bedwetting Afternoon in the Chokey (Updated 4-17-24)

[CDfm]

1 hour ago, SashaButters said:

 

But first, it was time to tell Jennifer the truth. Agatha didn’t throw boiling water on her because she was masturbating. Agatha threw boiling water on her because she was pregnant. 

 

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That just blew me away once again. 
It seems like every chapter I am just laughing along totally enjoying the story and then WOW my mind is just blown away.  Don’t even know what to think.  In this case I  bc was trying to wrap my head around there being two ghosts and then this.  
you are doing a fantastic job writing this.  I honestly think you should try having this published.  The ABDL content isn’t really an issue it’s so minimal and something that would be easily accepted.  The whole story is just awesome though. 

I will be looking forward to reading more. 

[Mazamune]

9 hours ago, CDfm said:

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That just blew me away once again. 

Totally agree. How could you find something even more mind-blowing each time ?

The plot keep thickening at the same time : one ghost or two, the man at Jenny house, Horthensia and Cynthia, Jenny past.

I Can't wait even more than usual to read what's next !!

Thanks and Cheers!

[kerry]

Wow wow wow! This was excellent from the start, but every new chapter seems to up the ante! Most impressive.

[AdultInnocence]

Oh Dayum

[smilekat414]

These last few chapters are just on twist after another, I'm hanging on the edge of my seat to see where this goes.

[SashaButters]

 

 

(Tw: Sexual assault.)

 

Long hours? Fine. Near impossible deadline? Great. Low pay? Awesome. But for the love of all that was good and just in this world, would someone empty the damn porta potty? Greg had opened the door and nearly vomited. The field it was. 

 

“John! See a doctor, would ya?” Greg hollered at the last construction worker he had last seen exit the death box. John promptly gave him a one fingered salute. Greg gave a sharp whistle  and a large ball of fur came barreling towards him. He patted the dog on the head and trotted towards the field, or rather what was left of it. They had been making quick progress with the new school. All that was left for them to do was pour the asphalt.

 

Greg stepped into the dirt and headed out twenty paces. He picked up a stick off the ground and threw it. Radar, his Golden Retriever went charging after it. As he waited for his companion to return, he unzipped and went about watering the weeds. Radar charged back, eager to return to his game of fetch and dashed in front of the stream, earning himself a golden shower and disgusted moans from his owner.

 

“Dumb dog.” Greg groaned. “I thought you were supposed to be smart.” He tucked himself back into his pants and paused. “What’s that you got there?” He looked his dog over and what he had clenched in between his jaw. That wasn’t the stick he had thrown. He reached out and freed the object as Radar danced in place eagerly awaiting his master to chuck it again. Only Greg didn’t throw it. He held it in his hand in horror as he looked it over. It was a bone. And it appeared to be human.

 

…

 

Matilda had gone from having a great day, to sitting in Mrs. Rodgers' spare room alone sullenly. She was seething when she learned who was responsible for the car. How could she? They were friends! And Hortensia had let her take the fall! 

 

And then Mrs. Rodgers had found that book, and suddenly the atmosphere had abruptly changed. She didn’t want to play Scrabble, or chess. Not even cards or a puzzle. She just sat there reading that dirty old  book. Matilda could appreciate a good book, but she had never seen Mrs. Rodgers so transfixed on something. It made her curious. She tried to get in her lap and read it with her, but Mrs. Rodgers had pulled it away and told her to go read something else. 

 

When Matilda had asked if she could read it when she was done, she had coldly said “no”. And when she had asked what it was she was reading, she refused to say and told her to go play in the other room.  Matilda had demanded to know why she couldn’t read it, Mrs. Rodgers had snapped and threatened to spank her. 

 

What was that book? Matilda’s curiosity was burning. Was it something dirty and adult? A romance novel? Was she reading something sexual? Matilda had read one of them once, but she didn’t really like it. Or understand the appeal of copulation. Jenny sure has weird taste in books. She said she likes the relationship between the characters and skips over the dirty parts, but Matilda wasn’t so sure anymore. 

 

 It didn’t look like a novel though. It looked handwritten. A diary perhaps? Was Mrs. Rodgers reading Jenny’s diary? Oh she was so going to rat her out if she was. Their therapist was always telling all three of them to keep a diary, but Matilda hadn’t. She didn’t like the idea of her personal thoughts out there for anyone to read. It had been bad enough when she had caught Jenny reading one of those stories she hadn’t meant anyone to see. 

 

The only one she knew for sure was keeping a diary was Hortensia. She had seen her writing in it when she had gone in her room without knocking and nearly had it chucked at her head. That girl has some serious anger management issues. 

 

She leaned back on the bed and groaned. She was so bored. She couldn’t get into the books she had brought with her, the measly two. She’d get a few pages into it, but then her mind would wander off. She hoped Jenny tore into Hortensia, she could be scary when she wanted too. 

 

Matilda sat up when she heard something crash into the wall out front. She slipped out of the room and found Mrs. Rodgers sitting on the couch with her head in her hands. She saw the diary lying disheveled against the opposite wall.

 

“Don’t even think about it.” Mrs. Rodgers said. 

 

“I wasn’t going to.” Matilda lied. Mrs. Rodgers stood and snatched up the leather bound book. The older woman looked like she had been crying. “Is it sad?” Mrs. Rodgers looked like she was going to tell her off again, but she didn’t. Instead, she sat with a heavy sigh and seemed to sink into the sofa.

 

“It is.” she answered after a brief pause. Matilda was glad she was feeling more talkative.

 

“What’s it about?” Matilda asked, taking a chance. Her curiosity had never been quenched. 

 

“It’s about how the world failed a teenage girl.” Carol said. And then she surprised her by asking Matilda a question. “Has your mom ever mentioned someone she called ‘The Tall Man’?” Matilda racked her brain. 

 

“She told me once she thought she wrote a letter and gave it to the biggest person she could find, but nothing ever came of it.” Matilda said. “And a few times in her sleep, but she says a lot of nonsense in her sleep.” Sometimes she missed sleeping with Jenny, but boy was she glad to finally have her own room. Not much was as terrifying as being woken up at four in the morning by a blood curdling scream. 

 

“What kind of nonsense?” 

 

“One time she sat bolt upright and hollered, ‘I FORGOT TO BUY CHEESE!’ and then laid back down.” Matilda frowned. Mrs. Rodgers hadn’t even cracked a smile. “She also asked me to let the goats outside.” Still nothing. “Whose diary is that?” 

 

“Agatha’s.” Mrs. Rodgers said. 

 

“Is it…bad?”

 

“Very.”

 

“Was she as mental as everyone thought?” 

 

“No, worse.” Matilda couldn’t picture a worse version of the Trunchbull. The last time she had seen the woman, she had tried to strangle her. Matilda probably would have died if it hadn't been for Jenny charging in with a chair. She touched her neck at the memory. It had been an agonizing few weeks until she could talk pain free. “What has Jenny shared with you?” 

 

“That she was abused.” Matilda said solemnly. “She recently told me about the burn. I had seen them before, but I never asked until we went camping.” 

 

“And my part in it?”

 

“You saved her.” Mrs. Rodgers snorted and waved it away. 

 

“Basic first aid. I did what I could with what I had.” Carol said. 

 

“Do you think the gas leak is what caused Miss Trunchbull to go crazy?” Matilda asked. “Or was she born evil?” 

 

“I don’t know. I don’t know what she was like back then. I only know what I saw, and what she wrote.” Carol said with a sigh. “I think the house took its revenge in the end.”

 

“She tried to kill me.” Mrs. Rodgers gave her a pitying smile. 

 

“She did have a certain colorful vocabulary when she mentioned you.” 

 

“She mentioned me?” 

 

“In a passage or two. She blames you for losing her control over Jenny, and she’s absolutely right.” 

 

Matilda beamed. She liked hearing how Jenny had changed, even more so how she was in a way responsible for that change. 

 

“What was Jenny like as a teenager?” Matilda asked. 

 

“I don’t really know. I didn’t meet her under the best circumstances, but I know she was kind. She was in tremendous pain, and still she was entertaining Hortensia.” Matilda considered this.

 

“Did something happen to Hortensia then?” 

 

“She had her arm broken, and she saw something she shouldn’t have.” Mrs. Rodgers said. 

 

“Is it that face she draws?” 

 

“You’re observant.” 

 

Matilda tried to get her to tell her more, but Mrs. Rodgers stood and announced they’d wait for Jenny at her house. Fine by Matilda, she was dying of boredom here. Mrs. Rodgers was in an irritable mood and her own room sounded like paradise in comparison. She didn’t even have Whoodini to keep her company. He was off at that strange school in the countryside Matilda couldn’t find on a map. 

 

She was standing in the kitchen waiting to go when she heard something on the telly that caught her attention. Matilda went back to the living room where Mrs. Rodgers was staring transfixed at the news. Hey, wasn’t that Crunchem Hall in the background? Matilda listened intently. Her eyes grew wide with surprise. Human remains? They found human remains in the field? 

 

“The missing kids?” Matilda asked. 

 

“Most likely.” Mrs. Rodgers said. “I was waiting for this to happen.” Matilda stared at her, but she didn’t elaborate. 

 

“Police are asking if anyone in the public has any information to please contact the tip line. You can see the number on the bottom of the screen here, now Charles, police are saying they believe the remains are of an adult, possibly a male, but further testing will need to be performed to be sure. Building of the new school behind me has been ground to a halt as police investigate the area…” The news anchor went on. 

 

“Not a kid?” Matilda asked.

 

“I didn’t see that one coming.” Mrs. Rodgers said. 

 

…

 

“You’re leaving me here?” Hortensia asked in disbelief. “You are kicking me out!”

 

“No, I’m not kicking you out. But I do think we both need a break. It’s only until school starts, maybe things will be better after a fresh start.” Jennifer said. Brian and her had talked it over last night and it had seemed like a good idea. At least until the ghost had made its presence known. She had been going back and forth all morning. But leaving Hortensia in a haunted house seemed the safer of the two options. Something was going on at home. It didn’t feel right. She wanted to separate Hortensia from whatever, or whomever, was the cause. Hide her away where they couldn’t find, or influence her. 

 

“Are you sure you can handle her?” Jennifer asked for what felt like the tenth time. He had three of his own children to deal with all by himself. “If you want to back out…” Brian only laughed. 

 

“It’ll be fine. Now I can put all four of the culprits to work.” He said before cracking his fingers. “It won’t be a vacation.” He warned Hortensia. 

 

“You can still go to your neighbors.” Jennifer knew the answer before she asked. 

 

“I’ll stay here.” Hortensia answered immediately. “What about my stuff? My clothes?”

 

“You’ll come back with us, pack a bag and go back with them.” Jennifer explained. “But just know, if something happens, I'll come and get you. I’m only a phone call away. I don’t want you to think I’m abandoning you here.” 

 

“Something happens?” Hortensia asked. “What’s going to happen?” 

 

“I don’t know. If you don’t feel safe or get scared.” Jennifer offered. Hortensia snorted at this.

 

“I don’t get scared.” Hortensia said, arms crossed. Still putting on a show, Jennifer thought. She remembered her barreling down the stairs screaming because there was a spider in the girls’ bathroom. 

 

“Not even the dark?” Brian teased. Hortensia looked offended.

 

“No.” She said. 

 

“Clowns?”

 

“No.”

 

“Then I’ve got a movie for you later.” Jennifer cleared her throat. “After hard labor.” Brian added. “What about ghosts?” he asked.

 

“Ghosts aren’t real.” Hortensia said, rolling her eyes. Jennifer gnawed at her lip. She hadn’t said anything about what she had seen. She was still trying to process it. Jennifer didn’t think the entity was dangerous, just mischievous as Brian had said. And the woman. She seemed kind. 

But if she was wrong she was always welcome back early. At least Jennifer would get a few days of peace. She'd use the time to try and mend her and Matilda’s relationship. It had been a while since it had been just the two of them. And she still had tons of things to do to prepare for the start of term. How she was going to do all that without a car…

 

“Oh, by the way…” Brian said with a slight smirk. He dug in his pocket and produced a bottle and handed it to her. “I think this is yours.” Jennifer could feel the heat all the way to the tips of her ears. A mostly empty bottle of clitoral stimulation cream. That wasn’t lube. “It was in Hazel’s room.” 

 

“I-it was full.” Jennifer stammered. Brian frowned.

 

“I’m sorry, I’ll replace it, of course.”

 

No. No. No. That wasn’t what she meant! Her face felt warm enough to light a fire on a dry hot day. 

 

…

 

Jennifer had nodded off on the drive back. She was startled awake by a hand on her arm. She let out a panicked shout before realizing her surroundings. She was home. 

 

“Sorry,” she mumbled. She wiped at the corner of her mouth. Oh geez, was she drooling? How embarrassing. They exited the van and she stood in the driveway staring at her wrecked car. The spray paint with the offensive words were gone at least. She’d have to thank Carol for that. She lifted the potted plant in the corner and took her spare key out, but she found the door was already unlocked. Had they forgotten to lock it on the way out? She pushed open the door. 

 

Jennifer was surprised to find Carol waiting for her on the couch, most likely wanting to know how her sleepover had gone. 

 

“We need to talk.” Carol said. Jennifer’s stomach fluttered. She felt like a child about to be scolded over something. 

 

“She’s breaking up with you.” Brian stage whispered. Carol’s eyes flicked over to Brian. 

 

“Alone.” she added. Jennifer was taken aback. “I mean, without the kids.” she threw in. Jennifer turned towards Hortensia. 

 

“Why don’t you start packing?” Hortensia shrugged and climbed the stairs as Brian instructed his kids to start pulling weeds out front. Once they were each seated around the table with a mug of tea, Carol asked if they had seen the news. Jennifer hadn’t. 

 

“Four bodies?” Jennifer stammered. “They found four bodies at the school? When? Where? Who?”

 

“The field.” Carol explained. “One adult and three children. They're looking for more, but it looks like someone was using it as a dumping ground.”

 

Jennifer’s jaw clenched.

 

“Agatha.” She spat. Only Carol shook her head and dug in her purse. She pulled out a book and set it on the table between them.

 

“Have you read this?”

 

“Isn’t that the book we found in the air vent?” Brian asked. It was. She was about to reach for it, but Carol pulled it out of her reach. 

 

“I don’t think you should read it.” Carol warned. “It’s…bad.”

 

“I’m not a child.” Jennifer said. 

 

“Your aunt wasn’t well.”

 

“I’m aware.” Jennifer said feeling annoyed. “I want to know what happened to my father.” 

 

“Cyanide.” Carol said. Jennifer froze. “He had asked her to leave the night before because you seemed unhappy. So she poisoned him.” She tried to remember that night, but it was too long ago. 

 

“Show me.” She demanded. Carol flipped through the journal until she found the spot and slid the book over. Jennifer’s eyes watered as she read. Agatha talked so casually about it, like murder was an unpleasant chore that needed to be done. Like sweeping the floors and doing the dishes. Agatha complained more that Jennifer's cries were grating on her ears than anything else. Of course she had cried. She was only five and had just lost the only family she had. 

 

“We were right though.” Carol said as Jennifer leaned back in stunned silence. “She was being blackmailed before I ever came into the picture.” 

 

“For the murders?” Jennifer asked. Carol shook her head and eyed Brian for a moment. “It’s fine. He knows everything. I told him.” 

 

“Did you tell him,” Carol asked before pausing “about your baby?” Jennifer stared at her. 

