The Silent Girl

25.

'Ella'

My legs were bouncing. My lip was trembling. My hands were sweating.

"Jim and Estella Brood" A women in a police outfit calls my dad's name and my own. Making my dad stand and grab my hand, holding it in between both of his as we walked towards the police officer. "Okay, sweetheart. Now your mother will be behind a glass screen, she will not be able to touch you and there will be a police officer sat with her and I'll be sat with you two. And at any point if you want to leave, you tell me and I'll get you out as quick as I can"

"Okay, how long do I have?" I ask nervously, hoping that it wasn't to long.

"Your mother is allowed to be there for an hour, but you can leave whenever you would like." The police officer tells me, stopping by a door. "Are you ready to go in?" She checks, I nod slowly. My dad's arm goes around my waist tightly, and he kisses the top of my head, making me smile softly.

"Yeah" I say while nod, watching her type in a code to the door and opening it.

Inside was a very small room. A few metres by a few metres, square. There was a wooden frame around a window, a desk either side, three chairs on the side we were on and two on the other side.

"We've brought you in first, let you get adjusted to the situation then we'll bring your mother in the other side." The police officer tells us, sitting in one of the chairs. My dad moves the two free ones right next to each other, leading me to the middle one, in between the police officer and my dad. My dad then sits down in the free one and pulls my hand into his lap, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles. "Okay, honey, are you ready?" She says, putting a hand gently on my shoulder.

"Yeah yeah, I'm fine" My dad pulls my head to his shoulder, stroking my hair.

"I promise you a pizza and ice cream after this, ok baby" He whispers in my ear, pulling back and rubbing my cheek.

"Ok, can the boys come?" I whisper back, trying to stay calm.

"Of course, we'll order it to our house" He confirms, kissing my forehead.

Suddenly, there was a loud noise, making me pull away from dad and look towards the opposite. Seeing two officers holding my mother, who had a smirk on her face. Her arms were cuffed behind her back and as she was sat on the chair opposite, one of the officers sit next to her and the other leaves the small room. 

"Estella" She says, a smirk on her face. "And my beloved husband"

"I am not your husband." My dad says, his teeth clenched. "We got a divorce"

"I'm still Estella's mother" She snarls, looking down at me.

"You may be Ella's mother by blood but she no longer looks up to you as her mother" My dad snarls back, obviserly getting more and more angry already.

"That's your words not hers, you can't speak for her" My mother yells, earning a pat on the arm from the police officer, making her sink into the chair.

"Mum" I mumble, eyes on the table. "Please don't shout at dad, he hasn't done anything, please if you need to shout at someone, shout at me. It's nothing I haven't heard before."

She just laughs for a few moments before speaking her dull voice again. "How are your injuries?"

"I'm fine mum. Everything you did has gone past my head"

I'm such a liar.

It was definitely not out of my head. 

"Nah nah, I'm talking about what Amber did" I tense when I hear Amber's name.

"How do you know Amber?" I ask nervously, looking at my shaking legs.

"Her mother and I are great friends. They have weekly visitations." She tells me, a smile on her face. "And that is what I want angel."

"What?! No! No way!" I look to my dad for help who rubs my knee lightly.

"Darling, that won't happen" My dad promises me. "It won't, I'm not going to let that happen"

"Oh, making things hard, Jim." She snarls at him before looking to me. "And that is ok, I'm getting weekly updates from Amber's mum, it's quite funny."

"Mum" I say sternly, trying to get her to stop.

"Hypothermia and concussion hey, how's all that going for you?" She laughs around her breath, leaning against the back on the chair.

"I don't want to talk about that." It had been a week since that, I'm trying to get over it. Even though it causes some daily pains. 

"Well I do, and Estella," She leans forward in her chair, putting her forearms on the table in front of her. "I'm the one in charge here, and if I want to talk about it I can"

"No, if Ella doesn't want to talk about it, then she doesn't have to" My dad mentions from the side of me.

"Dad, I want to leave" I turn to my dad, looking at him with wide eyes. "I want to go home" 

"Aww, Jim, our little girl wants to go home" She mocks, giving me puppy eyes and her bottom lip out. 

"Shut up, she is not your little girl anymore. She is mine, not yours and I am not taking her home now, giving her what she deserves." My dad tells her sternly, taking my hand with dignity and leaving with me. 

We were only there for a few minutes. But I just couldn't stay in there. 

'end of 25.' 

bonjour :)

Posted: 4.5.22