Dangerous Words for Dangerous Times

Three

Supper had hardly been enough for firsts for the growing children. Josiah claimed he was a growing boy, as well, which elicited Fiyonah commenting "outwards" under her breath, thankful she no longer sat beside mother for supper.

Leaving Twila with the hasty clean up, Fiyonah ran to her bedroom before she could be caught in mother's schemes. Throwing a large rag on her bed, she gathered her favourite book, 'Secret Garden', her hairbrush and a change of clothes for the next day. She was hoping she could convince Zachariah to let her stay the night. He understood how important it was for her to escape to somewhere safe from mother, and he was her safe place.

A knocking at her wall made her leap onto the bed on top of her gathered supplies. As far as she knew, mother didn't know how she escaped.

Josiah wobbled in; apparently the liquor cabinet had already been raided for the night. That fact meant one of two things. One that would make Fiyonah gleeful or very fearful. Josiah was already unsteady, but the added drink meant he was already mostly smashed. That either meant mother was already passed out in bed, or was drunk and would be angrier than ever, and would want to take her anger out on Fiyonah.

"Your mother sent me to get you for some fun." Half the words slurred into each other, the other half were choppy and filled with belches and hiccups.

The words froze her blood. Josiah couldn't possibly be a part of mother's plan- not intentionally. Not as a schemer, but as a tool. She had to escape.

"O-okay. I'm just going to get ready and I'll come." Fiyonah hoped she didn't sound suspicious, not like Josiah would have noticed.

"Take your time, love. I just want to please your mother." Josiah turned to leave, running into the doorway.

As soon as he was through and the curtain fell back over the doorway, Fiyonah gathered everything back up into the centre of the rag, tying it up.

The window opened easily.

Mother would be even more furious, but hopefully she's already too drunk to remember this in the morning.

The descent down the side of the building was committed to Fiyonah's memory. As soon as she was on the ground, she took off down the well worn path to Zachariah's home.

   She arrived as the street lamps were turning on, wary of every shadow. Zachariah must've expected her, the back door to the kitchen was propped open with a rather large brick. He occasionally even left out a few treats he traded for, knowing that she rarely ate at home because mother shamed her about her weight.

    Zachariah's kitchen wasn't too different from her own, but it always felt more welcoming than her own. Maybe because mother wasn't floating around the corner armed with abusive words and painful slaps heavily administered whenever she felt like it. Maybe because Josiah wasn't helping himself to their liquor cabinet - not that a house full of minors would have one out readily available.

    Jakobin skipped in, presumably scavenging for an extra cookie. When his eyes fell on Fiyonah - black stringy hair plastered to her forehead and the sides of her cheeks with sweat, heavy breathing from the run to his house, red ruddy cheeks - he didn't take a second thought, running to embrace her in as big a hug as an overgrown 13 year old could manage.

    "Zachariah! Fiyonah's here!" Jakobin yelled practically into her ear, even though the proclamation was for the rest of the house.

Zachariah practically bowled into the room. Indira, 16 and "practically a lady, thank you" strolled into the room next, right as Zachariah flung himself at her, tackling Jakobin and Fiyonah to the ground. Emersyn was 14 and all limbs, almost more than Jakobin.

   If one ever needed a few spare players for soccer, this family was the one to hit up. No matter what team they were on, they always won. It helped that they were so extremely competitive.

    Aadya was 15, and one of the most clumsy and awkward girls Fiyonah had ever met, besides herself, of course. She added herself to the "Fiyonah pile" with an OOMF. Emersyn lay on the ground beside the pile and poked Fiyonah's face. Indira pushed Emersyn over, throwing cookie chunks at the boys.

There was never a dull moment in the Linch household, but unlike Fiyonah's house, it was good. It was her true home, the only place she could relax and feel safe. Zachariah was her home and her family.