Speechless// Jachary

20

Jack woke up, with his heart racing, his bed covered with sweat. He laid there, silent  tears running from his eyes.

He'd had another nightmare. The teen got up, not wanting to risk falling asleep again and having another one. He hated everyone. He hated everyone and everything.

He took a book from a shelf not bothering to look at what it was and began reading.

The teen didn't bother to look at the time, so he didn't realise he was up at 3:30 in the morning.

Jack sat reading the book for hours and hours, immersed in the storyline and the words on the page. When he finished it, he went onto a second, and then a third.

Mrs Barnsley came into the teen's room at 10 am after she had gotten a phone call. She expected him to be up and dressed, but instead she found him on the beanbag in the corner on the room, reading a book.

"Jack?" She called out to him. He didn't respond. "Jack!" She raised her voice still  getting no reaction from the curly haired boy. She patted him on the shoulder, finally getting his attention.

"The cops want to talk to you," she said. Jack nodded his head and stood up. "I'll see you downstairs." She said as she left the room.

Jack put a bookmark in the book and went into the bathroom. He washed his body and brushed his teeth before pulling on a t-shirt and a pair of jeans and a hoodie. Jack was never seen without a hoodie.

He walked downstairs and greeted the middle-aged woman who handed him a plate of scrambled eggs on toast.  The two ate exchanging no words except the thank you that Jack gave the woman.

They arrived at the police station and we're ushered into a small office.
"Take a seat," the cop asked the pair. They complied, plonking their bums on the chairs that sat on the other side of the desk from the policeman.

"Jack," the cop said, making the boy look up. "We now know who killed your mother." The cop said, looking briefly at His computer screen. Jack's heart doubled its pace.

"Are you familiar with Darrin Stanford?" Jack's eyes widened and his heart stopped. "I'm sorry." The cop told the boy seeing his reaction. "You're safe now though." He reassured the boy.

"Now we have to discuss your care." The police officer said, diverting the short conversation. Jack looked back at the cop, panicked.

"Who do you want to stay with?" Jack pointed at the woman sitting on his right. "Susan, how do you feel about taking the boy in?"

"I'd be more than happy to, officer. The kid's stolen my heart." She replied. The policeman looked back to Jack.

"Your grandma wants to take you in, how do you feel about that?" The officer asked. Jack shook his head vigorously. "Can you speak to me Jack?" The officer asked. Jack shook his head again. "Do you have a way of communicating with Susan?" The teen nodded. "Susan can you translate what he says to me?"

Mrs Barnsley nodded. "Sure,"

"Why don't you want to live with your grandmother?"

"We don't get on. She doesn't like that I'm mute and she ignores Me." The cop was typing this into his computer.

"Why do you want to live with Susan?"

"She understands me. She keeps me safe. She acts more like my mom than my mom ever did."

"Why do you think your grandmother wants to take you in?" Jack shrugged. "Don't know?" The officer asked, earning a nod from Jack.

"Jack, I want you to come to court when we decide what will be best and tell the judge. I will organise a sign language translator for you."

Jack nodded. "Jack." The policeman said. "I hope Susan gets custody of you. I wish you the best." He signed "thanks" which Mrs Barnsley gladly translated for him before they left.

A/n I'm only writing an author's note at the end of the chapter because otherwise it would be 666 words long and 666 is the demon number.

Also, would you prefer for the chapters in this book to be longer and updates slightly less frequent or the same length as they are now. Comment what you think.