Stable But Unpredictable |The Boy Movie|

Chapter Nine

Ruby felt like her stomach was in her mouth as she waited for Mr and Mrs Heelshire to arrive home. She didn't know how they would react. Would they be happy that someone other than them, knew about Brahms? Or would they be angry? Maybe they kept him hidden away for a reason.

 There had to be a reason... Right? You don't just keep someone inside walls for the majority of their lives.

 Ruby spent a good hour walking back and forth in front of the door, trying to listen out for the Heelshire's arrival home. She couldn't help but either bite her thumb or her lip.

 The first sign she had that they had arrived was the small rumble of gravel being tossed on the ground. Then and engine was heard in the distance... Until it got louder. Once it was loud enough she heard the engine cut. Then footsteps on the gravel.

 Ruby quickly pushed her hair behind her ears as she stood straight and brushed the non existent dust off her clothes. She faced the door as she saw the handle turn.

 "Miss Carter!" Mrs Heelshire exclaimed as she dropped her bags and held a hand to her chest. "What're you standing there like that."

 "...Waiting for you?" Ruby questioned out.

 "I see..."

 "Woul- Would you like a hand?" Ruby whispered out.

 "Yes... Thank you."

 Ruby quickly moved forward and helped to bring some suitcases into the house. She hoped Brahms would stay wherever he was. Just until she had time to speak to his parents.

***

"...And we also saw the boats!" Mr Heelshire smiled.

Ruby was sat in front of the Heelshire's at the kitchen table. She was listening to them drone on about how well there get away was. Every time she went to bring Brahms up, she backed out. She couldn't put it off much longer. And it looked like Mrs Heelshire was going to be the one to bring it up.

"Enough about us, How was your time spent with Brahms?"

"Ah..." Ruby cleared her throat as she sat up in her seat.

"Well?" Mr Heelshire was looking at Ruby with a raised eyebrow though his eyes held anxiousness.

"He's... Wonderful." Ruby nodded out.

Mr and Mrs Heelshire both let out a small breath they had somehow been holding.

"Did you follow the rules?"

"Yes... About Brahms..."

"What about him?" Mrs Heelshire demanded. "You have been doing it all, haven't you?"

"Yes... When I said he was wonderfu-"

"You lied? Did you n-"

"I wasn't talking about the dol-"

"Brahms." Mrs Heelshire snapped.

"Yeah, I wasn't talking about it."

"Who were you talking about then? Who have you had around? I told you no one was to en-"

"I was talking about the real Brahms." Mrs Heelshire narrowed her eyes at Ruby while Mr Heelshire's lip had twitched into a small smile.

"You just said you weren't talking about or so-"

"Don't be so vain!" Ruby tried to speak politely. "Your real son. The real version of him."

"We do not know what your talki-"

"THE MAN IN THE WALLS!" Ruby shouted.

Silence was everywhere. Ruby was staring with wide eyes. She had just shouted at them...

Mr Heelshire had leaned back in his seat, taking in the scenery while Mrs Heelshire was trying to form words. "How did you find out? Did you go snooping?" She demanded.

"I didn't... He found me actually. I thought it was a bit weird to look after a doll... One night he was in the hall. I thought it was kids, messing around. After that night he just... Roamed around the house. I thought it was better for him than in those walls. It's cold and damp in there. He could get seriously ill."

"What has he told you?" Mr Heelshire smiled slightly.

"Nothing, sir." Ruby breathed. "He wouldn't tell me a thing... Believe me, I asked every chance I got. His only answer was to wait for yourselves to arrive home."

"Where is he now?" Mrs Heelshire whispered out.

"Er, I'm not too sure. I just let him do his thing. He likes the library..."

"He was a keen reader."

"If you don't mind me asking... Why... Does he live in the walls?" Ruby risked the question.

"We do mi-"

"We owe you an explanation." Mr Heelshire cut Mrs Heelshire off with a look. "If she had an issue, she would've ran ages ago. She curious... Not a threat."

Ruby smiled at him while she waited for Mrs Heelshire to make up her mind. A small nod was the breaking point for Mr Heelshire to begin his answer.

"Brahms has always been a special boy. He never had many friends. He didn't know how to treat people. He didn't realize that everyone needed to be treated with care. He found it difficult to blend in with the other children who had brothers and sisters growing up."

Ruby nodded slightly with a smile motioning Mr Heelshire to continue.

"He had a friend... Well, they would play together. Brahms was a little rough. She had a bad injury... And she didn't make it."

"She died?" Ruby whispered.

"Yes. But Brahms wasn't to blame. He didn't understand back then. He realized... When it was too late... Her parents called the police. We didn't want Brahms to be taken away. He wasn't a bad boy."

"The police were called? How did her parents find out?" Ruby asked.

"When she didn't come home... They went looking for her and found her. The police were called. We knew they would come to the Manor. We were frantic in trying to get things packed, that we didn't realize a candle was knocked over. The room went up in flames. Not the whole Manor."

"That's how you told the police Brahms was in here? When the fire was started?"

"Yes. But he wasn't. We managed to get him out... Not in time for him to get out unscathed. Some of the fire burned his face. But he survived."

"So that's the reason for the mask?"

"He's insecure." Mrs Heelshire nodded.

"Once the Manor was rebuilt and the police declared his death, we brought him back. Made him a nice space in the walls where we were going to build a new room. Was made it into the walls so he had somewhere to stay when people were around. Then the doll came." Mr Heelshire finished.

"Why is there a doll?" Ruby raised an eyebrow.

"We never forgot Brahms. People knew that. We needed something to remind ourselves and others of his existence. They didn't know he was alive. So as time went by, Brahms grew up. He has not been outside this house in many, many years."

"Why not?" Ruby asked. "People wouldn't recognize him..."

"We didn't want to risk it."

"So you kept him locked up... For basically all his life?" Ruby demanded.

"We wanted to bring nanny's in... To see who Brahms liked. Once we arrived, we were going to tell you about Brahms. But it seemed that you already found him. Or he found you. You two belong together now."

"I'm sorry? What." Ruby laughed slightly.

"He is yours. And you... You are his."