Secrets, Deals and Lies

Chapter 8 - I found you

I sat in the attic wondering if Daniel will ask someone to do my favour or if he’ll do it himself. When I get bored I finally get up and go through the box with all the documents.

The first few papers were about who Nick was and practically everything you could know about him, some things I didn’t even know.

He’s really smart – has a degree in nursing, science, physics, engineering and all these other things, and he used to live in Europe before moving here when he was around 17 for University.

I flip over to other pages looking for anything to do with my mother. I stop and look at a photo of a lady. She’s beautiful – perfect. She was by herself in the photo walking in the middle of an oval, green grass all around her as well as the blue sky. The photographer catches her by surprise as she turns around, yet her smile and everything else was perfect as if it was meant to be like this.

I looked at the photo and wondered who it was; I couldn’t take my eyes off her, she was gorgeous. As I stared it was like I’ve already met her, who was she?

I turned over the photo and checked the back it said something and it was in pretty, dark handwriting: Chelsea Hollows, my love. 20–11–1990

1990 – 3 years after I was born and exactly the 20th of the 11th, I turned over the photo and stared once again only just realising this lady must be my mother. Chelsea Hollows my gorgeous, beautiful mother. I said her name over and over in my head wondering where I’ve heard her name before.

Chelsea Hollows. Hollows. Mrs Hollows. That’s it! Chelsea Hollows is Mrs Hollows, which means Mrs Hollows is my mum! Meaning Luke was my little brother! I squealed and wished I could share my happiness with someone but obviously no one was here to share it with.

I started to cry with delight; I have a little brother! Luke is my little brother. Luke! I started to laugh and cry as I now know who my mother is.

‘Oh god. I’ve been waiting for so long to find out who you are,’ I said out loud looking at the photo of my mother. I smile and put away the box holding the photo safely in my hands. When I turn around Zach is standing near the opening of the attic, I practically jump unaware that someone was here.

‘Oh. Zach, you scared me,’ I say looking at him walking toward me. ‘Can you help me moving these boxes please?’ I ask, happy that someone's here for a change. He stares at me impassively as he finally stands in front of me, ‘Zach? Wanna help?’ I ask looking at him uncomfortably as he just stands above me staring with blank distant eyes.

‘No. But I just wanted to say that you cause too much trouble.’

‘What?’ he stands there now glaring at me. ‘Zach, what are you talking about?’

‘You should leave – runaway, and don’t ever come back. We don’t need you here,’ he says closing in the gap and staring down at me even more, my heart started to beat fast though I had no idea what he was talking about, ‘I’m not going anywhere Zach, I promised The Warden,’ I answer calmly, he doesn’t say anything and stays quiet for too long.

‘Jeez! What’s gotten into you?’ I search his face but he gives nothing away. ‘Leave,’ he says simply starting to come closer and closer making me move back for every step he takes.

‘Stop it! What do you want? I’m not going anywhere and that’s that!’ I yell at him not meaning to. He scowls and keeps taking steps toward me but I keep moving back.

Before I knew it I hit some boxes and can no longer go anywhere else; my heart starts to beat even more faster as he gets closer and closer.

‘Zach, stop it! You’re scaring me!’ I finally shout putting a hand on his chest to stop him from walking any closer. He grabs onto my wrist and holds it in the air, ‘do you have any idea how much things we have to go through because of you? I reckon The Warden wouldn’t mind if you were dead.’