Locked

1) Mrs. Mubel

"William! I does not take fifteen minutes to use the toilet!" Willa Jean yelled from outside the bathroom. She pounded on the door so hard it shook the house. Jessica and James ran around the kitchen, mostly running into my feet. "Hurry up! I have to wee!"

I threw the rag I had in my hand down on the counter. I rushed out of the kitchen and through the hallway to the bathroom door. Willa Jean's golden hair was loosely plaited. She looked at me with hard eyes. "Will you tell him he's taking too long!" she shouted at me.

I banged my fist against the wooden door and shook my hand afterwards because of the pain. "Willie, Willa-Jean has to use the bathroom. Will you hurry up, please."

"In a minute," he shouted back.

"What are you doing in there? It's been ten minutes!"

"Has it now? Well, that's somethin', init?"

"William, open this door!" I heard no response. "That is it! I'm coming in there!" I hit my knee against the door and it flew open. I saw Willie quickly turn back. He had Momma's pill bottle in his hand. He was in his school clothes on, a blue shirt and brown slacks with suspenders.

I slowly took a step inside the bathroom. I feel down on my knees. I looked at him. "Come here!" I beckoned harshly.

He followed my orders and came to step only a few inches away from me. He looked at me with sad, blue eyes. I ripped the pill bottle from his small hands. I grabbed his shoulders and started shaking him. "Do you know what these are? What were planning to do with them? Answer me!"

Tears started to fill his eyes. They rolled down his pale, freckled cheeks. "Momma said it would kill me."

He bowed his head and my grip became stronger. "You were planning on killing yourself!"

He slowly started to shake his head. My hands fell down to my sides. My teeth started to show, I know.

"What is going on here?" I heard a voice weakly ask. Momma.

"Momma, please. You need to rest," I pleaded.

"Did you hurt Willie?"

I stood up and turned around. "Momma, please, go to bed. You must rest."

"Did you hurt my son?" she yelled in a raspy voice. She started to cough and slowly took her shaw and wrapped it around her face.

"Momma, please go and rest!"

Her knees started to wobble underneath her. I quickly jumped and grabbed her arm. She looked at me with her soft, brown eyes." Willa Jean, take your brother and cheek on the eggs, please," I beckoned. Willa Jean ran behind me. She walked out of the bathroom gripping harshly onto William's arm. "Move along, you rascal!" she yelled into his ear.

"Did you hurt him?" Momma asked again.

"That doesn't matter. Come along, we need to get you to bed." She nodded softly and allowed me to take control of her steps. I lead out of the hallway and into her room.

"I can get to my own bed!" she demanded. I let go and she slowly walked over to her bed and pulled back the quilts. She flopped onto the bed weakly and laid there.

I took a step forward to pull the quilts over her body. "I'm hot, I do not need the covers." She rolled over and started to silently cry.

"What's wrong?"

"Everything. This damn war."

"You cannot control that."

"Why can't Winston Churchill win already!"