bedwetting Afternoon in the Chokey (Updated 5-6-24)

[BabySofia]

1 hour ago, SashaButters said:

“But only cause I want to see how many bones of his she breaks.”

Well, now let the betting begin! 

[CDfm]

I saw this last night but after 15 straight 12 hour days working I had to wait to read it until today. 
Another chapter I just loved.  I hope the talk Mrs Rodger’s had with Matilda was enough to make her a little more comfortable with Jenny seeing someone else.  Not necessarily Brian but anyone outside their immediate circle. This chapter also made me laugh some.  I can imagine the surprise and embarrassment of pulling out that package from her purse. I am sure that had them all wondering just what is on her mind. 
Looking forward to the next chapter. 

[SashaButters]

When Brian attached the first Carbon Monoxide detector, Jennifer held her breath and waited for the shrieking of an alarm, but it never came. They moved to the next room. Once again, nothing. 

 

Matilda’s room had been neat and tidy, but when they entered Hortensia’s, Jennifer let her head fall into her palm. Brian just laughed. Clothes, underwear, comics, and empty bags of crisps littered the floor. She should have made sure it was presentable. It was a true testament to how different the girls were. If she had to describe Matilda’s room, it was neat, and orderly. Everything had a place and was in its place. If she had to describe Hortensia’s, the phrases “Crime Scene” and “There appears to have been a struggle” came to mind. 

 

“Sorry.” Jennifer said with a grimace. She cleared a circle with her foot so Brian could set up the ladder. While he worked, she bent down and began collecting clothes off the ground and putting them in the hamper. 

 

“The boys share a room. This is nothing.” Brian chuckled. “There at the age I don’t dare touch anything off the floor. All it took was one stiff sock and, sorry boys, you’re doing your own laundry.”  

 

“Eww, that had to be one sweaty sock.” 

 

“Uhh, yeah, sweat.” Brian said. “You’re lucky you have girls.” 

 

“Yeah, lucky.” Jennifer snorted. “Every twenty one days I have to don a suit of armor, stand by the door and offer up a grocery bag full of crisps, chocolate and Midol on the end of a hockey stick.” 

 

“Oh, is that what I get to look forward to?” 

 

“Any day now I worry she’ll start to demand a living sacrifice. One minute i’m cool, but then I ask her to set the table, and I have not only offended her, but her ancestors as well.” Jennifer explained.  Brian chuckled.

 

“What about your little one? Is she a handful too? She’s so…organized.” 

 

“You saw what she did to my car?” Jennifer said. 

 

“So she, uh, got a little creative with the paint.” Brian chuckled. “I hope that wasn’t because of me. I mean it’s hard to imagine a little kid knowing what a slag is, but everytime Matilda opens her mouth I’m blown away. Does she do this every time you have men over?” 

 

“I’ve never had a man over before.” Jennifer mumbled. 

 

“So you hide your boyfriends from her?”

 

“Never had one.” 

 

“Not much of a slag then, are you?” He chuckled. “Why would she write that?” 

 

“To hurt me.” Jennifer mumbled. 

 

“Well it can’t have been very hurtful if you don’t even have a past?” Jennifer grimaced. She had a past. “Does she act out much?” 

 

“There’s been some behavioral issues.” Jennifer admitted. “I adopted her from a negligent family last year. Her therapist says it will take time for things to settle down because she doesn’t know how to trust. She doesn’t understand love yet, I think. She thinks every time someone new comes into our lives our relationship is in danger.” 

 

“She must have thrown quite the fit when you took in the older girl.” 

 

“She didn’t actually.” Jennifer said. “Which surprises me. I tried sending her to a daycare over the summer, and she ran into her biological brother. Matilda almost tore the place down; she was so upset.” She cocked her head to the side. He had a strange expression on his face, half amused and half studying her. “What?”

 

 “You took in two troubled kids you had no obligation to care for by yourself.” Jennifer shrugged. And she wouldn’t really call them “troubled”. Much. 

 

“Anyone would have. I just got there first.” 

 

“No they wouldn’t.” Brian said with a confused smile. “I think most people turn a blind eye to such things, and if they did notice, they assume someone else will eventually step in. Besides, most single women find stray cats and take them in. You find stray kids.” 

 

“I’m not normal.” Jennifer said softly. 

 

“You're not.” He said matter of factly. She inwardly cringed at the bluntness, until he followed it up with, “I like it.” She cleared her throat. She felt the sudden dire need to correct him. To let him know she wasn’t this saint he painted her as. She was a fraud. But before she could tell him her motivations were more selfish than he had described her, he announced the second alarm was done. 

 

They waited in silence for a moment. Nothing happened. She deflated a little. It’s not like she wanted them to all be poisoned, but it would have explained a few things.  

 

“Your room next? Last chance to hide your dirty magazines.” He teased. She chuckled and shook her head.

 

“I don’t even know where you’d get one.” He shrugged. She didn’t buy it. 

 

“Found a bondage one under one of my son's pillows last week. Says his friend brought it to school and gave it to him.” Brian said before rolling his eyes. “Boys.” 

 

“Bondage?” She asked. He pursed his lips. “What?”

 

“You know, like ropes, blindfolds,” He paused for a moment and grinned. “Handcuffs.” 

 

She shut her eyes and covered her face. 

 

“And I said, ‘I’m not a cop’.” 

 

“And you said, ‘you’re not a cop’.” He agreed with a chuckle. 

 

“What did you do about the magazine?” He shrugged.

 

“Put it back where I found it and vowed to never touch their socks again.” 

 

“Really?” 

 

“Well I certainly wasn’t going to spank him.” He laughed. She wasn’t sure what was so funny about it, but she smiled anyway and led him into her bedroom. 

 

She sat on her pristinley made bed and watched him set up the ladder and climb it, ears alert for any alarms coming from the other bedrooms. 

 

“Your room’s just as neat as Matilda’s.” He mused. “You sure that’s not actually your kid?” 

 

“She’s just very self sufficient. I think she had to be, out of necessity. From what she’s told me, her biological parents treated her like she wasn’t there. Did you know she used to walk ten blocks to the library by herself since she was three? How did no one stop her, or question where her parents were?” 

 

“People see what they want to see. Probably assumed her parents were right behind her. It’s like I said before, people will turn a blind eye if they don’t want to get involved, or assume someone else will step in.” 

 

“But she was only three! How do you not see a three- year-old walking by themselves?” 

 

“It’s like you said, you’re just different.” He said with a crooked smile. “I’ve noticed how you throw yourself into danger for kids that aren’t even yours.” 

 

“Not really.” Jennifer mumbled. How many times had she stood quietly by like everyone else while her aunt tormented her students?

 

“You just rubbed lotion into my daughter's rash covered hands. How do you know she didn’t have leprosy or something?” 

 

“Hansen's disease is spread by coughing and sneezing.” Jennifer said. Brian gave her a curious glance. “Matilda likes to spout out facts at random. You pick up things.” Jennifer said with a shrug. “Whether you want to or not.” she added. Brian chuckled. “Looked like poison oak.” 

 

“Then you should probably wash your hands.” He said. 

 

“Right.” She stood and made her way into the ensuite bathroom and ran her hands underneath the faucet. 

 

“Well, they're all set up.” He called.  

 

She exited the bathroom after vigorously scrubbing her skin with soap and stood by the ladder, looking up at his work.

 

“So since nothing is screaming at us, does this mean it’s not carbon monoxide?” Jennifer asked.

 

“Guess not.” He said. “You should run the A/C for a few hours just to be sure. They're good to have anyway, this being an old house and all. It may not be a problem now, but who knows, maybe in the future…” His words trailed off as he stared at something on the opposite wall. He squinted. “I think there’s something in there.” 

 

Jennifer followed his gaze to the air vent in the upper opposite wall. He climbed down the ladder and carried it over. 

 

“I hope it’s not alive.” Jennifer said. She imagined a raccoon or a giant rat getting loose in the house. 

 

“Do you mind if I pop this off and take a look?” He asked. She motioned for him to go ahead, but she took a few steps back just in case. She may throw herself in danger for a child, but Brian was on his own. She watched hesitantly as he unscrewed the lid and shined a flashlight inside. “It’s not alive.” He said. She breathed a sigh of relief and came closer. He reached his arm in and pulled out a large book with a large string of dust and grime dangling from it.  He opened it and flipped through the pages. “Looks like a diary.” He handed it down to her. She took it and swallowed the lump in her throat.

 

So Jennifer wasn’t the only one who hid things in the vents.  

 

There were so many unanswered questions. What happened to Billy Reyes? Why did she kill herself? And most important to her of all. What had happened to her father? Did this diary hold the answers? Her hands twitched with desire to open it and consume its contents, but now wasn’t the time. It took all her will power to set it on her nightstand and walk away. 

 

“It was my aunts’. Like I said, she was deeply paranoid.” Jennifer explained. “I used to hide things in my vents too.” 

 

“Oh? Like what?” He grinned at her. “Handcuffs?” She chuckled and rolled her eyes. 

 

“Nothing so risque.” She pursed her lips and tried to fight back a smile. “The remotes.” 

 

He snorted as they went back down stairs and to the kitchen, stopping only to flip the a/c unit on and let it run. She wondered if removing the journal would increase airflow to her bedroom. She hoped so, the sweltering temperature had been causing many sleepless nights. 

 

“Thank you so much for this.” Jennifer said as they sat at the kitchen table. “It really is one of the nicest things anyone’s ever done for me.” he cocked his head to the side for a minute as if confused.

 

“If this is one of the nicest things, you must not have met many decent people.” She pursed her lips again.

 

“I haven’t.” She added truthfully. “Except Carol, of course. She’s done a lot for us.” She chuckled dryly. “She fancies herself my mother. It started off as a bit of a joke. She lied to the hospital to break me out, said she was my mother, but now she’s calling herself Matilda’s grandmother. I guess I don’t really mind though. She’s the one who put all those things in my purse.” She shook her head and shuddered. 

 

“You’re not fifteen and I’m not your dad.” He laughed. “It’s not that big of a deal. See?” He reached for his wallet and pulled out a similar shaped package. “We’re all adults here.” 

 

“I didn’t want the kids to see.” Jennifer lied. 

 

“Meh, Hazel doesn’t know what they are. I caught her blowing them up to try and make balloon animals once.” Jennifer laughed. An image of filling them up with water and throwing them at him crossed her mind. She laughed again. Suddenly, she couldn’t stop. He grinned. “What? What’s so funny?” 

 

“I can’t stop thinking about telling Carol I went through them all, only instead, we use them for a water balloon fight.” 

 

“You’re silly.” He chuckled. 

 

“Can you even make balloon animals with them?” Jennifer giggled. 

 

“Let’s see.” She laughed as he pulled it back out of his wallet and tore open the package with his teeth. She watched him with morbid curiosity. The only time she had seen a condom were the discarded ones on the street. He pulled it out of the package and held it between his fingers. It was at that moment the kids all emerged from the backyard led by Hortensia. 

 

She looked at Jennifer, then Brian, then what was in Brian’s hand. She flinched and made a grotesque face. 

 

“Eww, were you two really about to do it in the kitchen?” Hortensia asked. “We eat here!” The boys, including Brian, began to laugh as Jennifer’s face began to glow. 

 

“Why do you even know what that is? You’re eleven.” Jennifer mumbled into her hands. “And no, we were not.” 

 

“Why do you even have condoms if you can’t get pregnant?” Hortensia asked. 

 

“I’m not having this conversation with you.” Jennifer said. “Go…go bring in the post. I heard the postman out front a few minutes ago.” 

 

“Fine.” Hortensia grumbled. They heard the front door open and slam shut behind her. Brian slipped the condom back in his pocket as Hazel joined them at the table.

 

“How are your hands?” Jennifer asked her, glad to have something to fill the awkward silence. The little girl showed her her now dirt covered palms. Kids. 

 

“Hazel!” Brian said exasperated. “Go wash your hands, you're going to get Jenny’s kitchen all dirty.” 

 

“We were playing in the dirt.” Hazel announced. 

 

“Yes, we can see that.” Brian said. “Wash your hands.” 

 

“And there was this bug with all these legs. Like a millionbaggillion of them!” 

 

“Yes, that’s called a centipede. Now. Wash. Your. Hands.” 

 

“Come here, Hazel.” Jennifer laughed as she stood up. She pulled Matilda’s step stool out from under the sink and set it down. She was vaguely aware of the sound of approaching footsteps and the post getting tossed on the table. “Thank you, Hortensia.” she said without turning around.

 

“You okay?” Brian asked. Jennifer didn’t hear a response over the tap as she sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to show how long Hazel should wash for. When she finally turned around she paused as she took in Hortensia’s worried expression. She looked incredibly pale and shaken. 

 

“Tens? What’s wrong? Are you feeling ill again?” 

 

“Outside.” she mumbled. 

 

“Did you get sick outside?” Jennifer asked, concerned. Hortensia shook her head.

 

“There’s something you need to see outside.” 

 

“Show me.” Hortensia shook her head and sat down. Jennifer frowned. Brian stood up and accompanied her out followed by the other kids. 

 

“Is Matilda here?” Brian asked as they surveyed the vast damage. 

 

“No.” Jennifer said in a shaky voice. “Did you hear anything?”

 

“No, it must have happened when we were upstairs.” 

 

Her car windows were smashed. Her tires were slashed. Across the hood and down both sides were spray painted W-H-O-R-E. And worst of all, all over her steering wheel  and door frame was a slimy white substance. 

 

“What is all that?” Jennifer asked.

 

“That is the reason I don’t touch my son's socks.” Brian said before letting out a held breath. “Are you sure you’ve never had a boyfriend?” he asked. “Cause this has ‘crazy ex’ written all over it.” 

 

“No.” Jennifer said, still too stunned to process it all. Then the reality hit her. “Oh god.” She felt like crying. “It wasn’t Matilda. She was telling the truth.” 

 

“If it wasn’t her, which obviously not considering the mangurt,  who has this much of a grudge against you?” Brian asked. Jennifer shrugged, but a thought nagged at her. It couldn’t be. She had no idea who they were, and they had no idea who she was, let alone where she lived. All she had done was point out an error. And she hadn’t even been the one to find it.

 

“A.R.C.” Jennifer said. 

 

“What’s A.R.C.?” 

 

“A publishing company we used to get our schoolbooks from. They were over charging the school for years. I pointed it out to the education board and now they're in a lot of legal trouble. It’s the only thing I can think of.” Jennifer said. “I just can’t imagine this.” she waved her hand over her destroyed car for emphasis. “Would have anything to do with it.”

 

“This is personal.” Brian agreed. “Sexual. You don’t jack off in a lady’s car window over a financial dispute. Slash the tires and break the windows, maybe, but this is…” He let his words hang in the air. Unsettling. 

 

“What do I do?” Jennifer whispered. She hugged herself.  Her minimal sense of security she had amassed since her aunt's demise felt like it was crashing down around her. Her stomach felt like it was in a knot. How had she done it before? Lived day after day looking over her shoulder? It had only been less than ten minutes and she already felt like she was going to cry. No, scratch that, she was crying.

 

She turned away so he wouldn’t see. She must have blamed Matilda because it was the safest option. Hell, she wished she could blame her now. She felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She instinctively flinched before she silently cursed herself as he felt his hand pull away. 