 

“What baby?” 

 

“The one you lost.” Jennifer felt a chill run through her.

 

“What are you talking about?” she demanded. “I’ve never been pregnant, and I was only fifteen then. I’ve never…” she dropped her voice. “Had sex with a man.” 

 

“Agatha did horrible things to you.” Carol said. “She wasn’t well.”

 

“I know that.” Jennifer said exasperated. She wasn’t making sense. 

 

“So when you saw a very strong looking man, you asked him for help.” Carol said. Her eyes were full of pity. “You wrote him a letter.” 

 

“He didn’t do anything. Nothing came of it.” Jennifer said. Carol shook her head. 

 

“Jenny…he raped you. And Agatha let him.” She felt her mouth go dry.

 

“N-no!”

 

“And you got pregnant.”

 

“No!”

 

“So she threw boiling water on you to make you miscarry.” 

 

“NO!” Jennifer yelled. She felt Brian grab her hand, but she pulled it away. “That didn’t happen! There’s no way that happened!” Carol was sliding the book towards her at another open page. With trembling hands, she picked up the book and began to read. Her brain began to fill in the gaps. 

 

She was doing odd jobs at Crunchem Hall over the summer. Grading papers, cleaning, and getting ready for the new school year. She looked out the window and saw him. He looked terrifyingly strong, even bigger than Agatha. She bet he could even pick her up and toss her. 

She eyed her backpack. It had the note detailing her abuse. She grabbed it and rushed out. He would help her! There’s no way someone that strong looking would be afraid of Agatha. 

 

She caught up to him and handed it over. She tried to tell him not to read it here, but he opened it anyway and began to read.

 

“Is this true?” He asked after a minute. “Does she really do all this to you?” Jennifer nodded. “Where is she?” 

 

“Her office.” Jennifer mumbled. “Please, you have to get me out. Everyone’s too afraid of her!” 

 

He took her by the hand. It was so large! Safe! She would finally be safe! But why was he leading her towards the office? They needed to go the other way! 

 

“Going to make a couple copies of this.” he explained. She eyed the empty office warily. She was right on the other side of the door. She could hear her barking orders over the phone. He pocketed the copies and led her to the door. She tried to pull away. What was he doing? He turned the knob and entered. 

 

“WHAT!?” Agatha barked. “How dare you barge in without knocking! Who the hell do you think you are?” The man only smiled and handed over the letter Jennifer had written. No! What was he doing? She picked it up and read it. Her face turned white and then green. Finally, she ripped it into pieces and glared at him. “Get. Out.” 

 

“I have copies.” He said casually. 

 

“What do you want?” Agatha hissed.

 

“50,000 pounds.” He looked to Jennifer, who was standing there in shock. “And a turn.” 

 

“Get out of my office you miserable sack of shit!” Agatha’s face had gone red in fury.

 

“Do you have any idea what’s buried in that field of yours?” He smiled and rocked back and forth on the heels of his feet. He pulled a flier from his pocket and dropped it on the desk. A red headed boy smiled up at her along with the words MISSING.

 

“You did this?” Agatha asked. 

 

“No, you did.” He smiled. “At least that’s what the police will think when I tip them off along with a copy of a letter detailing what you like to do to young girls. Who do you think they're going to believe? A pedophile like yourself?” Agatha’s face began to turn purple. “Leave us.” He leered at Jennifer. What was happening? Agatha took a swing at him. He caught her arm with ease and sucker punched her. She spat blood into her palm and stared at him. She could see true fear on her face. “Leave us.” 

 

Agatha stood and stared at her.

 

“Aunt Trunchbull, what’s going on?” Jennifer asked. She was scared. What did he mean he wanted a turn?

 

“You brought this on yourself you miserable, ungrateful brat!” She turned to him. “I’ll be back in twenty minutes. You better be gone or I’ll cut you into little pieces!” He seemed amused by this. 

 

“And you can make the check out to A.C.R.” She slammed the door behind her.

 

“Aunt Trunchbull!” Jennifer called. He was advancing towards her. “AUNT TRUNCHBULL!” 

 

[CDfm]

Oh hell no!  
I read those three words and my stomach fell to my feet.  “The tall man”.   I knew what that scum had done to Jennifer.  Yes it took the rest of yet another outstanding chapter to understand more and at least some of the why.  I know and have dealt with actual people like him, some probably even more evil  but it’s still hard to read about him doing things like that to an innocent young lady. 
Absolutely loving the story and can’t wait to see more. 

[smilekat414]

I was kinda suspecting something like this for a while, but this is still bone chilling horrifying. And yet I still can't wait for more.

[SashaButters]

Hortensia had never felt as alone as she did now. Matilda refused to talk to her. Jenny had locked herself in her room and didn’t even say goodbye. Mrs. Rodgers was busy on the phone all afternoon and to top it all off Zach, Nick, and even Hazel treated her like a pariah once they had learned the trouble they were all in. Hortensia hadn’t made them participate. She was only doing what she had to for her moms sake, but alas, she had refused him and this was her punishment. 

 

Hortensia hadn’t thought Jenny would take it so personally. She was so startled when she had caught Jenny tearing up. Hortensia had almost admitted it had been her on the spot. She hadn’t wanted to make Jenny cry. It was nothing personal. She quite liked Jenny, for a school teacher anyway, even if she did get on her nerves from time to time. (Who made kids do homework in the summer?)  

 

When Hortensia’s mom had told her of the possibility of being transferred last month, Hortensia was willing to do almost anything to stop it. He was counting on it. He had found her sitting alone outside the school gates when Professor Bitch had chased her out. Sure, she had hit her with the paddle, but it hadn’t hurt her. It was more of a warning slap. Hortensia had gotten the message. That’s when he pulled up and got out of his car. 

 

He said he had connections. All it would cost her was a favor. She looked up at him from her spot on the ground and told him to go eat shit, earning her a kick to the face. He was in one of those moods. You didn’t refuse him when he was in one of those moods.

 

Defeated, she asked if he wanted the usual. He did not. What he wanted was Jenny gone. She didn’t ask him why. 

 

“I don’t care what you do. Bully her. Beat her. Harass her. Frame her. Just get rid of her from this school.” 

 

“Why should I? I like her.” Hortensia had spat. He kicked her in the stomach. She never could keep her mouth shut. He grabbed her by the hair and lifted her to his face as Hortensia whimpered in pain.

 

“My connections can help her.” He whispered. “Or they can hurt her. People get jumped in prison all the time. People also die in prison all the time.” Then he had dropped her unceremoniously onto the ground and left. 

 

Hortensia had racked her brain. Maybe if Jenny thought vandals were in the area she’d want to move to a better area for Matilda. This was the worst school in the district for a reason. Only, Jenny seemed obsessed with making the school better, not leaving it. And she had blamed Matilda. It hadn’t been her intention at all. Every kind word and action made Hortensia feel worse and worse. She felt like she might drown from the stress. This would be so much easier if Jenny just treated her like everyone else in her life had. 

 

Then he had found her again yesterday and reminded her of their deal, and by reminded her, threatened her mom. He had demanded to know what she had done so far, so she had told him about the graffiti. He told her to do it again, but make it worse.

 

“I’ll be back in twenty minutes. If her car isn’t destroyed, Eve will be finding herself in the infirmary.”

 

She had been so angry it had been easy to smash the windows out. Only the first one she had smashed with her fist. She was sure she had broken her hand. She hadn’t meant to drag them into it. 

 

And it was all for nothing. 

 

Her mom was getting transferred anyway. She felt like she wanted to scream, or throw up. Or both. They ended up having a huge fight on top of it. It was Hortensia’s specialty afterall. Ruining everything. She had been ecstatic when her mom told her Cynthia and Aiden had put their house up for sale. He had lost his job and couldn’t afford to stay here anymore. Hortensia had seen a sliver of hope. Could her nightmare be over? 

 

No. Her nightmare had only just begun. 

 

They were looking to move Swansea, where her mom was being transferred, and they were offering to take Hortensia with them when they moved. 

 

“Fuck no!” Hortensia blurted out. “I’m not living with them!” 

 

“What? What do you mean no?” Eve demanded. Hortensia could see the look of hurt on her face. “Don’t you want to visit me?”

 

“I can visit you from here.” Hortensia said. “And we can still talk on the phone.” 

 

“Tens, it’s not the same thing. I want to be able to see you regularly.”

 

“No! I’m not going anywhere with them!” Hortensia nearly yelled. “I hate him!” Eve had only rolled her eyes.

 

“Not this again. You’re going to have to get over it. You don’t have a say in the matter, I’m still your mother!” 

 

 Hortensia hissed. “You have no idea what your asking!” 

 

“I don’t want to hear any of your stories! He has been like a father to you! If you’d stop being so ungrateful for five minutes- Hey where do you think are you going?” 

 

“I’m not going with them!” Hortensia screamed. 

 

“Yell one more time and you’re out of here!” A guard shouted. 

 

“I want to stay with Jenny.” Hortensia said. 

 

“Oh, so you’re going to pick her over me? Is that it?” Eve said coldly. 

 

“At least she listens to me.” Hortensia said. She could feel hot tears sliding down her face. She was choosing their friendship over her daughter. Again.

 

“It’s because she doesn’t know any better! I bet you’ve got her wrapped around your finger with all your stories, don’t you?” 

 

“Do you have any idea what i’ve done for you? He made me smash her car or else he’d get the guards to beat you up!” 

 

“What do you mean you smashed her car!? This! This is what I’m talking about! You have no consideration for anyone but yourself! That woman took you in and this is how you repay her!”

 

“He said he had connections from when he was in prison! He said he’d get the gaurds to-”

 

 “You’re so full of shit.” Eve said with a scoff. “Just try and pull this crap with them. They’ll set you right. I knew Jennifer was too soft on you.”

 

“I hope you get beat up! Maybe then you’ll listen to me!” 

 

Hortensia furiously wiped at her eyes as she rode in the van in silence. Her broken hand, at least she thought it was broken, ached like a bitch from trying to pull weeds with it. She had opted to leave her stuffed dog behind, but now she was regretting it. She wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed with him and cry herself to sleep. How had she gone and fucked everything up so badly? 

 

“You’ll be working by yourself in the back yard.” Brian said as he led her past the kitchen and out into the yard. Hortensia’s stomach nearly dropped. There were so many weeds. “You’re not here to hang out and have fun.” 

 

“My hand hurts.” Hortensia mumbled.

 

“And it’s going to hurt worse by the end of the week. The trash cans on the side of the house.” Brian said. “I’ll come get you when dinners ready.” He left her alone to stare at the yard. She sank onto the edge of the porch and let her legs dangle. It wasn’t even noon. 

 

By 2pm she was drenched with sweat. Her back ached and she was so thirsty, but she had already drank so much warm water from the hose she could hardly move. She wanted to kick the trashcan in frustration. Two hours non stop and it looked like she hadn’t done anything! It was slow going pulling with her left hand and everywhere she looked there were spiders crawling in the grass. 

 

When he had finally said she could stop for the day around six, every muscle ached. She dragged herself to the table. 

 

“Did you wash your hands?” Brian asked all of them. All Hortensia could do was grunt. She was caked in dirt and sweat from head to foot, but the thought of hauling herself up seemed like too much work. Reluctantly, she pried herself from the chair with a wince and staggered to the kitchen sink. She scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed, frowning at the top of her right hand. It wouldn’t get clean. It wasn’t until she stared at it under the kitchen light did she realize the discoloration wasn’t dirt, but a bruise from her knuckles down to her fingertips. 

 

“You look exhausted.” Brian chuckled at her halfway through dinner. Hortensia shrugged, but she could feel her eyelids drooping. “Hazel, would you mind giving up your room for a bit?” 

 

“Why?” Hazel asked, mouth full of pasta. 

 

“So Hortensia has somewhere to sleep.”

 

“But what about me?” 

 

“You can sleep on the couch.” Brian said. Hazel glowered for a moment. 

 

“But it’s my room.” she said arms crossed. “Why can’t she sleep on the couch?” 

 

“Because she’s nearly a teenager and she needs her privacy.” Brian explained. “I’ll let you watch telly until you fall asleep.” Hazel perked up at this and eagerly agreed. “You can shower first. You look like you’re going to drop. I’ll get you fresh bedding after dinner.” He said to Hortensia, but she wasn’t listening. She had fallen asleep sitting up. He shook her awake and grinned.“How about I get you situated now.”  

 

He stared at the boys and told them to do the dishes, and ignoring their complaints, he led her upstairs. She grabbed her clothes from her suitcase and followed him to the bathroom. She let out a soft groan from underneath the hot water. She could stay here forever. 

 

“THERE’S THREE OTHER KIDS WHO NEED TO SHOWER AFTER YOU! DON’T TAKE ALL THE HOT WATER!” She heard hollered from the other side of the door.

 

Or not.

 

Reluctantly, she turned the knobs and stepped out into the steamed bathroom. She flicked the lightswitch to turn on the fan and threw her towel over her head. She was ten seconds into vigouroulsy rubbing her hair dry when she froze. She let the towel drop to the floor. She stared at the mirror stunned. In the condensation on the glass, someone had taken their finger and written two words. 

 

I KNOW

 

Hortensia stood rooted to the spot. Had someone come in while she was showering? She hadn’t heard anyone, and she had made sure to lock the door. She eyed the knob. Still locked. She stared at the words before letting out a sigh. She picked up her towel to clear off the condensation, but when she moved it aross the mirror, the steam remained. She let out a gasp of fright and fell against the wall. The words had changed.

 

HE WILL PAY

 

“You alright?” Brian asked. “I heard a crash.” 

 

Hortensia looked to the door then back to the mirror. The words were gone. Now a clear streak from where she had wiped the mirror was visible. 

 

“Ye-yeah, I fell.” Hortensia said. She hastily threw her clothes on and stared at the mirror one last time before opening the door.

 

She hurried to Hazel’s room and shut the door behind her. 

 

What was that? Her imagination?

 

She was about to let herself collapse onto the bed when she saw a package lying on the bed. Her eye twitched. He knew. Jenny had told him. She sighed and stared at the package of nappies lying on the bed. No way! Uh-uh! Not after last time! She sat on the matress and heard the crinkle of plastic. 

 

Here she had thought he had given her Hazel’s room to be nice. He was just protecting the couch. 

 

She looked around Hazel’s room and sighed. Not a single stuffed animal. Go figure. She hugged the pillow to her chest for a moment before letting it go. It just wasn’t the same. Something caught her attention sitting on the shelf. She grinned as she picked up the black plastic toy and sat back down with it. 

 

“Bop it!...Twist it… Pull it!” Hortensia strained in concentration as she followed the commands. “Pull it!” She pulled the blue lever sticking out the side. “Pull it.” She pulled the lever again. Faster and faster the commands came. “Bop it!”  “Bop it!” “Twist it!” “Bop it!” “Wear it!” 

She paused and stared at the toy as it gave out a pained shout at her loss. She pressed the button to play again. 

 

“Bob It!” “Bob it!” Bob it!” “Wear it!” 

 

What the hell…?

 

She pressed the button to play again.

 

“Wear it!”

 

Again.

 

“Wear it!” 

 

Again!

 

“Wear it!”

 

She threw it down on the bed. What the hell was wrong with it? Did it need new batteries or something? 

 

“Ka-boo Koo-doh!” 

 

Hortensia jumped and looked up. Oh great. It was one of those. She shuddered. Hortensia had two fears. Spiders. And Furbies. She had heard rumors they liked to talk unprompted. In the middle of the night. Without batteries. 

