No Choice But Murder

5

I stretched forward and grasped his hand just as there was a cry and a scurry from behind and I felt a pair of strong, yet bony hands seize my waist and yank me backwards. I screamed as a short, yellow haired, wrinkly old woman ran past me and grabbed Carter and another, taller and thinner and greyer, gripped onto Farah and James'. I screamed and flailed my arms out and shrieked and shrieked until someone clamped a bony and withered hand on my mouth. I gagged in disgust.

'Oh, Carter, my boy,' said the yellow haired old hag clutching him. 'How you've grown.' She held a sodden cloth over his mouth and he collapsed. 'How long has it been?' She let go and moved towards James'. He whimpered and held his hands close to his mouth in fear. But she had no mercy or pity and she wrenched his hand away and shoved the soaked cloth under his nose and in his mouth. He too, collapsed.

The tall, grey haired crone, who was clutching Farah, started to move towards the yellow haired woman. Farah was smarter than to struggle. She walked carelessly along with the woman right up to the her. The blonde hag smiled wide in glee, exposing a mouth full of black, cracked, and rotting teeth. 'I don't need to bother with you, I'm sure.' She grinned even wider. 'We'll get along just fine, my darling, just fine.' Farah was pushed towards the house.

She turned to me and her smile dropped. 'So, you're my son's trivial girlfriend?' The cloth dropped out her hand and slopped onto the wet pavement. 'I hope you're not a trial to him?'

She spoke so old fashioned. And she'd gotten her facts wrong.

'Petunia, move your hand, she can't speak, you ugly wench.'

The withered lump of bones dropped from my mouth and I thanked the Lord I could still breath.

'Well?'

'I'm not his girlfriend.' I croaked, trying to standstill my ragged breaths.

'Well, what are you then? Is the other girl his girlfriend? The well behaved one?' she looked unimpressed as I stood ground and tried to act careless. 'I didn't have to bother drugging her.' She examined me carefully. 'Do I have to bother drugging you?'

'No.'

'Well that settles it!' She looked full of glee. 'Let's go in. Your daughter would be fine for him, Petunia,' She rubbed her hands together. 'Take her in and then come out and help with my son and his lumpy homosexual friend.'

Petunia gripped my arms and marched to the house. She muttered under her breath as she shoved me in through the front door. I held my breath, not daring to let out any emotion.