 

“Sorry,” they both said in unison. 

 

“I guess I should clean this off.” Jennifer said, looking at the spray paint. She stared at it a moment as a streak of green paint ran down the car. This was fresh. Very fresh. 

 

“No, we need to call the police.” Brian said. “This is more than just vandalism. They need to see everything.” 

 

“Okay,” Jennifer agreed, wiping at her eyes. “I need to ask Hortensia if she saw anything. She might have opened the door and scared him off.” 

 

“None of you touch anything.” Brian warned the kids, “Actually, come inside, all of you. It’s not safe.” 

 

Jennifer felt her stomach lurch again. Her vision was getting fuzzy. She gripped one of the house's white columns for support and closed her eyes. Not now. Not in front of him. 

 

“You like that you little whore?” 

 

“Jenny, are you alright?” 

 

 Large hands were around her throat squeezing tighter and tighter. She couldn’t breathe. 

 

“Jenny!”

 

She was falling, but she didn’t hit the ground.

 

“I’ve got you. It’s okay. Let’s go inside.” 

 

She half walked and was half carried inside. She sat on the couch and stared off into space for a moment as she massaged her neck. When she finally met his eyes, he was staring at her with a look of deep concern. 

 

“Sorry about that.” she mumbled. “Happens sometimes.” 

 

“Do… do you have low blood sugar or something? Do you need to eat? Do you want me to bring you anything?” He asked hurriedly. She shook her head. 

 

“It’s nothing like that.” She sighed. “It’s all in my head. It’s nothing.”

 

“That didn’t look like nothing.” 

 

“I get flashbacks.” She said softly. “Being called a whore, or slut, or slag can set them off, among other things. It’s nothing to worry about.” 

 

“Who called you those things? You’re so…innocent.” Jennifer let out a bitter laugh.

 

“i’’m not innocent. Just because I’ve never had a boyfriend doesn’t mean I’ve never had sex.” she said in a low voice.  

 

“Okay, so you hooked up. Lots of people do. That doesn’t make you a whore.” Jennifer shook her head. 

 

“Never did that either.” 

 

“So if you never had a boyfriend and you never hooked up…Oh god, I’m so sorry.” 

 

“Yeah…” She let her words trail off.

 

“I’m so sorry, and here I’ve been flirting with you this whole time. I’m such an idiot. That’s why you didn’t know about cum socks.” 

 

“Huh?”

 

“You adopted the kids. I should have known. I know they're not cats, but still. I should have known.”

 

“Known what?” She cocked her head feeling more and more puzzled. 

 

“That you’re a lesbian.” he whispered. She stared at him in shock. Then she burst out laughing. It wasn't the right time, but she couldn’t help it. 

 

“I’m not a lesbian.” she choked out between gales of laughter. 

 

“But…but you said…” she shook her head and tried her best to pull herself together. 

 

“My aunt was.” she said solemnly. “She’d get drunk some nights, come into my room and…” she hung her head. She could hear his sharp inhale. “ If I came home even a single minute late it was because I must have been sleeping with someone. All the accusations, all the names. I can’t count how many pregnancy tests I had to take for her over the years.  The reason i’ve never had a boyfriend is because…I'm scared.” she said looking up at him. “Terrified really. Of being touched, of being seen.” 

 

“Oh, Jenny…” he said softly. He crouched down in front of her and took her hands. 

 

“I’m sorry, I don’t know why I'm telling you all this. It’s not something I normally talk about.” 

 

“It’s alright.” He was running his thumb over the back of her hand. 

 

“I’m scared of dating.” she whispered. 

 

“I understand.” 

 

“But you make me want to try.” He studied her face a moment before leaning in close. Her heart began to pound. Closer. Closer. At the last moment she turned her head. “I’m sorry.” she sobbed. 

 

“We can take it slow.” He whispered. 

 

“Really?” she asked with a sniffle. “Can you really go that slow?” 

 

“There’s no rush,” he said with his crooked grin. “You can take the lead, how about that? And when you’re ready, you can make the first move. Does that sound good?” She nodded. 

 

“Thank you.” She whispered. “For everything.” She rested her head in the crook of his neck and inhaled. He smelled like pine and aftershave. She wrapped her arms around him and he did the same. Her heart fluttered. Nothing else mattered. 

 

“This is nice.” He said. 

 

“Mhm.”

 

“But we should probably call the police now.” she chuckled and let go.

 

“Wait, don’t get up yet.” He paused mid rise. She shot forward before she lost her nerve. She was aiming for his lips.

 

She missed. 

 

Instead of kissing him, she bashed her head into his face. 

 

He jumped to his feet, clutching his now bleeding nose. 

 

After a million apologies, a wet rag and a nose splint, he called the police for her. 

 

…

 

“And you’re positive it wasn’t any of the kids?” the officer asked as he stood in the driveway  taking notes. Brian took him over to the driver's side and showed him the mess. “Not the kids.” The officer said as he wrote something down. “Any jealous ex lovers, miss?”

 

“No.” Jennifer said. 

 

“Is there anyone you can think of who might hold a grudge against you?” She bit her lip. 

 

“It’s unlikely, but…” she explained the situation at the school. 

 

“We’ll look into it, but it sounds unlikely, like you said. And this happened before?”

 

“Last week.” Jennifer said. “I thought it was my daughter, but she's not here. And then there’s the, umm, stuff inside.” 

 

“And does your daughter have an ex at all?” 

 

“I hope not, she’s only six.” Jennifer said. The officer gave a wry smile.

 

“A little too soon for that. Got it. Careful though, blink and next thing you know she’ll be introducing you to her boyfriend, Stephano. An art major with a nose ring and lack of respect for authority.” Jennifer blinked. That was oddly specific. 

 

“What’s going to happen?” Jennifer asked.

 

“We’ll ask the neighbors if they saw anything. Any disputes with them?” Jennifer shook her head. The house was far off the street and covered by trees and shrubbery. She couldn’t imagine the old man across the way had seen anything. He was nearly blind when she was a child. She remembered she had seen him from her bedroom window pick up a possum thinking it was his cat and brought it inside. 

 

“What if he comes back?” 

 

“I doubt he’ll be back after this. He made his point, whatever it was. We’ll send an extra patrol car in the area just in case. If anything happens again, call us.” 

 

They thanked him and he left. She didn’t feel any safer. The curious thing was she wasn’t the one most jarred by it. 

 

“Hortensia, what’s wrong?” She asked. The girl hadn’t moved from her spot at the table, wouldn’t answer any of their questions, wouldn’t say what she had seen. They had tried to get her to talk to the police, but she refused.

 

“We can’t stay here.” Hortensia mumbled. 

 

“It’s alright.” Brian said. “I’m sure whoever did this is long gone. And if he did stick around, he saw we called the police. He knows we mean business.” 

 

“Can’t we stay somewhere else? Please?” Hortensia begged. Jennifer was startled. She looked like she was about to cry. 

 

“If you want to stay with a friend tonight, you can, or I can call Cynthi-”

 

“No!” Hortensia spat at the mention of her neighbor. Guess she didn’t feel that unsafe then. 

 

“We’re perfectly fine here.” Jennifer said, swallowing her own uneasiness. “Would you like me to call Carol? You can spend the weekend with her and Matilda…”  

 

“You need to leave too.” Hortensia insisted. Jennifer bit her lip. She hated the idea of some unknown predator chasing her out of her home, but she had never seen Hortensia look so panic stricken. It was obvious she had seen something traumatizing. Perhaps she had caught him with his pants down. 

 

Jennifer was on the fence. What was she supposed to do? Stand up and fight so Hortensia felt safe with her? Or did she take her, flee, and reinforce the idea she had someone out there to fear. She had taken Hortensia in to protect her from the monsters that lurked out there preying on the vulnerable. What if she had been sent to stay with a cruel family? One like Matilda’s who did not care? Or worse. Another Trunchbull. Before Jennifer could decide, the decision was made for her in the form of a shrill alarm. 

 

“EVERYONE OUT!” Brian hollered.

[AdultInnocence]

If they left essence of themselves, why didn't the police collect that for DNA? Or was that something that might be implied and part of the investigation hmmm...?

You don't leave many cliffhangers. Damn I'm ready for the next chapter now.

[SashaButters]

7 minutes ago, AdultInnocence said:

If they left essence of themselves, why didn't the police collect that for DNA? Or was that something that might be implied and part of the investigation hmmm...?

The story takes place in the early 90’s in a rural village. Even today they wouldn’t collect DNA over vandalism, it isn’t serious enough. Even for things like murder and sexual assault, the backlog for testing is months if not years. Not to mention the cost of testing would be insane. 
 

 

[AdultInnocence]

I hadn't thought of the time period being in the 90's and DNA testing really only becoming a thing in '86. That was some pretty serious vandalism though, with the broken windows, leaving genetic material on the steering wheel, the writing. If they dented the car as well depending on how bad the damage was the car could almost be written off. After a certain amount of property damage it becomes a felony.

The interesting thing was no one heard anything. We know the kids were out back, and the first time the paint from out back was used.

I have a theory, but keeping it to myself and just seeing where this goes.

[SashaButters]

6 minutes ago, AdultInnocence said:

I hadn't thought of the time period being in the 90's and DNA testing really only becoming a thing in '86. That was some pretty serious vandalism though, with the broken windows, leaving genetic material on the steering wheel, the writing. If they dented the car as well depending on how bad the damage was the car could almost be written off. After a certain amount of property damage it becomes a felony.

The interesting thing was no one heard anything. We know the kids were out back, and the first time the paint from out back was used.

I have a theory, but keeping it to myself and just seeing where this goes.

I imagine small towns having less than helpful police. Next to no funding, small number of officers, and a low crime rate.  I imagine the area also being a decade or so  behind the major cities with more dated views of women etc. writing her off as “hysterical” or a “domestic” situation. 
 

I am curious of your theory though. 

[CDfm]

Loved the chapter.  This was a lengthy one as well.  
Reading this I couldn’t help but laugh at how naive and sheltered Jennifer is or has been.  Then things really took a serious turn.  I know Jennifer probably feels worse about having accused Matilda than she does the actual vandalism to her vehicle.  I really think it’s time to purchase a weapon and get some firearms training. I wouldn’t want to think about what that person is capable of.  I would want to ensure that Jennifer is capable of protecting the girls and herself. 
I have to wonder who is behind this attack.  Has to be someone Hortensia knows.  She isn’t afraid of many people and obviously this one has her worried.  For a while I was thinking that it might have been Hazel doing it but there’s too much now for it to be her.  
As far as the police collecting evidence,  they would have most likely taken photographs of the damage and would have also most likely taken a sample.  They wouldn’t have to process the sample then but it would be available in case something similar happened later.  It’s better to have the evidence than trying to go back and collect it later.  Could very well be destroyed later. Doesn’t necessarily have to be for DNA either.  Other evidence can come from such a sample. 
Now I am really curious and hoping the next chapter comes soon. 

[AdultInnocence]

20 hours ago, SashaButters said:

I am curious of your theory though. 

It may fall through the cracks before it is fully developed. I can't remember if Brian was around the first time the car was painted or not. If so, then someone in his family is unknowingly doing things, but feeding off of Jennifer's flashbacks.

CDfm has a good point to that it may be someone Hortensia knows, which is far more likely.

[Mazamune]

On 12/20/2023 at 6:27 AM, CDfm said:

Has to be someone Hortensia knows.  She isn’t afraid of many people and obviously this one has her worried

On this topic I couldn't recall reading it and I haven't find it in previous chapters: how good was the Trunchbull body identified ?

 

[AdultInnocence]

13 hours ago, Mazamune said:

On this topic I couldn't recall reading it and I haven't find it in previous chapters: how good was the Trunchbull body identified ?

 

You make a very good point.

[SashaButters]

So it was carbon monoxide, Jennifer thought as they all stood around by her destroyed car. All the headaches and mood swings. She stared at her house. Now what? 

 

“Well, looks like Hortensia’s getting her wish.” Brian said. Jennifer whipped her head around. “You can’t stay here.” He said looking at her confused face. 

 

“But-”

 

“It’s called the silent killer for a reason.”

 

“Yes, but…” Where would she go? And her purse with her checkbook and bank cards were still inside. And her car. She couldn’t just walk away with only the clothes on their back. She supposed she could go to Carol’s… 

 

“Do you have anywhere to stay?” He asked. 

 

“Can’t we just air it out and not turn on the A/C?” she asked. 

 

“You’ll be miserable!” He said. He shook his head. “You can stay at my place. We’ll call someone to come out and take a look at everything in the morning.” 

 

“N-no, I- I couldn’t.” She stammered. She took in Hortensia’s worried expression. She was torn between not wanting to be a burden, and wanting to make Hortensia feel safe. “Carol will be home in a few hours. Maybe you could drop us off there and we can wait for her.” 

 

“A few hours.” He scoffed. “I’m not leaving you on someone’s porch to wait for a few hours. What if they decide to stay somewhere else? Then what will you do?”

 

“Okay.” She said with a sigh. “Or I could just run inside real quick and grab my-”

 

“No.” he said firmly. “It’s not worth your life.” 

 

Her brain felt foggy. She knew she could come up with further reasons to say ‘no’, but her mind just wouldn’t co-operate. She still felt in shock from the day's events. So she nodded in agreement and they all piled into his van. At least this time she was able to sit. 

 

“Hortensia.” She said on the drive. The girl gave a grunt in response. “Since we’ll be in Aylesbury, maybe you can visit your mom.” She saw the girl’s head perk up from the rear view mirror. She winced. “My ID. I can’t go inside the prison without it.” 

 

“I can go by myself.” Hortensia said. Jennifer bit her lip.

 

“I don’t think I want you going into a prison by yourself. What would your mom think?” Hortensia snorted.

“She wouldn’t care. She thinks you hover too much anyway.” Hortensia said. 

 

Oh does she… Jennifer clenched her fists. Jennifer knew she hadn’t been thrilled to hear about her taking her daughter to therapy. She thought it was a waste of time. Her thoughts seemed to be aligned with Cynthia’s. Hortensia didn’t need to talk about her feelings; she needed to grow up and take some responsibility for her actions. Jennifer thought it was a bit harsh. She was only 11 and she had had a difficult time of things. 

 

Jennifer thought she had been making wonderful progress. She had opened up about the things that were eating at her. She talked about never being able to meet Eve’s expectations of her rage episodes. How Eve just expected her to simply “stop having them”.  She had also talked about the loss of her father, and her frustration with the teachers at school. 

 

The biggest change Jennifer had noticed was at night. She no longer laid on the farthest side of the bed staring at her as she read to her. She actually laid out on her back and closed her eyes. Hortensia had even fallen asleep a few times. Whatever odd night time paranoia had possessed her seemed to have passed. 

 

But no matter how much Hortensia opened up, Jennifer couldn’t shake the feeling Hortensia was holding something back. All Jennifer could do was hope that she was opening up during her private sessions. There was something so familiar about the way Hortensia jumped at loud noises and flinched when she was touched. It was what made Jennifer's heart hurt for her. Maybe Agatha hadn’t sexually abused her, but she had certainly left her mark. Perhaps she had been thrown in the Chokey one too many times, or sucker punched, or humiliated. Or been the victim of any number of bizarre, awful and traumatizing things. 

