C C K H L by TheBeliever (7 ebook reader TXT) 📖

his dad's a drunk. Harvey has to single handedly look after his little 3 year old brother Keagan. Everyone here has a story. My family is perfect. Always neat, always tidy, always so boring. I dress differently, my room's a mess, I come home with grass and leaves all over me, just to annoy them, but it doesn't work. They just don't seem to care. Even my sister ignores me!" She talked quietly but the bitterness in her voice couldn't be mistaken. Corey shifted in his seat uncomfortably. Charlotte chipped in,
"You already know mine!" At the surprised looks of the others, she said, "He lives like, in the next street away." Leon sighed and said,
"My mum died when I was a little kid and my dad's always drunk too. I have 4 brothers and sisters who need me to look after them. I'm supposed to be there now but my auntie's there for today so I'm ok." Charlotte looked at Corey and said,
"No-one keeps secrets, Corey. They gotta know yours." Corey shifted uncomfortably and said, "Well, I suppose I'll have to but don't judge me ok?" They nodded and he began.

"I live in a care home. My parents were killed when I was 8. I was coming home from school one night after cricket when two shots rang out. I got scared and ran home. No-one answered when I called out so I went upstairs to see my older brother in my parents room holding a gun and my parents dead on the bed. My brother backed out onto the landing in shock. I was still holding my baseball bat and I swung it at him. He fell backwards down the stairs and when I went down, he was dead. He was 14. I got chucked into my first care home for the mentally unstable. I burnt that down. Second home, I got caught robbing someone's house. I was 10. Third, I broke someone's leg. Fourth, I burnt that one down too. I was 12. Now I'm 13 and this is my last home before I get chucked onto the streets or into prison." Corey looked at the others. He had been staring at the floor in shame. Instead of the shocked faces he expected, they just seemed surprised. Stunned, Corey asked,
"Aren't you shocked? About to run away crying?" Leon shook his head and replied quietly. "Well we weren't expecting that but we don't judge people on their past actions. It's about what you do now that counts. We've all got in some trouble or other and we come here to escape. From now on, you can come here.K?" Corey nodded and smiled in appreciation. Charlotte grinned at him then looked down at her watch.
"Guys, it's like quarter to 8. I've got to go." The others nodded and they hurried out after Charlotte,making their way home.

Chapter 5

Corey didn't turn up the next day and neither did Harvey. It wasn't like Harvey to not go to school and Corey had seemed fine when they'd gone home last night although he hadn't turned up at Charlotte's house that morning. They got through the day without much event, although Mr Marks didn't mention either of their absences, and made their way straight to the scrapyard after school to see if they'd gone there. They were about to go through the hole in the hedge when they heard a clattering sound behind them. There was a piece of metal on the floor.
"Just one of the foxes." Said Kyra, back to her usual, domineering self. They walked in to see both Corey and Harvey in the hammocks, asleep. Charlotte walked up to them and tried to shake them awake.
"Corey, Harvey, wake up. C'mon guys wake up! Guys! Hey can you two help me?" When there was no reply, Charlotte turned round to see that they weren't there. Shocked, and a bit scared, she looked around the cave to no avail and turned back to the hammocks. She gasped and stumbled backwards. The hammocks were gone, Corey and Harvey with them! There was a rustling in the bushes behind them.
"Well, Charlotte, I guess you're not going to come quietly are you?" The voice was deep and raspy, but Charlotte recognised the accent...
"Mr Marks?!"
"That is what you will know me as, yes. I am Mr Marks." He said this with a slow, mocking sarcasm. She turned around slowly and gasped at his appearance. His skin was grey and scaly, and he had a thin long tail which was darting around his head.
"What are you doing here? On second thoughts, what are you?!"
He chuckled, a deep, throaty laugh and said.
"In answer to your second question, I am the second in command of the mighty Poraxian army! As for your first question, my job is to put you to sleep." With that, his tail darted forward and everything went black.

Chapter 6

They all woke again later in the cave on the hammocks. Charlotte was the first one up and immediatly saw Corey asleep in the one next to her then saw the others.
"Corey!" She whispered, shaking him. "Wake up!" To her relief, he yawned and opened his eyes.
"Charlotte? What happened?" He blinked and looked around.
"I was hoping you could tell me that, Corey." He climbed out of the hammock and they woke Harvey, Leon and Kyra up. They copied Corey; blinking and yawning. One by one, they tumbled out of the hammock and stood up still bleary-eyed.
"Woah," said Harvey, his quiet voice cutting through the silence. "That was one weird dream." Leon and Kyra looked at him. Charlotte and Corey were talking quietly to eachother.
"Harvey, did your dream have Mr Marks in it?" Kyra asked. Harvey nodded slowly and replied,
"Did you get operated on?" Kyra and Leon nodded this time.
Guys, my throat kills. Charlotte looked round.
"Did you hear that?" She asked. Harvey and Kyra nodded. Leon shook his head.
I said it. Kyra turned her head towards Leon.
"Say something." she commanded him.
Like what? Oh my god.
"Leon?" Harvey asked incredulously.
Yeah,
I can speak to one person only too. I was talking to Corey then. But I can't actually speak. He opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish to demonstrate. Harvey whistled under his breath. Charlotte looked at her watch then swore.
"It's nearly ten o'clock. We've got to go home." They all nodded except Leon.
I'll stay here. Dad won't miss me. Even through the telepathy, they could all hear the bitterness in his voice. Leon made himself comfy and watched them go.

Chapter 7

Leon woke up early, even though it was a Saturday. He sat in the entrance and watched the sun rise slowly. He stayed there for a while, until he saw Kyra walk up to the entrance.
Hey Kyra. Where's the others?
Kyra shrugged and surprised him by pulling him into a fierce hug and bursting into tears.
Woah, what's up?
"M-my Dad's g-gone! I g-got home a-and h-h-he just wasn't t-there!" Sobs raced through her body and she shook against Leon's body.
Hey, he'll be ok. He'll probably just have gone out to the pub and fell asleep. Happens all the time, the bartenders just leave them until they wake up. The bitterness in his voice couldn't be mistaken, but he continued hugging Kyra as she cried, stroking her soft chestnut hair. She buried her head in his chest and they sat like that until she stopped crying and just sniffed. Pulling away, she smiled gratefully at Leon, before he shifted until he was leaning against the wall and she was lying against him. They fell asleep like that and slept peacefully until Kyra woke up, and hugging a bleary-eyed Leon, went home, leaving him to fall back to sleep which he did within a couple of minutes.
It was nearly midday when Leon woke, only because Kyra was back, this time with the others.
Hey guys. Speaking to Kyra privately, he asked,
Do they know? She shook her head.
Have you heard anything? She shook her head again, looking close to tears. She turned away and walked to the entrance. Leon followed her, to the surprise of the others, who'd been talking quietly. They shrugged and carried on talking. Charlotte said quietly,
"Kyra's dad's gone missing. My mum told me after she'd been round to the shops. Saw Kyra's mum there." They glanced at Kyra. She was silently crying and leaning against Leon. After a while she stopped and walked back to everyone, who'd carried on talking again. They didn't say anything, but didn't miss Leon and Kyra sitting closer together than usual. They brushed it off though and stayed until morning. Imprint

Publication Date: 08-03-2011

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