 

“Ahh-noo?” The tan animatronic asked. 

 

Hortensia stared at it. “You’re creepy.” she lamented.

 

“Boo-tay! Boo-tay! Boo-tay!” 

 

“Shut up.” She groaned. “If you start talking in the middle of the night I’m throwing you out the window!” 

 

“Boo-dah!” 

 

Suddenly the bedroom door opened. Hortensia jumped again. It was Hazel wearing those ridiculous animal pajamas. Hazel silently went to her dresser drawer and began to dig for something. 

 

“Your Furby keeps talking.” Hortensia said. Hazel looked up at it.

 

“That’s what their supposed to do. Duh.” Hazel said with so much attitude Hortensia was taken aback. 

 

“Boo-dah Bay-bee! Oh-too-mah. Boh. Bo-tay!” The Furby said. Hazel scowled.

 

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Hortensia said, pointing at the fuzzy monstrosity. Hazel went to a different drawer and pulled out a book. Hortensia looked at the cover. Oh geez, they had their own dictionary? After a minute Hazel shrugged and tossed her the book before leaving and shutting the door behind her. “Take your evil hairball with you!” Hortensia called, but no luck.

 

“Boo-tay!” The Furby chirped again. Hortensia sighed and picked up the dictionary. 

 

“Change.” she read out. Change? 

 

“Wear it!” The Bop It shouted. 

 

Hortensia let out a nervous chuckle. The hell? Both the Bop It and the Furby began to chant their words in unison.

 

“Stop it!” Hortensia said. She was getting scared now. “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” 

 

“Dah-boo. Dah-ay-loh-nah-bah!” 

 

No Goodnight. 

 

“Boo-tay!”

 

Change. 

 

“What do you want me to change? This?” She held a nappy up and waved it around. She hadn’t expected a reply.

 

“Boo-ee-tay.” 

 

That’s right. 

 

Hortensia sprang up and grabbed the Furby. She marched downstairs and found three out of the four of them sitting on the couch. Hazel was tucked under Brian’s arm. They all stared at her.

 

“Hey, I didn’t think i’d see you the rest of the night.” Brian said. “Your welcome to watch a movie with us.” 

 

“Your thing is creeping me the hell out!” Hortensia said. She set the Furby on the counter “And knock next time. I was about to change.” 

 

“I’ve been down here.” Hazel said looking confused. 

 

“No, you weren’t. You just barged in and tossed me your Furby dictionary.” 

 

“She’s been here with us.” Brian said. Hortensia stared at her. Where did her pajamas go? Hortensia began to back away. “I thought you said you didn’t get scared?” He asked with smile mixed with sympathy and amusement. “It’s just a toy. Take it back and throw it in the closet if you don’t want it around you. Don’t leave it out here.” He dropped his voice conspiratorialy. “I hate those things too. There should be an off switch on the bottom.” 

 

She flipped it over and shut it off. 

 

“Is everything alright?” He asked.  

 

“No, it’s not alright!” Hortensia wanted to yell. She could feel her eyes burning. “I’m fine. Just tired. I’m going to bed.” She stalked back to the room and shut the door. 

 

“Boo-tay!”

 

She opened the closet and chucked both the Furby and Bop it in. She had had enough of talking toys for one night. She sat on the bed and stared at the nappy. With a sigh she wiggled out of her shorts and spread out the nappy. She sat in the center and tried to fasten it, but nothing she did worked. Was she supposed to fasten it around her hips or her belly button? She was growing more and more frustrated with every attempt. She could feel her temper boiling over. Another thing she couldn’t control. Great. Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore. She buried her head in her arms and began to sob. 

 

Something cold was touching her head. She looked up. No one was there. She waited.  

 

There it was again. She felt something brushing her hair. It was like a cool hand was stroking her head. She eyed the space around her. What was this? 

 

Hortensia let out a gasp. She could feel a pressure on her chest, like a hand pressing against her. She was too startled to fight against it. She fell backward on the bed. She let out a low cry of fright. In the mirror hanging on Hazel’s closet door she could see the reflection of a woman hovering over her. 

 

Hortensia began to stammer. The invisible woman was now leaning over her. She shut her eyes tight. This was it. This was the end of the line. This was how she died. 

 

Cool lips pressed against her forehead. Hortensia opened her eyes. The pressure holding her down was gone. She looked in the mirror. She was alone. Hortensia sat up and stared. The nappy was now perfectly in place around her waist. 

 

Her eyes scanned the room. She was filled with a mixture of both fright and curiosity. She thought of the words on the mirror. 

 

“Who are you?” Hortensia asked the empty air. Something began to rattle on the nightstand. A picture frame. She picked it up and examined it. A smiling family looked back at her. It looked like a professional photoshoot you could get done at Christmas time at a department store. There was Brian, Zach, Nick, Hazel and… the woman! “You’re their mom?” The room remained quiet. Hortensia swallowed the lump in her throat. Her eyes began to water. 

 

“Please don’t go.” she whimpered before adding barely audible. “I’m scared.”  She felt the bed shift like someone had sat down. She was alone in the mirror, but she could feel another presence beside her. Something was tugging her down again. She let it. Something cool to the touch was lying beside her. Hortensia scooted closer until her own body was enveloped by the chill. It felt wonderful in the hot room. 

 

“Thank you.” She whispered. She could smell a faint flowery scent in the air mixed with something she couldn’t quite place. It was comforting. She was too embarrassed to ever admit she missed Jenny tucking her in. 

 

She hadn’t known what to make of Jenny at first. Hortensia was suspicious of her. Everything always came with a price. But as the the days turned into weeks, Hortensia was starting to realize Jenny’s kindness didn’t come with a price tag and it made her feel even worse.

 

Now she was scared. Scared that she had ruined their relationship. Scared of being sent away. Scared of him. 

 

He wasn’t always bad. That’s what angered her the most. He was smart. Witty. He’d offer to help her with her homework.  He could be like a giant teddy bear. And he was generous with her. That’s all her mom saw; A kind father figure. But sometimes, when they were alone, he wanted repayment for his generosity. 

 

He’d ask. He’d beg. He’d guilt. He’d threaten. He’d take. Then he’d guilt again. Right now, he was in a taking mood. 

 

The realization that she had fallen into his trap made her sick. It had all clicked into place the moment Jenny had told her she was being thrown out. He had wanted her to come crawling to him with no where else to go. He wanted her to feel trapped. To feel alienated and cut off from anyone she could reach out too. 

 

Why would guards listen to an ex-con? No wonder her mom thought she was full of shit. But she had been so desperate to believe he could make her stay. 

 

And now her own mother wanted to serve her up to him on a silver platter. 

 

A soft musical chiming snapped her from her thoughts. She lifted her head and searched for the source. It was coming from both everywhere and nowhere at once. The light went out, plunging the room into darkness. She felt something cool touch her cheek, like a hand gently cradling her face. Her eye lids began to droop. She was too exhausted to be frightened. Her adrenaline had run out. She laid back down and listened to the soft music. She knew this song. Something to do with time. Jenny was humming it last night, at least she had thought it was Jenny. Now she wasn’t so sure. 

 

So this is what they had meant when they told her she could go back if she needed to.  The house was haunted. But weren’t ghosts supposed to be scary? That’s how they were always depicted in comics and movies. 

She reached her hand out to the space beside her where a larger cooler hand met hers. In the darkness it was like she was really here lying beside her. 

 

“I’m scared.” Hortensia said softly. She wasn’t talking about the ghost. The invisible hand gave hers a reassuring squeeze before letting go. The bed began to creak. She felt arms wrap themselves around her torso. Her body began to sway. 

 

“Tell her!” The Bop It from inside the closet said.

 

“I can’t!” Hortensia said. She could feel more tears begin to stream down her face. Finally, she gave in to the raging storm of emotions inside of her and began to sob. “I’ve pushed everyone away.” 

 

She began to hear a quiet voice softly sing along with the music. 

 

“...If your lost you can look and you will find me, time after time…” 

 

Maybe two weeks here wouldn’t be so bad. 

 

[AdultInnocence]

I've never been more ready for a next chapter in reading as I am now! Dang it, now I will be waiting lol.

Thanks for a great chapter. I have a feeling we are getting closer to the end of the story, but it has been one heck of a ride so far.

 

[CDfm]

Amazing chapter.  I think Hortensia has found a friend. 
Now what I had been thinking was going on has hit another bump.  Well it could still work out the way I was thinking but there was another twist added again. I am getting the feeling now that it was the neighbor who was behind pushing Hortensia to damage the car.  But I was thinking that it was the same “Tall Man” that had hurt Jennifer.  That didn’t make sense because the tall man was Hortensia’s father. Hortensia would definitely know her father so that wouldn’t fly. Then I started thinking that maybe both men served sentences in the same prison at some point.  I guess I am just better off not thinking about it and just read and find out what’s actually going on. 
You know I am looking forward to seeing more. 

[smilekat414]

this is really getting interesting, I love how you manage to keep blending the brutal with the heartwarming and the fantastic with the real, and I love how richly characterized everyone is, though one question, how hurt is Hortensia's hand? Looking forward to seeing more. 

[sjaeger]

Loved the story so much that I stayed up all night reading it

[Mazamune]

On 1/20/2024 at 12:35 AM, CDfm said:

 That didn’t make sense because the tall man was Hortensia’s father.  

Hey there.

I didn't find the place where it's said that it's Horthensia father who hurt Jenny. I think it's the same man all the way (killing children and abusing Jenny and Horthensia). Now he want Jenny away so she could not testify and have Thens back.

The story is sure quite hard in the last chapters but I'm sure we will be reward with soft tenderness soon.

Thanks for your writing.

Cheers!

[SashaButters]

It had been three days, Matilda thought glumly as she stared at Jenny’s closed bedroom door. She had tried everything she could think of to cheer her up. She had cooked, something she wasn’t normally allowed to do without supervision, but everything she made sat uneaten on Jenny’s nightstand. Matilda had no idea what was wrong, but everytime she entered Jenny’s room she could feel the sickening weight of sadness and grief. It was overwhelming to her. She didn’t want to go in anymore. She didn’t want to see her mom looking so…so broken. It was time to break out the big guns. 

 

She took a second to compose herself. The energy in the room always made her feel like crying. She opened the door and stepped in. Jenny was lying in bed hugging her pillow. She didn’t look up or acknowledge her. She looked like a zombie. Matilda swallowed the lump in her throat and pressed forward. 

 

“Mommy?” Matilda quietly asked. If that didn’t get her attention, nothing would. Her eyes flicked up and fell on Matilda’s worried face. 

 

“Hi baby.” Jenny said softly.  She pushed herself up into a sitting position as Matilda cautiously approached. 

 

“Are you feeling any better today?” she asked. “Maybe we could go to the library.”

 

“Not today. I’m awfully tired.” Jennifer mumbled. 

 

“Maybe if you came downstairs and ate something.” Matilda suggested. She eyed the untouched salad from last night. “I could make you some eggs.” 

 

“Thank you, but I’m not hungry.” Jennifer said lying back down amongst the used tissues that coated the bed. The air in the room was stale and pungent. Matilda walked to the window and opened it. Maybe some sunlight would help. 

 

“Mommy, what’s wrong?” Matilda asked. 

 

“Just feeling a little under the weather, that’s all.” Jennifer said. She closed her eyes. 

 

“Do you want me to make you a doctor appointment?” 

 

“No, I’ll be alright. Just let me sleep.” She mumbled. That’s what Jenny always said. She just wanted to sleep.

 

Feeling discouraged, she gave her mom a kiss on the cheek and took the uneaten dish down to the kitchen. What could she do? Who could she call? Mrs. Rodgers? Or Brian? Jenny might be angry if she called Brian over, but maybe it would motivate her to take a shower at least. Eventually, she settled on Mrs. Rodgers. She seemed to know the most about what was going on. 

“Please help me.” Matilda’s voice cracked as Mrs. Rodgers picked up. 

 

“Matilda?” she asked groggily. Matilda looked at the clock. It was 9 in the morning. Not her too. 

 

“Yeah,” she said with a sniffle. 

 

“What’s the matter?”

 

“It’s Jenny. She won’t get out of bed. I don’t know what’s wrong.” She could hear a sigh come from the other end. 

 

“She needs time to process everything. She’ll come around.” 

 

“She won’t eat.” Matilda said. “And process what?”

 

“Do you want me to come over?” Mrs. Rodgers asked. Matilda noticed she avoided her question. 

 

“Please.” Matilda mumbled. Both her and Brian had been leaving messages on the machine. At first he was calling her to check in on Jenny, but then he started calling about Hortensia. He kept saying she was acting funny, but Matilda didn’t care much about her at the moment.

 

“Alright, we’ll be there a little later.” She heard Mrs. Rodgers yawn. “It’s early. We’re still in bed.”

 

“It’s nine.” Matilda said.

 

“Like I said, it’s early.” 

 

“Whose ‘we’?” Matilda asked. 

 

“My boyfriend.” Matilda wrinkled her nose. 

 

“I didn’t know you had a boyfriend.” 

 

“Just because I’m old doesn’t mean I don’t have a social life. Besides, you know him.” 

 

“Mr. Trilby? Eww.” She couldn’t help but say. He was so old. She could hear Mrs. Rodgers let out a snort of laughter. 

 

“She says ‘eww’.” Matilda heard her say.

 

“Hi! I meant, Hi!” She said in a panic. Mrs. Rodgers laughed again. 

 

“Hang tight, we’ll be over soon.” 

…

 

There was a knock on her bedroom door. 

 

“Jenny?” she heard. “It’s me. Can I come in?” Oh no. What was she doing here? She let out a groan and buried herself underneath the blankets despite the warm air. She heard her door open. “Are you decent?” Jennifer didn’t answer. She heard footsteps approaching. “C’mon, Jenny, it’s time to get up. It’s already noon.” 

 

 Jennifer mumbled. “I want to sleep.”

 

“I heard you’ve had more than enough sleep.” Jennifer curled herself into a ball. “Your daughter is worried about you.” Jennifer let out a grunt of acknowledgement. “I’ve brought you some food.” She heard the crinkle of a bag. 

 

“I’m not hungry.” 

 

“When was the last time you ate?” 

 

“Matilda made me a sandwich.”

 

“You mean the one sitting here untouched?” She meant the one two days ago, which she had promptly vomited soon after from sobbing too much. Now she couldn’t cry if she wanted to. She felt numb. She felt like someone close to her had died. But someone close to her had died. It may have been six years ago, but to her, it felt like it had just happened. 

 

She felt the blankets get yanked off her and covered her head with her arms. When did the room get so bright? Carol began to cough.

 

“Bloody hell, when was the last time you showered?” She began to cough again. “Up, Jenny.” 

 

“Leave me alone.” She groaned. 

 

“Don’t make me drag you out of bed.” Jennifer sighed. 

 

“Fine.” She slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position and stopped. The room was spinning. “I’m dizzy.” She felt a bag get thrust into her abdomen.

 

“Eat.” 

 

“I’m not hungry.” she mumbled, but the smell was making her mouth water. 

 

“You have to eat.” She sighed and opened the bag. Fish and chips. “Do I need to feed you like back then?” Jennifer stared at her. 

“No.” She picked up a piece of fried fish and held it in her hand. Reluctantly, she took a small nibble.

 

“At least it’s not a veggie omelet.” Carol said. Her stomach churned at the memory. Jennifer took another nibble and set it down. “More than that.” 