 

Like poor Issac Jacobs, who was terrified of bees. The poor lad had jumped from his seat in fright when one had made its way in through an open window. Unfortunately, it had been during one of the afternoons the Trunchbull taught his class. She threw him in The Chokey. She threw him in The Chokey with the bee. 

 

Issac needed 17 stitches when he was let out. 

 

It wasn’t just that Agatha was mean. No. She was cruel. You’d better not let her find the thing that scares you or makes you visibly shudder. She’d use it against you in a heartbeat. Like Peter, a fifth year boy who had been late getting back from recess. Where she had shown just how cruel and wicked she could be. 

 

Why had he admitted that to her? Had he blurted out the truth in a panic? Cracked under her awful stare? But somehow, some way, she had learned why he was late. Peter was shy. Too shy to wee when someone else was in the lou. So he had waited until everyone had left. 

 

So she waited.

 

She waited until his teacher called and gave her the signal he had asked to be excused. Then she called an assembly. If watching a boy stuff his face with chocolate cake had been hard to watch for Jennifer, it was nothing to watching what happened to Peter. 

 

She called him up onstage like she had done to Bruce. But instead of coming out with a cake, Agatha had come out with a bucket. No one could leave until Peter peed in it. Up on stage. In front of the school. While facing them. It was his worst personal nightmare.

 

He had held out for three hours. 

 

He was bawling so hard none of it had made it into the bucket when he finally unzipped. 

 

It had been so unnecessarily cruel. 

 

Jennifer had always wondered why he hadn’t just weed himself instead. Wouldn’t that have been better? At least he wouldn’t have had to expose himself. But maybe Agatha had quietly threatened to smash his penis in a desk if he didn’t do it. 

 

He never came back to school after that. 

 

She didn’t blame him. 

 

 

If that’s what she did to someone who got out of their desk without permission and was five minutes late to class, what had she done to someone who routinely poured maple syrup on her desk chair? 

 

Jennifer tried to flash her a reassuring smile through the mirror, but Hortensia was staring out the window. 

 

Jennifer frowned. No matter what the Trunchbull did to her, Hortensia had never backed down. So what had happened to make Hortensia beg to leave? She swore she hadn’t seen anything, but Jennifer wasn’t so sure. Nothing about this situation was sitting right with her. 

 

“It’s beautiful.” Jennifer said when she looked up. She had been so lost in thought she hadn’t realized they were here. There were so many flowers, plants, hedges, and trees circling the house. There was so much green. Jennifer inhaled. It was so calming, even if it was a bit overgrown. She would have loved to spend more time gardening her own home, but she had been so busy she hadn’t had the chance to do anything with the large yards. 

 

“Thanks, gardening was one of my wife’s hobbies, especially towards the end.” He added softly. 

 

“It’s calming.” Jennifer said. 

 

“I’m afraid the weeds are winning at the moment. I haven’t had the time.” Brian said. 

 

“Are your kids as addicted to the arcade as mine are?” Jennifer asked with a raised brow. 

 

“Oh god, yes, they’ll do anything for a few pe-ah.” He grinned. He turned to the hoard of kids following behind them. “Anyone who wants arcade money for tonight. Weeds.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the overgrown garden. The kids rushed forward. Except Hortensia.

 

“You don’t want arcade money?” Jennifer asked.

 

“Could I go see mum instead?” Hortensia asked. 

 

“We could drop the others off.” Brian offered. 

 

“I don’t have my ID.” Jennifer said. 

 

“I could walk her in and we can wait for her in the van.” Brian said. Jennifer swallowed nervously. Alone in the van with Brian. She looked towards Hortensia’s pleading face. She couldn’t say no. 

 

“Okay.” Jennifer said. “Let me call and set it up.” 

 

“Thanks.” She turned towards the garden but Jennifer stopped her. 

 

“You don’t have to pick weeds for this, come inside.” 

 

“I could just pocket the money for later.” Hortensia said after looking hesitantly behind her. Jennifer grinned with relief. Whatever it was that was bothering her wasn’t enough to completely crush her spirit. 

 

“Sure.” Brian chuckled. 

 

“Probably doesn’t want to be alone with us old people.” Jennifer laughed. 

 

“You know, we are the same age difference apart as you and her.” Jennifer began to stammer. “You’re sure this is okay?” He asked softly as he led her inside. It was the first mention of their relationship since she had nearly broken his nose. 

 

“If you don’t mind...” She searched for the right words, “me.” She had an ever growing weight in her gut telling her she wasn’t going to be an easy person to date. He gave her a questioning look. “I mean,” she let out a dry laugh. “You’ve already had to rescue me from camping, carbon monoxide in my house, a sexual predator, and…” He cut her off with a quick kiss. Her eyes darted around the room in a panic. 

 

She pulled away and gripped his arm for support. She waited for the tell tale dissociation that came with her flashbacks. She shut her eyes tight, expecting to hear her aunt's booming voice in her head.  

 

 But nothing happened.

 

“Are you alright?” he whispered, arms wrapped around her. She opened her eyes and let out a disbelieving chuckle. 

 

“Nothing happened.” She said before giggling. “Nothing happened.” She couldn’t begin to explain the immense relief she felt. 

 

“Nothing at all?” He asked with a frown, tucking a strand of her hair back. “No fireworks? No sparks?” She kissed him back. 

 

“No flashbacks.” She kissed him again. “It’s just us.” And again. “In the present.” 

 

“Good.” He grinned down at her and pulled her deeper into the house and into the kitchen. He leaned her against the counter and continued where they left off in the hall. Except this kiss was different. It was slow and deep and Jennifer…didn’t hate it. She could feel her stomach doing little flips. Her legs were trembling and when they broke apart she was breathless. And she couldn’t stop giggling. She felt like she was going mad. 

 

“I think there may have been some sparks afterall.” She said with a laugh. 

 

“Yes, I agree.” He said with a beaming smile. He leaned in for another kiss when a sudden eruption of noise and chaos stopped him dead in his tracks. Jennifer let out a startled shriek and nearly jumped into his arms. 

 

Every cabinet had opened. Every drawer had shot out of its track. Pots, pans and cutlery littered the kitchen floor. Broken shards of dishes made it impossible to move. Jennifer's heart began to race as she took in the chaos. Even the chairs at the kitchen table were knocked over. She’d be chasing Matilda down right now. Only problem was she wasn’t here. 

 

“What just happened?” Jennifer asked. 

 

The kids came in to see what the commotion was and froze.

 

She looked to Brian expecting to see fear in his eyes, but he looked resigned, almost sad. He flashed her a guilty sort of smile before frowning and averting his gaze.

 

“You’re going to think I’m mental but, I…I think…” he swallowed and let out a humorless laugh. “I think my house is haunted.” Jennifer began to stammer. “Or more like, well, I think my wife is haunting me.” 

“W-what?” Was all Jennifer could manage to articulate. She didn’t believe in an afterlife. Or a God. Or ghosts. Or really in any unexplainable invisible force. At least she didn’t until she had met Matilda. The girl had knocked everything she had believed about the world askew. 

 

“She’s been following me.” He said. He looked resigned, like he expected Jennifer to grab Hortensia and bolt. “Haven’t you noticed all the unexplainable things that've been happening when we're together?” 

 

Jennifer had. Like getting shoved off the skateboard, his windshield cracking, the damage to her car…

 

“It’s been Matilda.” Jennifer said. “All the drawers getting pulled out in the kitchen, doors slamming at my house, your windshield cracking.” 

 

“She’s not here now.” He said. 

 

No. She wasn’t. 

 

She wasn’t ready to buy into his ghost theory, that was a little too illogical for her, but everything that had happened to her… it did scream jealous ex. 

 

“You’re not the first person I’ve tried to date.” He said softly. “Same thing.” 

 

So this had been going on since before he had ever met her? 

 

“And her car?” She couldn’t help but ask. She’d take the jealous ghost of deceased wife over a perverted stalker. “You think your wife did that to my car?” 

 

“It was people.” Hortensia mumbled. Jennifer’s eyes shifted to Hortensia. People? As in more than one? 

 

“I wanted you to stay here because I wanted to know I wasn’t going crazy.” Brian said. “You saw.” He gestured to his mess of a kitchen. 

 

“I did.” Jennifer said as she took in the mess. Her heart was still hammering. “I don’t think you’re crazy. I may not believe in ghosts, but this last year has opened my mind to other possibilities I wouldn’t normally entertain.” He eyed her for a moment.

 

“Like what?” He asked. 

 

“I think it’s time I showed you what my daughter is capable of.” 

 

…

 

Carol grumbled under her breath. Why she let this child talk her into playing Scrabble again she hadn’t a clue. She stood no chance in hell. 

 

“A-B-A-M-P-E-R-E-S.” Matilda said with a grin. “Let’s see, triple word score plus another 50 for using all my tiles…”

 

“Nuh-uh. That’s not a real word. I’m challenging that.” Carol said. Matilda gestured to the dictionary. Carol checked.

 

“Damn it.” She muttered. “Principle unit of measurement in the metric system.” She let Matilda keep the score. It was almost like having an automatic score tally. 

 

When the phone rang Carol jumped up, glad for the excuse to leave the game. Nothing hurt your pride quite like getting your arse kicked by a six-year-old in a game of intelligence. 

 

“Hey Jen, no we’re good. Just getting destroyed…again. The zoo was good and-” She paused to listen. “You’re where? Jen! Shacking up with him already?” She grinned at the stammered replies. “I’m kidding. I’m…” Her face fell. “Maybe it’s better you stay there. Have you called anyone to come fix it? Yeah, I can air it out and let them in, no problem…Someone did what to car?…Oh god… Well, someone will be happy to be off your shit list. You want to talk to her? Ok, I’ll get her. MATILDA! YOUR MOM’S ON THE PHONE!” 

 

She looked down at the little girl who reluctantly reached for the receiver. 

 

“Remember what we talked about.” Carol said before handing it over. “Before she says anything, start by apologizing.” She could see the annoyance on Matilda’s face but Jennifer could use some good news. It sounded like she was having one hell of a day. 

 

“Hi.” Matilda said before taking a deep breath. “I’m sorry for picking on him!” she blurted out. “And if you want to date him I won’t sabotage it if he makes you happy…” she sounded less than thrilled about it but it was a start, Carol thought. “No, I didn’t see anyone when we left.” 

 

Carol pulled out the phone book and looked for someone who could fix her air conditioner while Matilda talked with her mom. She wrote down a few numbers while Matilda gushed over the penguins. Carol had had a hell of a time dragging her away from their enclosure. 

 

When Matilda hung up, Carol called the numbers one by one. The first one was already closed. The next three couldn’t come out for a few days. The fifth one said they’d be out in thirty minutes.

 

…

Jennifer hung up the phone feeling stunned. And then she laughed. She thought she was going to have to practically beg on her hands and knees for forgiveness. 

 

Only when Jennifer said, “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you.” 

 

Matilda had simply said, “Okay,” and told her all about the penguins at the zoo. Like nothing had ever happened. 

 

She let out another relieved laugh. Brian peeked up at her from his hands and knees. The two of them had been on the floor picking up shards of glass and porcelain, until she remembered she needed to tell Matilda where they were. 

 

“I forget how easily kids forgive.” Jennifer explained. “And Matilda just gave us her blessing…sort of.” 

 

“Lucky.” Brian said. “Cross any of my kids, and they’ll never let you forget it.” He changed his voice into a mimicking falsetto, “Remember that time you missed my talent show 6 years ago because you had to work late.” 

 

Jennifer laughed. Perhaps it was just a Matilda thing. She had also forgiven Lavender when she told the class Matilda was wearing diape- Jennifer winced. What was she going to do about Hortensia? He had offered them his room. Her eyes shifted to Hortensia, who had been silently sitting in the corner spacing out for most of the evening. 

 

She walked over to her, bent down and whispered in her ear, “How many dry nights have you had this week?” Hortensia stiffened and looked away. Jennifer purposefully hadn’t been involving herself in this for the girl’s privacy. As long as she was getting treatment for it and cleaning up after herself, Jennifer had looked the other way to save Hortensia’s dignity. There was no way this wasn’t killing her mentally. “It’s okay, I just need to know if I need to get you anything to protect the bed.”

 

Jennifer couldn’t care less if she peed on the old mattress she had been using. It had been Jennifers growing up, and she herself had subjected it to unspeakable things over the years. She had planned on throwing it out before Hortensia had even moved in, but ever since this problem developed, she had held off on replacing it. 

 

“None.” Hortensia mumbled. She must have seen her face fall a bit before throwing in “It’s the pills!” in a panic. 

 

“Hey, it’s okay.” She patted Hortensia on the back. “It’s probably from the gas leak at the house. It’s gotten to all of us in different ways. Once we get it fixed, there’s a good chance it’ll stop.” 

 

So that was a yes, she would need to figure something out with their sleeping arrangements. She couldn’t let her sleep in his bed if she was going to pee in it. Unless… She eyed Hazel a moment. Nope that wasn’t going to work. Even if she did have bedwetting nappies Hortensia would never fit in them. But she had no money on her to go buy her anything. She’d have to tell Brian and see what he wants her to do. Or call Carol back and ask her to drive over and pick  them up. 

 

Forty five minutes away. 

 

And she couldn’t leave now anyway. She had promised Hortensia she could see her mom. If she left now, he would think she was running away from him over the incident in the kitchen, and while yes, that had been rather startling and unnerving, she had to admit she had grown rather used to seeing objects fly in the air. 

 

What if a normal person would have run? What if he thinks she’s the weird one in this situation? I mean yeah, she thought, “the ghost of my dead wife” was kind of weird. But was “My kid has telekinesis” much saner? What if he thought she had been mocking him?

 

“Hortensia, it’s true Matilda can levitate things with her mind, right?” she asked. 

 

“Huh?” Hortensia said.  She supposed it was a strange change of subject. 

 

“I told him about Matilda.” Jennifer said. “About her you-know-what.” Brian looked up curiously. 

 

“What about it?” Hortensia asked uninterested. 

 

“Can she really?” Brian asked. “Move things with her mind?” 

 

“Huh? Oh, yeah, the first couple times you see it it’s crazy, but then you kind of get used to it. Then it’s like, ‘Matilda, get the chips!’ and she doesn’t even have to get off the couch.” 

 

“It’s how I keep the ceilings clean.” Jennifer said with a guilty grin. Hortensia was right. What should have been extraordinary had become commonplace. She remembered a time not so long ago when she forbade Matilda from using her powers in fear of them. Now she asked her to levitate the couch so Jennifer could vacuum under it. 

 

“So all those things at your house, the lights flickering, the doors slamming…”

 

“Was us.” Hortensia said with a slight grin. “It was funny to watch you spin around, especially when she kept moving your wrench.” Jennifer buried her face in her palm. 

 

“I was worried I was bringing whatever this is over there with me and causing you problems. Then I thought maybe I was hallucinating and that’s what made me think of a possible leak.” 

 

Jennifer groaned in her hand. The girls had been messing with him and it had probably saved their lives. She never would have thought to check for a gas leak. If Matilda hadn’t made him feel like he was going mental, he wouldn’t have thought of it either. 

