Descent

6 - "Don't lie to me, kiddo"

Ms. Eleanor and the rest of the kids seemed positively delighted to crash through the giant oak doors of the spooky murder mansion that belched black nightmare crows at Tommy every single day on his way to school, but he was much less enthusiastic. He lingered by the rusty old Dodge van for as long as he could, hoping this was all some kind of mistake and Ms. Eleanor would smack her forehead, "Silly me!", and command everyone to pile back into the van. When that didn't happen, he tried to go invisible.

"C'mon, Tommy!" Ms. Eleanor called from the front door, which gaped like an open wound and yawned black emptiness from the foyer.

Tommy waved from the van, "No thank you!" He called and Ms. Eleanor laughed.

She dropped down the four steps of the front porch in her black heeled boots and approached the van, rainbow coloured scarf blowing in the wind. She crossed her arms and leaned against the side panelling, frowned at how dirty it was, then leaned against it again anyway.

"What's up?" She asked.

"I..." Tommy thought about lying, then looked up into Eleanor's not-young-but-not-old grey eyes and gave it up, "I don't want to go in there."

Tommy thought she might laugh at him, even in a good natured way, but she didn't. "Why not?" She asked, sincerely.

Tommy broke eye contact and shrugged, kicked some dust, "It's dumb."

"Do I strike you as a judgemental person?" She asked with a wry smile, "I'm wearing a rainbow scarf and a Dr. Who coat. I look like a divorced Ms. Frizzle."

"You're divorced?" Tommy met her eyes again.

Eleanor hesitated, then shrugged the shoulder that was leaned up against the van, leaving a streak of clean in the dirt. "Yeah. I probably shouldn't have told you that, it's inappropriate."

"My parents aren't divorced but they're 'split up' which I guess means the same thing."

"When did that happen?"

"In May."

"In Kingston?"

"Yeah."

"That's why you moved here?"

"Mom got a new job and Dad didn't want to go."

"What did you want to do?"

That startled Tommy. No one had ever asked him that.

"I dunno. I don't care."

Ms. Eleanor squatted down so she was eye level with him. It was full dark now, the sun had finally gone down in the west and been swallowed by the tree line that surrounded the Gannet house. The van was still running and it's headlights shone weakly onto the gravel laneway circling the house. The house was lit inside, so Tommy could catch glimpses of the other kids running around the two big rooms that flanked the front door. There was a statue of a cat in the window.

"Don't lie to me, kiddo." Ms. Eleanor said, softly so Tommy could barely hear her over the hum of the idling engine. "Lie to your mom, lie to you dad, lie to anyone you like out there. But up here, in this house, all I ask from you is to be the person you want to be. I will never, ever ask anything else of you."

Tommy couldn't look at her, even though he could feel it was important he do so. Instead, he squeaked out, "Promise?"

"Yupperoonie have a loonie."

Tommy considered, then stuck out his hand, "Deal."

Ms. Eleanor shook it. "I appreciate a man who weighs his options."