 

“Carol, I don’t need you to baby me.” 

 

“Uh-huh, so Matilda called me to say you weren’t taking care of yourself because…?” 

 

“I’m fine.” Jennifer said with a scowl. “I’m just sick or something.”

 

“Jen”, Carol said, brushing away balled up tissues with her hand before taking a seat on the bed next to her. “Call me next time. Don’t let it get to this point.” 

 

“I’m fine.”

 

“You’re not fine. You can admit when you’re not okay. I haven’t seen you this depressed since before Matilda.”

 

“I’m not depressed; I’m sick. See?” She held up one of the nearby balled up tissues. 

 

“Too sick to return anyone’s calls?” 

 

“Yes.” She insisted. 

 

“Well, I better call and make you a doctor appointment then.”

 

“I don’t need to go to the doctor, just… leave me alone. I don’t want to talk to anyone right now.” 

 

“Not until you prove you can be trusted alone.” Carol said. Jennifer narrowed her eyes. 

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jennifer demanded. Carol shot her arm out and grabbed hold of Jennifer’s wrist. 

 

“That’s what I’m talking about.” Carol said. Jennifer scoffed and tried to tug her arm back, but she was too weak.

 

“I’m not sixteen anymore.” Jennifer said. “I just don’t want to talk about it.” 

 

“Fine, we don’t have to talk about it. We can talk about something else, as long as you eat.” She didn’t want to talk at all. She sighed and took another bite. 

 

“Thanks for the food.” she mumbled. 

“So…” Carol said, eyebrows raised. “How did your sleepover go?” Jennifer shrugged. “Did he try anything?” 

 

“No.” 

 

“Bummer.” 

 

“I tried to kiss him and almost broke his nose.” Carol snorted, but suddenly frowned.

 

“Damn it, now I owe Matilda five pounds.” Jennifer gave her a questioning look. “I thought it would be at least a week before you hurt him. Don’t give me that look, you are the most accident prone woman I’ve ever met.” 

 

“I pulled his pants off by accident.” She said through a mouthful of fish. “Boxers and all.”  Well, she had meant to take his pants off. His underwear, not so much. 

 

“Accident, sure.” Carol chuckled, making air quotes with her fingers. “So, what are we talking?” Jennifer tilted her head to the side. “You know, how big was it?” Jennifer wrinkled her nose. “Sorry, sorry.” Carol grinned. Jennifer sighed and motioned with her hands. Carol nodded her head. “Not bad.” 

 

“Never saw one before.” Jennifer mumbled. “It was all…” She made a pyramid with her hands. Carol chuckled.

 

“And, uhh, what were you doing when the, umm, ‘accidental’,” there were those air quotes again, “removal of the pants took place?” 

 

“On the couch.” Jennifer said softly, “snogging.” 

 

“Oh, Jenny!” She felt Carol playfully elbow her. She was like a teenager wanting to be served the latest gossip, Jennifer mused. “So… did you touch it?”

 

“Eww, no I did not touch it.” Jennifer said before mumbling, “I put a sock on it.” 

 

“Did I just hear you say you put a sock on it?” Jennifer shrugged. “A sock like, for your feet, or a condom?” 

 

“For your feet.” Carol began to laugh. 

 

“Was it your sock? Does he have, like, a foot fetish?” 

 

“His.” She reached down into the bag and pulled out another piece of fish. Jennifer scowled. “He asked me to role play.” Carol snorted. 

 

“Did you?”

 

“Not really, just wore what he wanted me to.” Carol began to stare at her in shock before giggling. 

 

“What did you wear?” She asked. “Sexy teacher? Sexy doctor? Leather?” 

 

“Uhh, no, pajamas.”

 

“I think that’s called lingerie, Jen.” Carol snickered. 

 

“A dalmatian. It was cute. It had ears and a tail.” 

 

“Were you a…sexy dalmatian?” 

 

“No.” Jennifer said before hanging her head. “He did see me topless though.” Carol’s eyebrows shot up. “I overheated while we were kissing. That’s where I was when you called, half naked in his fridge.” Carol shut her eyes and shook her head, a look of amusement on her face. 

 

“He has all this baby stuff.” Jennifer said. “But it’s all like, for adults. He said his wife would pretend to be a little kid to make being sick easier.” 

 

“Uh…sure, that’s why.” Carol said. “I had a patient into that. I had to go in and pull a baby rattle out of her vagina.” Jennifer grimaced. She didn’t need to know that. 

 

“He asked if I wanted to pretend to be little too.” Jennifer said softly. 

 

“Are you?” 

 

“No.” Jennifer said quickly. “That’s weird. I’m twenty three years old.” Carol shrugged. 

 

“Is he trying to pressure you into it?”

 

“No.” Jennifer said through a mouthful of chips. “He asked if I wanted to try it as a kind of therapy. He said we could…” she paused and cleared her throat. “Nevermind.” 

 

“What?” Jennifer shook her head. “What were you going to say? Spit it out.”

 

“It’s embarrassing.” Jennifer mumbled. 

 

“More than admitting you put a sock on his penis?” 

 

“Well, I told him I didn’t think I’d be able to be um, intimate with him, and he said it would be  

a way to be intimate without actually…’ She entwined her fingers together. 

“Don’t write it off. You still can.”

 

“I- I don’t want to.” Jennifer mumbled. “Now even more so.” Carol sighed. 

 

“Do you know who it was?” Jennifer stiffened. She had been trying to force the memory to go back in the recesses of her mind where it came from. “Sorry, I know you don’t want to talk about it.”

 

“No, I don’t.” Jennifer said, staring ahead at the wall. “Know who it was, I mean. I just know he was big.” They sat quietly for a minute as Jennifer’s mind whirled. 

 

“Do you think it was Hortensia’s dad? I heard he was pretty big.” Jennifer stared at her. She hadn’t considered the possibility. There had been rumors going around the school that he was in prison. It always drove Hortensia crazy. 

 

“Maybe.” Jennifer admitted. It made sense. No one had seen him since then. It would explain why she couldn’t recall ever seeing her attacker since given the small town. 

 

“Will you be okay with Hortensia?” Carol asked seriously. “Knowing that it's his daughter.” 

 

“She didn’t rape me.” Jennifer mumbled before letting out a dry humorless sounding chuckle. “I’ve had this memory that’s been replaying in my head for years of me lying on my office floor blubbering like an idiot and bawling my eyes out. I never knew why till now.” Jennifer said, her voice beginning to crack. “It’s kind of funny, in a way, Hortensia living here with me, considering I was pregnant with her half sibling.” She let out another sound somewhere between a laugh and a hiccup. “I bet you can guess the name I had picked out.”

 

“Anastasia.” Carol mumbled. “You knew you were pregnant then? Why didn’t you tell me?” 

 

“Why didn’t you?” Jennifer asked. 

 

“I was rather rapidly getting the impression you were in danger.” Carol said. “Your aunt was right there. I thought you’d be safe before you ever started showing and we’d deal with it then. I was going to tell you when she was out of ear shot, but then things got a bit complicated.” 

 

“She kept giving me pregnancy tests and calling me a whore. Another memory that makes more sense now. She kept trying to make me go have an abortion.” Jennifer snorted. “Said she’d even pay for it. I kept refusing. I had always dreamed of being a mother, I was scared, but I wanted her more than anything. I didn’t care how it had happened.” 

 

“Miscarriages are very common in the first trimester. Between the shock to your body and the pain and stress you were under…I wasn’t surprised when it happened. We were more focused on trying to keep the five year old from going into shock. Boy did she pick the wrong time to walk by. I know you're broken up over this, and it might sound insensitive, but it was for the best.” Jennifer gave her a pained look. “Even if that baby made it to term, the chances of birth defects would have been astronomical. And what kind of life would they have had in captivity, subjected to what your aunt put you through? Would your aunt have even taken you to the hospital when it was time? I think she would have left you alone to give birth in your bed. And given what you had just been through, trying to have a vaginal birth with no medical attention. You could have died.” 

 

“I don’t know why I’m so upset. It was a long time ago.” Jennifer whimpered. 

 

“Jen, that was horrific. Of course you're upset. No person could go through what you did and come out unscathed. You’ve been betrayed at every turn.”

 

Jennifer didn’t respond. Instead she reached her hand into the bag to busy herself but came up with nothing. She looked inside, but it was empty. Had she really eaten everything? 

 

 “Aww, you ate all your food. Who's a good girl?” Carol teased. Jennifer gave her a look that said “really?” She could tell Carol was fighting back a grin. 

 

“Can I go back to bed now?” 

 

“No, it’s time to get up and take a shower.” Carol said standing. “Up.” 

 

“Fine.” Jennifer mumbled. “Can I have some privacy?” 

 

“Can I trust you?” She asked suspiciously.

 

“Carol, I am not a child.” She said exasperated. “Leave and I will get up and take a shower.” She seemed to be thinking it over. 

 

“If you're not downstairs in thirty minutes I’m coming back up to check on you.” She warned. Fine. Whatever. Just leave. She watched as Carol left before falling back down on the bed. Finally, she thought. She’d get up in a few minutes. She just needed a minute. Her eyelids felt so heavy. She closed them. So tired…

 

“JENNIFER!” 

 

Her eyes sprang open. She looked up. Carol was standing over her, hands on hips. 

 

“Wha?” she mumbled groggily. 

 

“You were supposed to get up and take a shower.” 

 

“I will.” She mumbled. 

 

“I gave you thirty minutes. Times up.” 

 

“You just left.” 

 

“No, you went back to sleep.” Did she? Her mind felt too fuzzy. She felt herself get yanked up into a sitting position. Her head spun at the sudden change. It wasn’t until she felt her nightgown getting removed that her mind snapped into focus.

 

“What are you doing? Stop it!” Jennifer said, holding her nightgown down. 

 

“I gave you a chance. You went to sleep instead.” Carol said. “You have until the count of three to get up, or I’m stripping you and throwing you in the shower myself. Jennifer gave her a disbelieving glance. “One…” Carol began to count. Jennifer rolled her eyes. “Two…” 

 

With an exasperated sigh, Jennifer forced herself up, hanging onto a bed railing for support. 

 

“I’m up, happy?” she growled. 

 

“It’s a start.” Carol said. “Go. Bathroom.” She pointed. Jennifer took a few steps before stumbling. “Are you alright?” 

 

“I’m dizzy.” Jennifer lamented. 

 

“That’s because you’ve been in bed for three days.” Carol said, holding her under the arm and walking her to the bathroom. “After your shower, you need to call your boyfriend back. He’s left you a dozen messages. He most likely thinks you left him with your problem child and ghosted him.” Carol turned on the shower faucet and turned to rummage through her dressers. “Matilda says he’s worried about Hortensia.” 

 

“Did she talk to him?” Jennifer asked, standing awkwardly in her bathroom. “What did he say?”

 

“I think she’s been letting the answering machine get it. I don’t think she’s too thrilled with her.” Carol said and stopped in the bathroom with an arm full of clothes. “What are you waiting for? Get in.”

 

“For you to leave.” Jennifer said. 

 

“You had your chance, now get in.” So Jennifer did, nightgown and all. She heard Carol let out an exasperated sigh. She stripped off her now wet nightgown and underwear behind the curtain and threw it over with a wet splat. She was feeling even more self conscious now than usual. The thought of being seen, of being touched… She wanted to go back and hide underneath her blankets. 

 

It had happened years ago, but it felt so very fresh, like it had only happened days ago. 

 

“I've seen it all before, remember?” She’d rather not.

 

“I-I can’t. I can’t do it.” Jennifer admitted. She pressed her forehead against the shower wall and closed her eyes. “I feel naked.”

 

“You are naked.” Carol said. “That’s typically how showers work.” 

 

“Even when I’m dressed. I just want to hide under my blanket so no one can see me.” 

 

“No more hiding; the girls need you. ” Carol said before adding, “I’ll wait for you in your bedroom then. Your clothes and towel are on the counter.” 

 

She breathed a sigh of relief as she heard Carol's footsteps retreating. She stood under the hot water for a minute longer before cleaning herself up. Once she was done, she reached for her towel and paused. She stared at the mirror. All the progress she had made. Gone. 

 

“Carol, are you there?” She called out.

 

“Yes, did you need something?” 

 

“Could you turn off the light?” 

 

“Why? 

 

“Please.” Jennifer said softly. The bathroom was plunged into darkness. She opened the curtain and stepped out, blindly reaching for her towel. 

 

“Over here.” Carol said softly. She reached out and made contact with her outstretched hand. Then suddenly, she was back. He was leering at her, pushing her to the ground. His weight was on top of her. She couldn’t move. 

 

“No!” Jennifer yelled. She turned to run, slipped on the wet floor and fell to the ground with a crash. She curled herself into a ball with her hands over her head. The light flicked on. “Don’t touch me!” She sobbed. 

 

“Jenny, it’s alright. It’s just me.” Carol whispered. She felt something get draped over her. The towel. “Can you sit up?” Reluctantly, she pushed herself up into a sitting position. “No more lights off.” 

 

 “It keeps happening.” Jennifer said into her knees. “I didn’t want Matilda to see. She gets worried.” 

 

“She’s worried now. Luckily, she’s smart and reached out for help. Something you need to learn from her.” Carol said. “You may have been alone then, but you’re not anymore.” 

 

“You read what happened when I asked for help.” 

 

“That wasn’t a person, that was a monster.” Carol sighed. “But I understand now why it’s difficult for you.” 

 

“She let him.” Jennifer sniffled. “And you know what she did when she came back? She spit on me.” 

 

“I’m going to touch you.” Carol said. Jennifer remained silent. She felt the towel begin to slide up and down her body. “Look up.” She slowly lifted her head out from under her knees as Carol began to dry her hair. She reached for the towel to do it herself, but her hands were batted away. “We’ll take it slow, alright. Think you can stand up?” Jennifer nodded and took her offered hand. 

 

“I want to go back to bed.” Jennifer whimpered.

 

“No, no more bed. Let’s try and go downstairs for a little bit and say hello. Let’s get you dressed.” Carol said, handing her her clothing one article at a time. “There, you’ve eaten. You're clean. You're dressed. Do you feel at least a little better?” Jennifer shrugged. 

 

She was marched outside her bedroom, Carol pushing her forward from behind her like a prison guard. It was when she was halfway down the stairs and heard a male voice that she tried to make a break for it. She turned and tried to sprint back up the stairs, but Carol was holding her in place.

 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. It’s okay. It’s only Mr. Trilby.” Carol whispered in her ear. 

 

“Let me go back to bed, please.” Jennifer cried as she twisted and fought.

 

“It’s only Mr. Trilby. He’s not going to hurt you. It’s okay. In fact.” Carol raised her voice and shouted down the stairs. “MR. TRILBY WAS JUST ABOUT TO TAKE MATILDA FOR ICE CREAM.” 

 

“I WAS?” A voice shouted back. 

 

“YEP, AND THEN THE MOVIES.”

 

“She doesn’t like the movies, It’s too loud.” Jennifer said. “She can stay. It’s okay. Maybe being around her will help.”

 

“UMM, SCRATCH THAT, MR. TRILBY WILL BE TAKING MY PURSE AND GETTING ICE CREAM AND BRINGING IT BACK.”

 

“MR. TRILBY IS VERY CONFUSED RIGHT NOW!” He yelled back followed by Matilda's laughter. “WHY DOES MR. TRILBY HAVE TO CARRY YOUR PURSE?” More laughter. Carol playfully rolled her eyes and muttered what sounded like “men.”

