Behind the fence

chapter 11

my mother rushes foward, grabs Enyahs shoulders, and shakes as if her life depends on it. my dad runs over, pulls Enyah into a tight hug, and trys to restrain her from lashing out. Grandmother hobbles over, and tells the screaming girl to shut up and stop sounding like a dieing chicken.

Enyah screams on.

I curl up in a corner, my head between my knees, my hands curled over my sculp.

untill I cant bare it anymore.

I slip my arm around a screaming Enyah, and pull her close as i dare. As if on cue, the sceaming reduces to wimpers, which eventually die out.

"what is it, Enyah" I muster.

"him, i, we, i, do-.........." she stammers, barely audible.

"what!" i screch, "what Enyah what"

She is shaking her head wildly in every direction.

I lay her head down on my lap, and sing her her faviorate lullaby, stoking bits of loose chesnut curls away fro her face.

Where the robins
sing at dawn
where the lions are up in the
wee hours of morn

where you lay your head
amoungst the softest green moss

dream away
dream away -ay
forget your woes and let
your troubles lay -ay

when the sun rises they are sure to wash away

where the forest
canopy
reaches the sky full of
clouds gaurding this beautyful world

close your eyes amoungst the foilage
drifting in an out

dream away
dream away -ay
as you sleep
happy will drift your way -ay

mmmmm

At last peace spreads through her sole. At last, she drifts off to sleep. I fall to sleep's heaven a few moments later.

While watching Autumn leaves fall in my peaceful dreams, I feel free. But this does not last long, the captive of sleep release's me from their world, to one where the waking hours are full of screaming and horror.

She cry's out in her sleep, mum is with her! she will be alright, I just can't bare it anymore. Three days of this lifelong nightnre has taken its toll. Another five feet days with her on these sedative drugs. A mental illness they call it.

I just cant take it any longer. No one knows what it is apart from that word; mental.

So I run.

I find myself running past Natalia's house. Looking up, I could swear I saw two anxious faces staring out the window at me, no doubt Maysie and Ella.

I slip over the golden grain towards the water. I know now the true name of the stuff; sand they call it, but it will always be golden grain to me. "oh that stuff on the beach! That 'grain' your an idiot! Thats sand, and you find it everywhere you look around here" That worker in bright red linen overals and spicky brown hair critisised me.

I just dont care anymore that im the weird little new girl in Chaffendale. I'll prove to them, i'll show them what im capable of. If only there was a forest, somewhere out here amoungst all these grotty palm trees there has to be a forest right?

But as I look around, even that seems unlikely.

Over those days spent at the beach, i learnt hown to swim. It kind of just came natraly, like my hunting.

So as I pull of my thin uniform coat - the only coat I have - and splash into the water in that heat burned linnen dress, all I feel is free.

It's only when I reach an unfamiliar bay swarming with peple that I begin to panic...