Broken Chains

Part 8

Chapter 8

The long empty roads became narrow congested town roads. By the time we had found a bus heading direct it had meant that we didn't arrive until just after three and so the school run cars were clogging up the roads while kids of various ages loitered around on the streets, clearly having nowhere better to go but wanting to believe they had a choice other than going home.

"Jess." Carl said tapping me on the shoulder but it wasn't a necessary gesture despite the fact that I had my MP3 headphones in I could still hear him. I pulled the headphones out and flicked the MP3 off. It was Derek's the one he had given me so long ago. Dean had been using it to amuse me while I had been tied up back in that bedroom, so it had been shoved casually in my pocket to keep it safe, I hadn't known I had it until we had run away but now I was glad for it.

"Looks like we're here." He said brightly

"Do you have any clue where we are going?"

"I know the address" he said firmly

"You do." I said incredulously, "I barely recognised the name of the town." Carl smiled,

"Well that's because you hate her." He said in a sort of conspirative tone.

"I do not." his smile widened

"Yeah you do."

"She hated me." I conceded,

"She just really loved Derek." Carl said with a smile. As the bus pulled into what I had to assume was the bus station but that was purely informed by the fact that there were three busses here as generally the place just looked like a derelict car park. Carl stood up and gripped my hand yanking me sharply to my feet. As we filed off the bus with all the other passengers Carl lingered by the driver to ask for some directions

It transpired that this bus driver had a worse sense of direction that I did so after about an hour of striding around purposefully in circles we gave up and found a taxi rank. It turned out the house we had been hunting for was less than a five minute walk from the bus station; it takes real skill to make that short walk so complicated. The house we were after was a large three level Victorian sort of terraced house. Carl opened the rusty gate,

"Carl maybe I should stay out here." I said placidly he smiled,

"Ordinarily I'd agree. But you know I can't leave you here by yourself." he said brightly "come on." He said gripping my hand lacing his fingers through mine. "Be strong. I'll protect you." I giggled and followed him down the short gravel path and stood next to him as he rang the doorbell. After a few seconds the door swung open. The first thing I noted for the folded arms the second thing was the disapproving eyes which lingered on me flicking just for an instant down to my hand which was still being squeezed by Carl.

"Fucking your way through all the brothers Jessica." It was lucky Carl had hold of my right hand or I would have slapped her head of as it was I still got a pretty powerful blow in with my left hand. I couldn't help a smug sort of smile slipping onto my face as I saw the women in the doorway stagger slightly her disapproving glare at me deepened.

"Jessica." Carl muttered yanking on my hand. I couldn't tear the pissed off look off my face though.

"So hi Aunt Em." Carl said brightly.

"Little tip Jessie if your coming to somebody to beg for help slapping them is not the traditionally preferred course of action." She snapped slamming the door in our faces.

"Well that went well." Carl said calmly.

"Bitch." I snapped at the wood,

"Well Jessie you did slap her." He said levelly,