 

“Can you come say hello?” Carol asked. Jennifer hesitated. “I’ll be with you, it’s okay.” 

She took a slow step down and then another. “There’s nothing to be afraid of.”  

 

Her eyes scanned the kitchen as they entered, Carol holding her in place by the arm. 

 

“Mommy!” Matilda said, a wide smile on her face. Mommy. 

 

“Hi, honey.” She bent down and kissed the top of her head. “Thank you.” she whispered, before her eyes darted around searching for the other occupant. 

 

“What do you all think?” Mr. Trilby asked, Carol’s purse held up high on his shoulder as he entered the kitchen and struck a pose. 

 

Matilda burst into giggles. 

 

“Oh, you silly old man. Give me that.” 

 

“She called me old.” Mr. Trilby fake cried as Carol yanked her purse away before pressing a crumpled bill in his hand. “What does everyone want?” 

 

“Pralines and Cream.”

 

“Chocolate.”

 

He turned to look at Jennifer.

 

“O-oh, uhh, n-no thank you.” she managed to choke out.

 

“She likes Rocky Road.” Matilda said. 

 

Jennifer collapsed into a chair when he left. 

 

“It’ll get easier.” Carol said, sitting down at the table to her left. “Now,” she pulled her phone off the wall and handed it to her. “Call your boyfriend back before he drops Hortensia off at the nearest fire station.” 

 

With trembling fingers, she punched in the number she already had memorized. She held her breath as she listened to the other line ring. He’s not home. He’s not home, she silently chanted, but when she heard his voice answer, she panicked and hung up. 

 

“Jenny…” Carol said.

 

“He wasn’t there.” Jennifer lied. The phone began to ring in her hand. She jumped and stared at it.

 

“Answer it.” 

 

She shut her eyes tight and answered it.

 

“Jenny?” It was him. 

 

“H-hi.” She said in a shaky voice.

 

“Is everything okay? I’ve been calling you.” 

 

“I’m sorry. i-I haven’t been downstairs much.” 

 

“How are you doing?”

 

“Better.” She lied. “How is everything there? How’s Hortensia?”

 

“Well, let me, um, go to the other room for a second.” Jennifer winced. That was code for stuff was going down. “I’ve noticed a bit of odd behavior.” He said after a minute. “My daughter has this toy, a Furby…” 

 

“Did she break it? I’m so sorry. I’ll pay to replace it.” Jennifer said.

 

“No, no she hasn’t broken anything. She hasn’t had any of those events you described either.”

 

“Oh?” Well that was a relief, but it wasn’t like they were everyday occurrences. 

 

“I’ve seen Hortensia talking to it.” 

 

“Talking to it? Isn’t that how you play with them?”

 

“No, I mean like, having a full conversation with it. And she brings it everywhere with her. To garden, to meals, she sleeps with it. She stays in Hazel’s room all night and doesn’t talk to my kids at all. Even when I said they could work together, she goes off by herself.”

 

“Oh, that’s umm…” She didn’t really know what to make of it. “Is she talking to the ghosts?” He cleared his throat.

 

“I’m being serious.” 

 

“So am I.” Jennifer said and pinched her eyes shut. “The ghosts, they, uh, took an interest in Hortensia when we were there.” 

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“Your wife and the little girl. I saw them.”

 

“You saw them?” Brian asked, suspicion evident in his voice.

 

“She was talking to me through the radio.” He was silent for a moment. “Haven’t you seen them?”

 

“No.” He said solemnly. “Things move around sometimes. Things I thought I lost appear on the counter. Coffee mugs get knocked over. The thing you saw with the magnets…”He stopped for a moment and took a deep breath. “It was the most active i’ve ever seen. To be honest, I was scared.” 

 

“You were right though. It is her.” Jennifer said. “I saw her when you went to check on Hazel. She was with Hortensia, sort of like she was looking after her.” 

 

“Why would she show herself to you and not me?” Brian demanded. Jennifer was taken aback. He sighed. “Sorry, it’s just, we’re her family. Why would she show herself to strangers and not us?”

 

“I don’t know. I only saw her for a second.” Jennifer admitted. “Maybe I imagined it. We were just looking at her picture.” Although she knew she hadn’t. 

 

“What time do you want me to drop her off?” 

 

“What?”

 

“For her appointment. It’s Wednesday.” Jennifer winced. She had forgotten. She looked up at the clock. 

 

“Now.” 

 

When she hung up she grimaced and looked at Carol. 

 

“I need a favor.” Jennifer admitted. 

“What?”

 

“We have an appointment today with the therapist.” Carol looked pleased.

 

“Good. You need it.” She said. 

 

“I need a ride. My car is…” 

 

“That’s fine. What time?”

 

“In an hour.” 

 

“Some air will do you good. Now what’s this I hear about a ghost?” 

 

“Yeah,” Matilda said. She had been watching Jennifer intently while she had been on the phone. She filled them in. 

 

“That’s umm, different.” Carol said after listening. Jennifer shrugged.

 

“A ghost mom, really?” Matilda asked. 

 

“You move things with your mind.” Jennifer pointed out before sighing. “And I, uhh, might need you to give a demonstration of that.” She was getting the feeling he thought she was nuts. 

 

“Hey, Carol?” 

 

“Hmm?”

 

“In your…field, can you tell if someone was abused by looking?” Carol’s eyebrows went up. 

 

“Sometimes.” Carol said slowly. “Why do you ask?”

 

“I saw something.” Jennifer whispered, coming closer so Matilda couldn’t hear. “On Hortensia.” Carol’s eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t know what it, uh, is supposed to look like, but I saw something. Could you-”

 

“No,” Carol said flatly. “If you’re concerned, you need to take her to a doctor.” 

 

“But you are-”

 

“I’m not.” Carol insisted. 

 

“But you did it for me.” Carol brushed it away. 

 

“One, you are a consenting adult. Two, I told you to see a real doctor, and three,” Carol said before pausing. “I just wanted to see how it healed.” 

 

Jennifer deflated. She didn’t want to take her back to the doctor after the fiasco she caused last time. 

 

“What if I ask her and she says yes?” Jennifer tried. Carol made a dismissive noise. 

 

“She won’t.” 

 

“If she does?” Carol sighed. 

 

“Fine, but if I see anything, you have to take her to a doctor. Why were you looking there anyway?” 

 

“I was helping her with a nappy.”

 

“A nappy? You put her in a nappy?” Carol asked, eyebrows raised. Matilda was laughing. 

 

“She wets the bed.” Matilda snickered. Jennifer gave her a hard stare until the girl sank down in her seat. 

 

“That’s a sign by itself.” Carol mused. “You really should get her checked out.” 

 

There was a knock on the door. Jennifer lifted her head and stared. It was too soon for it to be Brian. 

 

“Matilda, can you get the door?” Carol asked. Jennifer sank back down in her seat. She wasn’t ready to interact with someone trying to push a vacuum on her. Matilda stood and left the kitchen. Matilda came back a moment later with a sour look on her face. 

 

“Who is it?” 

 

“Cynthia.” She said. Jennifer let her head fall in her hands. She was not in the mood to deal with that woman. 

 

“What does she want?” She groaned.

 

“She says she’s here to get Hortensia.” Jennifer frowned. 

 

“I’ll deal with her. You sit tight.” Carol said. Had Hortensia made plans with her? She couldn’t imagine she had. Jennifer looked up expectantly when she heard footsteps approach. “I think you need to hear what she has to say.” 

 

“Let her in.” Jennifer sighed. 

 

…

 

“We’re moving soon.” Cynthia said as Carol set a couple mugs of tea down on the table. “We’re planning on taking Hortensia with us so she can be closer to her mom. We’ve already made the arrangements.”

 

“Arrangements? What arrangements? Eve is okay with this?” Jenny asked doubtfully. 

 

“Yes, it was her idea.” Cynthia said as she picked up a mug and stared at her massive son who was hunched in the corner playing with a bug.

 

“I don’t think Hortensia wants this.” Jennifer said. Cynthia let out a chuckle.

 

“It doesn’t matter what she wants.” 

 

“No.” Jennifer said. Cynthia raised an eyebrow. 

 

“No?”

 

“She’s not going with you.” Jennifer said. Cynthia let out another demeaning laugh.

 

“It’s not up to you. You’re not her parent. As far as Eve’s told me, you’re not even her legal guardian. She’s just your daughter’s friend staying for the summer. Now where is she? We’re planning on having her move in today.”

 

“Today? But, you’re not moving today, I thought you said you wouldn’t be moving for a few months!” 

 

“Is that your car I saw out front?” Cynthia asked cooly. “Did she do that?” Jennifer began to stammer. “You can’t control her.” Cynthia said. “She needs a firm hand, and I’m sorry, but from what I’ve heard, your gentle approach isn’t what she needs right now.” 

 

“No.” Jennifer whimpered. The phone began to ring. 

 

“Aren't you going to get that?” Cynthia asked. 

 

“I’ll get it.” Carol said. Jennifer’s mind raced as she tried to think of something to say, but she was drawing a blank. “Yes, she’s here now.” Carol said through gritted teeth. “A heads up would have been nice.” she muttered before handing over the phone. “It’s Eve.” 

 

“Eve, what are you doing?” Jennifer demanded. “Why is Cynthia trying to take Hortensia? You know she doesn’t want to go with her.” 

“She is my daughter.” Eve said. “I’m being transferred and I want her to be closer to me. Is that so unreasonable?” It wasn’t but… 

 

“Eve, I-I think something bad is happening to her there.” She whispered into the phone, her hand cupping the receiver. Eve snorted.

 

“Don’t believe it for a second.” Eve said, sounding exasperated.. “She’s been making up shit about them since she could talk.” 

 

“Then why are you allowing it? Why would you let them have any contact at all with her? Those are serious accusations!” 

 

“Jennifer, you don’t know Hortensia like I do. She makes up stuff to try and weasel her way out of trouble. You know what she told me on our last visit? That Aiden made her break your car or he’d get the guards to beat me up. Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?”

 

“But did he?” Jennifer asked.

 

“NO!” Eve shouted. “Jennifer, look, I appreciate everything you’ve done so far, I really do, but I can’t afford for anything like this to happen again. I can’t afford to pay damages if she breaks anything. I have no money!”

 

“I- I’m not asking you to fix it.” Jennifer said numbly. “She really is making progress.”

 

“Jennifer, please. She’s too out of control for you. She needs a stricter living situation. She can’t be allowed to run amok and do whatever she wants. Please put her on the phone.”

 

“She’s not here.” Jennifer said. “She’s at a friend's house.” Eve let out a groan. 

 

“This is what I'm talking about. She broke your car and you let her go hang out with her friends?”

 

“N-No,” Jennifer said back pedaling. “She’s with my boyfriend doing yard work as punishment.”

 

“You just said she was at a friend's house. Which is it?”

 

“She’s friends with his kids. She’s staying with him to give each other a break. He’s putting her to work.” 

 

“She’s staying with a man I don’t know?” Eve said, sounding appalled. “How long have you been dating him?” Jennifer shut her eyes and remained silent. 

 

The doorbell rang again. Jennifer winced. She was tempted to tell Brian to take Hortensia back. 

 

“She’s here.” Jennifer mumbled into the phone. Hortensia walked into the kitchen and stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted Cynthia. 

 

“Go pack your things.” Cynthia told her. Hortensia’s eyes fell on Jennifer, a look of deep hurt etched into her features.

 

Jennifer handed her the phone where a screaming match soon ensued. Jennifer let her head fall into her hands. There was shouting, swearing and crying. Hortensia angrily slammed  the phone. She stared at Jennifer with a tear streaked face. 

 

“You promised.” 

 

[CDfm]

One more time on the emotional roller coaster.  Again I am left with a broken heart.  Child abuse is one thing that just isn’t tolerated at all.  I have arrested a few who were accused of sexual assault on a child and they were lucky to get to jail. If Cynthia’s husband is abusing Hortensia he needs to go hide under a big rock.  
While it wasn’t clearly stated, discussion seems to confirm that it was Hortensia’s father who raped Jennifer. That’s another one who needs to hide to remain among the living. 
I continue to be amazed at the quality of the story and always want to read more. 

[SashaButters]

“There was nothing you could have done.” Carol said, sliding Jennifer a fresh mug of tea. They had just returned from dropping off the last of Hortensia’s things at Cynthia’s. Hortensia had refused to even say goodbye to her. She couldn’t get last week out of her mind. The hurt look in her eyes. 

 

“What if they hurt her?” Jennifer asked. She hung her head and stared at the floating tea bag in her mug. 

 

“But what if they're not?” Carol asked. “You did the right thing. There was nothing you could have done but get the police involved. And it wouldn’t have ended in your favor.” 

 

“How could you assume they're not?” Jennifer asked, staring at her. “Someone needs to investigate! She wouldn’t lie about something like this!”

 

“Jenny,” Carol said. “The fact that they are so used to these accusations… What’s more likely? A mother who’s close family friend is raping her daughter? And taking his word over her own daughters to boot? Or an 11 year old acting out? You know she’s never been what we’d call stable.” 

 

“I can’t take that chance.” Jennifer said.  

 

“Have you ever heard of something called the “Satanic Panic”? It happened over the course of the last decade in the states.” 

 

“No, what?” 

 

“It was a phenomena of kids of all ages accusing their parents and neighbors of sexual acts against them, even though none of them committed any. They were being locked up left and right simply because a child pointed at them. And the general assessment was ‘Kids don’t lie about something like this so it must be true.’ 

 

“But why would they say they did if they didn’t?” 

 

“It all had to do with the way they were questioned. They were putting words in the kids mouths, and interrogating them for hours until they said they were being molested. The investigators were causing false confessions.”

 

“I don’t see how that’s possible.”

 

“Like this, the investigator would go up to a small child and ask. Is anyone sticking their penis in your vagina or your butt hole? Is anyone touching your vagina or butt hole?’ Really straight forward  graphic questions to ask a small child. And they’d ask over and over and over, until the child realizes the only way to make it stop is to tell them what they want to hear. So the child would make a statement like “so and so touched my penis and made me stick it in his butthole.”

Jennifer grimaced. She didn’t like graphic words, no matter how many times Carol told her they weren’t graphic, they were “correct”. 

 

“So then the investigators would go, ‘Oh no, why does the child know about sticking a penis in a butt hole? They must be being abused! Kids wouldn’t lie about something like that.’ Maybe for some reason, Hortensia feels pressured to say she was. Or maybe she’s just being manipulative to get her way. There could be so many reasons.” 

 

“That’s not what’s going on here.” Jennifer insisted. 

 

“How do you know?”

 

“Because she never said she’s being abused.” Jennifer said. Carol wrinkled her face in confusion. “Not to me or her therapist.” 

 

“Okay, then she’s not. See?” 

 

“But she is.” Jennifer insisted. 

 

“I don’t follow.” 

 

“You didn’t see what I saw.” 

 

“You don’t know what you saw, remember? Jen, all I’m saying is, stop feeling like you sentenced her to death. There’s nothing you can do. You went above and beyond for her, given what her parents did to you.” 

 

“What her parents did?”

 

“Well, if it was Hortensia’s dad who attacked you, then that answers the question of whether Eve is innocent or not. This case has nothing to do with our hostage situation and everything to do with your letter and attack. You got pregnant, Agatha panicked when you wouldn’t get an abortion. People would ask questions. She took matters into her own hands, you just got caught with your hand down your pants at the time. Agatha panics when she realizes how much she’d hurt you and calls the only other person in on it. Jacob. He then sends his medical student wife to go clean up the mess. She knew you were being abused for three months and blackmailed your aunt instead.” 

