Oh, Brother

Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – Secrets revealed

I just stared at the box in front of me. Frozen in shock.

I reached out and opened the box up and I was surprised at what I found in the box.

“My baby rattle.” I mutter under my breath but Alec still heard.

“No, it can’t be…” He says silently.

I start fingering and touching everything but it still felt so surreal when Richard comes bursting into the attic.

He takes one look at where we are sitting and stops in his tracks.

My eyes go wide as memories flood my head and I feel myself falling to the ground and Richard catching me.

I laughed my high pitched girly laugh.

Smiling my toothy smile I watched as I snuggled in-between the other two in my triplet. Matty and Lukey lie on either side of me with Jay, Mickywikey and Ricky looking down on us.

Some where in the background I heard Mary laughing and beginning to sing happy birthday.

Today was mine, Matt and Luke’s 2nd birthday.

(later on)

The harsh smell of smoke and the fire alarm going off woke me from my nap.

 

I started screaming and crying, praying that my brothers were safe. Then out of the orange and yellow flames a figure comes walking towards me.

 

“Awnety Em!!” My 2 year old self wailed.

 

I could feel myself wondering what was going on, when Aunty Em took me out of my crib and carried me away.

 

On the way out, my left wrist caught on fire, making me scream louder.

 

The next thing I was conscious of was Aunty Em placing me on some places steps and wandering away with only a note.

 

Feeling abandoned and sad, my little self started crying and a younger Mrs Greene came and opened the door and took me in to what I later knew to be the orphanage.

 

With out knowing it, I was rubbing my burnt wrist and was shouting the names of my brothers.

 

When I opened my eyes, Richard was looking down at me with a mixture of worry, surprise, excitement and concern and maybe even a little bit of fear.

 

“Ricks?” I say cautiously.