Family

Chapter 22

It been a few days since Ma and Pa left. I been taking care of e'eryone. Making dinner. We all helped in the barn. Megan and Sam haven't played since Claire left. They say it ain't the same without her. We just tryna do e'erything we normally do while missing three people from the house.

While we eat the dinner I made we hear a car move up the driveway. We all run o'er to the front window, squeezing for us all to see. It ain't Ma or Pa. It ain't Claire. It two men in blue uniforms. They walk up to the door and knock lightly.

I open the door and they look at me with sadness. "Are you Annie?"

"Yes," I say.

"We are here to take you home, Annie. You and the others. Another car will be coming to fit everyone."

"Ya gonna separate us?"

"Just for the car ride. You'll be together at the Police Station."

"The Police Station," I hear Megan say from behind me. I turn and she e'eryone else standing together watching us talk.

"Your families will be meeting you there."

I think they can see us worrying about separating. "It's going to be alright. Your going home."

"Sir, we are home. I can take care of us all. We ain't got no other family but the six o' us." The two policemen look at each other. "And yes, we know what Ma and Pa did. We know we ain't suppose to be here, but we here now. And we together. That all that matters now. Don't ya understand?"

The other car pulls up the driveway and two more policemen walk up to the house.

"Why don't y'all come inside. We waiting for Ma to come back with Claire."

They hesitantly move into the den. Me and the others go to the kitchen and to bring out glasses of water for all o' 'em. When we walk out they discussing us. They tryna find a way to take us with 'em since we refuse to follow. "The women magazines my Ma and Pa have me read say to always offer guests a beverage. I haven't made anymore lemonade since lunch, so all I got is water. Is that alright?"

The policemen take the water with caution and take a sip. "Thank you," says one of 'em.

"We know you need to bring us with you," Kate say to them. "But we're comfortable. And yes, I miss my mother and father and my siblings, but I need you to understand that we are a family. We understand each other more than anyone else has ever understood me. We protect each other and we help each other."

"What do you protect each other from," one o' the policemen ask.

"From being in trouble, sir," Mack tell 'em.

"What happen if you're in trouble," he ask.

"Pa put us in the Room," Sam say. "It a small room in the cellar, near our beds."

"You sleep in the cellar," they ask.

"Where else are we gonna sleep," Sam ask.

The policemen go quiet. They ain't got a clue what to say next. No one say anything for a few minutes. We just look at each other waiting for someone to ask something else.

Megan finally say something. But something none o' us wanted to say. "Where is Claire?"

"She is at the Police Station waiting for you," one o' 'em tell us.

At that moment, we all got up and gathered our stuff. We only leaving to get Claire back. I think they understand that.

Two o' us get into the back o' the first car and the other three get into the other. And we are leaving the other house we e'er known.