 

“If she knew she wouldn’t have brought Hortensia with her.” Jennifer said with a sigh. “But I get it. I think she’s guilty too.”

 

“So then why were you watching their pain in the ass kid? For free.”

 

“She suffered with us. My aunt broke her arm and traumatized her. She called me for help. I couldn’t look the other way.” 

 

Carol smiled at her. “You took her in before you knew it was her.” Oh. Right. She had. “So how have you been this week? Was this the first time you left the house?” 

 

“No, I went out yesterday. Matilda walked me to the library.” Jennifer said with a faint smile. “I’m going to try going to the office tomorrow.” Back to where it happened. “School starts soon and I still have things to do.”

 

“Do you want me to come with you?” 

 

“No, I’ll be okay.” Jennifer said. In truth, Brian had offered to go with her and she had taken him up on it. Matilda had been talking up their new awesome playground and Hazel wanted to see it. The boys had been glued to Matilda’s side since she had demonstrated her powers and they were challenging her to lift bigger and heavier things. She had walked in on her making Hazel hover in the air and almost had a conniption fit. 

 

The phone rang snapping her from her thoughts. She stood and answered it. It was Eve. Reluctantly, she accepted the charges. What did Eve have to say now? 

 

“Jennifer?” she asked.

 

“Yes, Eve, is there a problem?” She asked a little more colder than she had meant. 

 

“Hortensia says she’s missing a bag of letters and cards.”

 

“It wasn’t in with the stuff we dropped off?” She wondered why Hortensia didn’t call her herself and ask. Still mad at her, she assumed. 

 

“No. She’s worried about them.” Eve said. “Do you think you could look? They’re important to her. It’s all her letters from her dad.” 

 

“Sure, I’ll look.”

 

“...And Jennifer, thank you for looking after her all summer. I really mean it. I’m sorry I put you into this position and made you look like the enemy.” Jennifer remained quiet for a moment.

 

“Are you sure she’s safe?” She finally asked.

 

“I trust these people with my life. Aiden, he’s really stepped up and been like a father to her.” Eve said. “All the neighborhood kids love him. He’s known her all her life. He’s taught her how to ride a bike, took her Trick or Treating for me when I had to work late, helped her with her homework. Both of them volunteer at our church with the kids.

 Hortensia, she gets mad and says and does things without thinking. She’s never been able to control her temper.  When she was six she started telling me he had cornered her at her own birthday party and assaulted her. You should have seen the crushed look on his face when I confronted them. He was so hurt. He had even just splurged, and bought her this bike I couldn’t afford. Then when I pressed her for more information, she started changing her story until it was no longer plausible. Another parent said they saw her on the trampoline around the same time this attack was supposedly going on. Come to find out, Hortensia and Cynthia had gotten into this big fight over, I don’t know, telling her to turn off the telly and do her homework. Something trivial. 

She has a tantrum, she gets spanked, and next thing you know, she tells the other neighbors he raped her and she hit her when she tried to tell on him. It’s the same thing. She gets in trouble, gets angry, makes up a story that can easily be disputed.” Eve said with a sigh. “I’ve tried your approach Jennifer, I really have. I’ve taken her to therapy before. Of course I raised alarm bells. I took her to be examined. I’ve taken her to our church's pastor for counseling, and they all told me the same thing. She’s being vindictive. She acts out when she doesn’t get her way. I just- I really thought she had outgrown this. Cynthia was right to register her.” 

 

 

 

“Register her?” Jennifer asked, snapping back from her thoughts. 

 

“Her and Aiden are sending her to a program hosted by the church. They call it The Salvation Station. It’s a boot camp for girls with behavioral problems. They tear them down and build them back up. They’re going to pay for it with a little of the money from selling their house.” 

 

“And how long is this program?” Jennifer asked. Her lip was already curled in disgust at the words “church” and “bootcamp..” She wasn’t fond of the religious community. 

 

“If she finishes the program, October until January.”

 

“Four months!” Jennifer said, horrified. She had been cringing at the thought of a weekend retreat.

 

“Three months. If they feel she hasn't been rehabilitated, they’ll add another three months, and so on, but that’s only the extreme cases. Hortensia isn’t an extreme. She’s not into drugs or pregnant. She'll be done in the first round. They have their own medical center there and everything, given how many parents send their kids to detox or have babies.” 

 

“Uhhh, that sounds a bit unnecessary. She’s only eleven.” Jennifer said, mind reeling in shock. They were going to lump her in with the older kids? How did they think being in contact with drug addicts was going to help her daughter? Hortensia didn’t need something that extreme. And she hadn’t ruled out the possibility of abuse. The red flags were still high in the air. 

 

“We’re all at our wits end with her. Something drastic has to change.” 

 

“But, but what about school? And you said you wanted her to be closer to you!”

 

“From what i’ve heard from Aiden, she’ll continue school there. And of course I want to see her, it's just…” Eve let out a sigh. She sounded exhausted. “I don’t know what to do anymore. You’re right, she is only eleven, but what about when she’s twelve, or thirteen? Fourteen? Fifteen? What kind of trouble will she get into then? Her behavior is getting worse, not better.” 

 

Jennifer remained silent. She didn’t like the idea of sending Hortensia away. What kind of schooling would she possibly get at a religious camp? Indoctrination wasn’t the answer. 

 

“I don’t think it’s a good idea.” She finally said. “What if they break her down and can’t build her back up? She already looks so broken.”

 

“It’s an act Jen, it’s all an act.” Eve said. “You’ve had one summer with her. I’ve had eleven years. I know her pattern. I’m her mother.” Jennifer supposed she was right. Maybe she was being played. Maybe she did have it backwards. Maybe her tough, and uncaring outward exterior was her real self and that shy, timid and fearful girl was the act. 

 

“She never told me she was being abused.” Jennifer said as she climbed the stairs. “She never fed me a sob story.”

 

“Really?” Eve sounded surprised. 

 

“Really, I’ve even asked her directly if she was. She always said no.” Jennifer said. That’s one of the things that was bothering her. 

 

“Well, that makes me feel a little better.” Eve said. “But then, why did you say you thought she was being abused if she didn’t tell you?” 

 

“Our therapist mentioned something to me. 70% of people with these kinds of episodes have been the victim of some kind of abuse. I don’t know whether or not it’s sexual, physical or emotional, but I have my suspicions that something's going on.” And now she was about to break her number one promise. She shut her eyes in a grimace. “Has Hortensia ever been a bedwetter?” 

 

“Oh God yes, It didn’t start back up, did it?” Jennifer sighed. Hortensia had told her she hadn’t been. So she was being lied to the entire time. 

 

“Yeah. It’s been almost every night since she moved in.”  

 

“Damn it.” Eve said. “She managed to go a couple years without. She made me promise not to say anything, or I would have explained I had dealt with something similar when you were dealing with Matilda’s.” 

 

“I see.” Jennifer said. She let out a humorless laugh. “She told me she’d never had this problem before and begged me not to say anything to you or Cynthia. That’s why I took her to the doctor that one time.” 

 

“You see what I mean now?”

 

“I’m starting to.” Jennifer admitted, although it pained her too. While she looked around the room, she couldn’t help but notice the new damage to the walls. Had she punched them? She felt a pang of annoyance and with it the realization maybe it was best Hortensia moved out.  She could focus more on Matilda and her studies. More on the school itself. She could have peace and quiet again. Have the nights to herself when she put Matilda to bed. “Why am I so gullible?” 

 

“Because you’re a good person and want to see the best in every child.” Eve said.  

 

 Jennifer cringed. She hadn’t meant to say that outloud. 

 

She pulled out drawers. Opened the closet and looked underneath the bed. Nothing.

 

“I don’t see them.” 

 

“Hmm, well thanks for looking.”

 

“I’ll keep an eye out for them. If I find them I’ll bring them to school.”

 

She hung up and eyed the room one last time. There was one place she hadn’t checked. She pulled the bed out from against the wall and heard her prize fall with a soft thunk. She kneeled on the bed and reached her hand over between the space against the wall and the bed. Her hand came into contact with something plastic. She pulled it up. Jackpot. 

 

She was about to get up when she noticed something else. She reached down and brought the fuzzy stuffed animal into view. Oh, Spot. Hortensia would want him back as soon as possible. She wondered if this is what she was really after. 

 

She went back downstairs with the objects in her hand and set them on the table. 

 

Carol began to rummage through the bag almost at once. Jennifer frowned. It seemed like an invasion of her privacy.

 

“What are you doing?” Jennifer asked.

 

“I noticed something.” Carol mumbled as she examined handfuls of cards. “What are these?”

 

“Cards from her dad.” Jennifer said. She picked one up and examined it. “Liverpool.” she read in the top left corner. She picked up another one. “Wales. Manchester. Dublin. Belfast. He sure travels a lot.” 

 

“Someone’s going to be pissed when she realizes these didn’t come from her dad.” Carol mused. 

 

“They didn’t?” 

 

“No, probably her mom pretending to be him to save her feelings.”

 

“That doesn’t sound like something Eve would do.” Jennifer said with a frown. She stared at the card. Eve and Cynthia were all about Hortensia growing up. “Why would you say it wasn’t from him?” 

 

“Because these haven’t been mailed. There’s no postmark on any of these.” Carol said. Jennifer looked again as she flipped through the envelopes. She was right. Not a single one had been mailed, only made to look like they had. 

 

“Why?” 

 

“Maybe Eve didn’t want Hortensia to feel abandoned.” 

 

 Jennifer pulled a card out and examined it. It was a cheap, generic looking card from the drugstore. She read it. 

 

Happy Birthday, 

 

You’re growing up so fast. 

Scotland is beautiful. I wish I could show you. 

I love you,

 

-Dad

 

P.s. Remember to always do what you're told.

 

Jennifer pulled out a few more and read. 

 

P.s. I hear you’re causing your neighbors trouble. Make sure you listen to them.

 

P.s. Listen to Aiden and do what he tells you.

 

What an odd thing to add to birthday cards, she thought. She sealed them back up in their original envelopes and put them back in the bag. Carol was right. They clearly hadn’t been sent by her dad. 

 

Carol slid something across the table. Jennifer picked it up and examined it. A little blond girl was riding on a very tall man’s shoulders with a wide smile on both their faces. She stared at him.

 

“Is this her dad?” Jennifer asked. She had never seen a picture of him.

 

“Is that your Tall Man?” 

 

Just when she thought she had all the pieces to her story…

 

“No.” 

 

…

 

Jennifer stood on the front porch holding the bag on cards in one hand and the much loved stuffed animal in the other. She rang the bell and waited. A curtain shifted to the side to her left. A moment later she could hear a lock unlatch and the door opened. Cynthia stuck her head out. A disappointed pang rang in her chest. She had hoped Hortensia would answer. 

 

“Is Tens here?” Jennifer asked. “I have her things.” Hortensia came into view behind the large woman. Her eyes widened. She shook her head as she eyed the dog. 

 

“You’re not bringing that germ infested, ratty thing in this house.” Cynthia said, turning towards Hortensia. Jennifer could see her shoulders slump. “I thought you threw that thing away years ago. You’re too old for stuffed animals.” 

 

“Maybe you could give it to Matilda.” Hortensia mumbled. Jennifer handed her the bag of cards. “Thanks.”

 

“How are you?” Jennifer asked. Hortensia shrugged and looked away. “Would you like to come with us? We’re meeting Brian and the kids at the school.”

 

“She’s grounded.” Cynthia answered for her, arms crossed with a scowl across her face. 

 

“Oh, okay.” Jennifer said. “Well, give me a hug then and I’ll see you when school starts.”

 

“Not after you’ve been touching that dirtbag. Go, go inside.” Cynthia ordered her. Hortensia gave Jennifer what looked like a desperate pleading look before turning and headed back inside. 

“You’re always welcome over.” Jennifer called before the door closed on her. 

 

…

 

“Ugh, when are you going to fix your car?” Matilda complained as they walked to school. She didn’t like having to get up this early in the morning. She could have at least slept in an extra thirty minutes if they didn’t have to walk.

 

“Walking Is good for you.” Jennifer said. “We used to walk everywhere together, don’t you miss it?” Matilda grumbled. The sun wasn’t even out yet. 

 

“Come inside with me for a bit.” Jennifer called out when she tried to make a beeline for the playground. Matilda slumped her shoulders in disappointment. What was the point of being dragged to school so early if she didn’t get extra time on the playground? The world just seemed so much brighter sitting atop the monkey bars. 

 

“Feels so strange not going to the year 1 room.” Jennifer said as they walked towards the office. 

 

“What year am I in?” Matilda asked. She knew she wouldn’t be going to any classrooms with the other students, but to a desk in Jenny’s office to work at her own pace without the distractions of the classroom. 

 

“I have you registered in the top form.” 

 

“So I’m in Hortensia’s year?” 

 

“Yes.”

 

“Will we have the same work?” 

 

“For as long as she can keep up with you.”

 

“The first ten minutes in each subject, then.’ Matilda said. 

 

“She got fairly caught up to you in math.” Jennifer said. “She’ll make it at least twenty minutes.” 

 

“Why were you making her do all those worksheets anyway?” Matilda asked. She had been surprised when she had taken a peek at it one day. She had expected basic arithmetic problems, like multiplication and long division, but she had seen algebra equations. 

 

“I wanted her to get caught up before school started. I saw her grades from last year and she said math frustrated her.” 

 

“Were those the problems she had a hard time with last year?” Matilda asked suspiciously. She hadn’t seen any questions like that when they had been in the same class. 

 

“Uh, well, she caught up faster than I thought she would.” Jennifer admitted. “She was catching on so fast that I just…kept going.” 

 

“So what year of math were you giving her?” Matilda asked. 

 

“Year eight.” Jennifer admitted with a guilty grin. 

 

“You went through three years of math over the summer?” What had Jenny done? Put her through mathematical boot camp? 

 

 “She’s quite clever when she isn’t stressed.” Jennifer said with a shrug. “I tried to take the stress out. I’m hoping I won’t see her in my office as much as Ms. Trunchbull did.” 

 

But that wasn’t to be the case, Matilda soon realized. She was sitting at her desk tucked away in the corner when Jenny got the call. 

 

“Hortensia.” Miss Honey said with a sigh. She sat at her desk while Hortensia sat in front in a little fold up chair.  “It hasn’t even been an hour in the new school year and you’ve already been sent to me.” Matilda couldn’t see her from her position. No one would know Matilda was even there unless they walked behind Miss Honey’s desk and peeked into the space off to the side. It was kind of strange knowing her desk was where the Chokey used to be. 

 

“I understand you’re moving and you don’t think your time here is important, but it is.” Jennifer went on. “I know it’s early, and it’s hard to get back into the routine of getting up, but can you try and stay awake? And when your teacher tells you to wake up, please refrain from responding with ‘get bent.’ 20 lines. “I will be courteous, polite and respect my teacher’s authority.” 

 

Matilda doubted Hortensia even knew how to spell courteous. She snickered quietly in the corner while she studied her text book. Maybe working out of the office could be fun if she got to eavesdrop on everyone who got in trouble. 

 

“Matilda, what year do you want to go to lunch with?” 

