BLACK CAT.✔

Chapter Sixty

They scrambled down the front stairs, out through the gate and headed to the park. Becky pushed Linc into the thick hedge and covered his mouth. She knew he was crying. She was crying too. Becky wrapped him in her arms. "Shh...we gotta stay quiet." She gasped for air and whispered, "Just for a bit. Shh..."

*****

They had lain in the shrubs for almost an hour. No police cars had driven up the street so Becky figured the neighbours hadn't made any calls.

"I'm gonna sneak back and grab our things," Becky said.

"I'm coming too."

"I think you should wait here." Becky ran her hand over Linc's head. "Just in case."

"I'm coming, Becky. You can't stop me. I'm not a baby anymore and if Dad tries to hurt you again I'll be able to help." Linc reached behind Becky's head and touched her hair. "You're bleeding again. A lot. It's everywhere. I think you should call Rob. I think you need to see a doctor."

"I'm not calling Rob. I'm okay. I'll wet my head under the tap when we get our stuff." She struggled to get up. Her leg, where her father had kicked her, was stiff and aching. Becky lifted the hem of her shorts and used the light on the phone to look at it. Her thigh had swollen and a dark bruise had started to form. Her arm hurt and her head ached. She would love nothing better than to ring Rob and have him hold her but she was sure he'd involve his father and there was no way she was letting Children's Services take them into care. Not after the last time. "Come on then. I'll need your help to carry everything I guess."

Every light was on but there was no sound. Becky wondered if it might be safe to stay in the house. "I'm gonna have a look where he is. Stay with the gear."

"Becky..." Linc hissed and shook his head.

She held up her hand. "Stay here." Becky dug in her pocket and handed Linc the phone, and then mouthed, "Stay here." She struggled up the stairs. The pain in her leg was getting worse.

The place was a wreck. This time he'd smashed the television. Becky found him sitting at the table with his head in his hands, rocking backwards and forwards, murmuring to himself. She backed out. There was no way she was going to bring Linc into the house while he was still conscious.

"Come on. We'll set up where we were, and then head to Macca's for some takeaway." Becky grabbed a towel from the clothesline and lifted her bag, pillow, and blanket. Linc followed. As they left by the front gate the sound of something smashing came to them through the night air.

"What's he doing?" Linc asked.

"He was sitting at the table talking to himself." Becky looked over her shoulder and took Linc's hand as more crashing sounds echoed from the house. "I think we're better off camping in the park. It'll be fun." She tried to sound positive. "We'll get some food and bring it back. I don't want to sit at Macca's with blood on my shirt." She looked down at Linc. "You'll have to go in, okay?"

"Okay. I could go by myself if you want."

"No. We'll go together but I'll wait outside while you get the food."

"But you're limping. Worse than I ever did. I can go," Linc insisted. "It's only two blocks."

"I guess you're right." Becky sighed and nodded. "My leg is really hurting."

Becky laid the blanket on the ground and put their pillows on it. When Linc came back, they sat down to eat their burgers.

"What do you think he took, Becky?"

"I have no idea." She took a sip of her frozen coke and cringed as brain freeze shot through her skull. "Don't worry about it. Eat your chips before they get cold."

"What will we do if he dies?" Linc stared at her with his big blue eyes.

"He won't die."

"I don't care if he does." Linc sighed and looked down at his burger. "I hate him."

"I don't care either but I don't want him to die yet," Becky uttered. "Not till I'm eighteen then I can be your guardian. Before that and they'll put us into care. Last time they separated us."

"Did they?" Linc put some chips in his mouth. "I don't remember."

"I was twelve and you were seven." Becky smiled. "You stayed with a lady and you called her Nana."

"Oh...I do remember her." He smiled, and then gave Becky a puzzled look. "So she wasn't our nana?"

Becky bit into her burger and shook her head. A feeling of nausea surged up her throat. She spat the food into the bushes. "I don't feel hungry." She touched the back of her skull. It was tender and stung. The blood had dried in places so she hoped the cut wasn't big. "I'm gonna put my head under the tap. Keep eating."

She took the towel with her. Becky would have liked to change her shirt but she'd only packed her school uniform and didn't want to chance getting blood on it. She turned on the water and put her head under it. The gentle flow hurt but soothed her headache. She wet the corner of the towel and washed her face, neck and arms then wrapped her head in the dry towel when she was finished.

Linc was laying down when she came back. "I'm tired."

"Me too. Let's try and get some sleep." She curled up beside him.

"Becky."

"Yeah."

"Did you get to stay at a nice nana lady's house when they took us?"

"No. I went to a place where there were lots of kids my age and older. Like a school. It was cold and scary. That's why I don't want them to take us again. They'll put us both there. It was horrible. The adults were angry all the time and lots of kids cried."

Becky put her arm over Linc. She felt tears roll over the bridge of her nose and trickle over her face to her ear. "I can look after you better."

Copyright © 2017 by Donna Fieldhouse. All rights reserved.

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