had a frantic week, and I promise the next chapter won't take as long, hopefully this weekend, thanks for the support everyone!