 

“You’re letting me pick?” Matilda asked, surprised. Jenny had just spent the walk to school reminding her just because she was Headmistress didn’t mean Matilda would be getting special privileges. Says the woman who had practically pulled her out of school to work independently in her office, Matilda thought. 

 

“Can I trust you’ll stay out of trouble?” Jennifer asked. “No using your powers to play kickball or anything like that.” Matilda quickly shook her head with her fingers crossed underneath the desk. 

 

She thought about it. She didn’t really want to hang out with Hortensia, they had been together all summer, but she didn’t really want to spend time with her old classmates either. Lavender would probably be telling them how much trouble Matilda had caused at the summer camp. They never really saw Matilda as one of them anyway. 

 

“When are you going to lunch?” Matilda asked when she couldn’t make up her mind. 

 

“I’m going to meet Carol for lunch around noon. Do you want to go to recess then?” 

 

“Oh, umm, I guess.” Matilda said. She had been hoping they could have lunch together. 

 

“Who goes to lunch then?” She watched Miss Honey pull a schedule out of her drawer. “Top form.”

 

“Technically my class.” Matilda said. 

 

“Think you can keep Hortensia out of trouble?”

 

“Doubt it.” Matilda grumbled. 

 

The day had gone by so fast and she was so entranced in her work, she didn’t notice Miss Honey had been calling her until a shadow loomed over her desk. Matilda looked up as Miss Honey laughed. She hadn’t seen her mother so much as smile all week, let alone laugh. Matilda put down her pencil and stretched her limbs. She was stiff from sitting in the same position for hours on end.  She stood and went to the restroom, a feature she quite fancied about her new study arrangements. She could just get up and go whenever she wanted. No more asking for permission and being denied. No more pull ups. No more hallway passes. No more being accosted in the halls by prefects on power trips. 

 

“Oy, you there. Shrimp.” Matilda stopped in the middle of the hallway on her way to the playground. She turned around. Never mind, she thought glumly. Here’s one now. The older boy stepped in front of her blocking her path, a shiny Prefect pin on his chest. “Where do you think you’re going?” 

 

“Recess.” Matilda said, stepping aside to move past him. He stepped in front of her again.

 

“I don’t think so. It’s not your time up.” He said, crossing his arms. “You need to go back to class.”

 

“I’m not in a class.” Matilda said. 

 

“Obviously.” The freckled boy said, rolling his eyes. “Where’s your hall pass?”

 

“I don’t have a hall pass.” Matilda said. “I’m going to meet my class on the playground. I’ve been told to go to lunch. ” 

 

“Everyone needs a hall pass, and like I already told you. It’s not your time for recess. Go back to class and I’ll let it slide since it’s the first day and you must be new here.” 

 

“Roger, let her through.” Miss Honey said. “I told her to go to recess.” 

 

“She doesn’t have a hall pass, headmistress.” 

 

“Oh, right, sorry, I forgot to write her one.” She ducked back into her office and came back with a note and handed it to Matilda. “You can stop with all that headmistress stuff.” Jennifer said, waving her hand. “Miss Honey is fine, and if you run into other prefects, you can tell them my daughter has permission to be out in the hallways. I might be using her for small favors throughout the year.” 

 

“Your daughter?” The boy named Roger asked. He looked Matilda up and down again. “I think I remember you now.”

 

“I was in your class for a few weeks last year.” Matilda said. 

 

“Right.” Roger said, looking uninterested. Matilda left eying the note Miss Honey had written for her and bit back a smile. Unlimited hallway privileges. So much for no special treatment Matilda thought with a snicker. She put the note in her pocket and joined the other kids on the playground. 

 

She spotted Hortensia sitting atop the monkey bars, her feet dangling over the edge while her friends surrounded her. Unsure what else to do, Matilda made her way over, imagining Hortensia begging for her forgiveness as they made eye contact. Only, when their eyes met, Hortensia didn’t look happy to see her.

 

“What are you doing here, runt?” Hortensia demanded. The kids surrounding her laughed. Runt? 

 

“I’m in top form too, and it’s lunch time” Matilda said, gesturing around. 

 

“You’re not in top form.” Another boy sneered. “You weren't in our class. What are you, a first year?” 

 

“What? Did Miss Honey send you to spy on me?” Hortensia grumbled. Matilda shrugged. Yes, she was pretty sure she had. “Well you can tell Miss Honey this.” She stuck both her middle fingers up. Matilda scowled as the other kids laughed. 

 

“You didn’t act so big when Miss Honey was tucking you in every night and reading you a bedtime story.” Matilda said. The other kids went quiet. Hortensia’s face was beginning to glow red.

 

“Dude, I thought you said you were at a friend's house all summer.” One of the boys said. 

 

“She was.” Matilda said. “My house.” 

 

“Dude, you were living with the headmistress and her pet?” Her pet? Matilda scowled. 

 

“You're no friend of mine, pipsqueak. Get lost.” Hortensia said icily. Matilda grabbed hold of one of Hortensia’s dangling legs with her powers and lightly tugged it.

 

“Take it back.” Matilda threatened.

 

“Or what?” One of the boys laughed. “You gonna run and tell mommy?”  Hortensia was glaring at her. 

 

“I’ll do it.” Matilda said calmly. The other kids began to snicker. 

 

“No you wouldn’t.” Hortensia said. Matilda yanked and Hortensia fell off the monkey bars. 

 

“Smooth one.” One of the boys said. He offered her a hand up but Hortensia smacked it away before pushing herself up and getting into Matilda’s face.

 

“Don’t mess with me.” Hortensia growled in her ear. “You think I care if I get in trouble? I have nothing left to lose.” She pushed Matilda back, but not so forcefully Matilda couldn’t stay on her feet. She pushed her again and again until they were both outside of the playground perimeter. “Go pick a different lunch time.” Hortensia mumbled, but gentler this time before returning to her friends.

 

“Dude, you know she’s going to tell on you.” Matilda heard someone say.

 

“I don’t fucking care.” Hortensia snapped. “Trunchbull didn’t scare me. You think some pushover like Miss Honey is going to?” 

 

Yes, Matilda thought.

 

“She pushed you?” Miss Honey exclaimed when they had gotten back from lunch. 

 

“Called me a pipsqueak and told me to go pick a different recess.” Matilda said. She hadn’t realized how much the interaction had hurt until her mom had asked how lunch was and Matilda started crying. 

 

She felt a little smug as Miss Honey called Hortensia into her office. At least until Hortensia had told on her for using her powers to knock her down in front of her friends. She hadn’t seen Jenny look so furious with her. She made Matilda come out of her cubby and sit on the other side of her desk with Hortensia.

 

“What is going on? Both of you! It is the first day of school and you’re already at each other’s throats!” 

 

“She told my friends about you reading to me!” Hortensia seethed. Jennifer’s eyes bore into Matilda as she sank in her seat. How had this turned so horribly on her? 

 

“You are not to tell anyone about anything that happened this summer.” Miss Honey said slow and firm. “That was between Hortensia and I.” Matilda quickly nodded her head. She pulled out the schedule and sighed. “Second years are having lunch now. Go.” 

Matilda blinked in confusion. “Go!” Matilda stood and made her way out of the office.

 

…

 

“She gets a second lunch break? No fair!” Hortensia complained. Jennifer eyed her for a long moment before sighing. 

 

“I thought you two got along better than this.” Hortensia scoffed. 

 

“You sent her to spy on me.” 

 

Miss Honey was about to argue but thought better of it. She sat quietly in her seat for a moment. 

 

“How are you?” She finally asked. Hortensia scoffed again. “Drop the attitude.” 

 

“How do you think?” Hortensia seethed. “Stop pretending you care.” Jennifer shut her eyes and took a deep breath. 

 

“I do care, Tens.” 

 

“You let them take me.” There it was. 

 

“It wasn’t up to me.” Jennifer said. “I tried to get your mom to reconsider…” 

 

“You know they're sending me to some religious camp for bad kids?” Hortensia said. Jennifer could see her eyes turning red. 

 

“Maybe if you are on your best behavior they’ll reconsider.”  Jennifer said. Hortensia looked insulted by the idea. “We have one month to change their mind.”

 

“We?”

 

“I’m not giving up on you, Tens.” Jennifer stood up and came around to the other side of the desk and sat across from her in a folding chair. “Why do you hate it there so much? Would you tell me the truth?” Hortensia remained quiet, avoiding her gaze. “Tell me about the birthday party.” Hortensia’s head shot up. Her eyes were wide. She suddenly stood up.

 

“I’m going back to class.” Hortensia said, slowly backing away. 

 

“Tens…”

 

“I don’t want to talk about it.”  

 

“Tens, wait!” But she was gone.

[CDfm]

Awesome!  I needed some of this story. 
So now it wasn’t Hortensia’s dad who was responsible for sexually assaulting Jennifer. I guess we will find out who is responsible eventually. 
We know that Hortensia is alive.  She probably isn’t doing as well as we would like but she is alive.  So many more questions than answers.  I understand why Eve would go to lengths to make Hortensia believe her father is alive but I can’t be sure what’s happening with him and how he fits into all of this.  I was sure I heard he had been sent to prison and that was how Cynthia and Aiden got into the mix.  Aiden was in prison with her dad. 
At the rate things are going,  I won’t be sure of my own name if I continue reading this.  How can you stop though.  I am loving it and want to see what happens. 

[SashaButters]

1 hour ago, CDfm said:

Awesome!  I needed some of this story. 
So now it wasn’t Hortensia’s dad who was responsible for sexually assaulting Jennifer. I guess we will find out who is responsible eventually. 
We know that Hortensia is alive.  She probably isn’t doing as well as we would like but she is alive.  So many more questions than answers.  I understand why Eve would go to lengths to make Hortensia believe her father is alive but I can’t be sure what’s happening with him and how he fits into all of this.  I was sure I heard he had been sent to prison and that was how Cynthia and Aiden got into the mix.  Aiden was in prison with her dad. 
At the rate things are going,  I won’t be sure of my own name if I continue reading this.  How can you stop though.  I am loving it and want to see what happens. 

Thank you, I always look forward to your reviews  

 

Hortensia has always believed her dad is a truck driver and travels all over for work and sends money home, when in reality, he (according to Eve) left the family when she was little without a word. Eve doesn't know where he is, although she has also heard rumors he was in prison, but it is a small town and rumors are easily spread. 

Carol, one of the more gossip prone characters, believed the rumors and jumped to conclusions that he was in prison when she heard Agatha's 911 call on the news and told Hortensia he was most likely in prison. 

No one yet knows his true whereabouts or why Agatha accused him and Eve of blackmail. 

 

[CDfm]

See what happens when you get old and then work to many hours?  I had that pretty confused. Apparently I wanted him in prison for some reason. Thanks for the clarification. 

[Mazamune]

Hey there,

The story is super enjoyable as always and it's true that questions start to pile up about some characters.

I'm really not sure if I want answers or the story to continue for ever...

YES! I know: both. Both is good.

😉

Thanks again,

Cheers.

[SashaButters]

5 hours ago, Mazamune said:

Hey there,

The story is super enjoyable as always and it's true that questions start to pile up about some characters.

I'm really not sure if I want answers or the story to continue for ever...

YES! I know: both. Both is good. 😉

Thanks again,

Cheers.

I have so many drafts and handwritten pages scattered everywhere over the years. I keep having to go back and read what I have posted here because it's had so many abandoned story points. That's part of the reason its so long 0.o

 

[Mazamune]

That's part of the reason it's so good. 

[SashaButters]

Brian was right about one thing. Cordless phones were the way to go, Jennifer thought as she stretched out on her bed with the phone to her ear. No more standing in the kitchen glued to the wall trying to hide from Matilda. She had let him talk her into upgrading and she was glad she had. She had never spent so much time on the phone since she had met him. Telemarketers were usually the only calls she had ever received. 

 

“So how was your first week as the boss?” he asked. 

 

“Stressful!” Jennifer answered. She didn’t much fancy being the one in charge. Everyone was now coming to her with problems she didn’t have the answers for. Budgets, testing, and organizing fundraisers to start after school clubs. It all made her head spin. “I miss being in the classroom.” Her biggest hurdle then was getting the kids to share and not catching the flu when it made its rounds. 

 

“How’s it having Matilda with you?”

 

“It’s been good. She’s so quiet I hardly remember she’s even there. She’s flying through work as usual though.” The hardest part was getting her to lie down for a nap. It was always, ‘one more chapter.’ 

 

“I don’t know how you get anything done with your kid right there. Hazel would be complaining she’s bored within the first ten minutes and Zach and Nick would be making a mess of the place.” 

 

“Oh, she’s a handful in her own way.” Jennifer said. “The girls got into a fight the first day back and she yanked Hortensia off the monkey bars with her powers.” She could hear him laughing on the other end and smiled. 

 

“I still can’t believe she can do that. I thought maybe because she was so smart she could make it look real, like sleight of hand or something, but nope. Levitated the couch, with me still on it, straight into the air.” Jennifer groaned. 

 

“She knows she isn’t supposed to use them on people, but I swear it’s like preaching to a brick wall. It feels like everything I say goes in one ear and out the other.” That was a problem with living with a little genius. She thought she knew better than everyone else. It didn’t help that she probably did. “She’s had free reign of them in the summer, but she’s having a hard time remembering to hide them.” 

 

“Is she really forgetting?” Brian asked with a laugh.

 

“Probably not.” Jennifer agreed. Although she knew she was guilty of sending mixed messages. “She makes a great personal assistant though.” 

 

“How’s Hortensia?” Jennifer let out a long exaggerated groan. 

“She’s in trouble almost everyday. She’s giving her teacher attitude, blowing off homework assignments, late coming back in from recess, sleeping during class, getting in fights with other students. All the progress we made during the summer. Gone.” Jennifer let out another groan. “It’s like she’s a completely different kid. She’s so angry all the time. I asked her if she was keeping up with her medicine and she said her neighbor threw it all out.” 

 

“It might be why she’s so irritable.” Brian suggested. “You can’t just stop that stuff cold turkey.” 

 

“Yeah, but I don’t know if Cynthia really threw it out or Hortensia just stopped taking it.” Both were possible. “I’m so glad it’s the weekend.” 

 

“Any big plans?” 

 

“Not a one.”  She said with a happy sigh. Matilda would probably want to go to the library. Or the arcade. Or both. 

 

The house had been so quiet with Hortensia gone. Jennifer had assumed she would relish the peace and quiet after all the chaos she had brought. The telly rarely turned on. Everything was spotless. But she found the quiet unsettling rather than calming. She could hear the house settling at night. Jennifer had even gotten up to yell at Hortensia to go back to bed, only to remember when she descended the stairs into an empty and dark living room. 

 

“What about you?” She asked. 

 

“I’ve got a project for work I need to do in the morning, but that’s about it. Nothing fun…unless you want to come over and change that.” He hinted.

 

“You’ll have to come over here.” She reminded him. “Knowing your dead wife is watching us make out is unsettling.” He laughed. 

 

“Some people are into being watched.” He teased. 

 

“I’m not interested in a throuple.” 

 

“So, then, what are you interested in? Hmm?” Jennifer swallowed. 

 

“I-I don’t know.” She admitted. 

 

“You like kissing?” 

 

“I do.” 

 

“And cuddling?”

 

“Yes.” 

 

“What about” he paused for emphasis, “spanking?” Jennifer nearly choked on air. Where had that come from? She could feel the heat begin to rush to her face. 

 

“Uhh, what?” He began to chuckle and she relaxed a bit. He was joking. Right?