 

There was no way she was giving her that satisfaction. 

 

“But I’m not, unless… we all are?” Brian asked.

 

No. This was real. 

 

They locked eyes.

 

“Maybe a little more time outdoors?”

 

But just in case.

 

“Yeah.” Jennifer agreed. “C’mon ‘Tens, let's get some fresh air.” 

 

They drove (with the windows down) first to the arcade to drop off the other kids. Hortensia couldn’t stop herself from playing one before they left. Which became two, which became three. Jennifer had to drag her out so they’d have enough time for her to visit her mom. At least the knot in Jennifer's stomach that said “something terrible is going on” was easing with the return of Hortensia’s antics. But that hollow look in her eyes scared her. 

 

Something had happened. As the day went on it looked more and more evident. She just wished Hortensia would open up to her. Maybe she’d tell her mom. 

 

It was as Jennifer thought. The old and scrawny looking correction officer wouldn’t let her through without her ID. She wondered how he had gotten such a position. Didn’t you need to be fit and strong? Jennifer wondered if she could get past him simply by blowing. He looked like he would die of old age any minute. That’s probably why he was on desk duty and not back with the prisoners. But maybe you didn’t need to be all that visually imposing at a women’s prison. 

 

Out of curiosity, she had asked Eve once if getting jumped was a problem there like she had read about their male counterparts. She said the only thing she had seen was some slapping and hair pulling. She said the problem was the guards. They were all male. They openly leered at you while you showered out in the open with your other 50 new friends. Jennifer reminded herself never to get arrested. 

 

“Then can I walk Hortensia in?” Brian asked the guard. 

 

“Are you on the visitor list?” 

 

“Uhh, no.”

 

“Then no.”

 

“I can go by myself.” Hortensia groaned. 

 

“Umm,” Jennifer stumbled. 

 

“An escort will be provided to and from the visiting area. We do not allow visitors to roam free of the facility.” the guard said. 

 

“See, I’ll be fine.” Hortensia said, motioning wildly with her arms. 

 

“Okay, but come back to the van as soon as you're done. We’ll wait for you.” Jennifer said. She watched Hortensia disappear behind the metal doors led by the skeleton of a man. She felt a hand grab hers and gently lead her away. 

 

…

 

“Ho-ly sch-” Carol was about to say, but stopped herself. She eyed Matilda, but she seemed not to have noticed her near miss. Jennifer would kill her if Matilda reported Carol had been swearing around her. Agatha didn’t care if anyone swore around the kids, hell, she’d probably have preferred it if you swore AT the kids. Jennifer on the hand… She wanted to keep her job for now. Things were going to be interesting. 

 

Carol felt more indifferent about the children at Crunchem Hall. Okay, well, maybe a few had grown on her over the 3 years she had worked there. There was Joel, the diabetic fourth year who came in for his insulin everyday during lunch. He always read the jokes out of his Laffy Taffy wrappers, and she’d scold him about eating so much candy while being diabetic. And Cathy with her peanut allergy and asthma. And of course, Hortensia, who had rubbed peanut butter on all the door handles of the school.

 

Not a good day to be Cathy. 

 

Still, it would be nice to see someone who genuinely cared about them running the place. 

 

Now why would someone as good natured as Jennifer have something like this done to her car? 

 

She took in the beat out windows, dented body, and flat tires. Why would someone write “W-H-O-R-E” and “S-L-U-T” on her car? 

 

“I told them I didn’t do it!” Matilda grumbled. “Did you believe me?” 

 

“Not one bit.” Carol said. Matilda seemed taken aback by her honesty for a moment. “Well you couldn’t have expected us to. You were caught with the paint and brush in your hands. If it was anyone else, what would you have thought?” 

 

“Do you still think it was me?” Matilda asked, after seemingly mulling it over in her mind.

 

“This, no of course not, the car was fine when we left. “

 

“And last time? Do you still think it was me?” Carol sighed and patted her back. 

 

“I think, You have the worst luck.” Carol admitted, grimacing as she looked in the front seat. “Alright, let's wait over here.” She pushed Matilda along to the front porch. No need for her to see that. 

 

Carol opened up the front door and peeked inside. She could hear alarms blaring inside. 

 

“We should open the garage too.” Matilda said, running over and lifting a latch. 

 

“Stay outside, don’t go in.” Carol called. She gave her a look that could only be called, “duh” before pushing the door open and coming back. This was why she didn’t like kids. 

 

“Is it a fire?” Matilda asked. I thought you knew everything, Carol thought, before shaking it off. Now wasn’t the time. 

 

“It’s not the smoke detectors, your mom’s friend installed them in case there was a gas leak. Good thing too. We’re here to let them in to fix it.” she gestured at the van which had just turned into the driveway.

 

“What kind of gas?” Matilda asked. 

 

“Carbon monoxide.” 

 

“So we’ve all had carbon monoxide poisoning all this time?” Matilda asked, looking very green at the thought. “Wh-what about lasting damage? How long has this been going on for?” 

 

“Probably a while.” Carol said. She wondered about Agatha for a moment. She had been acting rather unhinged, even more so than usual before she left town. Perhaps this had more to play in her death than anything she claimed Eve did. Eve and her husband. She never could figure out what Agatha had meant. As far as she knew Eve’s husband had left before she had ever gotten kidnapped. Eve said Hortensia hadn’t had contact with him other than cards on her birthdays and holidays. She said their relationship was more like penpals. It was something a parent could easily fake to spare the child's feelings. 

 

Eve had already admitted to lying to Hortensia about his whereabouts. What had she said? He thought he worked overseas? Or traveled for work? That was what she hadn’t understood. Why did Agatha say he had anything to do with it if this involved Carol, Eve and Jennifer?  Maybe Agatha really had gone full mental, spouted off a bunch of nonsense and nose dived her car off a cliff? 

 

She should tell Eve about this, it might help her defense.  But the letter they found in Eve’s safe  that she said she was being blackmailed with was there. How could they explain it away  and…wait a minute…how had she gotten it? Carol had the only copy. And it was still in the shoebox. She had seen it when she showed it all to Jennifer… 

 

She sighed. She wished she hadn’t shown it to Jennifer. Carol had hoped she was ready to come to terms with it, but she wasn’t. She was still refusing to acknowledge what had happened to her. Even refused to see what was right in front of her in a picture. It was a sad situation. One of the worst cases of abuse she had seen in her career. 

 

Was it because of this? Because it had happened in the summer when the A/c was running? Could a mixture of a trauma and carbon monoxide poisoning wipe her memory like that? Jennifer's mind had tried to fill in the missing gaps and missed some of the details. Like how she remembered “Anastasia” instead of “Hortensia” That her aunt had poured boiling water on her for masturbating, instead of the darker truth. How Jennifer swore up and down she had never had a boyfriend.

 

How did Carol forget?… She witnessed one of the worst cases of abuse in her career, left, and just forgot. It wasn’t until Jennifer had come sweeping past on her bike that it all came rushing back to her. And she had been so ashamed. How do you go to the police and admit three years later that you forgot you were held hostage and someone still needed help? How did she admit to Jennifer the reason she hadn’t come back was because she forgot about her and went on with her life? 

 

One minute she was with her patients and the next she had woken up in bed at home a week later. When she returned to work, they fired her. Accused her of stealing drugs to go on a bender. Maybe she had had a terrible day of cancer pain and decided to end it? It was all she had to go on so it was what she had believed. 

 

And that stupid, wonderful shrilling alarm was the answer. 

 

She could feel hot tears begin to slide down her face.  

 

“Mrs. Rodgers? Are you okay?” Matilda asked. 

 

“Yeah,” Carol said, wiping at her face. “I will be.” 

 

“There’s a policeman walking over.” Matilda said. Carol looked up. Sure enough, a policeman was walking forward and waved in greeting when Carol made eye contact. 

 

“Are you the one who called this in?” he asked, gesturing to the car.
 

“Oh no, that’s my fr-daughter.” Carol said, clearing her throat. “My daughter’s car.” She could see Matilda giving her a puzzled look. You could get more information if you were family. 

 

“Oh, well, can you pass on a message? We called and left her a message as well, but if you see her first, tell her not to worry, there’s no crazy ex stalking her. Eyewitness across the street reported a group of children were seen vandalizing the car.” 

 

“Oh, a group of children?” Carol said. “How interesting. I’ll be sure to pass it along.”

 

She really didn’t like kids. 

[CDfm]

Wow I am really REALLY confused with the ending here.  In fact this entire chapter blew my mind.  I was not expecting the ghost twist at all.  Still the ghost doesn’t seem to explain everything either.  I am not sure how the ghost could be responsible for all these things in so many different places.  I thought ghosts could only haunt a home or similar places not be able to move around.  Then the children were responsible for the damage to Jennifer’s car.  Are these kids even capable of leaving the kind of deposit that was left on the steering wheel?  I am also very uncertain that there could be a child that would have Hortensia so rattled. One final thing that surprised me a little was Matilda.  I was surprised that some penguins could put Matilda in a state of mind where she was not only completely accepting of Jennifer’s admission that she was wrong but that she would have apologized for something she didn’t do. 
Now you know I must see more of this story very soon to keep me from going crazy trying to figure out what is going on.  

[Mazamune]

OK that was kind of my other theory (I know, easy to say after) as Mathilda and Horthensia had already found after the skatepark. Haven't thought that they could go at this level and bully Horthensia enough to say nothing. Or I'm wrong.

Can't wait to see what happens next.

Thanks again.

Cheers!

[SashaButters]

Jennifer hadn’t noticed Hortensia had returned until it was too late. She let out a startled yelp when the van door slid open. 

 

“Eww.” Hortensia cringed. “Were you two snogging back here?” Jennifer stammered, red faced as she hurried back to her place in the front seat. Brian merely chuckled and took his time. 

 

If someone had told Jennifer she would be making out in the back seat of a van with a man in the parking lot of a prison a month ago, she would have thought they were insane. She felt more like a teenager who had just been busted by an authority figure than ever. 

 

“N-no. We were just talking.” Jennifer mumbled. She peeked at her reflection in the visor's mirror before quickly trying to flatten her hair. Well, they had started out talking anyway. She glimpsed Hortensia’s sullen expression from the front seat. “Did you have a good visit?” 

 

“No.” Hortensia mumbled. Jennifer turned to face her, startled to see remnants of tears which had not yet dried. “Mum’s being transferred to Swansea.” 

 

“What? Why?” Jennifer asked. That was almost four hours away. Hortensia shrugged and remained silent the rest of the drive to the arcade, opting to stay in the van instead of sneaking in a few games while they tried to round up the other kids. 

 

They found the boys hammering away in front of a Mortal Kombat cabinet. 

 

“Hurry up and finish.” Brian said. He looked around and frowned. “Where’s Hazel?” 

 

“Dunno.” One of the boys said, eyes still glued to the screen. 

 

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Brian asked exasperated. “You were supposed to be watching her!” He let out a frustrated grunt and began scanning the rows of machines. 

 

“She was right behind us a minute ago,” His brother said. 

 

“She can’t have gone far.” Jennifer said. They walked around the arcade searching the crowd, but she wasn’t to be found. She could see his face crumple in worry. “I’ll check the restroom.” She went inside the woman’s room and called her name, but there was no reply. They looked by the snack bar. Nothing. She wasn’t sitting in one of the driving games either. Or by the bank of pinball machines. 

 

“She likes to wander off.” Brian said. She thought he looked ready to start shouting her name. 

 

“Are you looking for someone?” A teen girl in a blue polo shirt with the name tag that read ‘Ashley’ asked her. 

 

“Yes, a little girl. She wandered off from her brothers.” Jennifer said. Brian had hurried off to check with the boys again.

 

“Black hair mid back?” the girl asked.

 

“Yes! Have you seen her?” Jennifer asked. 

 

“Photobooth by the snack bar. We’ve been trying to coax her out for the last thirty minutes.” Ashley said. “My friend Tina’s with her. I’ve been trying to find who she belongs to. Figured I'd run into panicked parents somewhere.” 

 

“Thank you!” Jennifer said. So much for being behind them a minute ago. 

 

Ashley led her over back towards the food court. She scanned the crowd of teenagers, children and parents looking for Brian. She found him dressing down the boys. She’d leave him to it. She’d probably be tearing into Hortensia if she lost Matilda. 

 

“Hey, I found her mum!” Ashley hollered towards another teen standing by a metal booth with a small space concealed by a curtain. 

 

“SHE’S NOT MY MOM!” Jennifer heard coming from behind the curtain in a shrill whiney voice. 

 

“I’m with her dad.” She explained. “Do you know what happened?”

 

“A couple reported a crying toddler in the photo booth.” The girl named Tina said. 

 

“NOT A TODDLER!” 

 

“Hazel, is that you?” Jennifer called out. 

 

“Go away!” she heard followed by sobbing. 

 

“I’m opening the curtain.” She said softly. She opened it a few inches but was met with resistance. Little fists were clenching it shut from the other side. Jennifer could always force it open if need be, but she didn’t want to accidentally hurt her.

 

“Sweetheart, what’s the matter? What happened?” She asked gently. She listened for a reply but all she heard was hiccuping wails. She made eye contact with Brian and pointed to the machine before holding up her hand to stop him. She had sat with many a-crying children of Hazel's age.. Those weren't the cries of injury. Those were much more intense and drawn out. These were more sporadic, low and choked. These were the cries of hurt feelings. And nothing hurts a child's feelings worse than a bigger kid being mean. “Was it your brothers?” Jennifer asked softly. 

 

She must have guessed the magic password because the defiant resistance fell away. Jennifer gently opened the curtain and poked her head in. 

 

“Th-they we-were call-lling me n-n-n-ames.” a sobbing girl hunched in the corner said. 

 

“Well that doesn’t sound very nice.” Jennifer said. “Why don’t you come out of there and you can tell me all the mean things they said.” 

 

“I’ll I’ll get in trouble!” Hazel cried. “I can’t!”

 

“You’re not in trouble, why would you get in trouble?” Jennifer asked. 

 

“Cause… I-...” The rest was unintelligible gibberish, but Jennifer got the gist with the wet stain down her front. 

 

Jennifer paused in thought. It reminded her of the time Matilda had gone missing at the daycare. Jennifer had been furious with her when she found out she had been hiding the whole time. She had assumed with Matilda’s intelligence it was some personal vendetta against her over her ground rules. But as she looked down at Hazel weeping in the photo booth, the truth hit her. Hazel wasn’t doing this to hurt Brian or make him worry. She was just a scared six-year-old afraid of the consequences. Intelligent or not, hadn’t Matilda been too? 

 

“Here, this will help.” Jennifer slid off her thin cardigan and handed it to Hazel. “Tie it around your waist and no one will know. See? It hides everything.” It hid nothing. Hazel didn’t need to know that. She offered her her hand. “Your daddy’s looking everywhere for you.” 

 

She led Hazel out by the hand where Tina? Or maybe Ashley? One of them was explaining the situation to Brian. 

 

“Thirty minutes!” He growled at his sons. “You didn’t check to see where she was for over thirty minutes?”

 

“They were making fun of me!” Hazel insisted, piling on the guilt. 

