The Shrink Program

Chapter 77

-Twelve years ago-

Mum said we had to leave, had to move to a new house because Devin had been born and we needed more room for the growing baby.

I hadn't wanted to move here... Didn't want to leave my home...

Most of all, I didn't want to move because Nana might come back, and if we moved away from our house where we had lived together, she wouldn't know how to find us.

But I didn't tell anyone about that.

After a few weeks after we moved in, the people in the house next to ours had become good friends with my mum and Dad.

I didn't like them.

More importantly, I didn't like the boy.

The first time I saw him, it was in the garden.

I had finished unpacking my room, onto the floor...but still, and Dad took me with him to help in the front yard.

Wearing my sun hat and gloves, I was pulling out the little green plants that grew around the roses. Weeding, Dad said.

After a while, I began to feel thirsty, and so looked up from my task...

As I did so, I momentarily peered through the short wired fence, only to find myself meeting the red eyes of a boy my age.

I hadn't heard him at all, didn't notice him until I happened to look up, but a small boy with white hair sat on his porch, watching me.

I blinked in surprise, but before I could react, the boy's face filled with panic and he scrambled to his feet, running back to his home.

That was only the first time I caught him staring at me.

It kept happening over the next couple of weeks. I would catch the boy looking at me only to have him run away if I looked at him or tried to approach.

That's why, when Mum and Dad decided to go out with the Mazirics, and have the grandmother babysit us, I hid in the pantry.

I didn't like the boy....believing that he must think that I'm weird.

Why else would he stare at me but not want to talk?

What I hadn't realised at the time I hid, was that my Dad intended to lock the pantry while they were gone, since he didn't want us kids getting into the rat poison he had set up. Just as a precaution.

He thought that I was still sulking in my room when he locked me into the pantry, and I didn't realise I was stuck until after he and Mum left the house.

For a long time, I was trapped in the small dark room. I couldn't bring myself to call out, because I desperately didn't want them to find out.

I didn't want to see them.

I didn't want to see the boy who was always staring at me.

I wanted.... to see Nana.

When the Pantry door finally did crack open, and a small white face peeked in, it was to the sight of me curled up, crying.

I expected the boy to run off as soon as he realised that I was here, to maybe go tell his grandmother that I was crying.

The door creaked sharply like he had already taken a quick step back in retreat.

There came a slight hesitation, then suddenly, more light flooded the small room as the door was held wide open.

I glanced up in surprise and was even more shocked to find the boy framed in the doorway, the key clenched in one small hand.

He never told me how he knew I was in there, or how he had found where Dad had hidden the key.

The boy stood tense like he was afraid, but there was a determined look in his eyes as he silently held the other hand out to me.

I stared at it cautiously, not sure if I should take it.

And if it hadn't been trembling slightly, I probably wouldn't have.

-End of Part Two-