As Willow Wept

Chapter 1

I slung my tattered duffel bag over my shoulder, throwing my hair into a sloppy ponytail. Taking a last look in the mirror, it finally dawned on me that today was the day I became an official adult. I was essentially free - albeit with nowhere else to go. Closing my bedroom door behind me, I made my way down the hall. Hearing the deep snores through the walls, I knocked on the door to Andrew Faye's room.

"Andrew! Get up, the cleaner will be here soon." I hollered, violently slamming my fist against the door until a muffled curse and the sound of creaking springs sounded, marking the waking of the household alcoholic. Stumbling out of his room, he pushed past me towards the bathroom, reeking of vodka and body odour. Sounds of him puking made me grimace, and I wandered back through the bungalow.

The only framed photo we had was of my mother. Waiting for Andrew to finish emptying his stomach, I polished the glass with my sleeve, staring into the beautiful misty grey eyes of Amanda Faye. My eyes.
"Wh - Where's the vodka?" Was my first greeting. "Hey, isn't it your birthday next week or something?" My second.

"You drank it all, last night. And yeah, it's today. Dad." The word suggested a much closer relationship than me and Andrew had. After my mum died, he wasn't really a dad anymore. He was never around, always at the pub down the road or curb-crawling for Spanish prostitutes. I coped, but my older brother didn't. Last time I saw him, he was high as a kite and had long forgotten my name.

"Come give your ol' dadda a hug." He lunged for me but I sidestepped neatly, the overpowering wave of BO and puke emanating from his every pore.
"Can't. I'm late." I left for school without another word, glancing at the photo of my mother one last time. I wondered what she would think now, looking at the physical state of my father. The mental state of me. Eddie nowhere to be found.

The terracotta coloured tiles looked almost scorched under the Spanish sun. It was humid and overly warm, sweat glueing hair to my forehead as I walked quickly, aware I'd set off later than anticipated. As the high school came into view, I heard the bell ring faintly, and the throngs of students seemed to dissipate in seconds.

"Sí, Señor." I arrived just as my name was called, earning a mild glare from Señor Bespoke. I slid into the seat furthest from the desk and spaced out immediately. I couldn't speak or understand much Spanish, and everyone ignored me anyway. I was the creepy alcoholic's kid, the kid with the dead mum. We only even came to Spain after she died, because my mother had always wanted to live here.

I tried to call a phrase to mind that would excuse me from the lesson, but realising I didn't care, I just walked out. The profesor didn't even notice, just kept chattering, gesturing wildly. Not really sure where to go, I wandered aimlessly until I found myself at the office, with the only other English-speaking person I knew, apart from my father of course.

"Linda? You back there?" I called, leaning into the office window to search for Linda.
"Miss Faye, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Mildly sarcastic, Linda sat in the squat blue chair opposite the glass window.
"My mail, please? If I have any."
"Just the usual, looks like a couple of spam letters too. Although why you have them sent here is beyond me."

Recalling the time Andrew came home blackout drunk and pissed all over the furniture, including the letter that gave us some of the last details about my mother's death, I thought quickly. "The dog chews it if it's left unattended, which it is while I'm at school and Andr- my Dad is busy."
"I didn't know you had a dog." Linda eyed me suspiciously. I smiled falsely and turned on my heel, walking toward the water fountains. Taking a seat on the only non-vandalised bench, I tore open my mail. A letter from an old friend back home, which I binned without reading, two bills for Andrew and finally a large, stiff, white envelope. Opening it carefully, I pulled out a red card with gold lettering and a real wax seal:

"Dear Miss Hayley Faye,

Congratulations on turning 18, and we at Willow Manor hope you had a pleasant day. However, this letter comes on a more serious note.

You are one of six 18-20 year olds to be randomly selected to participate in a science testing programme. Should you accept this offer, you will fly out this Saturday at 12pm to England to Willowing, a town on the coast of southeast England.

Within this programme you are entitled to free, private living quarters, with a communal gym, kitchen and luxury common room, which you will share with the other 5 members of the programme. Free meals, transport (to anywhere) and access to substantial funds (within reason) will also be provided.

In exchange for this, you will participate in mental and physical testing, to help develop pharmaceutical drugs for various illnesses prevalent within the UK and Europe. You are not required to take any new medication, and will be health monitored readily to ensure testing does not affect your wellbeing in any way.

Enclosed with this letter is a plane ticket, a card for free currency exchange - should you need it - and the details of whom you must contact upon landing in England. Hayley, we look forward to meeting you in person.

Regards,
Mr Vaerian Willow
~ The Willow Manor Organisation"

"Well...shit." I said.