 

“No we didn’t, you pissed yourself and ran off crying.” One of the boys grumbled, earning himself a smack upside the back of the head.

 

 “And you let her just run off?” Brian demanded. “In the car. All of you.” He said, staring at each child in turn. He spoke more gently now, but Jennifer could still hear a stern ring in it. “Hazel, you know the rules.” 

 

“No! Daddy! I’m sorry! No!” She whined on the walk through the parking lot. 

 

“What’s going on?” Jennifer whispered once they were all in the van. 

“Back to pull -ups for three days. She knows the rules.” Jennifer crinkled her face. 

 

“It was just an accident.” 

 

“It’s been a lot of accidents.” He said, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

 

“It’s not fair! They wouldn’t take me to the lou!” Hazel complained.

 

“You little liar! You never asked!” One of the boys said. 

 

“Do you think they’ll fit Hortensia?” Jennifer whispered. He gave her a puzzled look before laughing.

 

“No.” He chuckled. “Why would she need-” Jennifer motioned with her hands to lower her voice. 

 

“She has issues at night.” Jennifer leaned over and whispered. “And I don’t have anything to protect your bed. Or any money on me.” 

 

He seemed to consider this a moment. He checked the rear view mirror before replying. “There’s something I can give you at the house.”  Jennifer let out a relieved breath. Sorry, Hortensia. She didn’t have a choice. She had to warn him. 

 

“You three! Go get ready for bed.” 

 

“But it’s only eight!” Zach complained.

 

“Now!” Brian said. She watched them all trudge up the stairs. He eyed Hortensia for a minute before sighing. “You can hang out with them upstairs if you want. Or you can stay downstairs with u-” Hortensia was already halfway up the staircase before he finished his sentence. 

 

“Does she not like me either?” He laughed. Jennifer smiled.

 

“She’s…in a rough place right now. Don’t take it personally.” She explained. “Something’s been eating her.” 

 

“Oh, right, let me get you that thing.” Brian said, heading up the stairs. He stopped and looked at her for a moment. “You can come up if you want. I’ll show you where everything is.” She followed him, feeling slightly nervous. Being in the van with him was one thing, but now she was following him to his bedroom. Her mouth went dry. It wasn’t like that, right? But just in case…

 

“Hortensia,” Jennifer called. The preteen poked her out of one of the upstairs rooms. “He’s going to show us where we’re sleeping.” She beckoned her to follow. He led them into the master bedroom, where he got on his hands and knees and slid out a clear plastic bin from underneath the bed. He opened it, where Jennifer could see blankets, pajamas, and other assortment of childish items. 

 

“Are these Hazel’s?” Jennifer asked.

 

“Uhh, no.” Brian said, grabbing something before quickly shutting the lid and sliding it back under the bed. He was avoiding her eyes as he handed the item over. Hortensia was busy studying a picture. “My wife’s.” 

 

Jennifer looked at the item in her hand puzzled. It was a nappy, but she didn’t know they made adult ones so…

 

“But they have butterflies on them.” Jennifer said. “They sell adult sized ones with designs? Did you get these from the pharmacy?” 

 

“Uh, no. Umm, a catalog.” Brian said. “She liked…cute things.”  

 

“Well, when I’m old and in the nursing home, make sure they give me the cute nappies.” Jennifer said. Brian smiled. 

 

“You remind me of her.” He said before adding. “I hope that’s not too weird of a thing to say, telling my new girlfriend she reminds me of my dead wife.” The only thing Jennifer caught was “girlfriend”. She looked up. “We are, aren't we?” He asked. Her face flushed as she smiled and nodded. “Good.” He smiled back and wrapped an arm around her waist. 

 

“I’m out of here.” Hortensia groaned and stalked out of the room. Jennifer set the nappy back on the bed for later and let him guide her through working the shower and where the extra blankets were if she got cold. She doubted it, it was another hot and humid night. 

 

“Do you want a T-shirt to sleep in or..” He paused for a moment. “Do you like cute things too?” He looked amused for a moment before he shook his head. “Nevermind, it’s too hot for that.” 

 

“Too hot for what?” She asked curiously. 

 

“Pajamas. They're, uh, cute. Might even fit you.” Well, she did like cute, but she kind of liked the idea of sleeping in one of his shirts. She didn’t know why. 

 

“A shirt is fine.” Jennifer answered. 

 

“Aww, but they have a hood with ears.” He laughed. 

 

“Pajamas with ears?” Jennifer asked. He got back down and slid the box out. He held it up. Jennifer’s eyes went wide in surprise. 

 

“That’s adorable.” She said. “I didn’t know they made pajamas like this for an adult.” He shrugged. 

 

“You can find almost anything if you know where to look.” He held them out to her. She held them in her hands. So soft. 

 

“I guess I could try them on…” She mused before frowning. “Are things going to start flying if I do?” She had her reservations about the whole “ghost of his dead wife” thing, but she had no explanation to give about what transpired in the kitchen. 

 

He was silent for a moment as he pondered it. He shook his head. 

 

“She liked having playmates.” 

 

“Playmates?” Jennifer asked. He winced slightly before clearing his throat. He looked uncomfortable with the topic. 

 

“I’ll explain another time.” He said with an apologetic smile. “I don’t want to scare you off.”

 

“I’m not going anywhere.” Jennifer chuckled. “If I stayed put after your kitchen turned itself upside down…” 

 

“True.” He grinned. “Fine, go try it on and I’ll tell you.” She headed to the ensuite bathroom feeling even more confused than ever and stripped. She unzipped the back and stepped in, marveling at how it even had the feet. Where on earth had he found these? She fed her arms into the holes and reached behind her and pulled the zipper up. They fit, but she was roasting. 

 

She stepped out and stared at herself in the mirror. They were a little baggy in the waist, but otherwise they fit. She fingered the buttons on the sides. What were those for? 

 

“How are they?” He asked. She stepped out and showed him. He grinned wide and approached her. He flipped the hood up over her head and laughed. 

 

“Oh, it’s a Dalmation.” she chuckled. 

 

“You make a very cute Dalmatian.” He led her back downstairs where she found Hortensia sitting on the couch by herself, a CD player resting on her lap and headphones over her ears. She made eye contact. Hortensia lowered the headphones around her neck and scoffed.

 

“What in the world are you wearing?” Hortensia asked, eyebrows raised. 

 

“Why? You want to wear some too? I have another pair.” Brian asked, laughing at Hortensia’s expression. “You can match.” Hortensia scoffed and stood up. 

 

“I think i’ll go upstairs after all… before you try and put me in a bib.”

 

“So what’s the story?” Jennifer asked, taking a seat on the couch. 

 

“Well,” he said, clearing his throat and taking a seat next to her. “Amber was…She had a hard time when she got ill. She was a very independent person, and she had to give up a lot of that independence. She fell into a depression, like many people do, until we stumbled on this.” He gestured to her outfit.

 

“On pajamas?” Jennifer asked. Brian shook his head.

 

“Age play,” he explained. “We were already into the role playing scene, someone suggested it, we tried it, and she fell in love with it. Thirty- eight year old Amber may have had a hard time being taken care of, but three- year- old Amber didn’t.”

 

“What’s role playing?”

 

“It’s like the adult version of playing pretend.” He said. “It can be sexual,” He saw the look on her face and quickly threw in a “or not. We didn’t, you know, do anything adult when she was in toddler mode.”

 

“Toddler mode? So she had a split personality?” Jennifer asked.

 

“No, no. It was all pretend. She found it comforting and it helped her. She was a brat and I was her daddy.” 

 

“Uhh,” That sounded kind of mean. 

 

“It’s a personality type. She’d act like a brat. Knock things over, disobey, wreck havoc when left unsupervised. It was all for fun.” He chuckled, seemingly lost in the memory. “That's why I think It’s her.” He said, gesturing to the kitchen. “Still out there knocking shit off the counters and making a mess.” 

 

Jennifer remained silent. It had seemed more intense and angry than simply knocking things off the counters. Pots and pans had shot out, not been simply “dropped”, but she didn’t argue with him. 

 

He took her hand in his. 

 

“Does this weird you out?” He asked. 

 

“The ghost or...?” 

 

“The ageplay.” He said. 

“No, I mean, if it helped her, good for you for going along with it.” Jennifer said. 

 

“I was wondering…” He said softly. “I’ve been thinking about what you went through.”

 

“Oh no, don’t.” She said. She didn’t like people thinking about it. She didn’t want him feeling sorry for her. 

 

“I was wondering if you would be interested in, umm, playing pretend with me?” He asked. 

 

“You…want me to act like a three-year-old?” Jennifer asked doubtfully. 

 

“I want you to act however you want.” Brian said. “I know you said intimacy would be difficult for you…” 

 

“So this is about sex?” Jennifer asked with a frown. 

 

“No, no, nothing like that. I just wanted to show you there are ways of being intimate without sex.” He explained. “I really like you Jenny…” He said softly.

 

“I like you too.” She said. He squeezed her hand reassuringly. “I didn’t think it was possible for me. It’s just…everytime I think about sex, I panic and then I have these episodes, and I don’t think I could ever enjoy it with the pain.” 

 

“I told you, there’s no rush.” He squeezed her hand again. “We could share something, just the two of us, without it. You don’t need to be afraid.” She leaned her head against his shoulder and he wrapped an arm around her. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of being held. It was still such a foreign feeling to her. She would have been in heaven if it wasn’t for these pajamas. They were making her sweat. He was right, it was too hot, but she didn’t want to get out from underneath his arm.

 

“What pain?” He asked after a minute.

 

“I’m,” she paused and sighed. “Not normal down there.” 

 

“It’s okay.” He whispered before pausing. “You don’t have a penis, do you?” He asked conspiratorially. Jennifer laughed and shook her head. 

 

“No!” she said firmly. “It’s a burn.” She held a hand to just under her navel. “From here,” She moved it down to the top of her thighs, “to here.” He frowned. 

 

“Were you in a fire?” 

 

“No.” She whispered. “My aunt wanted to punish me. I was doing some inappropriate things, and she threw boiling water on me.” 

 

“Jenny.” He whispered horrified. 

 

“That's why the idea of sex…I just-I can’t.” She said, lowering her eyes. “Not now. Maybe not ever.”

 

“Does it hurt?” He asked.

 

“Sometimes.” 

 

“How old were you?” 

 

“Fifteen, I think. I only remember bits and pieces.”

 

The phone began to ring. She wondered who was calling him this late. She eyed him curiously. 

 

“The answering machine can get it.” He said. He pressed her tighter against him. It was a comforting gesture, but she couldn’t do it anymore.  She stood up and felt beads of sweat make its way down her chest. She stumbled a bit. She was feeling dizzy now. 

 

“Are you okay? Your face is all red. Water! You need water!.” He jumped to his feet and pulled her along to the kitchen. Next thing she knew a glass of water was being thrust into her hands. He opened the large double doored fridge and gestured her forward. She took a few steps and he positioned her in front of the open doors.. She shut her eyes and leaned into the cool air. Then she heard the back zipper sliding down. 

 

“Hey, no , stop, I'm not wearing a shirt under this!.” She called. 

 

“You need to cool down. You’re overheating.” She groaned. She hated being a damsel in distress, but still. It was such an odd feeling, being cared for… So she didn’t fight him when he continued to unzip her. He worked her arms out and she covered her chest as he slid it down to her waist. “Drink water.” He said, before he turned around and faced the other wall. She took a few sips from her glass, left arm covering herself as she inspected the contents of his fridge as a distraction.

 

She heard an electronic beep followed by Carol’s recorded voice behind her. She spun her head in order to hear better and listened to the message.

 

Her jaw fell open in shock. Her eyes went wide. She forgot her current state of dress and came forward, arms down by her side as she listened. Brian stormed out of the kitchen and halfway up the stairs. 

 

“EVERYBODY DOWN HERE, NOW!” He stomped back to the kitchen and froze. Jennifer was staring at him with wide concerned eyes…No, It couldn’t be… 

He opened his mouth, closed it and opened it again.  

 

“Is something wrong?” She asked. He was looking at her a bit oddly. She could hear a hoard of footsteps making their way down. He snapped back into focus before tugging off his shirt and handed it to her. She covered herself in a panic in realization and snatched his shirt. She spun around and threw it on herself before shutting the doors to the fridge and turning back around. She felt her face radiate heat, but was unsure if it was from heat exhaustion or embarrassment. 

 

“What?” Nick asked. Jennifer saw all four kids staring at them from the landing. 

 

“On the couch.” Brian said. “All of you.” 

 

Jennifer stood off to the side still feeling stunned. The kids sat and stared up at him expectantly. Hortensia kept bouncing between him and her. looking for some kind of explanation but Jennifer couldn’t meet her eye. 

 

“Why did we just get a call about a group of children being responsible for the damage to Jenny’s car?” Brian demanded. 

 

“She made me!” Hazel cried. “She said she’d beat me up if I didn’t!” 

 

“You little liar!” Zach said as Hortensia yelled, “No, I didn’t!” She flashed Jennifer a panicked look. 

 

“I didn’t!” She said again more earnestly, almost desperately. “I didn’t threaten her.” Her hands were lifted in a defensive posture as if Jennifer was going to charge. Jennifer felt like charging. 

 

Threatening was her hard no. 

 

“And her car?” Brian asked. “Are you the group of kids?” 

 

Hazel had already confirmed it.

 

“No!” They all chimed, except for Hortensia.

 

“It was me.” She said softly. She knew it wasn’t only her, but she didn’t care right now.

 

“And Matilda? Was she a part of this?” Hortensia shook her head. “So the first time?”

 

“Me.” She mumbled looking down and wiggling in her seat. 

 

“Why?” Was all Jennifer could say. Hortensia shrugged. “No, tell me why you wrote those things on the car and let my daughter take the fall?”

 

“I was angry, I had an attack.” Hortensia said.

 

“Bollocks!” Jennifer said, making Hortensia look startled. “If you had just damaged my car, I might have believed you. You made this personal! I-I told you things! And you used them against me?! Were all those talks for nothing!?”

 

“N-no I was-” Hortensia began to stammer but Jennifer didn’t want to hear her excuses. She knew she was angry about the medication the night of the first event. What had she done to piss her off today? She felt hot tears of betrayal begin to slide down her face. 

 

“I tried Hortensia. I wanted to help you. I really tried, but I can’t do this anymore.” Jennifer said. “Go to bed, and when we get home tomorrow, pack up your stuff. I’m taking you to Cynthia’s.”

 

[smilekat414]

Ok that took a turn, in several senses, just when things were starting to look up they're spiraling, I gotta say I'm impressed how you manage to keep me guessing and hanging on my seat. I'm defintly waiting with baited breath for the next chatper. 

[CDfm]

My heart was just broken!  I am sure Hortensia’s isn’t doing so well either?  I guess this answered many of my questions.  Not necessarily in the way I would have hoped for though.  I also feel really bad for Jennifer she surly doesn’t deserve to constantly be treated like this for her whole life.  What her Aunt did was unspeakable and more than any person should ever have to deal with in a lifetime and while Hortensia is still young, she certainly knows better. 
Now I need a new chapter to start feeling better again. Let Matilda raise my spirits once again. 

