Leverage H.S.

19 | Rosie - Bad Bad Men

**warning for mentions of death and violence**

12 years ago

The bad men are coming today. Jamie told us.

They come once a month and someone always gets taken away. Mr and Mrs Holland always tell us that it's because the bad men need to make a family. So, in order to make a family they have to take one of us. 

I see the guns they wear though. I think Mrs Holland is lying.

You don't need guns to make a family. 

My teacher at school tells us that family is something we all have. Even though we live in an orphanage and none of us have real mummys and daddy's, we have lots of brothers and sisters. 

I have 9 brothers and sisters now. 

I used to have 11 brothers and sisters but last month the bad men took a girl and a boy. 

The boy was 16. His name was Scott. He was very nice to me. He used to help me with my homework.

They also took Lily, she was 16 too and always shared her sweets with us. 

I don't think she wanted a new family though. She was crying when they took her. One of the bad men had to put a needle in her arm to make her stop moving. 

I don't like needles. They scare me.

I miss Scott and Lily.

I once saw them kissing in Scott's bedroom. It was gross. I'd never do that, boys are dirty.

Jamie has been here longer than me. She's a big girl now. She's 10! She told me she's been here since she was 5. That's 5 whole years!

I am only 8. Jamie says they won't take me yet because I'm too small. I think that the families don't want me because I'm not brave.

Everytime they come here I cry. 

Jamie doesn't though. Jamie is super brave. She looks after us all.

She even built a room into the place where she keeps her clothes so we can hide. How cool is that?

We only ever use it to play hide and seek though. She said we can but only if we don't break anything and we haven't broken anything yet I promise.

Jamie just told us the bad men will be here soon. That means we have to sit in our bedrooms on the edge of our beds so they know where we are. 

Last time Jamie didn't do that and Mr Holland got very very cross with her. Jamie was so brave though. She didn't cry when Mr Holland told her to go to his room. 

I didn't see her for a day after that though. Mrs Holland says she was poorly and needed sleep so we were not allowed to play hide and seek in her clothes safe room.

There was a big bang.

It scared me. Big bangs scare me. I don't like loud noises.

Another big bang. It sounded like it came from the kitchen.

I wanted to go and look but I saw Jamie running up the steps carrying Mason and Isla with Angel running behind her holding her shirt. 

Mason and Isla are babies. They're only 1 year old and Angel is 4.

"Rosie, baby. Sweetheart, come with me. I need you to be a big strong brave girl okay?" She said to me. I'm Rosie. Jamie always called me Rosie baby. She has a nice voice when she says it.

"Okay Jamie. What's happening? Why is Angel crying?" I asked her.

"Angel is a little bit scared because of those loud noises. Do you think you can teach her to be brave like I showed you?"