Mikah

CHAPTER TWELVE

Instead of having what others considered a normal birthday, with balloons and cake and happiness, I spent at least half of the day searching for any clues of what any of this meant.

Phoebe tried to stop me multiple times, saying she'd rather have me read the books she'd given me than help me search for clues for this little box.

But you have to understand, it's more than just intriguing, and you have to admit that even if it were you, you would possibly be confused too. I mean, who wouldn't be? Imagine if that would've happened to any other lad on their birthday, they'd be confused too, right?

Maybe I'm just making a big deal out of this when it's truly not even a big deal at all. But something about it all seems suspicious, or meant to happen to me.

"Angus, come on, we'll look tomorrow," Phoebe begged, trying to push me towards the kitchen to get a slice of cake, "You don't want Snoring Sean to get the last slice, now do you?"

My head raised in her direction.

Cake...

Researching...

Which one do I possibly choose?

"Fine," I spoke, "I'll go with ya. But you have to promise me, Phoebe, that you'll help me look tomorrow."

She curtsied playfully, giggling,

"Deed I do. Now come on, before it's all gone," She held out her hand, and I grabbed it.

Soon I realized that I was holding her hand, and I immediately let go.

"What's wrong, Angus?" She questioned, peering into my dark brown eyes the color of firewood.

I shook my head, worried she would think I'm crazy,

"Oh, it's nothing, don't worry."

Phoebe peered into my eyes once more, and then down at my tie.

She began fixing the tie for me, and adjusted my collar so it wouldn't be such of a mess as I had it.

"Why, Phoebe, how do you know how to tie a tie?"

Phoebe shrugged,

"Living with a home full of boy cousins in Bristol can do that to you, wouldn't you say so?"

"I guess so," Was my response, "What were their names?"

"Who? My boy cousins?" She asked.

I nodded, and she wholeheartedly began to explain.

"Oh, well, Peter Stagg... he was the oldest, and the wisest. And the closest one to a brother, if I do say so myself. But they were all like brothers to me, so it didn't really matter. Peter was near an adult then, I'd say rather twenty or twenty-one. Then Alfred, who must've been what? A little older than I was at the time, around sixteen or seventeen. I must've only been fifteen, since yes, now I'm sixteen. Alfred went by Alfie, but never really got a chance at anything in life, since Nora and I's aunt and uncle, his parents, never truly paid that much attention to him. Due to him being the middle child. Then there was Ed, or Eddy, as I liked to call him. He was the youngest, and was even younger than I were. He played all sorts of games with Nora and even wound up working in the farm at a very young age. He was quite good at it too, if you'd like to know the truth. But that was before his parents went bankrupt—"

I looked at Phoebe, as her jaw dropped before my eyes. Quite shocked, I helped her move along in the line for cake.

"What's the matter? Phoebe?"

She cut out of her daze almost immediately, and then smiled at me.

"Sorry, Angus, sometimes I reminisce the times in England, and it really doesn't get all that pretty."

I nod,

"It's alright, don't worry," As I placed my hand on her shoulder, hoping to comfort her.

"And so, the parents, Luanne and Fred, went bankrupt. Fred was a banker, so it was awfully hard to believe that he was the one who went bankrupt. But it wasn't as big as a surprise to us as it was to Luanne, for she started drinking again, and you know that wasn't a good idea from the way I'm talking of it, now don't you?"

I nodded, and she continued,

"Peter wanted to protect us, he really did. But all he could do was help us whenever she was pissed, or as you like to say, drunk. Sometimes we'd even stay up in the attic during the night, away from wherever she was. The three boys, as well as Nora and me. All we wanted to do was to feel protected in a house where people genuinely cared for us. But that's not exactly what we had gotten, or even hoped for, for that matter," Phoebe said, beginning to laugh awkwardly, "Seemed as though God was against us, you know? Since mother and father had left us at such young ages where it didn't deem appropriate to do so. Fred took us under his wing, that was the good thing. But we didn't realize we'd be in the attic praying to dear lord Luanne wouldn't kill us or something. See? I remember one night we had to practically run up the attic, and all we could hear were screams of agony and glass smashing on the ground. By then, we were scared out of our minds. We didn't know what in the world to do. So one day, after coming home from preparatory school, we all made up a plan. In the early morning, around four or so, we would run for our life. Away from my aunt and uncles house, but mostly away from Luanne. And well, only Nora and me made it out of that eerie house that day."