[AdultInnocence]

I hope Hortensia gets properly dressed for bed, especially now. Taking responsibility for not messing things up at night is a necessity. I also hope she isn't the only one to take the fall as it wasn't just her, and that Jennifer cools down (maybe with Brian's help) and doesn't send her to Cynthia's.

I like that Brian is opening up to her and that she isn't having flashbacks. Maybe this new form of role play for her will give her a chance to heal if she does go along with it. I'm sure there is a snapped shirt in that tote that isn't as hot.

Jennifer should realize when one of the boys said she threatened them, then it wasn't just her.

Also: Thanks for the regular-ish updates. It's a highlight of the day to get on and see a new chapter.

[Mazamune]

And ... I was wrong.

That's great because it mean your story keeps surprising.

I'm still sure that Horthensia hasn't told all her secrets yet.

The end of the chapter was quite hard but I hope we will know more soon.

Cheers!

[SashaButters]

The change that had come over Hortensia was startling. She wasn’t livid or thrashing about. Instead, she curled into a ball and began to cry with loud racking sobs. Jennifer paused for a moment, fighting the urge to take her words back and make it stop. She was serious. She meant it. She had tried to help Hortensia, but she had thrown it all back in her face. She had gone out of her way to hurt her, and her relationship with her daughter. And over what? Because she didn’t want to go to therapy and do a single page of math problems in the afternoons?

 

 

But…something about that sound… those types of cries. It wasn’t quite physical pain or hurt feelings.

 

The room began to lose focus. No, not now! She groped the wall and slid down. She was both in the room and lying on her office floor at the school, choking wailing sobs coming from both Hortensia and her past self. 

 

“Jenny, hey? Is it the heat?” Brian asked her. She shook her head and hid her face. 

 

“I’m fine. I’m fine.” Two in one day? Not good. She wiped the tears from her face and tried to stand back up, but he stopped her. He looked between Hortensia and her. 

 

“Maybe you should sleep on it.” He whispered. She felt a pang of annoyance. Was he telling her how to parent? But as she thought about it, maybe he was right. She was re-acting. 

 

“I’ll think about it.” She announced loud enough so Hortensia could hear, but it did little to stop her. She was babbling something Jennifer couldn’t quite understand at first. She felt another annoyed pang in her chest.

 

“Anywhere but there! Anywhere but there!” 

 

She wasn’t upset at being kicked out. She just didn’t want to go to Cynthia’s. 

 

“I said I’ll think about it.” She repeated. “Now go upstairs to bed so I can think!” She didn’t feel very authoritative from her spot on the floor, but Hortensia stood and rushed upstairs, much to the other kids' relief. They looked just as surprised and uncomfortable with her outburst as she did. 

 

“You too, Hazel.” Brian said. “ Go to bed, I’ll deal with you later.” That left the two boys. Once Hazel was out of ear shot he stared at the two of them. “Which one of you did it?” The boys stayed quiet. “Which one of you jacked off in her car?” He demanded. The two boys both wrinkled their faces in disgust. 

 

“No one.”

 

“Then why is her front seat covered in semen?!” They wrinkled their faces again.

 

“Hazel was squirting a bottle of something around.” Nick offered. “Some kind of gel or…”

 

“It’s lube.” Jennifer mumbled, clenching the bridge of her nose. “There was a bottle of it in my purse. She must have been looking for more lotion.” 

 

“What happened?” Brian asked. 

 

“Tens just went crazy and started beating on the car.” Zach said. “Then Hazel started doing it because she was doing it.”

 

“And how did your boy's pocket knives end up in her tires?” Brian asked. 

 

“She asked us too.” Nick said. 

 

“She asked you too?” Brian said in a disbelieving voice. “So you just did it?” 

 

“The car was toast by then anyway.” Zach said.

 

“So you just stood there and let it happen? Why didn’t you come get us?”

 

“I was too surprised.” Nick said. “It was like she just went crazy and started bashing the car with a rock.”

 

So it was a fit. Not that it made much of a difference, but knowing it wasn’t calculated eased her rolling gut a bit. 

 

“It happens with her.” Jennifer said. “She does suddenly snap and start attacking the first thing she sees.” Jennifer explained. “It’s hard to react when you see it happening.” 

 

“That doesn’t mean they had to join in.” True. 

 

“Did she threaten any of you?” Jennifer asked. They shook their heads. “So she just…asked?”

 

“Well, not really, it’s more like, she… came back? Like… it wasn’t her and then… it was.” Nick said. “We had shown her our knives earlier and we were talking about how hard it would be to cut through stuff.  I had wondered out loud how hard it was to slash a tire, cause you see it in movies and stuff. She kind of stared at the car for a minute, and was like ‘may as well test your knives, cause the car’s toast anyway.’” 

 

“Okay, so Hortensia beat the windows, Hazel squirted lube around, you guys slashed the tires…Who spray painted the car?” Brian asked. 

 

“That’s what Tens was freaking out about. None of us did.” 

 

“What?” Jennifer asked, pushing herself up. 

 

“It was weird.” Nick said. “She beats the crap out of your car and is like, ‘oh well’ but she freaked out about you thinking she was calling you names. Got super pissed and yelled at us for it, but it wasn’t us. We were all together.”

 

“Was there someone else there?” It was probably Hortensia, but she might as well try.

 

“N-no, wait yeah, Tens was talking to that massive bloke that walked by before she went mental, they were having some kind of fight, cause she flipped him off after he’d turned around and left, but other than that. No. 

 

So some man told her off about something and she had a fit. But it still didn’t explain the spray paint. At least there was no sexual predator after her, just a pre-teen with anger management issues. 

 

Jennifer shrugged. She was still livid and a little hurt, but she supposed she should be grateful she hadn’t attacked someone. A car can be fixed. Maybe Eve was right. Maybe therapy wasn’t helping. Maybe it was time she admitted defeat and passed her off to Cynthia for their tough love approach. Jennifer didn’t have it in her anymore. 

 

“Go to bed, both of you.” Brian said. “I need to think about what I’m going to do with you tomorrow.” He sighed and looked at her. “I am so sorry. I’ll pay for new tires and clean the upholstery.” 

 

“It was a junker anyway. I only recently learned to drive during the year. New tires might cost more than the cars worth. I may not have even noticed all the extra dents if not for the spray paint, tires and windows being smashed out.”

 

“Even so.” 

 

“Maybe it was your wife who painted my car.” Jennifer said with a laugh. “The cop did say it looked like the work of a jealous lover.” he grinned but shook his head.

 

“She was gentle, she wouldn’t call anyone those kinds of names. She doesn’t want to cause harm. This is just her way of causing mischief and letting me know she’s here.” Jennifer frowned. That wasn’t what she had picked up with her experiences of otherworldly forces not caused by Matilda. 

 

“I can see you don’t believe me.” Brian said. He was grinning, but he looked sad.

 

“I have felt and seen unexplainable things. Of course I believe you. “ she gestured to the kitchen. “Falling in the skatepark, the pots and pans, you getting me out of my shirt on a first date. All unexplainable things.” The tension between them broke and he chuckled.

 

“I need to tuck in Hazel, will you be up for a while? I can put in a movie.” He suggested. “We’ve had enough drama for one day.” She smiled and shook her head.

 

“I think I’m going to call it a night. I still have a kid to interrogate.” She said. “Thanks for the shirt.” She said with an embarrassed winced. He snickered and gave her a light kiss on the forehead. “Feel free to come back down if you can’t sleep. Goodnight.” He went to Hazel's room and she kept going. 

 

When she opened the door she could hear Hortensia sniffling, but the body wracking sobs had stopped. She sprawled out on her back on the bed with a pillow over her face. She saw the nappy sitting on the bed beside her.

 

“Tens, I know we’re both upset right now. A lot has been going on. Let's talk about this in the morning once we’ve both calmed down.” Jennifer said. There was no response from the girl on the bed. “I know you're not asleep. I can hear you.” Still no response. She let out an annoyed breath. “You need to put this on tonight.” She held up the nappy. Nothing. “Hortensia! I’m serious, you need to wear this.” Now she was getting frustrated. She didn’t feel like playing this mind game with her. “If you don’t get up and put this on, I’m going to put it on for you! You want me to diaper you like a baby?” She ground her teeth together. Fine. She’d call her bluff. 

 

 

Jennifer picked up the nappy and unfolded it. It really was like a larger version for a baby. She loudly crinkled it to show Hortensia what she was doing, but she just laid there. Alright, she had warned her. Jennifer gripped the waist of Hortensia’s pants and yanked them down. 

 

“WHAT THE FUCK?” 

 

Hortensia sprang up, fist in the air and headphones dangling off the side of her head. Loud music filled the space between them. Hortensia glared at her but lowered her fist when she saw who it was. She hoisted her pants back up and seethed.

 

“I am so sorry, I thought you were ignoring me.” 

 

“So you pulled my pants down?” Hortensia demanded. 

 

“No, It-it was an accident!” The last thing she wanted was rumors about her being inappropriate with a student to circulate.

 

“How do you accidentally pull down my pants?” Hortensia asked with a scoff. Jennifer held out the open diaper. 

 

“You need to go put this on.” Hortensia snatched it from her hand and left for the bathroom in a huff. “I told you three times to get up and put it on. And then I said ‘I'd put it on for you if you ignored me one more time….’”

 

“I wasn’t ignoring you! I didn’t hear you!” she heard followed by a series of crinkling, thrashing and frustrated grunts.

 

“I realized that.” Jennifer said with a wince. She stood outside the bathroom and waited. The number and volume of grunts were increasing. Jennifer frowned before she heard a bang against the wall. “Tens, take a deep breath and relax.”

 

“How am I supposed to relax right now?” Hortensia grunted. “The stupid thing won’t go on.” 

 

“Well, first thing you need to do is wee, cause it’s not coming off till morning.” Jennifer warned. “They don’t refasten and I’m not risking you leaking in his bed.” 

 

“And what if I need a wee in the night? Then what?” Hortensia asked as the toilet flushed. 

 

“Better hope you don’t.” Jennifer said, but then thought better of it. She supposed she could always safety pin it back on. She’d have to ask Brian if he had one lying around. “Do you usually need to?”

 

“Haven’t really had that luxury in a while.” Hortensia said sarcastically. “Now what?”

 

“Come out so I can help you..” 

 

“No!” Hortensia said. 

 

“You're getting frustrated. I don’t want you having another fit. Just let me do it so we can both go to bed.” She could hear Hortensia let out a low whine. “I know, I won’t say anything at school.” She heard another whine. “Or Matilda. It’ll stay between us.” There was a final low hesitant grumble before the bathroom door unlatched. “Go lay on the bed like you were before.” She opened his bathroom drawer. Jackpot. She picked out a few bobby pins off a pile of them and walked over.

 

“I’ll let you do the honors this time.” She gestured to her pants. After a moment of hesitation, she slid out of them. “Underwear too.” 

 

“Put it over.” Hortensia mumbled.

 

“You want to go home carrying wet knickers in your pocket?” Hortensia visibly deflated. After a second of considering this, she shimmied out of them as well.

 

“Hurry up.” she barked. Jennifer rolled her eyes and gave her a look she had been practicing, Hortensia cowered a bit and added, “Please, it’s embarrassing.” Jennifer sighed.

 

“I know, i’ll hurry. Turn on your side. Hortensia rolled over and Jennifer paused. She stared. She wasn’t sure what she was seeing. She was torn between investigating and respecting Hortensia’s privacy but the first instinct was winning. What was that? “Bring your top leg up to your chest.”

 

Jennifer leaned in closer and bent to take a look. 

 

“What are you doing?” Hortensia demanded scooting away. “Stop looking there.” 

 

“Sorry, I thought I saw something.” 

 

“What? Hair?” She said sarcastically. 

 

“Sorry, i’ll put it on.” She silently fastened it with the tapes before double securing it with bobby pins. “There, all done.” 

 

“Now we both look like babies.” Hortensia lamented into her cupped hands. Jennifer didn’t say anything. She was lost in thought. The bad feeling in her stomach grew. She kicked off the pajamas the rest of the way and climbed into bed, She had gotten the best of both worlds. The pajamas and his shirt, but they were the farthest thing from her mind. 

 

“Please,” Hortensia pleaded after a few minutes of silence. “Not them.”

 

Jennifer yawned. She didn’t realize how tired she was. She rolled over and shut her eyes. 

 

“I’ll think about it.” Jennifer mumbled. “I’m out of options Tens, your behavior… I tried. I want to help you, I want to see you do well, but it feels like nothing's working. This wasn’t like breaking a mug or a vase. You destroyed my car, and you got other kids in trouble too. And you made me think I was being stalked.”

 

“I didn’t want to! It wasn’t my idea!” Hortensia cried. 

 

Jennifer sighed. “Go to sleep.” 

 

“He made me do it!” Hortensia bawled. “I said ,‘no’ but he said- he said…” Hortensia couldn’t finish the sentence. 

 

Jennifer rolled back over and eyed her. She would have ignored this for a desperate attempt to pass blame, but the boys had mentioned a man. 

 

“Who told you this?” Hortensia looked at her before averting her gaze. “Who told you this?”

 

“I can’t tell you.” She cried into her pillow. 

 

“The boys mentioned there was a m-.” 

 

“They didn’t see anything!” Hortensia said, looking up. “Forget I said anything. I made it up.” Her eyes were wide, begging, afraid. “Not them. Please.” 

 

“Why not Cynthia? Would you tell me? ” Jennifer whispered. She knew she didn’t like her, Jennifer wasn’t all that fond of her either, but Hortensia’s reaction was startling. She had seen her cry before, but not like this. Hortensia mumbled a name into her pillow. 

 

 

“Aiden?” Hortensia nodded and curled into herself. “This Aiden person, was he at the house earlier today?” Hortensia didn’t respond. Wait. She knew that name. Why did she know that name? “What’s Aiden’s last name?” She asked. 

 

“Redding.”

 

“And is this Aiden Redding married to a Cynthia Redding?” Jennifer growled. 

 

“Yes.” Hortensia sniffled.

 

“Tens,” she asked gently. “Did he do something that upset you earlier today?” But Hortensia would say no more. 

 

 

Three hours in and Jennifer still couldn’t sleep. The digital alarm on the dresser read a little after midnight. Her mind was whirling. Was this just a convenient cover up story? She had told her to forget it, told her she had made it up, but Jennifer wasn’t sure. Why was Hortensia this scared of Cynthia’s husband? Did he beat her? Was their ‘tough love’ approach anything like Trunchbulls? 

Use the rod and beat the child?

 

“Tens? Are you still awake?” she whispered. She received a grunt in response. Jennifer rolled over to face her but was greeted with the back of her head. “You’d tell me if someone was hurting you, right?” She waited for a response, but after a few minutes she heard soft snoring coming from the other side of the bed. 

 

Finally, Jennifer gave up. She got out of bed and tiptoed down the stairs. She hoped Brian was still awake. She needed to talk to someone. 

 

The light from the telly illuminated the room as an advertisement for a blender played. He was lying on the couch on his back, but she couldn’t tell if he was awake or not. She stepped closer. And closer. Just as she was about to peek at his face, her foot came in contact with something on the ground and she crashed forward on top of him. He let out a startled yell and jumped. 

