Past Passages

Journal 4

     The next day when I come home from school I'm disappointed to see that the old man is already home. He usually comes around 4, but by the looks of the place he's decided to skip work today. When I find him he's sitting on the couch in front of the TV with a meal set for two on a the coffee table in front of him. Not wanting to be noticed by him I quickly turn and try to run up the stairs but accidentally trip on one of their cat's toys which alerts the old man to my presence. Fuck!

     "Selene, darling?" he calls from the living room, sounding deceptively sweet. "Is that you?"

     I groan. "Yeah, it's me."

     "Oh, wonderful. Why don't you come join me on the couch?"

      Hell no. "Oh, you know I would but I have a ton of homework to do...and I'm super tired so I think I'll just head upstairs."

     "Oh, it'll only be a moment. I just want to talk to you. I have a surprise for you."

     A surprise. Right. I don't want your seduction food, old man. I really want to just go upstairs and ignore him but I have to comply. I don't want to be kicked out again and have to go through finding another foster home. Even though my caseworker really should have backups lined up already by now.

     I walk into the living room and the old man pats the seat next to him, inviting me to take sit. I do with an inward sigh.

     "Are you hungry?" he asks gesturing to the food he made, chicken and pasta with a side of salad. "I made it for you. Special."

     Eww. "No thanks. I just had lunch at school."

     The old man leans in closer. "Now there's no need to be shy, Selene." he says licking his lips and and tucking a strand of my long black hair behind my ears.

     I lean away from him, not caring that my disgust is showing on my face. "Did you need something?"

     He groans playfully. "There's no need to act anymore, Selene. Joanie won't be home for some hours. It's just us here. I see the way you look at me. I know you want me."

     "What?" I scoff, jumping off the couch. "You disgust me! Do you even realize how gross that is? Trying to seduce a kid right under your wife's nose? You freaking perv! If you ever touch me again I'll call the cops."

      "Oh yeah?!" he shouts back, standing too now, "Don't you think I read your file? I know how many foster homes you've been in in the past month alone! Do you think anybody else is gonna want you? Joanie only picked you because she thinks she can change you! 'She just needs to be shown some love' she said. Face it. You need us. And I need this. So why can't we just help each other out, huh?"

     He makes a move to grab me by the waist but I push him away. "You just stay away from me." I say before rushing up the stairs to my room.

~~~

     When the old woman comes home at 6 she thinks the food is for her and I have to listen to her praise and  fawn over the old man, thanking him for turning the romance in their relationship back on. I nearly gag listening to him take advantage of the situation.

     Later, I hear him completely fabricate the whole scene from earlier.

     "I'm telling you, Joanie. She came on to me." he whispers, although I can hear him perfectly. A feat of being a hunter.

    "Oh come now, Harold." the old woman says, "She's been though a lot and you don't know what she's been through with her last foster homes maybe that's what she was told was acceptable behavior."