 

“Have you given it any more thought? The role play thing?” 

 

“N-not really.” She mumbled. “Kind of got distracted by the whole haunted house.” 

 

“You like the pajamas, didn’t you?” 

 

“They were cute.” She admitted. “But I'm not entirely convinced you didn’t plan that just so you could see my breasts.” They both laughed. 

 

“They were lovely breasts.” He said. Jennifer had to clamp a hand to her mouth to keep from letting out an embarrassed moan. She didn’t particularly see anything “lovely” about her body. “I would quite like to make their acquaintance again.” He chuckled. “Maybe I could touch them next time.” Jennifer let out a nervous laugh. She had been wondering why he hadn’t last time. Did he think they were too small? Too big? Too average? Too weird looking? 

 

“Why do guys like them so much? They're just balls of fat.” 

 

“Because they're forbidden.” He whispered. “It’s a good thing guys don’t have breasts, we’d be fondling ourselves all day. We’d be using them as stress balls in the middle of meetings.” 

 

“Pfft.” Jennifer laughed. She thought of the boys squeezing themselves in the middle of tests. “You lot are already fondling yourselves all day. I can’t say I’ve ever had the desire to touch them.” 

 

“That’s just what someone who wants to touch them would say. Go on, give them a squeeze. Tell me touching breasts is not one of the best feelings in the world.” 

 

“I can think of a few better feelings.” Jennifer said, amused. The best feelings were a piece of new chalk in between her fingers. It was the feeling of a book in her hands. The taste of ice cream on a hot day. Running her fingers through Matilda’s hair. The feel of Brian’s bare chest against her cheek as she listened to his heart beat. The feeling of kissing him. Of his hands exploring her skin… She cleared her throat. Where was her mind going? She could hear him laughing.

 

“What?” 

 

“I asked what you thought was a better feeling. I guess you were busy imagining what those might be…” He teased.

 

“Maybe.” 

 

“Oh, so what is it?” he asked in a teasing, sultry voice.

 

“New chalk.” she said quickly.

 

“New chalk? What kind of answer is that? How boring.” He chuckled.

 

“That’s just because you don’t know the pain in your wrist from trying to write with only a nub left.” She said, feigning indignation. “ Much more satisfying than holding onto these lumpy things.”

 

“Lumpy things?” He asked with a laugh. “Oh, yes, describe them more.” 

 

“Got little bumps all over them, and this weird dark circle in the center, oh, and sometimes you have to pluck hairs that grow around the nipples.” 

 

“Ohh, hairy nipples, oh yes, you're great at this. Mmm.” They both snorted. 

 

“Great at this? Great at what?” she asked with a laugh. 

 

“You know, phone sex.” 

 

Jennifer laughed. “Phone sex? What’s phone sex? Is that a thing?”

 

“Of course it’s a thing.” He chuckled at her confused babble. “It’s like, when you start describing what you're wearing and doing. You use your imagination and words to set a scene.” 

 

“You can have sex with words? People really do that?” She asked. 

 

“Yeah,” he said more seriously now. “Obviously touching yourself doesn’t feel as good as being touched but…”  

 

“Touching myself? Is that what you do? I thought it was just pretend?” 

 

“Well, you can make it up as you go, but it wouldn’t be very intimate or fun for you.”

 

“So it’s like audio guided masturbation?” She asked with a crinkled face. He laughed.

 

“That’s a very clinical way of looking at it.” 

 

“Is that why you wanted me to get a cordless phone?” she teased. 

 

“Yes.” He answered bluntly. Jennifer held her breath in surprise. She had only been joking. “If you're interested. I thought maybe it might help your anxiety about it.”

 

“I- still don’t really understand how it works.” 

 

“Where are you?” 

 

“In my room.” Jennifer asked with a confused smile. “Sitting on my bed.”

 

“Are you alone?” He asked, his voice soft and serious. Jennifer let out a nervous laugh. 

 

“Yes?”

 

“Matilda’s gone to bed?”

 

“Yes? It’s after ten.”

 

“And is your door closed?” 

 

“It is.” She said before swallowing. “A-and you?”

 

“I’m in my room with the door closed in bed as well.” He said. 

 

“I’m not in bed. I’m on my bed.” She laughed. “Not that it matters.”

 

“What are you wearing?” She looked down at herself and let out a nervous laugh.

 

“My nightgown.”

 

“Is it sexy?” He teased. Jennifer chuckled. 

 

“Absolutely not.”

 

“Describe it.”

 

“Uhh, well, it was blue at one point, but now it's more grayish. It has moth holes on the back, and the front has kind of a flowery design on it. It’s apparently uncomfortable on the skin, so I’ve been told.”

 

“Oh, interesting.” He said, slow and drawn out.

 

“Not really.” Jennifer giggled. “It has a Ben and Jerry’s chocolate stain on the front. The first couple days last week I couldn’t eat anything, then I couldn’t stop binging. It wasn’t pretty. I think I threatened to throw Matilda’s doll into a volcano if she touched my ice cream at one point.” 

 

“Where does it come down to your legs?” He asked, although she could hear his voice shaking from laughter.

 

“When I stand, below my knees.” She wrapped a piece of thread around her finger and pulled. 

 

“Where is it now that you're sitting?” 

 

She looked. “Mid thigh.”  He went silent for a moment. 

 

“What’s it look like?” She chuckled.

 

“My thighs? Like…thighs?”

 

“Light Meat or dark?”

 

“What am I, a chicken?”

 

“You both have thighs and breasts.”

 

“I don’t think I’m ever going to think of chicken breasts the same.” 

 

“Chicken titties.” 

 

“Ok then, what are you wearing?” 

 

“Absolutely nothing.” He chuckled. 

 

“Not even boxers?” Jennifer asked, nose wrinkled at the thought. “Don’t you worry Hazel will come in?”

 

“Hazel’s usually good about staying in bed, besides, we're not talking about the kids right now.” 

 

“Oh? Right, we're talking about, what did you call them, chicken titties?” Jennifer asked with a wry smile. 

 

“Oh yes, yes, very sexy. So wet and, “He paused. “Moist.” Jennifer rolled her eyes. 

 

“Don’t get yourself too worked up thinking about that chicken.” Jennifer teased.

 

“Hmm, too late for that.”  He said. 

“How could I ever compete with a slab of juicy, wet and naked chicken?” 

 

“While it does sound appealing, I’d much prefer some wet and naked Jennifer.” 

 

She felt her cheeks flush.

 

“Eww, why would you want me all sweaty, or do you mean out of the shower?” 

 

“Not what I meant, but I'll take both.” He laughed. 

 

“Then what did you mean?” She asked with a confused sort of giggle.

 

“You’re playing with me.”

 

“I’m not.” 

 

“You’re…not?” 

 

“No.” She said with a wince. 

 

“Oh, I am going to have so much fun corrupting you.” He let out a playful maniacal laugh. “Women get wet when they get turned on, you know, down there.” 

 

“Oh, right.” Jennifer said. “My mind just wasn’t going there. Sorry, I don’t get umm, wet.” He seemed to find this amusing. “What?”

 

“Yes you do.” 

 

“It doesn’t work right.” He began to laugh again. “What?” she asked. 

 

“My thighs beg to differ.” 

 

“Your thighs?” 

 

“Yeah, you were sitting on them while we were making out.” 

 

“I-I was sweaty. It was hot!” She said mortified. 

 

“You. Were. Soaked.” He teased. 

 

“I was not.” she mumbled. 

 

“God, and the way you were staring at me when I was kissing your stomach. So hot. And then when you told me about your dream, I wanted to yank your panties down right there and finish you.” Jennifer let out an embarrassed moan, but her stomach fluttered at the thought. “I’m hard right now just thinking about it.” 

 

“W-why?” she blurted out.

 

“Because you’re sexy as hell.” 

 

“N-no, I’m not, i-if you saw you’d understand.” 

 

“Does that mean you’re going to show me sometime?”

 

“You’d leave, if you saw.” Jennifer said softly. 

 

“If I saw, I’d get down on my knees and finish what we started earlier.” Brian crooned. Jennifer's breath caught in her throat. “Are you thinking about it?” She remained quiet. “Are you?”

 

“Yes.” She admitted softly. Her stomach fluttered again. Her skin felt hot. More sensations she wasn’t familiar with. Her nightgown felt like it was clinging to her arms.

 

“And how does that make you feel?” 

 

“Like it’s too hot for this nightgown.” 

 

“Then take it off.” She eyed her bedroom door before she pulled the material up and over her head. She breathed a sigh of relief as the cool air met with her skin. “What are you wearing now?”

 

“Panties.” 

 

“What do they look like?” 

 

“It’s the same ones I was wearing then. Purple cotton. The kind that comes in a six pack from the store.”

 

“Oh, I hope they’re as wet as they were then. Are they?”

 

“No.”

 

“Did you check?” 

 

“No.” she giggled nervously. 

 

“How do you know if you don’t check?” 

 

Hesitantly, she reached down. Dry. ish. 

 

“Not wet.” she informed him. 

 

“I think we need to change that.” He said. She let out another nervous sounding laugh. “Relax, get comfortable, close your eyes.” She did. “Do you ever play with yourself?”

 

“No.” 

 

“Not even a little?”

 

“Not in…a long time.” 

 

“What’s a long time?” 

 

“Seven or eight years.” 

 

“That is a long time. Did you finish?”

 

“No.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“My aunt walked in.” And ruined her life. 

 

“Awkward.”

 

“Something like that, first and only time I ever tried without being told.” 

 

“Do you remember what turned you on?”

 

“A book I was reading.” 

 

“What were you reading?”

 

“I don’t remember. A romance novel.” 

 

“You like to read romance novels?” 

 

“Sometimes.” He snickered.

 

“You know full well women get wet if you read that kind of thing.” Busted. 

 

“I just wanted to hear you say it.” she admitted. 

“Naughty girl.” He teased. “So had you been reading one of those kinds of books when you had that dream?”

 

“Maybe.” she mumbled. 

 

“What would you want to be doing with me if I was there right now?” 

 

“Kissing you.” she said and added in a softer voice. “Touching you.” 

 

“Touching me where?”

 

“Your hair. Then your neck. Your shoulders, chest, stomach…” 

 

“Alright, I like where this is going.” He sounded pleased. “And what are you going to do when I get hard? I hope you don’t freak out everytime.”

 

“I…” She didn’t know what she’d do. “What do you want me to do?” 

 

 “I liked the part where you pulled my pants down.” He said. 

 

“I’ve been informed by the experts that putting a sock on it was not the correct course of action.” He laughed. 

 

“Can’t say I’ve been able to look at my socks the same way again.” Jennifer grinned.

 

“What do you imagine?” 

 

“You look into my eyes as you slowly unzip my pants. You reach inside and poke around. You tell me how big it feels. You pull it out and slowly run your hand up and down, like I am now.” Jennifer crinkled her nose.

 

“You’re touching it?”

 

“Ever since you started talking about plucking nipple hair.” He joked. Jennifer couldn’t help but laugh. 

 

“Seriously?”

 

“Since I started thinking about how wet you were.” Jennifer grimaced in embarrassment. “How wet I want to make you next time I see you.” There went her stomach again. “You still have that cream my daughter so kindly decorated your car with?”

 

“I do. I’m glad she didn’t get hurt from it. I tried it once and it burned. Apparently you’re not supposed to put a whole glob on.” 

“Oh? You tried it? I thought you said you didn’t touch yourself?” He asked, amused. 

 

“I got curious to see if it would do anything.” 

 

“Did it?”

 

“Carol came in right after I put it on. I tried to have a conversation with her, but then it started burning and I jumped off the bed in my underwear. She thought it was hilarious.” 

 

“You have the worst luck.” He said with a laugh. “How about you put a little bit on?”

 

“Right now?” 

 

“Yeah right now.” She leered at her nightstand. She had thrown it in the drawer and forgotten about it, but being homeless had made her leery of tossing anything. She reached over and felt for it. Her fingers clasped around the now sticky bottle and she pulled it out.

 

“I found it.” She stared at the bottle hesitantly. She clicked her tongue in thought. Eventually, she flipped the lid open with her thumb and placed a much smaller amount on her finger. She was just going to see what it felt like, it didn’t mean she was going to play with herself. 

 

She dipped her hand into her panties and cringed. She had left dry-ish territory behind. She was plunging into the unknown. 

 

“It’s on.” She breathed. 

 

“Where’s your dominant hand?” Still in her panties.

 

“Beside me.” 

 

“Close your eyes.”

 

“Alright.” 

 

“What do you feel?”

 

“Kind of antsy.” Itchy? She jostled her thighs a bit.

 

“Does it burn?”

 

“No.” There was that at least. 

 

“Now think about the night you stayed over. Think about what we were doing. How you were feeling.” Her body pressed against his. His tongue intertwined with hers. The building pressure. Her fluttering stomach. His mouth inching down her belly. “Now when I say I’m doing something, I want you to do it and pretend it's me, okay?”

 

“O-okay.” she said softly. If things got too weird she’d just stop. 

 

“The very tips of my fingers are sliding down your chest.” She followed along. Odd, but doable. Across her stomach. Down one leg and up the other. Around a breast, grazing a nipple. Why were they sticking out? It wasn’t cold. Goosebumps were rising on her arms. His voice was lulling her into a trance. And when he finally suggested she take her panties off she didn’t hesitate. 

 

“I’m scared.” She mumbled truthfully. 

 

“Do you want to stop?”

 

“No.” 

 

“There’s nothing to be afraid of.” 

 

But there was. What if she was too messed up down there to feel anything? What if it made her feel gross? What if she had a flashback? So many what ifs. 

 

“We’re going to start slow, alright?” She followed his voice. Up, down, across, circling but not touching. An unknown feeling was coming over her. And when her fingers finally brushed the tip, she gasped.  

 

 “Does it feel good?” 

 

She wasn’t sure if it was good, bad, or meh, but she felt something. Around and around her fingers went. 

 

His voice was fading. She could hear static coming through the phone, followed by faint music. 

 

“You're breaking up.” She said, although her fingers didn’t stop. She turned onto her side, knees up to her chest, phone held to her ear between her pillow and shoulder. The music was getting louder. An electric guitar was strumming. Her fingers matched the rhythm. “Are you playing the music?” 

 

“Music?” She heard through the static and drums. “I don’t hear any music.”

 

No. No. No.  

 

 But she didn’t want to stop. She couldn’t stop. She had crossed a line she couldn’t come back from. This feeling was so new.

“I love myself

I want you to love me

When I feel down

I want you above me

I search myself” 

 

 A female voice sang. 

 

No! No! Not here. Not now. 

 

“I want you to find me

I forget myself

I want you to remind me”

 

Jennifer grimaced and writhed on the bed. It was happening. She let out moan. 

 

“Well, that’s hot.” 

 

She hid her face behind the crook of her arm as reality settled back down. She hung up the phone and groaned again, not in pleasure but embarrassment. She had just orgasmed while his dead wife listened in. 

 

Her radio chirped on. 

 

“I don't want anybody else

When I think about you

I touch myself.” 

 

And she was making fun of her.

[CDfm]

Was this a first?  A first chapter that didn’t have me both laughing and wanting to cry at the same time?  I loved the chapter.  Apparently Auntie didn’t do enough damage to completely ruin Jennifer’s sex life. 
Brian is pretty talented himself, being able to make her reach the end with words alone.  
This was a fantastic chapter and it came really fast.  Definitely looking forward to reading more.