Stolen

Chapter 9: Different time, different place

        Aby pushed Heath and I behind her as Mr. Hill came into view, his hair a wild mess, but his face is what made chills run through my body. He was mad, really mad. Like a dragon that had just gotten it's jewels stolen. He looked at Atticus who looked right back at him, but it was clear Atticus was a little scared on what might happen.

"Why do I have a major headache?" Mr. Hill hissed, taking a step into the kitchen, Atticus taking a step back.

"I hit you with a pot, sir." Atticus said, making Mr. Hill narrow his eyes.

"Why?" He said stopping where he was, his eyes seeing me. He looked at me for a second before returning to staring down Atticus for answers.

"Sir, you-" Atticus went to say more but Mr. Hill cut him off, looking at me now.

"Sweetie, what happen to your forehead?" He said pointing to the side of his forehead, and I sucked in a breath.

Nothing came out of my mouth.

"Skyler, is that your name?" He asked, making me give him a quick nod.

"Okay Skyler, what happened?" He said a little bit more impatient.

"Y-you were drunk, s-ir, and you attacked me." I said looking down, not wanting to meet his eyes.

Mr. Hill was quiet for a little before he spoke again.

"Did this really happen, Aby?" He asked and I looked over at Aby who looked right back at him, her hands clenching her skirt.

"Yes, sir." She said in a whisper, but it was loud to where he could hear it.

Mr. Hill looked at the ground for a moment, moving his tongue around in his mouth as he thought on what to do. He then lifted his head up and started walking back towards the hall before he stopped.

"Heath and Skyler." he said not turning around to meet our eye contact, but both Heath and I snapped our heads up.

"Yes, sir?" Heath said for me and Mr. Hill took in a breath.

"I want you and Skyler in my office when you get your share of your work done. Am I clear?" He said looking over his shoulder towards us and both of us nodded. It was when he left that I looked at Heath, then back in front of me. I spot something in Mr. Hill's eyes, but I couldn't quite put my figure on it.

"Aby?" I said setting down the pair of pants I was fixing as Aby was focusing on trying to get a string into the needle so she could fix Mr. Hill's pants, along with a few of Atticus's and Heath's pants.

"Hum?" She said still focusing on the string and needle, the pants across her lap.

"Can I ask when your birthday is?" I said watching as the string went through the hole, Aby looking at me. Smiling a little.

"Well.." She said looking down, the needle poking out from the pants.

"I would tell you but I don't remember." She said looking up at me, her eyes soft.

I tilted my head, puzzled.

"But you know your age?" I asked and she laughed.

"I'm 20, just turned 20 actually." She said reaching over and snatching the pants from my lap and looking at the sewing I had done so far.

"Why do you wonder?" She said scanning over them once again.

"I don't know, I just-" She cut me off nicely.

"Skyler, the only many reason we remember our birth date is because we know what the date or day is. Like for example, do you know what today is?" She said lowering the pants and looking at me, waiting for a answer.

"Thursday?" I asked, more than a answer.

"You aren't sure, are you?" She said rising a eyebrow, and I think I know where she was heading with this. Me and my stupid questions.

"The only date I remember is the day I was taken, everything else, is like timeless and I go every day, not knowing if it's a Monday or Saturday. That's also with Atticus too, he has no idea what day it is. We're only told when our birthday is when that day has come. Mr. Hill doesn't tell us what the date is, only that that day is the day we get the day off." Aby said and once again, I let my questions get the best of me.

"What was the date when you were taken?" I said watching as she started sewing. Not even looking up at me as she answered the question.

"July 21." She said.

"I was 16, my birthday was about a month away I think when it happened." She said still sewing, about half way down.

"Can I ask about Atticus?" I said and Aby let out a huff.

"Atticus's story is for a different time and different place, Skyler. How many more questions?" She said looking at me, a weak smile across his lips and I lowered my head.

"That's all." I lied.

"Good, now finish those pants please."

After I had gotten the pants that I needed to get done, I stood by the stairs, waiting for Heath to come in. We had to be in Mr. Hill's office any minute now and I was beginning to wonder if he was ever coming. When He finally did, I giggled, seeing he had dust all over him, and he just hit my shoulder.

"You trying dealing with those horses, their evil I tell you." He said crossing his arms over his chest and Atticus just laughed a little, telling us to head upstairs.

As we got closer to the second level, I could hear Mr. Hill's voice yelling, soon a sound of something smashing making me want to head back down stairs. When we got the door, Heath didn't knock, and I didn't get after him, only because we could hear what Mr. Hill was saying.

"I don't care!"

"He can black mail me all he wants, I can play it right back and then he'll see what's so fun after what I do!"

Both Heath and I looked at each other before I raised my hand and knocked on the door, making the room fall silent for a little, before Mr. Hill talk.

"I'll call you back, I have something to take care of, good bye." I heard the click of a phone and then Mr. Hill's voice once again.

"Enter!" He shouted and I slowly reached my hand out, opening the door to his office.