Cursed Pool

Chapter 10. The Mysterious Writer

The neighborhood kids are interesting. Olivia is the oldest at eleven years old. Jenifer and Scott are the same age. They are ten, one is a bit older and I don't remember who.  Christopher is eight, and Phillip is six. The Espcus and Jenifer Whiteson left around 5:00 PM.  Scott didn't however.  "Scott, where are your parents?" I ask Scott when we were sitting on the sofas.  "I told you. I have no clue." Scott pronounced every word very clearly.  "Well your gonna have to find them y'know." I said hastily. "Yeah no. I doubt I will." Scott sighed. 
  I eventually ordered Pizza and Scott and I watched the weather channel because I wanted too. I was getting frustrated because Scott couldn't actually shut up. "Why do you live here?" He asked with curiosity in his big eyes. Now how do I explain this? "It was a requirement Scott. A requirement."
"And who's in that photo?" Questioned Scott as he pointed to a photograph that I recently put on the wall. A photo of Perri when she was ten years of age. In her light pink dress and her flower crown of roses. She was standing in front of the garden. She looked very happy to be there at the house in Oakland. 
"That's my daughter, Perri Conalie when she was about your age." I inform.  Scott looks at the picture on the wall long and hard. "How did your daughter die?" He questioned. I sighed. "It was an accident on the road." I say it stiffly. I look over at Scott who's eyes were everywhere but the TV screen. "So you mean like a crash?" He asked. "A bit more tragic." I tell him.
"So, why is your TV connected to the wall?" Scott asked. "Because that's just the way that it is." I say in response. Scott scratched his head. "Why do you have flowery wallpaper?"
"Will you stop asking questions and maybe watch the weather show."
"But what if I don't wanna watch the weather show?"
"Do you know what you need?" I ask looking at the solid dirt in Scott's hair. He looked at me with his curious eyes. "More cookies?"
"No Scott, a bath!" He gave me a frown and shook his head and dirt flew all over the couch. "See, that's exactly what I mean." I said.

I didn't actually trust Scott with my bath. If he was clean, I wouldn't do this. It went well. The bath water once clean and fresh now resembles wet mud from a rainstorm. While I made him promise to behave in the tub, I cleaned his clothes with the washing machine.
  I allowed Scott to sleep in the guest room. He refused to go home. 
  The next morning I quickly got dressed in my light green dress and my favorite hoop earrings.  The work begins at 9:00 even though Mulberry & Paggles opens at 10:00. I heard the doorbell at 8:58 AM to see the Espcu kids at the door.  The boys had these button up shirts and fancy shoes. Christopher was wearing white while Phillip was in blue. Olivia had her long dark brown hair tied back with a scrunchie. She had a sky blue dress with ruffles at the bottom and wore a brown fashion scarf that manages to look gorgeous anyway. Jenifer came at 9:02. She wore a yellow dress and her curly golden hair was back in a black ribbon.
  I was knitting while I heard the kids play uno. I did my observations and wrote them down on a notepad to keep my memory well.
  It seemed like Phillip was the worst at the game and Olivia was the best. Olivia begins raging at Christopher for doing something wrong, then Scott yells at Olivia for yelling at Christopher, then Phillip yells at everything for being Too noisy. Well, he's the one to talk. Olivia won to my expectations. 

"Okay Children are you ready to read?" I ask the five of them who all looked annoyed by the time I entered the kitchen. "Can I read today?" Pleaded Olivia with her hands in the praying position as she jumps off the chair.  "Sure." I responded. "Ooh! Can I also read?" Demanded Christopher. "Sure." I confirmed. "Mrs Conalie no! Christopher can't read to save his life!" Olivia cried out with her hands in the air. "Whatever." I told her.
  I make the kids sit on the floor as Olivia begins to read one of my least  favorite books "The Little Duckling" which is a very low rated story in most opinions. I wonder how publishers actually said yes to it.  Phillip requested it of course.  I was too afraid to hear the horrorfying story, so I stayed in my room and I knitted better clothes for Scott. 
  Most of the kids wanted me to drive them to McDonald's for lunch. Well, everyone but Olivia. "I don't like chicken nuggets or salty fries. I want real food!" She whined.