 

“I’m so sorry! Are you okay? I didn’t mean to wake you! Or fall on you…” Jennifer said in a panic. She was in the process of pushing herself up, but arms wrapped themselves around her back and pulled her down on top of him. 

 

“Hi.” He said with an amused grin. “Couldn’t sleep?”

 

“Too much on my mind.” Jennifer admitted. She was awkwardly splayed out on top of him. It was both the most uncomfortable and most wonderful place to be. His hand was gently cupping the side of her face. 

 

“You look even cuter in just my shirt.” He said. First, she had wandered around without a shirt, now she wasn’t wearing any pants. 

 

“I seem to be unable to keep my clothes on around you.” she mused. He chuckled

 

“I don’t mind.” His smile was infectious. He pushed himself up a little and met her lips. She had wanted to talk, but this was alright too…Who knew an infomercial for a blender could be so romantic? His stubble rubbed against her face as they kissed. She found herself exploring his chest with her hands. She felt like she was overheating again. Beads of sweat were rolling down her chest.

 

“It’s so hot.” She lamented when they finally broke apart for air as she sat up, straddling him.  He chuckled.

 

“You can always take off your shirt again.” He teased. She stumbled over her words in embarrassment and shock until he began to laugh. “I’m joking.” he said, holding one of her hands. “Jen, you don’t ha-” his words fell away as she tossed his shirt to the side. He wasn’t ogling or leering at her. More like slowly taking her in. No one had ever looked at her like that before. 

 

He slowly traced a finger down her scar from her abdomen to the top of her panties. 

 

“It’s hideous.” Jennifer mumbled. 

 

“None of you is hideous.” He said. He pushed himself half way up with one arm and clung onto the insides of her thighs for support. Then he began to softly kiss her abdomen, gradually inching down the scar. Jennifer let out a gasp. He grinned as he looked up at her, lips still pressed to her skin. 

 

“I dreamed about this once.” she said softly. “About you, doing this.” Her stomach felt funny. It had felt funny since she had come downstairs to see him. But seeing him like this. She couldn’t get the image of her dream out of her head. Her stomach began to flutter even more.

 

“Oh, having those kinds of dreams, are you?” he teased. “What happened in your dream?” He kissed her lower. 

 

“I was in your tent back at the pond. Except naked. My clothes were disappearing even then.” He chuckled in between kisses. “I was scared of you seeing me, of seeing it, but then you started kissing it and going lower.” She could feel herself shaking. He was almost at the edge of her underwear. 

 

“And then what happened…?” 

 

“You were kissing…something else.” She mumbled. His eyes glanced up at her and held her stare.

 

“Another time.” He whispered. “I’m not trying to take advantage of you.” He laid back down and stretched out, offering his arm out in invitation for her to lie down. “Especially not after everything that’s happened today.” 

 

“It was a bit of a mood killer.” Jennifer agreed.

 

 She let out a shaky laugh. What was she just about to do? What had come over her? She had told Carol she wasn’t that kind of woman, and twelve hours later she was straddling him in just her panties hoping he would…what exactly?  

 

She laid down with him, chest to chest and rested her head against his neck. This. This was what she had come down for. His arms wrapped around her in a hug. She let out a content sigh. It would be perfect if…

 

“I took off my shirt, you could at least take off your belt. It’s poking me.” Jennifer mumbled into his neck. His large chest began to rumble and she rose and fell as he laughed. “What?” The weight of an arm left her back and she soon heard a jingle. She looked over and found his pants dangling from his hand, belt still fed through the loops.

 

Oh. So they were both in nothing but their underwear. 

 

“So what is it? Am I lying on the remote?” She swiped her hand between them and found something. She felt up and down, feeling more and more perplexed.  He let out a soft gasp. 

 

“Je-jenny, I-I thought you wanted to take this slow.” He said. 

 

“Yeah?” 

 

“Hardest request of my life then, but please let go of me.” He said. She frowned.

 

“That was you? Was I hurting you? I’m so sorry!” 

 

“Nope. Nope. You weren’t hurting me.” he said with a grimace and a chuckle. Confused, she pushed herself up and looked. She flinched away in surprise and jumped up. She didn’t know what she had expected, but it wasn’t… that. 

 

“No, don’t leave. It’s okay! See?” He stood up and began pulling on his pants from the floor as Jennifer slowly backed away. “ He reached out his arm to her. 

 

“Sorry, I was surprised.” 

 

“You don’t have to apologize.”

 

“O-of course you’d ha-have one, th-thats normal. Totally normal” She said as if trying to stun him with her extensive knowledge on the workings of male genitalia. 

 

“We were snogging, it’s not like we were at one of our kids piano recital.” 

 

“Or a funeral.”

 

“Your sister's wedding.” 

 

“School book report presentation.” Brian winced.

 

“Ah, nope that one actually happened.” He said. Jennifer burst into giggles. “Hey, that was very traumatic, I'll let you know.” Brian chuckled. “I went around with the nickname Boyscout Brian for years. That’s what I get for wearing sweatpants.” 

 

“BoyScout Brian?” 

 

“Yeah, for being the kid who pitched a tent in class.” 

 

Jennifer couldn’t breathe. “Wh-why?” 

 

“These things have a mind of their own. One minute you're having lunch with your inlaws and the next thing it's reaching out like it wants a bite of your dinner.” 

 

“It must have smelled something it liked.” Jennifer said, trying to catch her breath.“I shouldn’t laugh. I’m a school teacher.” Jennifer said, though she showed no signs of stopping. 

 

“Apparently Little Brian has a thing for Fettuccine Alfredo,” he said. He mimicked an animal sticking its head out and sniffing around. Jennifer giggled and sat back down on the couch. She patted the seat next to her. 

 

“Sit down.” She said before adding with a snicker, “BoyScout.” He feigned hurt before joining her with a salute. She could make out the outline of Little Brian saluting as well. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to freak out earlier.” 

 

“You apologize too much.” he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “Lay back down with me.” he whispered. She eyed his waste tentatively. “He’ll stay in his cage, I promise.” He chuckled. She let him guide her back down until she was lying out across his chest. 

 

“You can go back to your boxers, if you want.” Jennifer offered. His jeans were uncomfortable against her bare skin. “I’m starting to feel underdressed.” 

 

“He might poke you.” He teased. 

 

“As long as he doesn’t bite. Don’t make me muzzle him.” She reached down and lifted up one of his socks. Brian laughed and began to unbutton his pants, but struggled to get them off with her on top. She pushed herself up on her knees and grabbed the material. She had only meant to help pull his pants off. But after a firm yank, she had pulled everything off. 

 

She sat staring at what she could only describe as one of those monsters from the movie Hortensia had been watching about the underground earth worms that were wreaking havoc on the town. A Graboid. Jennifer began to stammer in embarrassment. 

 

“It was an accident.” She muttered. She had never seen one before. So gross. But she couldn’t stop staring. 

 

“I seem to be the one underdressed.” He stated calmly. She snapped herself out of her trance. She bent down and picked up his sock. “Hey, you’re not actually going to…” She did. 

 

“He’s in jail now.” She stated. 

 

“What did he do?” He asked with a frown. 

 

“He broke out of containment.” 

 

“I believe he had an accomplice. I witnessed it. You sprung him out.” 

 

“I don’t know what you're talking about.” Jennifer said. She handed him his underwear back and he slipped them on, but not before removing the sock. She got another peek at it before it disappeared back into his boxers. She let out a relieved sigh. They had gone far enough. Much farther than Jennifer was comfortable with. 

 

She bent down and put her shirt back on, laughing at his frown and curled up with him. This was more her speed. 

 

“Have you decided what you're going to do about her?” he asked. She was lying on her back this time, his arms wrapped around her chest. 

 

“I don’t know.” She groaned. “I can’t control her.”

 

“I don’t think you should kick her out.” Brian said after a minute of silence. 

 

“Mmm, why’s that?” she asked. Her eyes were closed and she was growing more and more tired. The late hour was catching up to her and his rhythmic breathing was calming. 

 

“Because the Jenny I've come to know would never give up on a child in need.” He said. “I think it would eat you.” 

 

“What would eat me?”

 

“Regret.” Jennifer let out a long sigh. He was right. 

 

“I think there’s something going on between her and her neighbors.” Jennifer said. “It’s just a hunch, but I’ve never seen her act so… I don’t know how to explain it. She tries so hard to put on this tough persona, so for her to throw it away in front of everyone at the mention of going to her neighbors. It doesn’t sit right with me.” 

 

“The ones who act tough are usually the ones who feel the most powerless.” He said. “Go with your gut. If you think something doesn’t feel right, maybe it isn’t.” 

 

“I think he was at the house.” she whispered. “I think he was the one the boys saw her talking-” 

 

There was a sudden crash coming from the kitchen. They both laid there, now wide awake. Jennifer stood and let him up to investigate, trailing slowly along behind him. Was someone breaking in? He stopped in the entrance way. Jennifer peeked around him and let out a relieved sigh. It was just magnets and pictures. They had fallen off the fridge. Except not just one or two. His fridge had been covered with family photos, notes, grocery lists, and appointment reminders. Now they all littered the kitchen floor. Everything except a small handful of colorful alphabet magnets remained.

 

“What in the…” he muttered. He bent and picked up a magnetic advertisement for a local pizza establishment, but when he went to stick it back on the fridge, it wouldn’t stay. He tried a magnetic giraffe which had lost its head in the fall. Again, nothing. Jennifer picked one up and tried herself. It was as if they had all been demagnetized all at once. 

 

“I had no idea the alphabet ones were such good quality. I have a classroom full of them.” Jennifer said. Whatever had happened, it hadn’t phased them. They both squatted down and began collecting photos and scraps of paper off the ground.

 

Jennifer picked up a picture and stared at it. A woman with shoulder length brown hair and wide smile was holding a toddler in her arms in front of the zoo entrance.

 

“Was this Amber?” Jennifer asked. She handed over the picture as he stared at it.

 

“Yeah, with my oldest, Zach. He had to have been two. I remember that.” Brian said before laughing. “Right after that picture was taken, he had the biggest blow out all over her shirt.” Jennifer scrunched up her face in disgust. “Started potty training him right after.” 

 

“Maybe I dodged a bullet after all.” Jennifer said. She stared at the picture of her. “She looks so healthy.”

 

“It came on very suddenly, and this picture’s almost 10 years old.” He explained. 

 

She knelt back down and began to reach for a receipt when a quiet squeaking noise caught her attention. She looked up at the fridge and stared. The alphabet magnets! They were moving! Not just sliding down but slowly rearranging themselves. 

 

“B-Brian! L-look at the fridge!” She whispered. 

 

“It’s her.” Brian whispered back. Jennifer didn’t have an explanation. They watched silently as the letters began to spell out a phrase.

 

HELP HER

 

“Hazel!” Brian said. He took off at a run towards the stairs, Jennifer behind him a few seconds later. He rushed into Hazel's room, but Jennifer hung back in the hall listening. She didn’t hear any trouble. That was a relief. She frowned in thought. Her feet began moving towards the master bedroom. She peeked her head in to make sure everything was alright and gasped. 

 

In the glow of the alarm clock she could see a translucent woman sitting on the bed beside Hortensia. She gently stroked the girl's hair back while she slept before meeting Jennifer's eyes and vanished.

 

[CDfm]

Loved this chapter.  
I am totally impressed with your writing skills.  At one point I am near to tears and the next I need to remove myself from crowded spaces because I am laughing so hard.  People have to think I have lost my mind. 
I do think that with the refrigerator magnets and then the vision in the bedroom Jennifer will give Hortensia another chance.  Hopefully during that time she will also get to the bottom of what Cynthia’s husband was up to. 
I have no idea if even being intimate is possible for Jennifer or how painful it would be for her given her injuries but I know she is close to finding out and I’m hoping it’s good for her. 
I am certainly looking forward to seeing the next chapter. 

[AdultInnocence]

Ok now I'm really intrigued by what could be going on with Hortensia and what the ghost wife knows. It also shows that she is okay with Jenny being around.

[Mazamune]

An other great chapter where the mystery thicken around Hortensia.

To be honest I didn't see how you could pull of the ghost thing to still be coherent and believable and that's why you are a great writer and I am not. 

Thanks again.

Cheers!

[Allman90]

How you manage to hit so many notes, to have such a wide range of emotions all in one chapter, is the greatest mystery here. lol

 

You've outdone yourself this time. 

[SashaButters]

Jennifer didn’t want to open her eyes. She was comfortable and warm, but she could hear footsteps coming. Probably Matilda wanting breakfast. But the sound was footsteps coming down the stairs, not up. 

 

“Daddy, I’m hungry.” she heard. 

 

Daddy? Jennifer opened her eyes to find a little girl standing over her, but she wasn’t Matilda. She looked around the room, confused. This wasn’t her house… And that wasn’t her daughter. She looked down and let out a gasp before pushing herself up as the memory of last night came to the forefront of her mind. She hadn’t been sleeping on a bed, she had been sleeping on a man!

 

“G-good morning, Hazel.” Jennifer said in a shaky voice. At least she had put her shirt back on before she fell asleep. Hazel was staring at the two of them. Jennifer tried to disentangle herself from the sheet and stand up, painfully aware of both their lack of appropriate attire. She picked up his pants and handed them to Brian, who was slowly stirring himself. Once he saw Hazel, he quickly pulled them on and stood up, leaving the sheet for Jennifer to wrap around her waist. 

 

She made a mad dash for the bedroom, where she had left her clothes from the previous day on the foot of his bed. She stopped at the door and paused. The memory of last night replayed in her mind. She hesitated for a moment before turning the door knob and peeking inside, relieved to find the coast clear of any other worldly beings, real or imaginary.

 

It had to be a dream. Or a delusion. Or a trick of the light. Ghosts weren’t real. It was a hallucination brought on by stress and sleep deprivation. They had just been looking at her picture and she had imagined seeing her. But at the time Jennifer was sure it had been Amber. 

 

It had to be a dream, because if it wasn’t… His dead wife had been watching them fool around on the couch. She didn’t want to think about that. And wouldn’t she be watching over her own kids?  She thought of the magnets.

 

Help Her

 

Who was she talking to? Her? Him? Both? Why would she care about a kid who wasn’t hers? 

 

“Jenny? Is that you?” She heard a panicked voice call out. Jennifer hurried into the room and closed the door behind her.

 

“Are you alright?” Jennifer asked. She had sounded in distress. She came around the corner and froze. She looked in distress. 

 

“Where have you been?” Hortensia whimpered. She was bent at the waist with her legs as close together as she could get them. Her hands were clenched into fists at her side. “I can’t get it off! I’ve been up for over an hour trying! I’ve been calling for you!” 

 

“Can’t get what off?” Jennifer asked, looking her up and down. 

 

“This!” Hortensia nearly yelled in a panic, motioning to her waist. She was tugging violently at the nappy, but it wouldn’t budge. 

 

“It should just tear off.” Jennifer said. This was weird. Oh, right! She had safety pinned it on. 

 

“It’s not!” Hortensia said. 

 

“I remember. There’s pins in it.” 

 

“I know! That’s what won’t come undone!” Hortensia whimpered. She bicycled her legs up and down. 

 

“I’ll get them,” Jennifer said. She knelt for a minute, but she couldn’t unpin them with Hortensia dancing from foot to foot. “Stay still.” 

 

“I can’t stay still!” Hortensia growled.

 

“Well, why didn’t you come find me? Why did you wait until you got to this point?” 

 

“I’m not wandering around in a nappy!” Hortensia exclaimed. “My pants don’t fit over it!” Jennifer pinched the pin as hard as she could, but it wouldn’t budge. It was like it was rusted shut. She pushed and strained until her finger ached. Nothing. She pulled her hand away and waved her fingers about in pain. “Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!” Hortensia begged.

 

“You made it through the night I see.” Jennifer offered. 

 

 Hortensia moaned. Jennifer strained against the pin again, ignoring the ache in her fingers. She tried bending it, twisting it, and ripping it directly off. Nothing. She had been trying for fifteen minutes and she hadn’t made any progress. Her fingers felt raw. She could feel blisters forming. Her eyes were watering from the pain. 

 

She looked up and stared at the reflection In the mirror. She could see the reflection of a little girl sitting on the bed in a leopard onesie giggling against her closed fist. When did Hazel come in? She hadn’t heard her. Jennifer spun around and faced the bed, but there was no one there.  

 

“Di-did you see that?” Jennifer asked. She looked from the mirror, to the bed and back again. Nothing. 

 

“No, what? Was it a spider?” Hortensia was eying the floor and walls distastefully. 

 

“No, it was…my imagination. My own hair. Must have fallen in front of my eye. I thought I saw someone sitting on the bed.” Jennifer explained. Hortensia peeked her head out and searched the bedroom before shrugging and pacing around the bathroom. “What if you laid down?” Jennifer offered. “Maybe it’s the way I put them in.” Hortensia gave her a pained look. She didn’t look like she could lie still without… “Tens, you know…” Jennifer grimaced and shrugged her shoulders. 

 

“What?” Hortensia snapped. 

 

“If you really can’t hold it, you could just…”

 

“I could just what?” Hortensia demanded. Jennifer motioned to Hortensia’s waist and gave her an apologetic grimace. She was only delaying the inevitable at this point. Hortensia gave her a horrified look as her eyes began to water. 

 

“NO!” She shouted. Jennifer raised her hands before gently lowering them. They didn’t need a fit this early in the morning. 

 

“It’s not a big deal. I’m just letting you know it’s an option. I can see you’re getting worked up over this.” 

 

“I’m not getting worked up!” Hortensia snapped. “I have to pee!” 

 

“Then pee!” Jennifer said exasperated, stepping away. “Do it! Get it over with! I don’t care!” 

 

“No!” Hortensia shouted, glaring daggers at her. Jennifer glared right back. Now wasn’t the time to be having this battle of wills, but it was too early to deal with her attitude. She could feel her frustration bubbling over. Her fingers stung and ached. She was tempted to leave Hortensia to deal with it herself, but she stopped herself. She took a deep breath and turned away, giving herself a moment to think about the situation rationally. 

 

She had a thought, but… it didn’t make much logical sense. She eyed the bed again where she had seen the figure… 

 

Brian had said she liked to cause mischief… 

 

No! The pin was stuck on something! Both of them were just stuck… 

 

“I’m sorry, let’s both calm down.”Jennifer said, gentler now. “It was only a suggestion. I will keep trying.”

 

“Okay.” Hortensia said. 

 

“It’s just, you’re only dragging it out. Why not?” Jennifer asked. “It’s kind of what they're for.”

 

“I don’t want to wee myself.” Hortensia said. Then she surprised Jennifer by breaking down in tears. “It's like the Chokey.” She spit out. “Standing in there all day having to wee yourself.”  Jennifer stood in stunned silence. She didn’t know what to say. The only time Hortensia had ever spoken of the Chokey was if she was bragging about how many times she had been in there, like it was a badge of honor or something. She had never brought it up. Not in the therapy or during their nightly talks. 

 

It was a dumb suggestion, but she blurted it out anyway.

 

“What if you sat down?” Jennifer said quietly and pointed to the toilet. “You can’t do that in the Chokey.” 

 

“I hate having to pee, but I hate feeling cold and wet.” Hortensia said with a sniffle. 

 

Jennifer closed her eyes and remembered her own long agonizing hours in the Chokey. The build up of pressure as you hoped and prayed it wouldn’t be much longer. The cuts and lacerations from the nails  as you fight to hold it. The realization no one is coming. 

Resigned to your fate, you relax your sore tired muscles, fighting the urge to flinch in disgust and impale yourself. There's relief. At least you don’t have to wee anymore. But then comes the wait in your cold, damp clothing. 

 

“I don’t think it’ll be like that.” Jennifer said softly. “I don’t think it’ll be like going in your knickers.”

 

“Matilda says it feels awful and you're miserable all day.” 

 

“That’s because Matilda insisted on pull ups. Those are meant to be uncomfortable to teach kids to use the lou. That’s more like a baby nappy.” Jennifer said, gesturing at her.

 

“That doesn’t make me feel better!” 

 

Jennifer patted the toilet before lifting the lid so she could sit like she normally would. Hortensia looked at it skeptically with her lip curled. 

 

“If I can get you out in time, you're that much closer.” Jennifer said. “And if you decide it's not worth the effort or can’t anymore…” Hortensia groaned in a mixture of indecision and desperation. “I probably couldn’t even tell if you do or not.” Jennifer lied. “Since it’s not like wetting your pants. As soon as I get the pins unclipped, I’ll walk away. It’s be like Schrödinger's

 Nappy.”

 

“What?” 

 

“You know, like Schrödinger's cat? The cat is both alive and dead? The nappy is both wet and dry.” Hortensia looked at her horrified and shook her head. God she missed Matilda. “You know, you like science fiction, right?” 

 

“Yeah…” Hortensia said suspiciously.

 

“Well, there’s some physicists out there who believe in the idea of parallel universes.” She guided Hortensia down onto the toilet, who soon began to squirm. Jennifer tried again to get the tabs open while she talked. She focused her efforts on ripping it off. She wasn’t sure what these were made of, but they were tough! 

 

“Like an alternate timeline with differences.” 

 

“Yes!” Jennifer said, surprised. “How’d you know?” 

 

“It’s like the whole plot of the book you’ve been reading me.” Hortensia said. Huh, so she had been listening. 

 

“So try and imagine what’s going on in a different timeline. I could be trying to free you from a blow up pool flamingo floatie instead.”

 

“Or I’m the one trying to save you.” 

 

“Could be.” 

 

“And you have to shit.”

 

“Okay, that’s disgusting.” Jennifer said. “And stop swearing.” She looked up at her. 

 

“Do you?” 

 

“No!” 

 

If that were the case, she’d burn this thing off. But she could maybe cut it off… She opened his bathroom drawer searching for scissors. She didn’t see any, but she did find more condoms. Not that she was looking. She opened another drawer and found beard trimmers. This would have to do. 

 

“Are they hurting you?” Jennifer asked as she tried to snip away the fabric. It squished in between the blades, but wouldn’t cut. 

 

“I don’t know.” it wasn’t a no.

 

“I think you do.” 

“You think there’s a parallel universe where I’m a boy?” Hortensia said changing the subject. 

 

“If you were a boy, Brian would be the one trying to pry you out of this.” Jennifer said before mumbling under her breath. “I’ve seen enough penises for one day.” Jennifer said. Hortensia gave her a disgusted look. 

 

“Whose penis did you already see? It’s not even eight!” She wasn’t supposed to have heard that. 

 

“Tens,” She sighed. “Look, I thought about it last night, and I talked it over with Brian. I decided I’m not going to send you to Cynthia’s, but-” Jennifer didn’t get a chance to get the rest out. Hortensia had thrown her arms around her.  Jennifer blinked in surprise before bending down and returning the embrace. She rubbed Hortensia’s back a few times. “Whatever’s going on, I’m here for you.” Jennifer whispered. She kissed the top of her head. “But you’re still in deep S-H-I-T-E.” 

 

Hortensia groaned. 

 

“You broke my car…”

 

“I know, this is just really gross!” Hortensia lamented. Her body had gone rigid.  Jennifer stepped away and busied herself replacing the beard trimmers. “Gross gross gross.” So much for not knowing. “It’s all warm.” 

 

“The descriptions are unnecessary.” 

 

 “I can feel it running down my arse!” 

 

Jennifer sighed and shook her head. 

 

“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!?” Jennifer spun. 

 

“Language!” Hortensia was holding something in her hand. The pins. Jennifer came forward, stuck a finger under the tab and tore it free with ease. Hortensia did the same with the other side. They stared at each other. 

 

“They were both sticking out unlatched when I looked down.” Hortensia said. Jennifer picked up one of the pins and stared with fascination. She pinched the pin. She had no trouble opening and closing it now. Was it her position? “I could have made it.” Hortensia groaned. She leaned her head against the wall and let out a defeated sigh. “If I had just looked down thirty seconds sooner.” 

 

 “It’s not like we were planning on saving it anyway.” Jennifer offered. “Who cares if you weed in it or not?” 

 

“I care!” Hortensia groaned. “It’s embarrassing.” she mumbled. “If anyone at school found out…” She shuddered. 

 

“Then don’t tell them.” Jennifer said. She put the pins back in the drawer. “Go ahead and get cleaned up. You can take the first shower. Bag it up and throw it outside in the rubbish.” She left the bathroom and closed the door behind her. She paused by the door for a moment and frowned. She could hear quiet sobs coming from the other side a few seconds later.  

 

“That wasn’t nice.” She said to the empty room. She was going crazy. Two “episodes” in one day, and now she was talking to a ghost. She didn’t expect a response. 

 

Static began to fill the room. Her head snapped to the source. His alarm clock sitting on the nightstand began to speak. The local radio DJ began to talk of sunny skies and sweltering temperatures. The station changed. A plumbing commercial. It changed again. Faster and faster the dial turned. A lawyer offering compensation for injuries. More static. She could faintly hear music beneath the distorted angry hiss of out of range stations. Then it became clear.

 

 Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” began to play. 

 

Jennifer stared at the clock. It was a coincidence. It was all just a coincidence. She felt frozen. Her eyes flicked to the bathroom door. Maybe she should grab Hortensia and go downstairs, but she could hear the water from the shower turn on. She had had to pee for the last fifteen minutes, but it seemed tasteless to run off and relieve herself while Hortensia was suffering. Now the shower reminded her. 

 

She threw her leggings on and headed for the bedroom door, thoughts of the second bathroom dancing in her head. She pulled on the doorknob. It wouldn’t move. She stared at it. She tried again. The knob wouldn’t turn an inch. She could feel her palms dampen. 

 

More static filled the room. 

 

“Where Do You Think You’re Going?” by the Dire Straits. Jennifer’s mouth began to go dry. Her heart began to beat in rapid succession. She felt a chill go down her back. She could feel someone standing directly behind her. Goosebumps began to form along her arms.  She slowly turned. There was no one there. 

 

The radio changed again. Did she just hear the DJ say this was a London station? How? The music was changed back to Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” 

 

Was she playing with them? 

 

A blur of a little girl in a cheetah onesie was sitting on the bed laughing. She appeared like an after image. Jennifer blinked. It disappeared. That…that wasn’t Hazel she had seen. Her mind went to the woman brushing Hortensia’s head. There were two ghosts! 

 

Two. Ghosts. 

 

Ghosts. 

 

Jennifer let out a dry, nervous sounding laugh. Her sanity was slipping away day by day. 

 

“Okay… you got us.” Jennifer said. “You had your fun.” She reached for the door knob again. Still it wouldn’t turn. “Are you the one who messed up the kitchen?” 

 

 She heard shouts coming from the bathroom followed by the tearing of the shower curtain. 

 

“OH THAT’S COLD!” 

 

“Not her!” Jennifer shouted before turning towards the bathroom door. “Are you alright, Tens?” 

 

“The bloody hot water ran out! Ugh! This is not my morning!” Jennifer couldn’t say it was any better out here. She eyed the empty room with her back leaning protectively over the bathroom door and quietly addressed the entity. 

 

“Please, we would like to leave. I know you're having fun, but you’re scaring me and you’ve upset her. She didn’t want to pee herself. That wasn’t a very nice thing to do.” She was talking to it like it was a little kid, but that’s what she had seen. 

 

 She could hear a small girl's laughter in her ear. Jennifer spun. 

 

“Are you talking to me?” Hortensia called from the bathroom. 

 

The radio chirped to life. Robert Deniro’s voice. “Are you talking to me? Are you talking to me?” followed by static.

 

“Uh, ye-yeah, I was just asking how you were.” 

 

“Great.” Hortensia said sarcastically. “Can you hand me my clothes?” Jennifer’s eyes darted around the room until they fell on a discarded pile of clothing on the floor. If she stepped away from the door, would it make a move against her? Would Tens be safe? Did it even matter if she was there at all? It didn’t need to be bound by physics. Did it? She didn’t know anymore. Could a ghost pass right through her? 

 

She crossed the room and grabbed the clothes. Now came the moment of truth. Could she get the door open? She twisted her wrist. The knob turned. With a sigh of relief Jennifer passed the requested items through the crack in the door. 

 

“You know Tens, you’ve also seen me in compromising situations.” Jennifer said. “Like at the lake…” She could hear Hortensia let out a snort of laughter.

 

“Your arse was, like, massive.” Hortensia chuckled.

 

Jennifer could hear the radio begin to tune. 

 

“Oh. My. God. Becky. Look at her butt. It is so big…” A girl over the radio said. 

 

Jennifer’s jaw clenched. When Hortensia emerged from the bathroom, Jennifer was sprawled across the nightstand rear high in the air, as she reached for the plug while Queens. “Fat Bottomed Girls” played. 

 

“I would appreciate it if I didn’t hear rumors of a ‘Headmistress Baboon’ at school.” Jennifer said as she emerged from behind the nightstand.“You don’t tell anyone what happened at home and I won’t either. Deal?” 

 

“Well, that technically didn’t happen at home…”

 

“Tens…”

 

“Okay, okay. Don’t tell anyone about…any of this.” She motioned at her waist. “Or that you’ve seen me cry.” Hortensia mumbled. “Or about freaking out over getting a shot. Or just anything about this summer!” 

 

“No baboon jokes about my butt. You don’t know anything about my past. You DID NOT see me snogging a man in the back of his van.” Jennifer stuck her palm out. Hortensia shook it, but then grimaced in disgust.

 

“Like a Virgin, touched for the very first time…” The radio sang, springing back to life. 

 

“Let’s go downstairs.” Jennifer said. She could feel a sudden surge of adrenaline.  She grabbed her dress and shooed Hortensia down stairs. She could finish changing in the other bathroom. At least it hadn’t locked them in. 

 

…

 

“Damn it!” Carol yelled. She threw the dusty book against her bedroom wall and let her face drop into her waiting hands. She knew Agatha had been a monster, but god damn it. The woman was mad. Mental. Off her rocker. 

The dustball hanging off the threaded bookmark had brought it to Carol’s attention when she had let the worker in to examine Jennifer’s vents. Once she realized what it was, she had taken it overnight in hopes of finding answers. 

 

Now she knew for sure. There was someone else out there who deserved to rot in hell. 

 

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.